RECCE ROOM

I can understand bad luck. I can understand poor driving skills. I can understand a momentary lapse in judgment. I can even understand really bad circumstances. But some things take the cake. When working in the car rental field, I played witness to a person being at fault in no less than three collisions within a week's time frame. We got a call from her on a Monday morning - she was taking her car to the repair shop and needed a rental. She had been involved in a collision over the weekend. I rented her a car. Friday, she returned the rental and I returned her to the repair shop to pick up her newly repaired vehicle. Moments later, I get a call from the repair shop asking me to come pick her up again. I asked if her car repairs had been incomplete (a rare occurrence, but it was possible, and I'd seen it happen before). They said no, she had wrecked her car on the way home from the repair shop. I picked her up again, and rented her another car... And watched a...

I went to the range over the Thanksgiving Holiday. While there, I conducted an ammo test. The point of the test was to determine the different points of impact of different ammo choices. For this test, I used my M16A4 clone with a stainless steel heavy barrel. The quad rail is free floated. I used a bipod to steady the rifle, and fired all rounds from 100 yards. An ACOG - TA31F was the optic of choice. The POA was the center of the center circle for all rounds. Federal American Eagle 55-gr The circles marked "1" were Wal Mart Federal American Eagle 55-grain. This is cheap ammo, but as you can see, it groups well. I'd say it is sub - 2 MOA ammo.  PMC X-Tac The circles marked "2" were PMC X-Tac 62 grain penetrator. This 62 grain ammo has an unusually high ballistic coefficient, which would make it great for long range (especially at the then-price of $7 per box!). However, as you can see, the ammo just is not as consistent. I was surprised by this 3.5 MOA ...

Not a repo story, but from my car rental days. Customer had an odd expectation. It turned into a funny conversation. Situation: There had been an ice storm. Many people had damaged cars. Rental cars were in short supply as they were almost all rented. Note: Some insurance companies reimburse more than others for a rental car. You want as much of a daily allowance as possible, and you want there to be at least 20 days, if not 30, of consecutive reimbursable days. A gentleman walked in to the facility and announced he needed to rent a car. Sure enough, we had received computer confirmation moments prior that his insurance company would offer to pay $25 per day towards a rental car. At that moment in time, we had a Ford Explorer, and a Dodge Grand Caravan. Both vehicles, as negotiated by his insurance company, could be rented for $39.99 per day (plus applicable taxes, of course!). This was a good bargain - at the time, the retail price for either would have been $89.99 per day! ...

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I took my son up to my Uncle's place and we did some squirrel hunting. Here is the young man in question: Cael. Age 8 and ready to bag a squirrel... even if he was not so sure of what to do with it afterwards.  Here is the tool of choice: a Charles Daly pump 20-gauge youth sized shotgun. We used #7 shot. Walking through the woods, we found a deer stand. Cael decided to investigate: Then he realized he could use the perch as a better way to spot some tree-rats:  Later, we got settled in a spot I felt would be good. Here is a tiny tree that was to my left: There was not a single squirrel in the woods to be found, so after a couple of hours, we went back to my uncle's house, and since he lives in a remote area, we took some time to make sure the Sig Mosquito works well: Of course, we shot the shotgun, too (that boy shot a whole box of shotgun shells!) and a few others. All in all, we got no squirrels, but h...

Today is the Full Moon. Let's see what crazy stuff happens! .

When the US was founded, the concept was that there would be no standing Army, but instead, a Militia comprised of able-bodied men ready to defend their collective freedom. Of course, at the time, one of the ideas was that of being a "Minuteman" - to be ready at a minute's notice to go fight. Such a member of an unorganized militia might have had a couple dozen rounds of ammo, powder for same, a rile and some basic tools to bring all stored in one location and easily transported. Part of what the Constitution mentions with the phrase "well-organized militia" is that each man should know how to follow the orders "make ready, take aim, fire." Back in those days, a certain level of marksmanship was expected - particularly if you had to hunt for food!  If someone were to take that idea, and expand it to being thusly prepared in the 21st Century, here is a list of tools that would be absolute requirements, at a minimum: - Rifle (preferably an AR15) ...

