RECCE ROOM

This post to serve as an update on a post that is over 10 years old. The Rifleman has a strong memory (from time to time). On that post, a reader asked, "Any word? How did the remand hearing go?" For reasons that are not pertinent to this post, the Rifleman did not neglect to answer this question, but instead, postponed the answer until a more appropriate time. This time has come.  In the remand, it is important to first state a particular fact: The judge that issued the ruling, Tom Gray, retired shortly after his errant ruling. As a matter of fact, four of his last five rulings (the author's brother's ruling being one of these) were overturned in appellate courts. Divorce ruling appeal successful . In a move that still strikes this author as exceptionally odd, Gray  requested to be the judge on the remand hearing. Brother's lawyer argued that it is extremely peculiar to allow a civilian to hear a divorce remand, and the Sumner county Court agreed, and the sittin...

 Your humble author turns 50 this weekend. In honor of that, here is a post on something gun related that has the number 50 in it.  50 Is Fine, But Not a Default – Why the 50-Yard Zero Isn’t Always “Good Enough” for Every Practical Rifle Use Abstract When it comes to zeroing a rifle, the 50-yard zero is often tossed around like it’s the gold standard. And truthfully, it is a solid choice—if you’re running a red dot or holographic optic. But too many shooters treat it like the universal solution. In reality, the 50-yard zero is context-specific. It performs well in many use cases but falls short when applied blindly across platforms and sighting systems. As always, tools work best when they’re used correctly. And that includes your zero. When 50 Works Let’s start with the good news. For red dots or holographic optics mounted on an AR-15 (barrels between 14.5" and 20") firing 55- or 62-grain military clone ammo, the 50-yard zero offers a remarkably flat trajectory. From contact...

My friend, Lefty, has a blog entry that pops up frequently enough, called "Words." In these posts, he shares a number of words and their meanings. Typically, these words are "off the beaten path." My goal is to know in advance 50% of them or more. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I do not. Lefty's most recent such post , a couple of words caught my attention. Here they are, along with a brief summary of why they stood out. bilbo (n.) — a sword used in former times, noted for the temper and elasticity of its blade This word I knew from before. I don’t know when I first learned its meaning. However, in 10th grade, I read The Hobbit. Now, we all know that one of the main characters in The Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins. As several friends and I were sitting outside English class one day before it started, we discussed what we were reading. A friend—whose name escapes me at the moment—learned I was reading The Hobbit , and we got to talking. I wondered aloud why Bilbo’s nam...

Abstract For decades, many shooters (especially those with military backgrounds) have leaned heavily on the so-called 25/300 zero for the AR-15 platform. It’s often treated as gospel: zero at 25 meters and you’re supposedly good to go at 300. But there’s a major problem with this belief:  it’s not true. The math, the ballistics, and even the original doctrine don’t support the way people are still applying this zero today. And if you’re relying on it for practical shooting, you're probably holding wrong at every range between zero and 400 yards. Where it started Let’s start with the military roots of this zero. Back when the U.S. Army standardized the 25-meter zero, soldiers were instructed to use a special “Z” setting on their rear sight drum; and this setting was specifically designed to account for the extremely close zero distance. That Z setting wasn't just a convenience; it was essential for syncing up the trajectory at longer ranges. Fast forward to civilian applicati...

This author recently came across a review of Valor Ridge . For the record, this author has taken two classes at Valor Ridge, and it is a highly recommended resource for great training!  The purpose of this post, however, is to point out a flaw. NOT a flaw in Valor Ridge, Reid Henrichs, or the material being taught in the class. A flaw in the logic behind the instruction. There are a great many people that believe any ol' rifle and any bulk ammo can stack shots at 100 yards. This simply is not the case.  What is the reality? A great many guns, when paired with off the shelf ammo, are around 4 Minute of Angle performers. That means a 4" group at 100 yards. Naturally, some are better, and some are not that precise. For a class like the one linked above, the AR-15 rifle, shooting 55-grain ammo, would be the standard. And that is a 4 MOA setup. Worthy of note, there was also an AK shooter mentioned in the review. An AK with standard ammo is usually about a 6 MOA setup.  It is...

Some notable obituaries from my family's history, that predate this blog: Uncle Alvin Howell Uncle Gene Howell Grandfather Austin Howell passed in February of 1985. Obituary not available.