A Lot of Things The Internet Tells You About Shooting Aren't Important

The 'Gunternet' would have you believe that shooting is a pastime that has strict rules about all sorts of things. You must carry this gun, in this caliber, in this position, with this many spare magazines, and when you're shooting that gun, you must hold it this way, stand this way, and wear these clothes. Fortunately, like a lot of things on the internet, a lot of this just isn't factual. Here's a few things that aren't a big deal, even though the internet will tell you they are: ### Your choice of carry gun. I think this is a trap most all of us fall into, but at the end of the day, what matters most is that you're carrying, not what you're carrying. If you like .45, great. If you like .380, great. If you've got a .22lr that works for you because you don't have a ton of hand strength, great. Any of the above guns are better than harsh words and a sharp stick. Just carry something reliable that you'll actually carry, and you'll be WAY ahead of most folks who have a permit, but don't carry much. (or only carry "when I might need it" ### Shooting with Both Eyes Open -Yes, it's an advantage (a small one, but it's perceivable), but I've met a bunch of people who are good shooters who just can't master it for one reason or another. If you can shoot both eyes open, do it, it's great. If you can't quite get it, don't let it become a boulder in the road of your shooting progression. ### Malfunction practice I know guys that drill and drill and drill malfunction practice, almost as much as they drill their shooting. Yes, I think you should get good at clearing malfunctions, but I feel like in some circles clearing malfunctions has almost become as much of a sport as shooting. Get good at it, know how to do it, know your gun, then become a better shooter. Personally I don't practice malfunctions. When they happen in practice, or in a match, I clear them, and that's enough for me to stay on top of my game for them. ### Type of Ammo you Use to Get Started competing with (at least in pistol games) I get this question quite frequently from people wanting to get started in competition. "Lucas, should I get this or that?" My answer is always, if they both cycle in your gun, get whichever is cheapest. "Shouldn't I get the 147gr?" isn't that what everyone uses? No, dont worry about it. "Doesn't 115gr have trouble knocking down steel?" It doesn't matter if you're brand new. Don't worry about it. I see forum posts where folks recommend some BS premium ammo or whatever for people wanting to get started, and it's just bull honkey. Whatever you're taking to the range to shoot, just use that. Don't worry about power factor, or whatever else, you'll be just fine. ### Hold your breath while shooting! Podcast listener James sent this one in the the Triangle Tactical Facebook page just before I was getting ready to record. A guy on a forum said that he read an Army pistol shooting manual and it said that you're supposed to hold your breath while shooting. He tried it during an IDPA match, and shot well. This is terrible advice for competitive pistol shooter (Bullseye shooters are probably excluded from this) because you NEED to BREATH! I suspect the shooter had a good match because he was so focused on not breathing, that he just shot his sights. Interesting, but I still wouldn't recommend it. Gear that Doesn't Suck How do you know you're getting better, if you don't know how good you are now? You really need a shot timer if you're a competitive shooter, or defensive shooter who takes things even relatively seriously. It will allow you to really assess things and know if you're improving, and by how much. I like the Pocket Pro II, it's the size and form factor I like, has a lot of options, and works well. I like it, and it definitely doesn't suck. Support the Show Any purchase you make through the 'Gear that Doesn't Suck' links helps to support the show. Click the link, buy whatever you need from Amazon, and I'll get a little kickback from Amazon for sending you there. It doesn't cost you anything extra.  News Defense Distributed lost their recent case with the 5th Circuit Court about distributing CAD files for 3D printed guns online. The court ruled that it's some sort of national security issue. There was a Judge that wrote a scathing dissent, and it's pretty great: In sum, it is not at all clear that the State Department has any concern for the First Amendment rights of the American public and press. Indeed, the State Department turns freedom of speech on its head by asserting, "The possibility that an Internet site could also be used to distribute the technical data domestically does not alter the analysis…." The Government bears the burden to show that its regulation is narrowly tailored to suit a compelling interest. It is not the public’s burden to prove their right to discuss lawful, non-classified, non-restricted technical data. BOOM! CALM DOWN GUNTERNET!!!!! Man, the Gunternet has been ablaze this week with people absolutely freaking out about this YouTube Heroes program that we really don't know much about yet. It looks like it's basically a way to create a community of moderators for YouTube that basically work for free. The part that is freaking people out is that when someone reaches Hero level 3 they're able to "mass flag" videos. The worry here is that "mass flag" could mean "mass remove" videos, and some anti-gun d-bag could go on a rampage against the YouTube gun community.  I don't think it's time to worry just yet. We don't know enough at this point, so don't get your hackles raised. Yeah, it could be ugly, but I tend to think it'll be alright.  Reddit user Jshootstuff has a fantastic post on the r/Firearms subreddit that's worth a read. Check it out here. Contact If you've got something for me, here's how to get in touch [email protected] Voicemail line: 781-7BULLET