Know your gear.  Make sure you know where everything is and make it second nature to reload, clear a malfunction, and transistion.  I shot 2 years of highpower before shooting 3 gun.  I have won 4 of the last 6 matches, took 2nd in another and 8th in another match.  When I ended 8th I had equipment problems and I mind fucked myself.  I learned alot from that and now I have trained to not "think" or diagnose what is happening and just do what is needed at the time.  When I attended the OSTC High Risk Enviornment PSD course we did a good bit of shooting and engagement/disengagement tactics.  This course was well worth it and I learned a great bit about it.  Get professional training and apply what you learn that works and throw away what doesn't.

I think what throws so many shooters off when a MF happens, is that so many of us are drilled with being safety conscious at the range. After all, no one wants to be the dip shit that has an ADC or causes others at the range to get pissed off at them for it. However, when dealing with a life threatening event, the only safety concern is getting back into action before it’s too late. So, many of us fail to realize just how much time is wasted looking down at our weapon wondering “what…?”

The only MF I had that I was able to naturally overcome without thought was a pistol MF that happened one time with a primer that failed to ignite. I have thought about intentionally placing training rounds in random magazines when heading to a match so that I could potentially encounter a failure to fire, but then I would still know. If it could happen when I was sure that it wouldn’t, then it would provide a better experience to learn from.

What I learned... Any bucket-head with a gun can hit a tgt. it's all about manipulation. keeping the gun running under any condition at any time and keeping it loaded. Being able to execute a Malfunction drill without any hesitation or thought. You can teach a monkey marksmanship...but few monkeys can keep their shit running more then a few magazines before they have a problem and then just stop and stare at it thinking ....WTF???

Focus on what your doing and master the basics.... There's no such thing as advanced training, it's all about the basics.

No gun accessory or gee whizz new barrel or bullet or sight or mount will make you better. I've yet to see a shooter better then their box-stock 4MOA Carbine.

Just master the basics and apply them in a smooth motion with purpose and aggression and you will rule the day.....

That's it

I learned that no matter how good you think you are, something will always pop up that you will have to adapt to.  

Also....I notice that many people keep guns for self protection in their homes, but they don't realize that the time they will most likely need that weapon is at night.  Get a good light, and the means to sight your weapon in the dark.  If you keep a rifle, that means you have to attach that light, the alternative sucks (from military experience....trust me on this one).  I won't ever have a rifle that I use for SHTF or personal defense that doesn't have a mounted light on it (SF G2 nytrolyn (sp) lights are $32, there is no excuse).  

If you are so close to your enemy that you don't have time to diagnose a stoppage, you need to transition.  Tap, rack, bang may be fast, but a transition is faster and more reliable.  Practice transitions!  

Shooting a pistol 1 handed sucks compaired to shooting 2 handed.  

Optics WILL make you a faster shot, if you know how to use them and understand their limitations.  
Know how to shoot irons......their batteries never go dead.

Know your gear.  No matter how it's set up, as long as the mags are easy to remove (i.e. not so deep that you can't grip, or pouch is too tight) you will be faster than someone who never practices pulling a mag and reloading.  

I hate those old LBE rigs.  They bounse all over the place and are uncomfortable while prone.  They hurt my neck.  Alice clips come un-done to easily (I use zip-ties now).  

I like chest rigs.  I like assault vests.  Did I mention I hate LBEs?  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If you cant manipulate your gun or gear without having to think much about it, it will screw you up no matter how good of a shot you may be able to make. Well put.  My guns run too reliably so when I do encounter a problem I had a hahbit of trying to diagnose the problem rather than just clear it and press on.  I learned that in class when on the line, so I know I need to work on malfunction clearance drills. If the situation warrants it, as said early transistion to your HG. Then clear the malfunction later. This is not to say malfunction clearance drills are not necesary & mandatory, just situation specific.

