Grand Rapids, MI
How do you master the AR Platform? The same way you master any skill…you train!
Why are the pros so damn good? There’s no hidden pearl of wisdom here either. They train. Of course, it’s good to be the pro because you get access to great equipment and a mountain of ammo. Being a pro doesn’t give you a pass to forgo training, not by a long shot. Quite the opposite. It’s your responsibility to train…you’re either shredding stages or your days as a pro are numbered.
This doesn’t just apply to shooting. Professional boxers, world pro skiers, professional hockey players, and Olympians train. Amateur athletes train. If you want to improve in any area, it all boils down to training.
We see people focus on the equipment instead of the repetition and the training. You see it all the time on the range, some dude prancing around in full kit that can’t hit the broad side of a barn. I really love the NVG mount on the Kevlar helmet…it shows they put forth the effort in front of a mirror…but that’s about it. It’s hard to take them seriously.
Don’t get me wrong, we all go through some degree of the “tacti-tard” phase. I did…and I helped many outdoors companies make their sales targets over the years. And to be fair, I do have an NVG mount on my Kevlar helmet with no NVGs but it’s from all my deployments. Oh, and it currently sits in my bar as a conversation piece where it belongs…not on my head at a range.
Eventually, purpose and/or lack of funding will move most of us beyond the spending excessive money phase and into action…where we set meaningful goals and lay down a path to improve our skillset.
That is what the RedCat was built for. Those of us that see past the hype, cut out the BS and just get out there and train to get results. It’s that simple.
Good training, over time, becomes good habits, then good instinct. Try dry fire training your AR with the RedCat for 15 minutes a day in your garage or basement. Just do the basics in those 15 minutes: proper manipulation of the safety switch, target acquisitions, transitions, and reloads. Soon, you’ll show up to the range and find that your transition times are faster. You’re more comfortable with your rifle (which is great when you’re new to the AR!) and you’re seeing how a basic dry fire practice will make your time at the range a bit more efficient…and you’ll leave the dude with the fancy kit in the dust.
Written and Updated by Alex at M22 Tactical
