Self-Defense Lifestyle

12 Gauge Federal Flightcontrol Review

June 3, 2019 By Travis Pike Leave a Comment

Shotguns … I do love them and I’m always on the lookout to find new ammo. The versatility of shotgun ammo is one of the best things about this platform. You can swap between buckshot, slugs, and bird, as well as specialty ammo that’s both effective and fun. I always like to experiment with different types to serve different purposes.

Today we are looking at Federal Tactical 12 gauge, with their flight control wad.

This particular ammo is designed to have a tight pattern. The purpose for tight patterning buckshot, at least for me, is to get a round that can reach out and touch a target beyond normal buckshot range. In certain roles I want the effectiveness of buckshot without the risks of slugs.

Slugs tend to penetrate quite a bit, and sometimes I want lower penetration along with the spread buckshot offers. Will the Federal Tactical 12 gauge with Flightcontrol be that round? Let’s find out —

The Federal Tactical 12 Gauge Specs

There are several Federal Tactical 12 gauge rounds, but this particular load is the affordable and easy to find 00 buckshot. I understand they also produce a Number 1 buck that I’d love to try. The 00 Buckshot is 2 ¾ inches, and packs nine pellets and has a velocity of 1145 feet per second. In bulk I can purchase the ammo for a little over 50 cents a round, so for shotgun ammo, it is affordable.

The idea behind this ammo is simple: Increase the effective range of buckshot without the need for chokes. Most police and tactical shotguns come with a cylinder bore choke and barrels from 14 to 20 inches in length.

This is an affordable alternative for Law enforcement, especially if slugs are not permitted for duty use. The Federal Tactical 12 gauge line is widely available and from a trusted ammunition company.

Patterning

To keep things simple I used a Cobra Tac 2 with an 18.5-inch barrel and a cylinder bore choke. I moved from 10 to 15 to 20, and finally 25 yards with the ammo to see how it patterned. I can tell you about it, but I’d rather show you.

At 10 Yards

What a Punch to the Mouth

At 15 Yards

Still a nice, tight and devastating pattern.

At 20 Yards.

We are starting to open up a bit, and the wad did a lot of damage to the target, but the pellets landed.

At 25 Yards

We are finally starting to see the ammo open up, but the pattern is still impressive.

At 50 Yards!

So I didn’t pattern the Federal Tactical 12 gauge at 50 yards. Instead, I used a steel target and shot a little video. 2 out of 3 rounds struck the tiny steel popper at 50 yards.

Are you Not Impressed?

I am very impressed by the Federal Tactical 12 gauge. It certainly fulfills my requirement for a mid-range round for my shotgun. Outside of patterning well, they are also very pleasant to shoot. The reduced recoil design makes them very easy to use and handle.

When it comes to rapid fire, the rounds make the shotgun very easy and downright pleasant to shoot. The muzzle rise is insignificant as well, and even after firing dozens of shots it was still comfortable. I remained unbruised and unbeaten.

The Federal Tactical 12 gauge with Flitecontrol wad is an impressive 12 gauge load and delivers what it promises. I have confidence that I could hit a man sized target out to 50 yards with at least a few pellets.

Gun Training – Dot Torture Does It.

April 30, 2019 By Travis Pike Leave a Comment

We all want to be better shooters and to be a better shooter you have to get out and shoot! Unfortunately, we don’t always have the time to get a good long range session in. Others may not have the money to budget in a ton of ammo. With that in mind, there is no excuse to not train.

If you have a low budget or no time, there is always Dot Torture. Dot torture is a quick series of drills that’re easy to do, and hard to perfect. It was created by Dave Blinder, and the target can be found for free here. Even better, you can print it out at home.

Dot torture only requires fifty rounds of ammunition and can be done very quickly. 10 to 20 minutes would be you taking your time. The drill is actually a series of different drills using small dots.

The Dot Torture drills include a little bit of everything. There is slow fire, drawing, off hand shooting, and one handed shooting.

The drill can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be. Typically, a shooter is going to start at three yards and shoot the drill until they pass. A passing score is 50 out of 50, with all the shots landing inside the circles. It sounds easy, but I was surprised the first few times I tried it.

Dot Torture

The drill is written on the target so following it is very easy. Here is a quick breakdown of the complete drill:

Dot 1 – Fire one string of 5 rounds, try to make the smallest group possible.

Dot 2 – Draw and fire 1 shot, holster and repeat X4, total 5 rounds.

Dots 3 & 4 – Draw and fire 1 shot on 3, transition and place 1 shot on 4, holster. Repeat drill X3, a total of 8 rounds.