THAT was covered in the class I had a month after the class were I had my epiphany on the malfunction drills.  Truth be told, if I have my carbine there is a good chance I won't have a handgun.

This is a great thread - good review of the finer points in class.

Quoted: While I believe in a tool for every situation, I don't run my guns with everything on them. I used to think that I had to put everything I could on the rifle so that I was a "jack of all trades".  But now all I keep on the gun during shooting drills is the optic and light. Sure it's good to have a bipod just in case, but training with it on is a waste of time for a carbine drill.

Is the bipod normaly on the gun? If so train with it as it's going to be used.

Quoted: Don't go too fast. Take the time, make the hits. The guy who gets the first round of is the first guy to make noise. The guy who makes the first hit is almost certainly the winner. ahh but if yer the first to shoot and you make the hits, then you are the winner for sure Perfection is the enemy of good enough, and vice versa. Figure out if you need speed or accuracy, preferably before the event, and then do it. where have I heard that before.....Oh yah thats right this morning watching modern marvals on the history channel, and the man that said it was none other then the father of the AK47 himself it is very true.

Good post Combat_Jack.

Quoted: Quoted: Don't go too fast. Take the time, make the hits. The guy who gets the first round of is the first guy to make noise. The guy who makes the first hit is almost certainly the winner. ahh but if yer the first to shoot and you make the hits, then you are the winner for sure Perfection is the enemy of good enough, and vice versa. Figure out if you need speed or accuracy, preferably before the event, and then do it. where have I heard that before.....Oh yah thats right this morning watching modern marvals on the history channel, and the man that said it was none other then the father of the AK47 himself it is very true. Good post Combat_Jack.

Yep, I was quoting Kalashnikov, although at the time I couldn't remember who said it first.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Don't go too fast. Take the time, make the hits. The guy who gets the first round of is the first guy to make noise. The guy who makes the first hit is almost certainly the winner. ahh but if yer the first to shoot and you make the hits, then you are the winner for sure Perfection is the enemy of good enough, and vice versa. Figure out if you need speed or accuracy, preferably before the event, and then do it. where have I heard that before.....Oh yah thats right this morning watching modern marvals on the history channel, and the man that said it was none other then the father of the AK47 himself it is very true. Good post Combat_Jack. Yep, I was quoting Kalashnikov, although at the time I couldn't remember who said it first.

He said on the show he thought it was from scripture(thats where he read it)

I started shooting in a 3 gun club back in 1987.  Our club shoots multi gun, i.e. Basic Gun (Handgun), Shotgun and Rifle. We later became afiliated with IPSC. I have shot CMP High Power as well.

I have learned that bells and whistles are great for parades and pictures, pratice the KISS mind set.
I shoot a Bushy 14.5 AR Shorty flat top, A2 stock with an Airmpoint and a JP trigger.
No free float tube.
No hg rails.
No lights.
No bipods (I go prone all the time without one, why WASTE the time unfolding it?)

I am 2nd or 3rd when I am not 1st. We have some excellant shooters.
I CAN shoot 40 yard and under targets MUCH faster with a handgun than with a rifle.
(I have done this for a long time.)
I CAN shoot a rifle a faster with a red dot than irons, the red dot gives me the confidence in my hits that I don't shoot additional rounds at distant (100+ yds) targets, THIS saves a lot of time.
Do not experiment in a match, use what you KNOW works (I learned this the hard way).
Speed will come naturally, shoot for hits not speed.
Clear your mind.

YMMV
Bill

Great thread guys, keep it coming, I've been hoping to get some training pretty soon and this stuff seems invaluable...

Before you can shoot on the move, you must first have a stable physical platform where the rifle returns to the same position after every shot.

Basic marksmanship fundamentals and weapon manipulation must be automatic if you want to do well.

If you are thinking "stance, elbows in, focus on front sight" during force-on-force and the other guy is doing it correctly without even thinking about it, you are going to eat Simunitions because the other guy can now devote his brain to thoughts like "Where is my best field of fire?" or "Hey, he just flagged his gun while he was trying to get his stance correct."