Recently, I wrote about being " on paper " with a 300-yard zero using an AR15. I was at the range over the Thanksgiving Holiday, and made an impromptu follow up. Target is a half-sized (10" wide) silhouette and was shot at 100 yards from the standing (offhand) position. Rifle is my main rifle - M16A4 clone with Stainless Steel heavy barrel and using an ACOG - TA31F. Ammunition was Federal American Eagle from Wal Mart. None of the materials, targets, or ammo was purchased on Black Friday. I was aiming at the "8." First group of 3 was shot using the tip of the chevron, where this rifle is sighted in at. Second group was using the 25-yard zero point on the ACOG reticle - where the post turns from red to black. As you can see, this group strikes 3" - 4" high. ----- While I was at the range, a young man and his father came to shoot at the table next to the one I was using. The young man was named Reagan. He seemed most interested in the...

The White House warned that if the Bush Tax Cuts are not extended, it will hurt the economy. Yet liberals have been screaming for 10 years how much we need to let expire the "Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy." .

This conversation took place between myself and a gun store moron (GSM) - who happened to be a manager at a store I recently visited. Me: "Do you have any Hornady .223 Steel Match, 75-grain?" GSM: "Nope. You know that stuff is just repackaged Tula." ----- Author's mental note at that moment in time: WOW. I mean, just... WOW. ----- Me: "Really? They do not chrono the same." GSM: "Hornady could be shipping them the powder." ----- Yes - he just dug even deeper.  WOW.  .

The Tennessee Vols recently fired football coach Derek Dooley. I like this move on the front that Dooley was never going to consistently lead the team to winning seasons, much less SEC championships. There are some who said that Dooley should be given more of a chance. I'd offer this rebuttal: when you get to a point that any coach would do better, then the writing is on the wall. Sure, Dooley was the right choice when Kiffin left the program in shambles, most notably NCAA violations. But to be fair, those violations were petty at best. Media exaggeration at best. The interim coach for the Vols season finale was offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. Say what you will about the Vols this year, the problem was not their offense. As it turns out, Chaney led the team to a 37-17 win against Kentucky. Is Kentucky the best team to beat? Nope. They had not won an SEC game this year. That said, the Kentucky win was the Vols first SEC win this year. In other words, this was a game to ...

I have recommended a 300 meter zero like the USMC teaches. But a reader asked me - how do you zero for 300m if you only have a 100-yard range? GREAT QUESTION! Note: All measurements have been verified using a ballistic calculator . For M855 or similar: - the ballistic coefficient is .304 - the velocity from a 20" barrel is 3100 fps (subtract 50 fps for each inch shorter the barrel) - bullet weight is 62 grains For M193 or similar: - the ballistic coefficient is .243 - the velocity from a 20" barrel is 3200 fps (subtract 50 fps for each inch shorter) - bullet weight is 55 grains Using RIBZ Know and understand that I believe in having a Revised, Improved Battlesight Zero (RIBZ) on all AR15 iron sights. If your iron sights can be adjusted like that with either a 6/3 or 8/3 dial, then simply set it to the 100-yard setting and zero as normal. After the rifle is zeroed, then set it to 8/3 and forget it. No elevation However, not all rear iron sights have an el...

I will not go shopping today. Only in America can you have a "holiday" the point of which is to shop for things the very day after a real Holiday the point of which is to be thankful. I am probably going shooting today. Seems to be a good way to buck the norm. .

That is all. Now stop reading the blog and go spend time with your family... or computer... or whatever. .

Congressman Nancy Pelosi forgot recently what part of the Constitution gives Congress authority to borrow money on behalf of the United States.  It is the 14th Amendment, Congressman Pelosi. .

Hey riflemen! Hey - RIFLEMEN! HEY! RIFLEMEN! There is a group out there claiming to teach you how to be a rifleman. They claim they can teach you to: "take a rack grade rifle and surplus ammunition and consistently hit silhouette targets out to 500 yards from the prone position using iron sights and no rests or sandbags." I'm here telling you that may be the intent, but so many of those "riflemen" just ain't so. So many people that get the "rifleman" designation from that outfit do so with highly tuned rifles, match grade ammo, scopes, and slings. All of those devices are crutches! I went shooting the other day - I do that a fair amount. An M16A2 clone, personally assembled for under $600, was the tool of choice. Shots were taken from improvised sitting position.   First, the rifle was tested out at 25 yards.  Sight setting: 8/3 5-shot group Sight setting: 8/3 + 2 10-shot group A n Army Alt-C course of fire (...