Dot 5 – Draw and fire 5 rounds, strong hand only, total 5 rounds.

Dots 6 & 7 – Draw and fire 2 shots on 6, then transition and place 2 on 7. Holster your gun. Repeat the drill X4, total 16 rounds.

Dot 8 – From the Low Ready, fire five shots with nondominant hand only.

Dots 9 & 10 – Draw and fire 1 round on 9, speed reload, fire one 1 shot on 10. Holster your firearm. Repeat drill 3x, for a total of 6 shots.

Why I like it.

Besides being challenging, cheap, and fun — Dot Torture is a useful training tool. You do a variety of different handgun related tasks.

The target doesn’t lie, and you’ll be able to see the functions on which you need work. I really need to work on offhand shooting, which makes sense because I can barely operate a microwave with my left hand.

After doing a round of Dot torture, I can go home and dry fire a bit, and work on what I’m coming up short on. Dot torture is an excellent method of evaluating your handgun skills and does allow you to hold yourself to a standard. DOT Torture can be modified for rifle use as well, and I’ve used my own version with my goofy little 80 percent lower AR at close ranges.

Mastering Dot Torture

There is no way to master Dot Torture. Sure you can Master Dot Torture at 3 yards, but what about 7? What happens if you add a time restriction? You can make this drill a little harder if you really try. An IPSC timer is an excellent companion for practice like this.

Dot Torture is a ridiculously simple drill that’s practical, easy to do, and only takes 50 rounds of ammo. Even if you are short on time or money, the Dot Torture drill is still an excellent training tool.

Stock Up On Ammo While You Still Can!!

April 6, 2018 By Terry Nelson Leave a Comment

Well, the leftists and misinformed politicians are at it again. Recently the attacks against gun ownership have skyrocketed. But there is another sleeper concern, ammunition. Increasingly politicians are beginning to zero in on ammunition purchases and requirements for ownership of ammo. Take heed! I’m sure many readers have numerous firearms available to them. Good. But the long term concern, at least in my estimation, is the ammunition to feed those firearms.

While we are enjoying the right to keep and bear arms, it’s worth noting that Constitutional protection may not include ammunition. Ponder if you will the prospect of having firearms, but not ammunition.

While many readers are surely prepared in the ammo supply arena, from conversations with students, I’d venture a guess that most aren’t. The question is not just for you, but perhaps generations to come. Teaching students on an ongoing basis, I find it not uncommon for folks to struggle to come up with a couple hundred rounds of handgun or carbine ammo to conduct even baseline training.

Today’s political climate is yet again all about gun control and along with that ammunition is more and more the focus of restrictions. Consider in just the last few years there have been attempts to control or restrict ammo via several rationales. These include such as environmental, public safety, requiring your fingerprints to purchase (registration), higher taxation and quantity restrictions (to include internet purchases).

**22 rimfire is always sought in trying times.**

Let’s not forget the bare shelves of just a few years ago because of the political climate. The supply of 22 rimfire and many common handgun and rifle calibers have just again become reasonably available. Prices, also, are at last settling into normal levels.

So how much ammo is reasonable to keep and store? Well, it depends on what your primary, secondary, or other uses may be. That of course varies from person to person. Aside from the fact that many folks are very accomplished hand loaders requiring a good supply of powder, primers, casings and bullets in their own right, many don’t have the time or inclination for hand loading.

Here, grouped by purpose, are some thoughts on the reasons to build and maintain a good supply of ammunition.

Gun Training

This is where things could get interesting. Shooting well is a perishable skill (yes, dry fire can take place of live fire to some extent). I shoot almost on a weekly basis, at least handgun. That may not be sustainable in tough times. I focus most of my weekly handgun shooting on 9mm to keep it economical. I like to keep a minimum of 5000 rounds available if possible.

**Store several hundred rounds or more of your most-used calibers.**

Defensive use

I store several hundred rounds of good quality handgun, shotgun and rifle ammo that fits this category on hand … per caliber or gauge. A sub category here would be the battle rifle or fighting carbine, at which point there is no such thing as too much ammo.

Hunting

For most standard big game considerations, I could probably get by for quite some time with a couple hundred rounds. But thinking down the road for many years, I would like to have 500 to 1000 rounds per caliber of any hunting rifle. Small game means shotgun and rim fire, the round count here could increase substantially.

shot gun ammunition — **Don’t forget shotgun ammo.**

Sport/Competition

If it’s USPSA, IDPA, 3-gun, SASS, trap, skeet, silhouette, or others, start thinking in the thousands of rounds or even higher for the long term.