Thumbs forward on the weakside of the weapon keep you from dumping shots to one side when using a VFG.

Controlling the rifle during movement is easier with a VFG forward for me; but more tiring over the long haul.

I am sure there are more; but these are what stood out in my mind when I read the topic.

A guy who spends $1,000 on training and ammo will shoot better than a guy who spends $1,000 on gear; but gear does add an advanatge between two similarly trained guys.

A good light is FAR FAR more important than any optic.

You can fight in the dark and ID targets with a good light and iron sights; while you can make hits with an optic - you can't tell who you just hit.

Both is better (Optic & light).

A good light is FAR FAR more important than any optic.

Unless it is a defensive gun I'd really really have to question that.
As far as a homie gun, I would shoot my bone stock Colt 6520 Govt. Carbine second after my bone stock Glock 19.

My match gun doesn't need any more than I have on or in it. I could understand why one might want a light on a homie gun but nothing else.

YMMV
Bill

Great thread several others have echoed many of the things that I've learned along the way.

When I knew less I was always looking for new fancy techniques and tactics but the more I learned the more I realized that what it came down to was the basics.

Mastering the basics and executing them before your opponent is what wins fights.

Quoted: A good light is FAR FAR more important than any optic. Unless it is a defensive gun I'd really have to question that. As far as a homie gun, I would shoot my bone stock Colt 6520 Govt. Carbine second after my bone stock Glock 19. Bill

Bill,
As I noted FIGHTING in the dark requires a light.  For me any competition I do is to practice the skills I learned at training that help me protect my family and myself.

Since most confrontations occur at night or in low-light situations (unlike matches) a light becomes invaluable.

If you're just competeing in matchs to win, I could see the preference for the optic.

-Forest

Bottom line: KISS

Edited to reply to Forrest: We are on the same page as I am reflecting on what competition has taught me. As for home work, I keep it simple as well, a Glock 19 with night sights.

A rifle would be WAY down on my list of go to guns for shooting in my house with my wife and kids asleep. I am very good with a handgun and I would feel very well protected. As I pointed out, I can hit quicker with a handgun inside of 40 yards and while my house is pretty big, 40 yards covers it.

YMMV
Bill

What have you learned from training and competing?

That I can always improve...

Break Free is not tasty as a condiment. Stick with Ketchup, Mustard and Mayo.

Well its good to learn how to shoot when your breathing heavily from doing a lot of running. Even though I did a lot of stress fires when I was in the Army, I was still finding that I had a hard time disciplining myself with my breathing when I was gasping for air. For instance, myself and three others from my unit decided to run in a biathlon being held at Fort Benning. We had not trained for it whatsoever, but we were all decent runners and shooters so we figured we would do it for the fun of it. We came in third place for the whole post, but I have to say for my part, it was only because of the run time. I only hit about 2/3rds of my targets, and that even with most of the shots fired from the prone position.

Im not saying get out and run 6 miles everyday to get into shape, although it couldnt hurt. What I am saying is learn how to shoot when your under a lot of physical stress. Its mainly all about discipling your body to do what you want it to do instead of it telling you what to do.

tag

Aimpoints are awesome.
Mb

I have learned from training and 3 gun matches:
(1) if something can fubar, it will. Use your head, gather in your surroundings, and fall back on your training.
(2) situational awarness is extreemly important. Don't get tunnel vision. Scan!
(3) if you train to transition, it should be a simple reflex action that is done without thinking.
(4) if you are training for real, then train for real.
(5) build your kit to cover all the possible scenario's, and plan on meeting Mr. Murphy along the way.
(6) know the time-distance-accuracy formula. Smooth and fluid is fast and lethal.
(7) no shoot targets are just that. This is all a part of situational awarness.
(8) your brain is your most lethal weapon.  

Tag.

The Combat Triad is Marksmanship, Manipulation and Mindset.