Well, Ok, famous people who like guns. Some surprises. Some... not so much. .

The final part of the blame for the Obama win. This part of the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Christians who refused to vote their values. This site has a great overview of politics with respect to the Bible, and specifically avoids connecting either party to the Bible, as the Bible is silent on the core political ideal of socialism vs. capitalism. (Do be careful - other parts of that site do espouse the heresy of predestination, and it similarly tries verbal gymnastics to avoid confronting the topic head on). Nevertheless, one thing is clear: I cannot imagine for a moment that God condones abortion. Now, maybe I am wrong. I certainly do not presume to speak where God was silent. I certainly do not presume to put words in God's mouth. But one party is clearly in favor of abortion. And until we are all in Heaven and God tells us clearly His stance, I cannot agree with anyone who says God would be fine with abortion - it is contrary to everything that is in the Bible....

This past weekend, I had two students compete at NAGA in Nashville. Here is a photo of us, before the festivities, sporting our Fight-2-Night shirts. If you like this blog, you will also like the blog of the owner of Fight-2-Night. The blog is called " Rican to the Right. " Pictured: Back row, Right to Left - Me, Xerxes, Alex, Richard Front row, Right to Left - Michael, Sarah, Deborah, Lee, Jennifer Results -  Click here to see the official results from NAGA. Alex Alex is 26 and competed only in the nogi beginner division at welterweight (160 - 169 lbs.). This division happened to be the largest at the entire event. Alex lost his first and only match. It was very close, but his opponent was better. His opponent happened to win the entire division, submitting everyone in the process. Alex had a near-finish with a guillotine choke at one point. Sarah Sarah is also 26 and competed in the beginner women's division lightweight (120 - 134 pounds). Sh...

As a continuation, but this idea stands on its own, as well. What went wrong? Why did Obama get re-elected? What did Romney do wrong? What could we have done to prevent this? Who is at fault? There is evidence now that Romney won over more independents and much more of the moderate vote. However, in the same breath, over 3 million conservative Christian voters stayed home. Considering Romney's loss came down to much less that a million votes in key precincts, it is clear that running to the middle and being moderate did not help elect Romney. Romney also got fewer conservative votes than Bush did in 2004. Romney also got fewer Mormon votes (generally very conservative) than Bush. What went wrong? Conservatives went wrong.  A conservative candidate did not win the nomination. Romney won. If I had a penny for every time I heard or read the phrase "I may not agree totally with Romney, but..." - I'd have made enough money to actually pay for Obamacare. No...

"Everyone claims support for freedom. Too often, it is for one's own freedom, and not for others. Too many believe there must be limits on freedom." - Ron Paul From Ron Paul's last speech on the floor of Congress. Link to the speech , which starts at 2:08:45. .

"Saying we have a little tyranny is like saying a woman is a little pregnant. Tyranny is tyranny." - Ron Paul From Ron Paul's last speech on the floor of Congress. Link to the speech , which starts at 2:08:45. .

Some time ago, I posted an article about a Range Safety Officer who thought if you zero an AR15 at 25 yards, then you won't even be on paper at 100 yards. While the story is funny, and I posted links showing why he was totally wrong, I was challenged by a reader to do a scientific experiment to prove this man right or wrong. So I did. On a recent range trip, I took a basic AR15 - set up as an M16A2 clone - and decided to put this whole thing to the test. First, I made sure it was zeroed at 25 yards: With the 8/3 setting. Second, I took the rifle to 100 yards, and fired a three-shot group. I clicked the rifle down to the 100-yard zero (8/3 - 3 clicks) and fired. The top of the dark circle was my point of aim. Considering the 100-yard distance, the iron sights, and the cheap barrel and ammo, I'd say this 2 MOA group was pretty good. The first three shots are labeled "1." Also please note that I needed to take about 2 clicks left windage to be squ...

