Happy Holidays! !!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I promise to devote more time to the blog next year. I am going  to have a few more writers to help out. We will have some good stuff on a regular basis. Hold tight, we will get this blog running smoothly.

Again,

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! !!!!

Up Dates!!!!

Shooting Day  Dec 27th @ BC


Still working on the "Art of the Build" post

Still working on start a business

Sorry!!!!

I know I said I was going to start a series on building and AR 15 last friday.  I am, it is taking me longer to get the right pictures and information, than I thought. Between the kids Tae Kwon Do classes, halloween costumes, and just being a working dad, finding time to do the blog or extra stuff is hard.

Not to mention, I am trying to start a business. (Firearm related of course)

I will keep you posted on that.

Anyways, I will be TRYING my best to post something New every week. I will do the AR 15 build series, once I gather all the information I want to post.


But check out some of the work OUR FRIENDS AT AIRBRUSH ASSUALT DO!!!!!

The Art of the Build.

I have been asked to either build or help build AR 15th for quite some time.  Now, with the Internet and other resources,  you can find MANY places to help you build your own AR.

So, I am going to show you how to build your own complete AR in weekly series.   STARTING this friday. OCTOBER 24TH.

Stay tuned! !!!

Next Shooting Event

Dec 27th is the next shooting event @ BC. Contact me for more details

Why is Shooting a Stigma???

The story set up:

  Last weekend the family and I attend  my best friends sister's 23 birthday party. I have know her family  all of my life. Her brother and I have been shooting together for decades.  His sister has gone with us a few times.  For the most part I knew about 80%  of the party guest.  Out of the 80% of the people, maybe 5% are know shooters to me.

This is where the story starts:

A few of us guys are playing poker, smoking cigars,  enjoying beers and  Marker's Mark, while the kids are swimming, and the wives are talking. As our poker game goes on, and the Marker's Mark flows, then the smack talk starts to flows. During the smack talk , one of my buddies states, "I am a better shot then you!" To my best friend.  I know from experience that my best friend is a really good shot.  Those are fighting words to my best friend (not in the literal sense). Mainly because it was coming from possibly the worst shooter there.

Anyways, a female heard us talking about shooting and everything related to shooting.  She approached the poker table and started saying,

"I don't know why you guys like guns, they are dangerous and kill people. "

I reply, "Cars are dangerous and kill people too!"

Then she says,
 "ONLY crazy people would compare guns to cars"

Then the rest of the poker players chimed in. It got loud. Them the wives and the birthday girl got involved.

It got a little heated, but was entertaining.  The female babbled for about 15 minutes spitting out information with no facts.   She was countered by wives and the birthday girl with firearm knowledge and facts.

It was BEAUTIFUL!!!!

 To watch and listen to our wives defending their GUN GUYS husband's was AWESOME.  During this verbal fencing between women, us husband's were drinking our Maker's Mark and smoking our Gurkha cigars watching the magic.

Conclusion:

 The female now wants us to teach her how to shoot.  It was a good day.

VSC upcoming event!!!!

VSC is currently  putting together an shooting event.

"Take A Newbie To The Range Day"

we are planning this event in hopes of educating non-shooters, and turning them into shooters.

More detail to follow shortly.

Sorry, for the absence. I was on vacation

Now, back to work.

Summary of the Shooting Basics

         My 16 year old daughter looked at my blog and told me something was wrong with it. I asked her "What was wrong with it?" She told me "You forgot the basics!" I replied " I covered the shooting fundamentals." She said,  "Yes, but what about the basic safety rules?"  After looking at the blog really good, I noticed she was right.     I have posted  shooting fundamentals articles,  suggestions on choosing a firearm, suggestions on how many firearms you should own, but I have never gave you the basics in simple clean cut manner.

 So, here it goes

BASIC FIREARM SAFETY

1)  ALWAYS treat/handle the gun as if it is LOADED!!!

2)  DON'T point the gun at ANYTHING you are not     planning to shoot!!!

3)  DON'T put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot!!!

