The Everyday Marksman

In this episode of the Everyday Marksman, I’m talking to Alex Sansone, better known as The Suited Shootist and operator of the blog and YouTube channel under the same name. Alex is a bit different than most of the other guests I’ve had on the show because he doesn’t have the same military or high-level competition background as others. He’s a regular citizen who happens to care about protecting himself and his family while looking good doing it.

This episode is an off-the-cuff ask me anything (AMA). I gathered questions from social media as well as the discord server and opened the flood gates. Allison also joins me again to help dig into questions abut gear, shooting, and some fun stuff.

I don't do musings posts very often, especially with the podcast. Current events this week have been a little wild with the stock market, and I've been watching from the sides. While I didn't partake in the Gamestop madness, I've certainly been entertained with the news articles and chatter on Reddit. During all of this, I realized that there is a common thread between the politics of gun control and what's been happening all week with retail investors.

I've got a bit of experience between training and competition, though not as much as I'd like. Still, I've learned a few things along the way and today we're talking about some of the key lessons I wish I could go back and make sure I knew back at the beginning.

This is just a quick unedited rant about why I decided to launch a physical fitness test for The Everyday Marksman. In short, 2020 sucked, and 2021 might be worse: maybe it's time to hold ourselves to some objective standards.

This is a short episode touching on an observation I've had lately. Since the biggest rush of gun-buying stuff, this year is new shooters, they haven't quite learned about all the other stuff they should be aware of. And that leaves an opportunity for enthusiasts like you and me.

This episode is a bit of an audio guide version of my article on selecting AR-15 optics. It’s a bit more off the cuff than usual, and you can probably tell that I get a bit excited about nerding out with this topic. The principles I outline apply to just about any kind of optic regardless of the rifle, or handgun, that it mounts to. At the core, it’s about understanding the role you are trying to fill and then selecting an appropriate solution within the bounds of your budget.

2020 has been a rough year, and things may only get worse from here. So what, exactly, can we do about that? First, take a breath. Now let's talk.

Today I'm talking about my concept of the Minimum Capable Carbine. If you've been reading for a while, you might recognize this as my suggestion for your first AR-15. In truth, this episode is a chance for me to say things out loud that didn't come across very well in written format.

Mike Green is a 15 year veteran of Special Operations who began a training company in Northern Virginia as a bit of a side gig. His school has since grown into quite the training operation spanning multiple states and categories of students. One of the things that stood out to me about Green Ops is their motto, “Why Should Your Training Be Less Special?”

The theme of the month is all about balance, so here’s another one to think about. I thought about the elements that should go into decision making regarding everything we do, and I categorized everything into these three: safety, capability, and security. As gun owners and firearms enthusiasts, we should always be mindful of keeping these things in balance.

Today's episode has to do with the theme of the month within our community over at The Marksman's Quarter: finding balance. I thought this was an appropriate topic because I just came off of a month-long break from writing or recording, and wanted to talk a little bit about what led to that hiatus and the things that have been on my mind.

I don't know why this question has been on my mind lately, but I've felt compelled to try and put words to my answer. Why is good marksmanship important? What do we get from learning and practicing it? I think there's an assumption within the gun world that everyone already knows that marksmanship is important. But I don't think most people actually care.

Today we're sitting down with NC Scout of Brushbeater and American Partisan to talk about radio communications. Scout comes from an Army Infantry scout background, with time served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a variety of martial skills to everyday folks, including radio communications.

Today's episode is a fairly short one. I want to touch on the idea of a modern Minuteman. It's something that a lot of people romanticize, but we never really define. In this discussion, I want to talk a bit about what it means to me and what I think we need to do. This isn't a discussion about the contents of a go bag or the kind of rifle to bring to the fight. No, it's about the philosophy of being an engaged citizen ready to put aside individual goals for the sake of maintaining liberty.

Today we're talking to ILya Koshkin, a prolific blogger and internet personality in the world of rifle optics. I've personally been following him for years and learning from his advice. We've recently struck up a bit of a friendship and I thought it was a great opportunity to bring him on to the show and have him share some of his wisdom.

One of the most important habits my family taught me growing up was the value of playing "what if." In this episode, I talk about the Special Forces PACE model for planning and how it applies to everyday situations.

In this episode, I sit down with Lothaen of The New Rifleman to discuss our mutual love for the M16A5 rifle. You know...the one that never really came to be for the US Military. It turns out that both of us have our own versions and experiences, and thought you might enjoy a little casual conversation about it.