There has been much hand-wringing and fretting since President Obama won re-election. Now, potential voter fraud aside, let's talk about why Republicans lost. Compromise.  The American public does not like those who compromise their position, as this is a clear sign of weakness. Being "for" something before you were "against" it is a terrible way to seek office. To be fair, the only issue that the President has flip-flopped on has been the one of gay marriage: which is a side issue at best in most places. Yet, Romney had a flip-flop statement on taxes, abortion, gun rights, you name it. It seemed like almost everything. Here was the former governor of Massachusetts (a position you do not win by being conservative) all-of-a-sudden trying to appear conservative. People knew better. People knew better, and the "lesser of two evils" crowd within the conservative movement is a dying breed, and for good reason: voting for the lesser of two evils is ...

Calvinism is not Biblical Doctrine. It's a human philosophy that appeals to proud-minded individuals. Unconditional Election Calvinists think that God elects (or predestines) people for salvation.  By default, if true, this would also mean that God predestines some for Hell. Of all the notions in Calvinism, this is the most asinine piece of garbage that has ever been put to paper. Total refute: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." By the way, for the link above, I linked to the ESV. Normally, I do not use this translation, as it is not a true translation, but it is rather a translation conceived by Calvinists, for Calvinists, to push their false agenda. However, even they cannot lie enough to overturn this one verse, which just so happened to be the verse that the late Dr. Adrian Rogers used to refute predestination. "whosoever" ...

I like this article . Follow the advice in it, and you'll be on your way to healthier eating. .

I am hearing a lot of conservatives fret over the likelihood of liberal Supreme court justices being nominated by Barry Soetoro Barack Obama over the last four years of his presidency. You should have worried about that in the primary! ----- So you really thought that Romney would nominate conservative folks to the Supreme court (or any Federal or other court that is appointed by the President)? Let me give you two names to Google: Marianne C. Hinkle and Stephen Abany While you are at it, also Google another Romney nomination: Kathe Tuttman.  Now, here is the challenge: find for me a single conservative judge that Romney appointed as governor. Come back here when you have looked as much as you can. ----- OK, you're back.   Let me guess, you did not find any conservative nominees. Let me guess - if you are hardcore Romney you are making an excuse right now that sounds kinda like this: "....but...but... Romney was governor of a liberal state! He cou...

A few weeks back, I was dining at a local establishment (that does NOT prohibit concealed carry). The owner of this restaurant had asked me a month prior about concealed carry, and getting his handgun carry permit. I had given him the basics, and he had begun the process by taking the class. Well, this day, the owner's wife was there. As he talked to me about getting the paperwork done with the state of Tennessee, his wife piped up that she did not understand why anyone would want to carry a gun. I paused her, and pointed at my concealed carry piece . I told her kindly that she might not win me over. She responded with a good and legitimate question: "why?" I lifted my 4-year-old daughter and stated: "she is worth protecting." Instantly, her arguments and fervor against carry evaporated. She yielded the point that my family was certainly worth protecting. She had legitimate questions about my work to educate my children about the firearms as well as saf...

Not long after last week's election results, Herman Cain went on the record stating we need a 3rd party to rise from the ashes of the Republican party. He stated we need a conservative party - not a party that condones the likes of Mitt Romney. I agree. Only one note to add: we do have 3rd parties. Yes, that's plural. Personally, I line up with the Constitution Party nearly 100% and the Libertarian Party over 95%. I voted for Gary Johnson over Virgil Goode because of the character and history of those respective men. However, either would have been light-years ahead of Romney or Obama. I really think we need about 5-7 parties... each with a base of about 10-15%. It would be a race to 30% (if not 20%) in the main elections. Come, join us, Mr. Cain. I was in your corner until you dropped out of the fray. I'd be glad to say so again! .

Guys - remember that girl you kissed in high school, but didn't tell anybody about (for whatever reason)? Girls, you remember liking a guy like that - you didn't want to tell your friends? I think this recent election was indicative of just such a love affair. Americans love liberty, and will vote for the candidate that offers more of it. - Three states passed laws limiting Obamacare. - A school charter was passed in WA over the objections of teachers' unions. - A collective bargaining measure failed in MI. - OK banned race-based hiring practices. - MT said no to benefits for illegal aliens. - LA protected gun rights. - KY protected hunting rights. - WA also voted to limit their state government's ability to raise taxes. - WA & CO legalize recreational marijuana. - ME & MD legalize same-sex marriage. I think America has a real crush on libertarianism.  We want our liberties back... not to be controlled by the government. But what about Obama, yo...