4)  KNOW your target AND what is behind it!!!


If you follow these BASIC safety rules you will really enjoy shooting.


BASICS OF MARKSMANSHIP

1) Choose a comfortable stance

2)  Good Grip

3)  Sight Alignment

4)  Sight  Picture

5)  Breathing

6)  Trigger Control

7)  Follow Through

For more detailed information on each fundamental,  read the appropriate post for what you want to know.

Some might say there are more than 7 fundamentals, but
for the most part, these are the 7 primary one's.  Following these would put you on the right path.

The fundamentals, know matter how many there are,  won't do you any good, if you don't practice them!!!!

Accurate Usus Facit!!!

Finish What You Start!!!

Follow through is as important in shooting as in any other sport. A lot of new shooter have tendency to overlook follow through.

What is follow through?

Follow through is the act of completing the motion, AFTER the action has taken place.
Example: A golfer continues the motion of his swing , even after he has hit the ball.

The same needs to be done when shooting. Smooth and equal pressure still needs to be applied to the trigger AFTER the shot has been fired.  Sight alignment also needs to be maintained,  for follow up shots.  So, once the shot is taken, continue to pull the trigger to the rear. Then allow your trigger finger to come forward with the trigger, to start the cycle again.

Follow through allows you to identify your shot placement,  this way you can make adjustments if needed. If you don't follow through you will not be able to trace your shots. Focusing on sight alignment should be your top priority in follow through.

Like ALL of the other shooting fundamentals, follow through has to be practiced. 

So, finish what you start!!!

Accurate Usus Facit!!!!

Put Your Finger In the Hole!!!!

Trigger control is more than just putting your finger in the hole (aka trigger guard) and pulling the trigger. As with anything in shooting , even the position of your trigger finger can effect your shot placement.  If you use the tip of your finger you can pull your shot to the right/left  (if lefty). To much finger and you can pull your shot to the left/right (if lefty).

The ideal location for your finger is the center of your finger pad at the center of the trigger. Now that we got finger location established,  let's talk about trigger pull. I am sure you have heard the phrase "anybody can pull a trigger." Physically that is true, but to do it right there is a process.  After you place your finger on the trigger, you must provide equal and steady pressure on the trigger while pulling it towards your body.  This action should be done by ONLY the trigger finger. New shooters have tendencies to jerk the trigger ( not having equal or steady pressure on the trigger) , which will throw off your shot. Some people also close their grip tighter as they pull the trigger, which can also effect your shot. That is why Only the trigger finger should be in motion as you pull the trigger. The pressure should stay smooth and constant until the hammer falls and the projectile is released.

A great training method for trigger control,  I was taught, is place an dime on the very end of the barrel and pull the trigger without making the dime fall off. It works. It can be done with both rifles and pistols.  I highly recommend adding this drill to your dry fire drills. For this and ALL dry fire drills you should use a snap cap or a SPENT CASING to prevent damage to the firing pin.

I know other shooters might  use a different part of their trigger finger to shoot. Like I have said before, whatever is comfortable to the shooter works best. I have seen some crazy and awkward shooting style, BUT they worked for those shooter's.  You need to do what works for YOU!!!


Accurate Usus Facit!!!!!

Sorry For My Absence!!!!

I have had some personal issues to take of, BUT now we are up and running again. Next week I will continue with the shooting fundamentals series.  I am going to try to post at least twice a week from now on. I have seen some traffic increase on the blog, so I owe you readers that much.

Thanks Again For Understanding.

Vanguard Shooting Club Team

Accurate Usus Facit!!!!

To Breath or Not to Breath. That is the Question!

        People of the gun; all have different opinions on breathing while you shoot.  Most were taught to hold their breath while shooting.  Some people say to take a deep breath and exhale right before they shoot.  The type of shooting you are doing, will effect your breathing.  Long-range shooting requires more breathing control, than plinking.

The best way to found out what works best for you, is to try BOTH techniques. Practice the techniques and see which one helps you put more rounds on target.

