Pretty good article about the basics rather than the bling that make for a better shooter.
It’s the Shooter, Not the Gun
All the tacticool gear in the world won’t turn you into a better shooter.
By Steve Adelmann
Sometimes our attempts to have the best shooting firearms cause us to lose sight of an important principle: Knowing how to use them safely and effectively should always come first. That does not mean you cannot buy a nicely appointed rifle and then learn how to use it. It simply means you cannot place that same rifle under the bed and expect it to make up for your shortcomings when it is time to pull the trigger.
I was reminded of this during a recent conversation with an old SOF buddy. He is one of the few guys I know who I can trust with my life, because I have. We worked together in uniform overseas for many years and had each other’s backs on several hair-raising occasions. A master of articulating common-sense solutions to everything, my friend inspired the title of this column while we were discussing different approaches to helping people learn to shoot well. As a tactical instructor, he often sees students who are more focused on the features of their tricked-out guns than on learning how to shoot them. This is a common problem, and we need to remind ourselves from time to time that learning to crawl before walking is important in all things requiring any amount of skill. Running should be somewhere far down the line.
Before buying a high-end tactical long gun, first consider whether some of your hard-earned dollars might be better spent on professional training. A beginning or self-taught shooter can become quite proficient behind the sights of a basic rifle or carbine once he or she is taught to use it properly. Conversely, having a top-of-the-line blaster will not provide any edge if you do not first have a solid foundation upon which to build.
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