Why the 50 Meter Zero?

Rourke linked to an excellent pictorial about ballistic trajectories from different zero's over at M4.com.

Let's look at the trajectory using a 25 meter zero.

If you look the bullet path is 8 inches high from roughly 125m to250m. This is a real problem. This is enough of a problem that folks will miss targets. In fact that is what happened.

My informal understanding of the development of the 50 meter zero is as follows. Dudes were missing Tango's in the 100-150 meter range which was pretty close to the max range guys found themselves fighting at in Iraq (yes there was that occasional long tail fight which was further but lets not get into the weeds). After some consideration, or quite frankly I'm not quite sure what, the SOF community began to transition to a 50 meter zero. This trickled to varying degrees into the conventional Infantry guys and the shooting community at large. That is how the 50 meter zero came about in my understanding. If anybody (John Mosby, K or Lizard Farmer come to mind) has a better understanding of that development through something other than reading on the interwebz I would be interested in hearing it.

So let us look at the 50 meter zero.

As you can see this zero is much flatter. From the muzzle out to 250 yards or so (varying slightly by barrel length, twist, etc) the bullet is at +/- 2 inches. This is what matters. Granted I might need to hold over a little bit at longer distances but inside 250m it's just muzzle on target, relax, squeeze trigger. Since the vast majority of military engagements happen well inside that envelope to me it is a very easy decision to make.

I use a 50m zero for my fighting rifle and recommend it to others. I do not think your choice of optic should affect the zero chosen. The 50m would be my choice for iron's, a red dot or a scope. It's pretty awesome on my Burris MTAC. Really the only reason I can see going with another zero would be a gun with a concept of use other than a fighting rifle. For a DM or varmit gun I might look at a 36 meter zero to keep it within 4" out to about 350 meters.

The way I personally execute a 50 meter zero is to just do a 25 meter zero then back out to 50 and adjust the point of impact down to be on at 50m. The reason I do this is that it's a lot easier to get onto paper at 25m saving ammo then back it out to 50m. I think it's faster and certainly saves ammo by starting closer to zero (due to distance). Suppose I could move the sights sufficiently then confirm but I've been lazy and redneck adjusted (fire a group, move the sights, repeat as needed till on target).

Anyway that is why my rifle is zeroed at 50 meters and I suggest you do the same. That is my thinking on that.

#1 Tip for Survival

The folks at Proper Survival asked what my #1 tip for survival was. Here is the answer.

My number #1 tip is to get into shape.

We could go into the weeds of my beliefs or different fitness plans but the endstate is to 1) be able to move on foot light (probably jogging/ running) and while carrying a load for reasonable distances. 2) Be able to lift heavy things. 3) Be able to move your body with individual equipment (fighting load) over and around obstacles. Training should generally mirror these endstates. While I didn't discuss appearance as it doesn't matter (function matters, incidentally it also drives form/ appearance) it's pretty much impossible to succeed by any reasonable measure at #1 and #3 without being at or close to a healthy body weight. 

Goin Down Easy

Sara A Hoyt knocks one out of the park. Read this, think and act.

Naval Special Warfare Center Survival Kit Request

The Naval Special Warfare Center cough Seal Team 6 cough is looking to buy a bunch of survival kits. Their requirement list is pretty specific and interesting. Check it out here. Might just have to make myself a little kit. Between this article and TEOTWAWKI Blogs pocket survival kit series I have a pretty good idea on the direction to go in.

New Blog- Sobert Gummers Surviving Prepping for Hard Times

A longtime reader and former expat started his own blog. Check out Sobert Gummer's Surviving Prepping for Hard Times. It hasn't been around long but looks quite promising.

A Couple New Blogs

 Max in Colorado Springs has been around for awhile but this is the first time I've seen it. He is a frequent commenter here and seems like a good dude.

Backup Disaster Recovery is a new site. Seems to be sort of an aggregator but it's a bit soon to tell exactly what it's going to be like.

Both are worth checking out if you have spots open on the ole internet reading list.

Stuff Worth Reading

AM's answer to the 64 thousand dollar question of how diversity and the liberty come together.

My 4 guns for the end of the world. Clearly the guy is a well trained genius.

Mark Steyn: America not paying its fair share. You cannot simultaneously enjoy American-sized taxes and European-sized government. One or the other has got to go.

 Remember that big mess at the 2010 Shot Show? Well it turned out to be a bunch of lies from an informant that was "a cocaine addict, tax cheat, and admitted thief of millions of dollars".