Bartering

The sky’s the limit. All common calibers and rimfire ammunition is in high demand even now. Imagine over-the- counter availability of ammunition being gone overnight! In really tough times or during a run on the supply, ammunition will always retain a high trade value. So the question is, how much do you need to have for yourself and family versus how much you can afford to sell or barter with?

Ammo Storage

It goes without saying that the cost, storage and transportation of ammunition may require logistical planning. Ammunition is heavy! Storage can have its own challenges. Basically, prioritize cool, dry, durable storage. The military style 30- and 50-caliber ammo cans or the sealed spam cans of ammo make good long-term storage options.

Finding Ammunition

Other than your local Wal-Mart or hardware store where might one find ammo today without breaking the bank? Some obvious choices may be your local gun shows (or similar events) and some online ammo sales sites (these sites have also been under fire in recent months). A few less obvious locations to find ammo at sometimes below wholesale prices are flea markets, estate sales and garage sales.

**Maintain a supply of several hundred rounds, or more, of your most-used calibers.**

How Old Can Ammo Get?

This may bring up the question, how long is ammo good for? In my experience, if it has been stored properly and out of the elements, it can be good for decades. I have shot military surplus that was 50-plus years old, without issues. Not to disparage any hand loaders, but I stay away from reloaded ammo that I do not know the source of. I say this because you will run across such ammo at flea markets and garage/estate sales.

**Military surplus ammo cans are great for safe, dry storage.**

Someone once called ammo the precious metal of the future. I couldn’t agree more … take heed, and stock up on your ammo while you still can!

(Author’s note: thanks to Federal Premium Ammunition and Sig Sauer Ammunition for sponsoring some of the ammunition that appears here).

Improve Your Readiness With These Five Defensive Shooting Positions

March 26, 2018 By Terry Nelson Leave a Comment

improvised sitting position — An improvised position such as this one may be your best bet.

You made the decision to carry a sidearm on your person or in your vehicle daily. In addition, you selected a handgun and obtained some baseline training and perhaps shot a qualifying score in a concealed carry class. Your accuracy is good while standing squared up in front of a non-moving target while under little or no stress. The problem is, very few if any confrontations are static. I can assure you they’re all stressful.

So while you continue to add layer upon layer to your training resume, consider adding positional shooting to the mix. It will add to your overall shooting ability and boost your confidence. Because many shooters do not often practice from alternate positions–like the prone shooting position–they find shooting well can be difficult.

These positions can change how you see your sights and grip your handgun, and therefore influence trigger press. But remember the fundamentals are still the same; stance (including alternate stances like the ones discussed here), grip, sight alignment, sight picture, breathing, trigger press, and follow through.

Listed here are the positions I believe are practical and will make you a better defensive shooter.

Whether shooting carbine or pistol, kneeling is a versatile choice.

Kneeling Shooting Position:

Aside from a good standing position, kneeling is usually the first alternate shooting position I teach new law enforcement officers. There are at least four kneeling styles commonly taught, speed, braced, California, and extended speed kneel.

I prefer the California kneeling shooting position (both knees on the deck) for greater flexibility in upper torso movement and shooting around cover. The extended kneel (strong side knee on the deck) is a close second and allows for the shooter to recover from the kneeling position faster. Making yourself a smaller target is also a plus for having the kneeling in your toolbox of abilities.

Supine Shooting Position:

I have seen little training devoted to this position. In reality, it’s not all that improbable that you could find yourself on the flat of your back in a confrontation. It’s s definite disadvantage to be in the position of looking upward at an attacker with a knife, bat or some other deadly weapon in their hands.

You have only a second or two to react. Shooting at a threat standing over you or having to shoot between your knees from your back as a threat closes distance is disconcerting at best. Run some drills with a good instructor while performing these tasks so that your reaction would be: oh yeah, I’ve done this before, if that day ever comes.

Sitting Shooting Position:

Most Americans spend hours sitting everyday, in our vehicles, at work, the café, the movies … it would be logical to devote some training time shooting from various seated positions. Getting your handgun into play from sitting may well be the biggest challenge and something you should not assume will be easy under high stress. How and where you carry your pistol will influence quick acquisition or could prevent drawing it all from a seated position.

Prone Shooting Position:

While not the most likely defensive position to find yourself in, shooting from prone with a handgun is a skill set I want to have. It does, however, present some unique challenges. Most folks would assume because your body is flat on the ground and you can use both arms and elbows to support the pistol, that prone shooting position would be easy to make accurate hits from.