Seems that as many as 15 states have petitioned to withdraw peacefully from the US. As of this morning, there are also 4 more states on the list. I can totally understand why. I have only a few comments: A) Romney would have brought about the same socialism, but without this type of drama. B) Will it come to war, or will cooler heads prevail? .

Obama - Better than Romney I've been giving the results of last week's election some thought, and this one dawned on me. I think it is better for America that Obama won instead of Romney. Here are a few reasons: 1. Gun Rights Everyone knows Obama would like to get our guns. But a lot of folks were pretending that Romney wouldn't. Romney even said in the debate that if bipartisan legislation came to his desk, he would sign it. Romney didn't care about our rights any more than Obama does. (This is why I am a two-topic voter - if a politician doesn't care about infant rights or gun rights, then they will eventually not care about any rights) With the clear threat, and a divided government, Republicans will have their arms collectively twisted into preventing any such legislation from getting through the Congress. This is not as important with the true conservatives, but it is critical with the 30% or so of the "moderate" (read: liberal ) Republicans...

I got word this morning that my brother in law was robbed at gunpoint and assaulted. He is a manager of a national chain restaurant location in the Chattanooga area. It is a well-known and reputable chain, and one that is not normally associated with being robbed at gunpoint. My brother in law is OK (thought at first he might have had broken ribs from the assault). Folks, the threat is real. This is why I am a big advocate of concealed carry (or open carry - whatever floats your boat).

Directionals - aka "blinkers" here in the south - are occasionally used incorrectly. Since the sole function is to indicate to other drivers which direction the driver desires to go, how can they be used incorrectly, you ask? Easy, when they are made to indicate a direction the driver does not really wish to go. I'm not talking here about the little old lady who is cruising down the road with her blinker on because she simply forgot. Nope, there are some people that intentionally activate the device and have no desire to go in the direction indicated! I've seen this phenomenon only in the western segment of Tennessee. It is infuriating. Here is the scenario: Traffic is momentarily stopped, as a driver plans to turn left once oncoming traffic clears. Driver of car #2 does not wish to turn, but puts on the left side directional. Presumably, this is done to tell the following cars what is going to happen - though I'm not sure, since I've never gotten anyb...

It is over. Romney lost and Obama won. Wanna know a secret? I think Americans would rather vote for a wolf in wolf's clothing over a wolf in sheep's clothing. Republicans MUST do some soul-searching. They MUST go back to their conservative roots. Liberal McCain couldn't beat Obama. Uber-Liberal Romney couldn't beat Obama. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result. I dare you, GOP, get a hard-right conservative up there. At this point, you have nothing to lose. See what happens. But wait, that wouldn't further the liberal Republican establishment's agenda. .

Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn. One of these things is not like the others. One of these things doesn't belong. LinkedIn is not one that I use. One cannot "block" other users - and internet security is critical. Even on the others... be mindful of what you put out there. .

Rumors that Senator Dianne Feinstein wishes to move against our 2nd Amendment Rights. She reportedly wants an even more strict ban this time, including a provision requiring currently owned "assault weapons" to be turned in. Wow. .

President Barack Obama was reelected. In a distinct move toward socialism, the old adage came true that if a liberal Republican is pitted against a Democrat, then the Democrat wins. Republicans will be sour for a while. They will ask what went wrong, but in the end, it was the choice of the establishment, left-winger for the so-called "conservative" candidate that did them in. People read through the lies and flip-flops. The good news is that with the makeup of the Senate and Congress, I predict deadlock for the next four years, and that is a good thing in many ways. How did my votes go? I voted for - Gary Johnson for President. He came in 3rd in TN with just under 1% of the vote. Mitt Romney carried 60% of the vote, more or less. Mark Clayton for Senate. He lost to incumbent Bob Corker. Corker earned about 60% of the vote, as well. Diane Black for US Congress. Black won the night going away with over 75% of the vote. Susan Lynn for State Representative. Lynn wo...