Follow through: Sight Picture, Shot; Sight Picture.  Trick your mind into thinking it will take another shot because the round is still rattling down the barrel.

Use of red dot sights is a gross motor skill; use of iron sights is a fine motor skill.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

We live in a 300 meter world: a carbine (with a light and an Aimpoint) and handgun solve most problems.

Target identification is the first step in the target engagement sequence.

Hydrate.

Don't train yourself to collapse after you fire your shots. Stay in the fight.

Don't be that guy who shows up with a piece of shit carbine that can't go one mag without seizing up and needing TLC with tools to get back on the line. Bring good shit. Why take a $700 gun to a $2000 class (including lodging) and fuck around when a $1200 carbine will last the whole 3,000 round without going Tango Uniform? I hade three malfs in 3,000 rounds, all attributed to magazines. Two mags went into the receptacle just as fast as I could pull the magpul follower and ranger plate and dump the USGI body. Gear is disposable--dont use it cause its expensive. Its a means to an end, and when it doesn't work anymore, shit can it and work on plan b.

Back to Basics.

Clean is good

Fire superiority is great

Always practice S.P.O.R.T.S .When you are in the middle of something stressful and your AR locks up you will be able to clear and resume firing without thinking about it.

Slap Pull Observe Release Tap Squeeze.

I know its nothing hi speed but it has helped me many times in a joint Op livefires.
Stops you from getting hit with cleaning rods.

Quoted: Back to Basics. Clean is good Fire superiority is great Always practice S.P.O.R.T.S .When you are in the middle of something stressful and your AR locks up you will be able to clear and resume firing without thinking about it. Slap Pull Observe Release Tap Squeeze. I know its nothing hi speed but it has helped me many times in a joint Op livefires. Stops you from getting hit with cleaning rods.

Can you elaborate on the SPORTS for us nOObs

SPORTS


SLap magazine to be sure it seated

PULL charging handle

Observe chamber/feed area is free of obstruction

Release Charge handle

Tap forward assist

Squeeze trigger

It looks hard.
Its not as easy as it looks.
It looks fun.
Its more fun than it looks

practice
red dot and a light are a good friend in a dark building.  The speed and view are huge.
Field of view = both eyes open.
I am a good pistol shot and a fair rifle shot and I can smoke my pistol scores without trying.  Pistol is for when the rifle jambs.

Where to begin.....

For competition:
- Know your zeroes.  There's nothing worse than watching a guy having a good match and then getting to a stage with some distance in it and they're just tossing ammo down range.  
- Don't scrimp on equipment.  If you want an ACOG, get an ACOG.  If you want an Aimpoint or EOTech, get the gear you want/need to do your best.  Buying something half way will either force you buy it anyways eventually or make you bitter on competition.
- Check your ammo.  If you're going to shoot factory ammo (i.e. Black Hills), check your zeroes, muzzle velocities, etc.  If you're shooting reloads...same....AND CASE GAUGE IT!
- S.P.O.R.T.S. sucks!!!  I'm in the Army and the first thing I tell the soldiers on my fire team is if you get a jam, drop the mag and clear the f'ing jam.  Load another mag and get in the fight.  You can clear a jam in competition (and the real world) a hell of a lot faster but just starting fresh and moving on.
- Strip off everything.  We are runnin' and gunning.  I know I don't want to hump around a rifle full of extra add-ons and I shoot Open Division.  The only time you'll see a bi-pod on my rifle is the shots aren't far apart (left to right).  If I have to go prone and need to swing the rifle, Redi-Mag and a POS 40-round mag as a mono-pod works great.  No flashlights, no BUIS, nothing.  I have an ACOG and a Jpoint.  That's all I need.
- If you're going to play with Beta C Mags, lube is your friend.
- Shoot in tons of different positions, off of walls, behind walls, etc.  Also, shooting weak hand is way easier than you think.  And practice transitioning between strong and weak hand with your rifle.  It's fun!
- Clean your rifle.