Today's episode is bringing it back to the Minimum Capable Carbine that I wrote about in my article about your first AR-15. With so many new shooters out there dealing with their first guns, I'm seeing a lot of questions about all the little minutiae that I remember obsessing over when I got started. So this episode is really about giving some advice. Here's the short version: Don't do it.

Amanda Banta is a national rifle champion and Olympic competitor. She began shooting at 11 years old and competed in the 2012 Olympic games only 9 years later. In this conversation, we take a look at what it took to make that kind of progress, what it means to have a winning mindset, and of course learn some tips for better marksmanship practice.

This episode is another in our community member highlight series. Today we’re focusing on Justin “Graveyard” Fields, who is very active in the community and is himself a prolific blogger. Among other blogs he runs, he most recently set up Swift | Silent | Deadly, a blog focused on full-spectrum individual security. In this interview, we talk a bit about how Justin got interested in writing about this particular set of topics as well as his thoughts on the lessons we should all be taking away from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Life is full of competition. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, all of life is a giant competition for resources and reproduction. Entire species either prosper or go extinct on the macro level due to their collective abilities to compete in an ever-changing environment. Nations, businesses, and people operate in a similar way. And so should you.

This is an interview with pro PRS shooter Mike Keenan on what every newbie needs to know to get started in PRS or NRL competition shooting. We cover gear, attitude, and the all-important cartridge selection.

It's Episode 25 of Everyday Marksman Radio! That's a bit of a milestone, as we're one quarter of the way to 100 and most podcasts don't make it past 7 episodes. To do something a little different, we've got an ask me anything episode, with questions supplied by you guys and asked by my wife, Allison. I hope you enjoy it!

Jeff Gurwitch served in the US Army for 26 years, with 19 of those being in Special Forces. Jeff has multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and has seen the gamut of fighting styles from close quarters to long-range mountain fighting. He's also been a competitive shooter for over 15 years, competing in USPSA, IDPA, and PRS. On top of that, he also publishes articles for Defense Review and SWAT Magazine. While his tactical credentials are certainly impressive, I wanted to use this interview to instead talk about competitive shooting and its relationship to defensive and combat shooting.

Have you ever been frustrated by not achieving your goals? It doesn’t really matter what the goal itself was. Perhaps it was [another] weight loss target, or putting in some extra hours on a hobby. We’ve all had that moment where it just fell apart. It sucks. Today I want to talk about the number one reason than this happens. It’s not going to be some quick fix that anyone can sell you, it’s not a book, or some slick goal-setting method. Nope, it’s just good old fashioned accountability.

Kody Hamel is an everyday guy who decided to start making tactical gear. In this episode, I wanted to learn about how he got to where he is and what advice he has for other aspiring makers.

In this week's episode, I go on a bit of a rant about focusing on the right things in life. Goals and scores are good, but they don't make you happy.

In this episode of Everyday Marksman Radio, I'm talking to former Army Special Forces SERE instructor Mike Moore about what it takes to survive an emergency. We dig into survival myths, homemade survival kits, and more.

Despite the title, this episode is not really about cardio equipment or the many benefits of cardio training, that you already know. Instead, this is a short episode discussing a thought I had while exhausting myself on my rowing machine a couple of weeks ago. The seeming slog of cardio is a lot like the path to mastery.

This is an interview with Derrick Bartlett, 28 year law enforcement veteran, SWAT officer, sniper instructor, and president of the American Sniper Association.

Being armed is not the same thing as being a gun owner. Being armed is a state of mind. It's a choice of committing to something deeper and more elusive.

In today's episode of Everyday Marksman Radio, I'm talking to an old friend of mine, Garret Glover. What makes Garrett interesting is not that he's my friend, though. It's that he has managed to strike a balance between his career as an active duty Air Force officer, planning a wedding, getting his second master's degree, running a side business, and still compete as a bodybuilder. So where does he find 36 hours per day to fit all of this in? It's all about smart time management and prioritization.

Today’s episode is about the tactics of AR-15 marketing in particular, but what I’m saying applies just as much to all firearms and tactical marketing in general. The simple truth, albeit a harsh one, is that you are best served by ignoring the ads and influencers out there.

In this episode, I sit down with my wife, Allison, to discuss her evolution from knowing nothing about firearms to being a supporter of marksmanship and the shooting sports. We also cover tips for introducing your significant other to firearms and firearms culture.