 I hope you have noticed the pattern of the Shooting Fundamentals.  They are all connected! Stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, breathing ALL effect your shooting.  They all rely on the shooter to be relaxed. If you as a shooter are not comfortable, you are not going to have good shot placement.

Shooting techniques can be taught, but each shooter has to control their body to make a good shot.
So, do your dry-fire drills, work on your breathing, and MOST of ALL RELAX!!!

Accurate Usus Facit!!!!

What You See, Is Not Aways What You Hit

           The importances of sight alignment and sight picture. They are different things.

Let's cover sight alignment first.

Sight Alignment:  Is the alignment between the rear sight and the front sight.

Pretty self explanatory. Easy concept, but hard to master.

Sight Picture:  Is the relationship between your front sight (already aligned) to the target.

I know people think, it can't be that hard to align your sights, then line them up to your target. Well, I can tell you it is not as easy as you might think.  If it was that easy, everybody would be an expert marksman and you wouldn't have to put hundreds of shots down range.

A lot of things come into play. If your stance, or your grip is not good, it makes your sight alignment and sight picture harder to achieve. 

Practice aligning your sights, and your sight picture with dry fire drills. You will see a BIG change the next time you do a live fire shoot.  You can find dry fire drills everywhere on the internet.

Accurate Usus Facit!!!

Up Coming Shooting Event

May 17th is our next shooting event @ BC. So, clean your weapons and buy your ammo.

Contact me with any questions.

Accurate Usus Facit!!!

Why I Shoot

        Why do I enjoy shooting?

To me shooting is one of the easiest things to learn, but one of the hardest things to master.  Shooting is easy. It does not take much to squeeze a trigger. Squeezing the trigger in which a bullet comes out  can be called shooting.  So, it doesn't require practice.

Now, hitting your target or putting the bullet where you want it to go, is a different animal.  Just like a baseball pitcher who is trying to throw the ball in the strike zone, pitching itself is easy, but learning how to control where the ball goes is the hard part.   Shooting is the same way.
That is the challenge. This is why I shoot. I enjoy the competition with myself. Every time I shoot, I try to better my last outing. You have to practice a lot to get good, then practice a lot more to get great, then a lot more to become an expert.

So, if you want to enjoy shooting find somebody that shoots, have them show you the fundamentals, and challenge yourself!!!

Accurate Usus Facit!!!

Get A Grip!

       How you grip your pistol WILL effect your shooting accuracy.  Gripping your pistol is ONE of the fundamentals of shooting.  The pistol should sit tightly in your hand, but also comfortably.

Wrap your primary hand's palm around the pistol grip firmly, wrap your support hand over your primary hand. If done correctly your support hand's thumb should be on top of your primary hands thumb.  Now, that you have a firm grip on your pistol, check to see if you can move your trigger finger without moving the pistol.

Grip is the basis for accuracy. Practice your pistol grip and you will make learning the rest of the fundamentals easier.  I will go over more fundamentals in future post. Don't be embarrassed to practice techniques.

Every good shooter, became a good shooter by practicing!!!

Accurate Usus Facit!!!
Practice Makes Accurate!!!

Home Defense Shotgun Set Up

If you are like most people, you probably have a shotgun set aside for home defense.  I recommend you load a few "less than lethal rounds" into your shotgun.

Less than Lethal rounds are shotgun shell that shoot rubber balls, rubber stars, and other shapes.
LTL rounds are chambered in most of the popular gauges. Load no more than 2 LTL rounds, followed by your hot loads.

The main reason for the LTL rounds is you will demonstrate to the intruder that you are NOT afraid to shot.  Most people will freeze if faced with an intruder. Good people don't want to harm other people, Bad people already have it set in there mind to harm people before they commit a crime.  So, if good person knows they can stop an intruder without taking a life, it will make them more eager  to defend themselves.

When defending yourself or your family

DON'T GIVE ANY WARNING SHOTS!!!! Criminals don't give warning shots!

Less Than Lethal allows you to do this.

Stay safe.