For real world:
- Clean your rifle.  Don't be that person.
- S.P.O.R.T.S. still sucks.  The only time you need it is for promotion boards, EFMB and EIB.  After that, drop the f'ing mag, clear the jam, load it up and let's go.
- Vertical grips are GREAT for one thing.  Holding my M-4 while I'm on patrol.  My hand gets a little tired.
- Full auto is useless (that's what I have a SAW gunner for).
- Clean your rifle.
- There's no replacement for trigger time.  If you use your weapon more than the bad guy uses theres, the odds are already in your favor.  So, take up competition shooting.  I guarantee that you won't fumble finding the safety.
- Aggression is your friend.  The best defense is a stronger offense.  Fire superiority is best accomplished via an ambush.  And when ambushed, M203's, 240B's and Mk19's are your friend.
- Clean your rifle.
- 99% of training is useless until you actually get shot at and less if you don't train.

In all cases, get physically fit.  There is NO excuse for not getting in shape if you take competition or the safety of you and your family seriously.  There's always time to do some push-ups, sit-ups and some cardio.  If the cardio is only walking your kids to the store or walking with your wife/girlfriend to the coffee shop, et. al.  There is NO EXCUSE!

That's probably it for now, but I do have to get back to work.

Hasta from the ROK.

SPC Richard A. White, Senior Medic
249th MP Detachment (EACF)
Camp Humphreys, ROK

tag this beetch...... tac response is comming..... I'm flucked

Murphy's Law is a bitch.

Non-diagnostic malfunction clearances are best. For both rifles and pistols you should learn two, and do them in order. Firstly, TAP-RACK-BANG, and if that doesnt work you lock the bolt/slide back, pull the mag, finger fuck the chamber if it is a rifle, rack the charging handle or slide three times, reload and resume. Done properly, this is FAST and a hell of a lot faster than sports. I had to use the first method twice last weekend. And clear a stuck bolt.

Oh yeah, stuck bolts. Slide the stock in, put pressure on the charging handle and beat the buttstock into the ground. The round will pop out, or the extractor will rip the rim apart. If the latter happens, transition and clear it with a cleaning rod later.

Weight sucks
16" barrels are still too long
I prefer irons

Quoted: Weight sucks 16" barrels are still too long I prefer irons

Weren't you a huge fan of 20" barrels back in the day?


On a secondary note, in Pat Rogers article on tertiary light sources in the last SWAT magazine to land in my school mailbox (the people in the mailroom think I am nuts) I found a gem:

"Possessing any gear without having the requisite training is an exercise in stupidity."

Apparently gadgets are cool so long as you know how to use them.

Another variation of SPORTS;

Shit
Piss
Oh
Rats
This
Sucks

On a serious note, I my 10+ years in the Army (11B, 11M, 45B) the most common mistakes were;

Not having enough trigger time. Twice a year at the Qual range is NOT enough. Soldiers should have increased range time for FAM fire, and be able to shoot from positions other than the prone and foxhole.

Not enough lube on the weapons. Of course, things are different in the dessert.

And individuals not understanding the seriousness of what they need to learn, retain and commit to "muscle memory". So many people I served with didn't take their weapons training serious, it was something they"had" to do once or twice a year.

It is not a tool, it's your life.

I am also 10+ years in the military, Army amd Marines 0352 and 11B. I learned that physical training is the most important. You can know everything there is to know about your weapon system but if you are not physicaly able to make it to the OBJ then you are worthless. And for those of you who have never been in the military, it is not as easy as it looks to move under the weight of all your equipment.

As for the rest of it all, barrel length, optics, caliber, trigger time, I dont think it is neirly as important. Some skills need to be drilled into you constantly, and being familiar with your weapon is important but I dont want someone who is going to flinch once he has to pick up another type of weapon for whatever reason. I have always said that the absolute perfect weapon for ANY person in combat to have is the oe that is in their hands when the shooting starts, period. All of that  nonsense about caliber, bullet weight, frangibility, muzzle velocity, barrel length, and all that other horse shit goes right out the window.

