Category: News Stories/Events/Opinion

Falconry is a sport with a rich history going back many centuries. It was the domain of nobles in medieval times and may or may not have been practiced as far back as 2000 BC - academics disagree on that point. What there should be no disagreement on is that falconry is insanely cool. A few months back, a friend of mine said to me, "I have a friend who trains birds, you should go take pictures." I was immediately intrigued, because I love nature and also love to take… Read More

It would be easy for me to bask in the accolades that have been showering upon me since the publication of the steel vs. brass ammo test. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally doing that. But this test would not have been possible without other people. My name is at the top, but their fingers are all over it. In Arizona: Zach and Paul are featured prominently in lots of photos from the test for a reason. They came out to the range with me countless times to shoot lots… Read More

Violence in video games is often decried as the cause of violence in real life - perhaps it is. I haven't the resources to investigate that fully. I do play video games pretty often, and I can say that while I've never felt violent urges after playing a video game, I did free climb the stone wall of an ancient temple in the Middle East just like in Uncharted 3. Also just like in Uncharted 3, I was caught by angry guards with AKMs, although unlike the game, they (luckily)… Read More

I have met a number of instructors in the, for lack of a better term, "tactical" world. I have the benefits of being a constant shooter and several years' experience teaching in classroom settings to form opinions of instruction and training for real-world firearms use. And I have had the opportunity to discuss the effectiveness of various instructional techniques with professional military and law enforcement individuals who were willing to speak frankly and did not hold anything back in their assessments. All of this has led me to the conclusion… Read More

As a meat-eating, gun-owning, do-it-yourself kind of guy, it would only seem natural that I would also be a hunter. I'm not. However, that doesn't mean that I'm against hunting. In fact, my father hunted to feed my family when I was younger. As a boy - into my teens - I hunted varmints almost daily. Those who are critical or hateful toward hunters puzzle me. Unnatural death is everywhere - and some form of death brought those critics their last meal. Even raw vegans have to "kill" vegetables before… Read More

While attending the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting, also known as AUSA, I saw many things which were pretty cool, but did not really fit into any category I normally write about on my blog. Still, because they were cool, I will post them here. Things that no one asked for, like tracked Strykers! I might go play tourist for a while after this, so you may or may not see a whole lot more exciting AUSA coverage from me. Check out Gear Scout for more stuff,… Read More

I've had various brushes with competition shooting over the years, and every single time I am struck by how much drama there is surrounding the action shooting world. I guess that's a good way to get people interested in things - drama, that is - but it doesn't appeal to me at all. Take, for example, the recent controversy surrounding Michelle Viscusi's accession to "Team Glock." Those familiar with my blog will probably have already read my article about why Michelle is a force to be reckoned with. Many people seem… Read More

Earlier this year, I noticed an increase in the number of attacks on PMCs (private military companies) and the people they employ (military contractors). To be sure, PMCs have never been far from the point of aim of a lot of anger and resentment. But the stuff I've been hearing lately has been especially vitriolic. Why? The politically expedient withdrawal of US troops from Iraq didn't mean an end to the US mission in Iraq. To protect the infrastructure (such as the embassy in Baghdad) and personnel (diplomats, support folks,… Read More

...and each other. What do I mean by this? I mean that I grow weary of hearing about how veterans need help. I'm tired of hearing things like "Veteran unemployment is so high, why doesn't somebody do something?" Here's why. Veterans have demonstrated a lot about themselves just by being in the military. In order to join the military, you have to score (roughly, depending on the service) at least 30 on the ASVAB, which is a percentile based test. This doesn't mean that you're smarter than a third of… Read More