Accurate Usus Facit

April 12th Shooting Day

We are shooting on April 12th at the indoor range.

Contact me for details.

Why You Should Educate Kids With Firearms!!!

             My 12 year old daughter was at our neighbors house (2 years ago). The neighbor's daughter asked my daughter "Do you want to see my dads gun?"  My daughter said NO!!!. Well, the kid went to grab her fathers gun anyways.  The girl walked into her bedroom pointing the firearm at my daughter, finger on the trigger.  My daughter quickly asked her to "Let me hold it!" The girl handed it to my daughter. My daughter removed the magazine, racked the slide back to remove the round from the chamber.  After that was done. My daughter turned the firearm over the the girls mother.

             Well, the mother was surprised about what happened and she came over to inform me about the incident.  Mrs. neighbor said to me "Do you see how dangerous guns are!!!"  I had to correct her. I told holder "It wasn't the gun that was dangerous, it was your daughter not knowing how to handle the gun, that was dangerous."   Anyways, I told Mrs. neighbor that her husband was to blame for leaving the firearm laying around.  I confronted the father, gave him some choice words. He then asked me to educate him on firearms. I did so happily, now our families shoot often together.

           The reason I am posting this incident today, is this same thing happened to Mrs. neighbor's youngest (10)daughter yesterday. But, this time it was HER daughter disarming the other neighbor's kid.   I asked my daughter about the gun being pointed at her. I asked "Where you scared?"  she said, "NO, because the safety was still on!"  BOTH my daughter have been shooting since they were 6 years old. That knowledge saved my daughters life, the neighbor's daughter life, and possibly the mothers life too. Now that knowledge has been taught to Mrs. neighbor's youngest and it saved AT LEAST TWO LIVES YESTERDAY!!!!

          The world of firearms is exciting to people who have never been exposed to firearms.  That is where it can get dangerous.  Once people get educated with firearms, they can see how safe they really are.    It is our job as people of the gun to educate PEOPLE who asked to be educated!!!
       

Check Out Some Of the Stuff Our Friends At Leo Armory Can Do!!!!

Here is a Ar-15 lower with custom engraved by www. Leoarmory.com

 This is my Desert Storm theme Ar15

                                       U.S. Navy logo, My ships name below it, DesertShield/Storm Veteran above the trigger. Patriot for Safe and Scud for fire on the selector switch.

                                 Sailor Skull,  Gunner's Mate on top, GM Crossed Cannon, U.S. Navy on bottom

The pictures don't do the engraving much justice. In person and the pictures on my phone it looks awesome.

I will try again once I get more computer savvy!!!  Either way go check out their stuff and what they can do for you!!!

Click on the banner in the Friends of the Club section.  Tell Jeff the Vanguard Shooting Club sent you.

How Many Firearms Should You Own?

       One of the questions I get asked a lot is "How many guns do you own"?  The  perfect number is HOW EVER MANY YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE!!! As easy as that.  The rule of thumb I use for the amount of firearms I own is:

Minimum of one firearm for every member of my family!

    This is the theory behind my thinking.   The more armed family members, the BETTER we can protect each other.  Also, I  make sure that every family member is familiar  on how to use every firearm in my gun safe.

    Protecting my family is the #1 reason I own firearms. I train to protect them,  I teach them to protect me.  Our family is only as strong as our training.  Teaching them what to do in a protection situation, should not be taught  during the protection situation.

   Even if your family members do not care for shooting, they should still know how to use ALL of your firearms. Your family's strength is based on the number of firearms owned and the amount of people that can operate them.

Questions To Ask Yourself BEFORE You Purchase A firearm.

          I get this question asked quite often.  "What kind of gun should I buy?"
My answer is always the same. "What type of shooting are you planning to do?"  Most of the time they don't know how to answer my question.  So, I have come up with a few questions to ask yourself before you purchase any type of firearm.

1.  What am I going to use the firearm for?
     Concealed Carry/Self-defense, target shooting, home security, competition shooting, skeet/trap etc...