Quoted: I am also 10+ years in the military, Army amd Marines 0352 and 11B. I learned that physical training is the most important. You can know everything there is to know about your weapon system but if you are not physicaly able to make it to the OBJ then you are worthless. And for those of you who have never been in the military, it is not as easy as it looks to move under the weight of all your equipment. As for the rest of it all, barrel length, optics, caliber, trigger time, I dont think it is neirly as important. Some skills need to be drilled into you constantly, and being familiar with your weapon is important but I dont want someone who is going to flinch once he has to pick up another type of weapon for whatever reason. I have always said that the absolute perfect weapon for ANY person in combat to have is the oe that is in their hands when the shooting starts, period. All of that  nonsense about caliber, bullet weight, frangibility, muzzle velocity, barrel length, and all that other horse shit goes right out the window.

All of this is well and good, but for a large portion of arfcommers, major combat skills are not required.  Some may prepare (hope?) for the day of alien invasion when they can leave their sofas behind and defend the earth, but for most of us even the possibility that we'd need rifles in a self defense situation are slim to none.

Because of all this we civilians have the luxury of choosing our weapons and gear.  If a Keltec SU-16 and P32 are what happens to work for someone and their specific application then that's what they should use.  These are the things that training and competing teach us.

Also, in terms of competition, being able to evaluate your gear and it's impact on your performance is important.  While you are going to improve your scores by building your skills you can also improve by proper gear selection and proper use of that gear.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in civilians, LEOs, and military personnel is the assumption that military tactics and equipment always translate directly to non-military scenarios.  Hell, it could be argued that in the current war the reverse is true and that the military would benefit greatly from some civilian SWAT training.

28 in the mag seats easier on a closed bolt than a fully loaded mag.
Always carry more mags than the course calls for.

Quoted: Quoted: I am also 10+ years in the military, Army amd Marines 0352 and 11B. I learned that physical training is the most important. You can know everything there is to know about your weapon system but if you are not physicaly able to make it to the OBJ then you are worthless. And for those of you who have never been in the military, it is not as easy as it looks to move under the weight of all your equipment. As for the rest of it all, barrel length, optics, caliber, trigger time, I dont think it is neirly as important. Some skills need to be drilled into you constantly, and being familiar with your weapon is important but I dont want someone who is going to flinch once he has to pick up another type of weapon for whatever reason. I have always said that the absolute perfect weapon for ANY person in combat to have is the oe that is in their hands when the shooting starts, period. All of that  nonsense about caliber, bullet weight, frangibility, muzzle velocity, barrel length, and all that other horse shit goes right out the window. All of this is well and good, but for a large portion of arfcommers, major combat skills are not required.  Some may prepare (hope?) for the day of alien invasion when they can leave their sofas behind and defend the earth, but for most of us even the possibility that we'd need rifles in a self defense situation are slim to none. Because of all this we civilians have the luxury of choosing our weapons and gear.  If a Keltec SU-16 and P32 are what happens to work for someone and their specific application then that's what they should use.  These are the things that training and competing teach us. Also, in terms of competition, being able to evaluate your gear and it's impact on your performance is important.  While you are going to improve your scores by building your skills you can also improve by proper gear selection and proper use of that gear. One of the biggest mistakes I see in civilians, LEOs, and military personnel is the assumption that military tactics and equipment always translate directly to non-military scenarios.  Hell, it could be argued that in the current war the reverse is true and that the military would benefit greatly from some civilian SWAT training.

I understand that but the question was not what would benifit and arfcommer who is non military, the question was what have you learned from your training and that is what I have learned.