At 25 yards, I see about a 50% miss rate from law enforcement officers in the prone position. Why? It is not practiced enough and it puts the shooter outside their comfort zone. I teach a rollover prone shooting position that gets the shooter more onto their side and off their diaphragm. This method also allows for resting the head on your bicep instead of straining your neck while lying flat and square on with the target. If you have minimal cover or have something you can get under to shoot from (a vehicle), prone may in fact be just the ticket.

cover shooting position — Make use of cover if you can!

Using cover or a barricade:

There is little doubt that if you find yourself in an exchange of gunfire, cover can be your friend if it’s available and you can get to it. Shooting from or around cover, just like the different positions mentioned above, changes how you see your sights, how you grip your pistol, because now you are doing something outside the box, forcing you to become uncomfortable. You must practice it, from standing, kneeling, and prone. Use cover when it’s available and if the situation allows for it.

Adding these abilities to your skill set will boost your confidence and make you a better shooter. Paired with these shooting positions shooting with movement and one handed shooting are also advantageous … but that is for another discussion.

Like this article from Terry? Then you’ll love this one where he talks about the pros and cons of revolvers vs pistols.

Revolver Vs Pistol For EDC, Which Is Better?

October 2, 2017 By Terry Nelson 2 Comments

The choices for an everyday carry (EDC) handgun are endless today. Handgun make, model, double stack vs. single stack, and caliber are but a few of the questions you will need to answer if you are new to concealed carry on a daily basis.

And then there is the age old question of, do I stick with a time-tested revolver or move into the modern era of semi auto handguns? Some of these key considerations are outlined below. My commentary here is for practical EDC guns, not competitive, target, hunting, or otherwise. What follows is a breakdown of revolver vs pistol …

Revolvers:

I started my career in law enforcement in 1985. During those years in New Mexico, very few law enforcement agencies utilized semi-auto pistols for patrol officers. If the semi auto pistol was carried by LE in those days it was almost always the classic 1911 45 ACP.

Therefore, I began my journey of handgun training for defensive purposes with an S&W Revolver in 357 magnum (the 44 magnum was carried by some). Also at the time, little consideration was given to things like recoil and the fit of the gun to an officer’s hand–if you were a cop you qualified on what they told you and either passed or failed.

So I learned the revolver well, to include speed and tactical reloads and distance shooting. Very few of these skills are adopted today by the average person carrying a revolver, because so few carry one or choose to not train.

As I see it, there is a time and place for this action type. I have used almost every well-known make and model of revolver that’s commonly seen today. Let’s take a look at the pluses and minuses.

The pros:

Concealability:

Select a small frame, i.e., 2.5 to 3 inch barrel, AKA snub nose revolver, and this gun can be easily and effectively concealed.

Caliber offerings:

The old standby 38 special is a classic and probably the most common. But many of the rimless semi auto offerings are now available, including 32, 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. Charter Arms now offers a snub nose revolver, called the Pit Bull that works with rimless calibers without the use of moon clips.

Reliability:

Although malfunctions can occur, they are rare. The revolver is generally very reliable and durable for EDC.

Weight:

With the advent of lighter materials being used for small frame, snub nose revolvers, weight is seldom an arguing point.

Affordability:

Many well-known companies make good concealed carry revolvers, so there are a lot to choose from. Selections start in the $350 dollar range and go up from there.

The cons:

Trigger pull:

For some, a double action trigger pull on a revolver is a drawback. With the average DA coming in at around 12 lbs, or more, it can be a challenge for folks with grip strength challenges. I recommend only firing a revolver in double action for defensive purposes even though many folks want to “cock the hammer.” As most of you know some have the hammer bobbed or shrouded, which some call a “hammerless revolver” where you are unable to cock it.

Reduced round capacity:

The average concealed carry revolver has a capacity of five to six rounds. Will you carry a speed loader or a speed strip as an extra ammo source?

Short sight radius:

There’s little room for error when shooting a snub nose revolver past three to five yards. In addition, rear sights are often very minimal on small revolvers.

Semi Auto Pistol:

Some examples of many pistols of the same brand that operate and feel similar.

Somewhere around 1990, I was allowed to start carrying a semi auto handgun for on-duty purposes as an LE officer. My first was a Sig Sauer P220, in 45 ACP. Over the years I have carried everything from the 1911 platform to Smith & Wesson, Glock, Ruger, and Springfield (various models). Calibers I have carried for LE purposes have ranged from 32 auto, 380, 9mm, 40 S&W, 357 Sig and 45 ACP (the smaller of these for backup purposes only). I have seen a smattering of 10mm pistols carried as well.