2.  Is the firearm ONLY for me?  Do I want others to also shoot with it?
     If plan plan on having others shoot with your firearm, take caliber size, weight, length, and ease of operation into consideration.  Example;  A 235 lbs man  would have an easier time handling  the recoil on a .45 caliber pistol than a 130 lbs kid.  Also, what feels comfortable for you may not feel comfortable for others.

3.   How much money am I  willing to spend on a firearm?
     Firearms can cost as low as $100 and up to thousands of dollars,  so your answer to question #1 will narrow the scale down a lot.

4.  Is the firearm legal to own in California?
     Now that you know what weapon you want to buy, and how much it cost.  Doesn't mean you can buy it in CA. You have to check the safe handgun roster for pistols legal to buy in CA.  Most bolt action rifles and shotguns with an 18.5" or longer barrel are legal in CA.  Semi-automatic rifles. That is for another post. (I don't have the time to get into that one right now).

These 4 questions will put you in the right direction on purchasing a firearm. Don't be afraid to ask people who shoot questions. Most GUNNERS are willing to help. They might even help you answer questions 2-4.

 AT LEAST HAVE AN ANSWER TO QUESTION #1. IT WOULD SPEED UP THE PROCESS A LOT!!!

What Is The Best Handgun Shooting Stance For You? Part 2

ISOSCELES & MODERN ISOSCELES STANCES:

     Brian Enos and Rob Leatham used this technique in International Practical Shooting Confederation competitions in the 1980's. It became popular after they started to win.

ISOSCELES STANCE:

Hand & Arms:
   
     The dominant hand holds the pistol and the support hand wraps around the dominant. Both arms are held straight out, locking your elbows. If viewed from above your arms and torso would look like an Isosceles Triangle, hence the name of the stance.

Leg Work:

     Both feet facing forward and shoulder width apart.

Upper Body:

      Leaning slightly forward.


MODERN ISOSCELES STANCE: (More Aggressive)

Hand & Arms:
   
      The dominant hand holds the pistol and the support hand wraps around the dominant. Both arms are held straight out, locking your elbows.

Leg Work:

     Feet shoulder width apart, support-side foot slightly forward, with both knees bent.

Upper Body:

      Leaning forward with shoulders over hips.

 

 

       The bottom line is to use whatever stance that is the most comfortable for you.  If you are not comfortable in your stance shooting would be less enjoyable.  Any discomfort WILL effect your ACCURACY!!!


   

What Is The Best Handgun Shooting Stance For You? Part 1

         There are two popular styles of handgun shooting stances. The Weaver Stance and the Isosceles Stance. You probably us one of these stances and don't know you are doing it.
     
         I will break them down for you, so you can choose the one that best works for you.

WEAVER STANCE:

         This stance was developed by Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Jack Weaver  in the late 1950's.  This is a two handed technique.

Hands & Arms:
         Your dominant hand holds the pistol and your support hand wraps around your dominant one.  Bend your dominant arm's elbow a little and your other elbow should be pointing straight down.

 Leg Work:
         Position your dominant foot toward the rear and you support foot towards the front. Your support foot should be facing forward and you dominant foot in a 45 degree angle and slightly outward. Most of your body weight should be on your support foot (front foot). Your front leg should have a little bend and your rear leg should be straight.

Upper Body:

          Your upper body should be leaning forward over your support foot.

     

V S C Mission Statement

 R.E.C.O.I.L

Represent gun owners and the 2nd amendment in a POSITIVE light!

Express the importance  of  firearms safety!

Coach people in safe firearm handling and techniques!

Offer a safe and fun shooting environment!

Interact with like minded people!

Learn to master your firearm skills!


The Vanguard Shooting Club is family orientated club committed to educating people of ALL ages in the world of firearms.

Up Coming Events

22  Feb 2014  @ 0800          Skeet Shot (Shotguns)

12  Apr 2014  @ 1700          In Door Range (Handguns)

17  May 2014 @ 0900          BC  (Everything)

More Events to come