To answer your question in that way here are some thing I learned from real life;

1. For all around purpose, shorter is better.
2. Nothing substitutes for good glass. (unless you are all irons)
3. Target placement is important but shoot whatever you can hit, it will get the message across quickly.
4. Contrairy to popular beliefe, a 5.56mm ball round fired from a 14.6 inch barrel WILL kill a man.
5. Set your gear up smart and keep your NOD's where you can get to them easily at all times.
6. A radio is just as important as the weapon you carry.
7. A fired shot that misses is worth supression, a non fired shot is worth nothing.
8. A weapon can jam for no reason whatsoever, and in the worst ever time. (even AK's will do this)
9. A tactical flashlight on a weapon is worth the extra weight.
10. Make sure your gear does not prevent you from being able to go prone

I hope that was better

TAG

1.  Confidence acquired through practice and training is important.
2.  Thinking "I can do this" does not guarantee success, but thinking "I can't do this" all but guarantees failure.
3.  Willpower and focus are as important as training and conditioning.  You need all of these things.
4.  It's easier to run 26 miles than you think if you've never done it.

Oh... you don't mean marathon training....  With respect to firearms, I can only add:

1.  Full auto had "cool factor" for about 3 trigger pulls... after that it was totally useless to me.

Quoted: To answer your question in that way here are some thing I learned from real life; 1. For all around purpose, shorter is better. 2. Nothing substitutes for good glass. (unless you are all irons) 3. Target placement is important but shoot whatever you can hit, it will get the message across quickly. 4. Contrairy to popular beliefe, a 5.56mm ball round fired from a 14.6 inch barrel WILL kill a man. 5. Set your gear up smart and keep your NOD's where you can get to them easily at all times. 6. A radio is just as important as the weapon you carry. 7. A fired shot that misses is worth supression, a non fired shot is worth nothing. 8. A weapon can jam for no reason whatsoever, and in the worst ever time. (even AK's will do this) 9. A tactical flashlight on a weapon is worth the extra weight. 10. Make sure your gear does not prevent you from being able to go prone I hope that was better

EXCELLENT lessons in that one.  Not sure about NODs and radios for my purposes, but #10 is a very important lesson.  What's even more funny is to watch a guy try to go prone with 50 lbs of gear strapped to his chest.

Quoted: Quoted: To answer your question in that way here are some thing I learned from real life; 1. For all around purpose, shorter is better. 2. Nothing substitutes for good glass. (unless you are all irons) 3. Target placement is important but shoot whatever you can hit, it will get the message across quickly. 4. Contrairy to popular beliefe, a 5.56mm ball round fired from a 14.6 inch barrel WILL kill a man. 5. Set your gear up smart and keep your NOD's where you can get to them easily at all times. 6. A radio is just as important as the weapon you carry. 7. A fired shot that misses is worth supression, a non fired shot is worth nothing. 8. A weapon can jam for no reason whatsoever, and in the worst ever time. (even AK's will do this) 9. A tactical flashlight on a weapon is worth the extra weight. 10. Make sure your gear does not prevent you from being able to go prone I hope that was better EXCELLENT lessons in that one.  Not sure about NODs and radios for my purposes, but #10 is a very important lesson.  What's even more funny is to watch a guy try to go prone with 50 lbs of gear strapped to his chest.

Whats so funny about it? I never have had issue with a full rig and going prone. Not sure whats so funny about it.

When I was a machine gunner I had to carry all my ammo on my sides because when I went prone wearing my flack and ammo on my chest it would raise me off the ground so high I could not sight down the weapon and it was so aqward that I could not even shoulder the 240 properly.

Quoted: When I was a machine gunner I had to carry all my ammo on my sides because when I went prone wearing my flack and ammo on my chest it would raise me off the ground so high I could not sight down the weapon and it was so aqward that I could not even shoulder the 240 properly.

I bet you learned that lesson while training too

That was kinda my point about not having issues with it. Wringing out the gear in training makes it a lot easier to use it when it comes time to have to do it for real. Though for me the chances I'll have my rig on when shit goes down is very small so I work it with the rig and without.