I didn't want to record this episode. As you know, I try to keep my opinions to myself when it comes to politics. But, sometimes the very thing you are interested in becomes political. With everything that is going on with the recent special elections in Virginia, I can no longer avoid the topic.

Linda Miller and Keith Cunningham are the authors of Secrets of Mental Marksmanship, How to fire Perfect Shots. They are accomplished shooters in both the civilian and military worlds, and today we are talking about developing the right mindset.

Today’s episode is simple: I wanted to talk about a recent experience taking two new shooters to the range for the first time. I think this is one of those pivotal moments in peoples’ lives, and we should strive to get it right for their first time.

As part of a new series I'm calling Community Highlights, I asked Mark Cutright- my first subscriber, to come onto the show and tell us his story. Mark has extensive background with tactical training as a civilian, and a lot of advice overall.

Today’s episode covers three topics. Each of the focus on some important aspect of setting and achieving goals. First, we’ll talk about selecting and writing down a goal. Secondly, and this is where most people fall short, we’re going to talk about how to actually plan for the success of that goal. Lastly, we’ll talk about some of the common mental pitfalls that stop you from achieving whatever desire you have. Why are we talking about this topic today? Well, that’s a great question.

Russell Miller is a triple-distinguished competition shooter as well as a former special operations officer. He’s spent an enormous amount of time coaching snipers and precision shooters, and today he’s our guest on the show. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground between the world of competition shooting and tactical precision marksmanship. Russ shared some very pointed criticism of US Army marksmanship training. Some of the main topics I think you’ll enjoy focus on getting started in rifle competition, and establishing a balance between behaviors appropriate for competition versus defensive situations. Additionally, we spend a lot of time talking about the importance of consistent practice to build a foundation of skills that make good marksmanship instinctive.

This podcast episode introduces you to four recurring gun culture characters I might mention from time to time: Tactical Timmy, Boogaloo Bob, Fuddy Fred, and Sheepdog Shane. Try not to take my irreverence too seriously on this one. We all have some of these characters inside of us, and I'm just giving them names so that we can bring the stereotypes to light and talk about it.

I recently got the chance to speak to Dr. Whitfield East, the research physiologist for the US Army Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT). You’ve probably never heard of him, but he is responsible for leading review and analysis of military physical fitness training for the Army. More importantly, he’s a key player in developing the Army’s new Combat Fitness Test. During this interview, we cover several important topics including the history of combat fitness testing; how military physical training evolved over time; how the new ACFT came to be; and what a training program for the average guy like you or me might look like if we were looking to maintain a solid base of fitness like this test requires.

This episode of Everyday Marksman Radio is a bit more improvised than what you’ve heard so far. I’ve been doing a lot of writing, talking, and interviewing about the guns and shooting side of the house. For this session, I wanted to pivot a bit more towards the survival and skillset side of things. In this episode, I’m going back into some of my adventures to talk about two in particular. One was a fantastic three-week canoe trip through Northern Canada, the other was a jaunt along a section of the Appalachian Trail.

You know, I’ve never thought about it much but I know very little about revolvers. As someone who is a confirmed ballistics and firearms nerd, I’ve never actually learned anything about an entire class of firearms that dominated the personal defense scene for most of modern history. My guest on the podcast today, Justin Carroll, is here to help with that. Justin is a former a US Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance member turned personal digital security expert. He’s also the Editor and Chief of Revolver Guy. Justin has published articles for GUNS Magazine, American Handgunner, and currently writes for Lucky Gunner Lounge. Today, we're talking about wheel guns.

Today I want to talk a little about something I call The Marksman’s Path. No, I’m not referring to myself. One of the stated goals of this website is to build a better kind of citizen. I wanted to take a moment to discuss what that looks like. So settle in, press play, and let’s get to it.

I recently interviewed John Simpson, a veritable encyclopedia of sniper knowledge. He has a long history with Special Forces and Police sniping, has written several books on the topic, and regularly teaches courses. In this interview, we cover John's history as well as a variety of topics surrounding sniping.

In this first official episode of Everyday Marksman Radio, we cover the basics. Who am I, what are we doing here, and what you should expect going forward. Welcome to the show!

It's been a while coming, but now it's here. Introducing the Everyday Marksman Radio podcast. This initial episode is short and required to get the podcast into directories. I look forward to sharing more soon!