"That's it! I never want to go to [Usagi's] house again! Junior just acts wild, and horrible, and they are going to think I am a terrible mother... even though it is all Junior's fault!" Said SILie... every time they would leave after a visit to my house. Interestingly enough, when she is not around, Junior acts perfectly fine around here. And has every time since SILie got her wild hair... .

Today is election day. My final prediction is a Romney win. I predict he will get 53-54% of the popular vote and about 300-320 electoral votes. This is not indicative about excitement for Romney as much as it is a statement of how much people do not like the policies of Obama, and simply HOPE Romney will be slightly different. If Romney does wind up governing differently, it will be a big shock to me. .

Rarely do I discuss my preparation, but given that today is election day, and given what I think is the likely outcome, it doesn't hurt to be ready. I have communicated via Twitter and text with Right Minded, who agrees with me in the prediction that tonight, Mitt Romney will be elected President. We both figure he will receive 52-54% of the popular vote, and in excess of 300 Electoral votes... likely more than 320 Electoral votes. I've also said before that it is my opinion that black people who voted for Obama because he is black, had a lot riding on Obama's success in office. they felt he HAD to succeed, so that it would pave the way for more blacks to be able to win high offices moving forwards. To be completely fair, the only people I know who would be that racist are blacks who voted for Obama because he is black, and whites who voted for Obama out of some sick feeling of sorrow that a black man had never been President. Since Obama's presidency was rife wit...

"It doesn't matter to me if it's Obama or Romney. Obama has done a bad job and Romney will do a bad job." - Virgil Goode Link to quote . .

Note: God most certainly predestinates events and certainly did predestine to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the World, so that the World, through Him, might be saved. However, God most certainly does not predestinate whom shall be saved. The notion that God determines whom shall be saved is called " unconditional election ," and is a false doctrine. Those who would teach it are, by definition, false prophets . To teach false doctrine is, by definition, heresy . The main, root problem: The root of the problem with Calvinistic thinking - specifically with the notion that God predetermines who goes to Heaven (and by default, whom goes to Hell) - is pride. These people feel a need to be better than other people in some way and have found no other way to be better. It is a warped way of thinking and it is founded in pride. In this series, I shall disprove the notion of the predestination of whom shall be saved. God Caused Sin: If God predestined those...

Really, though, I don't. That's just a line from each of the Star Wars movies. Last week, it was announced that George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, had sold Lucasfilm to Disney (for $4B), and Disney plans to release Star Wars, Episode VII in 2015. Link to story . I am looking forward to this. Unlike most "diehard" Star Wars fans, I really enjoyed every movie in the series. .

Found this Youtube video of the "Best Kata Ever." I tend to agree, it is pretty cool! .

Do this: - Go to Google - Type "Obama supporters hate obama policies" - One of the first entries I get is the following Youtube video: Click here for link . Watch it. BTW - Romney does, in fact, support these things, too. Again, and this is directed at those of you who are voting for Obama because you do not like Romney's policies, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OBAMA AND ROMNEY. A VOTE FOR ROMNEY IS A VOTE FOR OBAMA .

From a friend (found this quote on Facebook): We must be careful, Jesus came at a time when the Religious Leaders thought that they were on there way to Heaven, and Jesus was like "no, you're not." And the very people that the Religious Leaders thought would never go to Heaven, Jesus was like "yeah, they are."  I wonder what Jesus would say to are Religious Leaders of today???  Knowing the Bible or knowing who Jesus is, is not good enough.  Most of the Religious Leaders of today are the same as the ones in Jesus' time, telling people to live up to a Law that they themselves can't keep, telling them to put on a yoke of bondage that not even they can carry [themselves]. People are not running from God they're running from us [Christians], it is not God they don't believe in, it's me.  - Jeff R. .

All those undecided voters out there. Some say if they are still undecided, then they are not awake. While that may be true of some, I disagree with this blanket statement. Romney and Obama are virtually identical on their political positions, and both are master liars, and both are masters of spinning their position, and both are masters of changing their position to go with what they think will be the political wind. Most of the undecided voters know this. They aren't stupid. They are trying to find a reason to vote for one or another. folks, there are other choices. Join me, and elect a real option, not more of the same! GARY JOHNSON 2012 .