  

Tab Clearing

Fun with Social Statistics from Oleg Volk

PBS Newsman sees danger in divided nation

Turns out Texas and Iowa aren't such a big fan of foreign election monitors 

RE: The Problems With Panic Buying

Sometimes I want to talk about something too much to make a comment. Today I am going to talk about a post stuff I found while searching for the end of the survivalist web.

The Problems with Panic Buying makes some interesting points. Here is a snippet "I’m 41 years old and I got my first rifle at 9.  Since that time I’ve bought, sold and traded hundreds of firearms.  I’ve shot hundreds of thousands of rounds, I’ve taught the craft for almost two decades now and have a very good understanding of what an AVERAGE SHOOTER is capable of.  Trust me folks… You are not as talented as you think you are."

I think it is worth noting that we need to separate the hardware and software issues involved in self defense shooting. The hardware issue is that you have weapons, magazines, ammunition and ancillary equipment to employ to defend yourself. The software issue is that you are capable of using the darn stuff!

Along the hardware lines I don't like panic buying. There are a few reasons for this. First trying to time anything is problematic. You might well be wrong and either have a false alarm or even worse be too late. Secondly most people do not have the resources to go out and buy all the gun stuff they want in a week or two, this stuff is expensive. While technically possible buying an AR-15 or 2, a couple Glock/XD/M&P's, maybe a bolt gun and a shotgun as well as mags, case upon case of .223, 9mm/.40 S&W /.45 acp ball ammo,  9mm/.40 S&W /.45 defensive rounds, .308, 12 gauge buckshot and whatnot to keep them going all at once isn't a viable option for most folks.

The last issue I have with panic buying is that it sort of goes against the whole proper planning prevents piss poor performance thing. The writing is on the wall. A significant percentage of our country does not feel the same way about the Second Amendment and military pattern weapons as rednecks, survivalists and hard core shooters do. We had an 'Assault Weapons Ban' for a decade and lots of folks want it back. Maybe these folks will be successful in seeking a ban and maybe not but we won't be able to say we didn't see the potential for it to happen.

However this ban has been rescinded for coming up on a decade. I am more inclined to buy with a moderate sense of urgency than to completely freak out every 2-4 years depending on who is running for what. When these elections come around (lame ducks are dangerous) I do not need to completely freak out because I've been making purchases as finances allow over time. That being said it is not a bad idea to look at your situation and maybe shift a few priorities higher. PMAG's or sweet new AR-15's might be entirely unavailable or more expensive next year while a nice rucksack or a CB radio almost surely will be.

So along the hardware lines panic buying is not a good plan. The panic buying crowd fails to acknowledge the importance of training and is almost entirely hardware focused. This is just stupid. Obviously on the software side panic buying is not a viable strategy. Unless you are a soldier, a SWAT cop or happen to be shooting competitive 3 gun/ IDPA/ High Power with a relative or friend's kit you are not building the skills to use the equipment. With those relatively rare exceptions aside most people are not proactive enough to seek out serious training opportunities for guns they do not yet own. Training takes time and costs money. While planning to panic buy a couple guns and a bunch of ammo is a bad plan it is a better plan then hoping to be able to get time off work and attend quality firearms training right before you need it.

Put time, money and effort into building your skills NOW before you need them. It is good wholesome fun but more importantly you do not know when these skills will be needed. It is possible (though haphazard and expensive) to deal with serious equipment shortcomings down the road. You could look for grandfathered items or fill shortages on the black market. However a shady contact and some cash can get you a piece but will not turn you into a serious shooter. A Daniels Defense carbine will not turn you into a shooter any more than a Corvette will turn you into a race car driver. Remember that it is the person behind the gun that really matters.

Coming briefly back to hardware taking a balanced long term approach is really the way to go. Be dispassionate and get guns that suit your needs, not your sense of style or ego. In other words buy a Ruger .44 magnum or a Desert Eagle .50 because you have huge hands and live in rural Montana/ Alaska where open carry is common and there are bears all over the place not because you thing they are cool.

Ergonomics mean what is right for me might not be right for you but there are definitely good choices and less good choices. Most folks would be well suited with a universal service pistol like a Glock/XD/S&W MP and a rifle like an AK/AR/FN-FAL/HK-G3 variant. Just something to think about.

Taking a long term approach is important because doing it all at once simply isn't affordable for all but the highest budgets. However if you pick up a holster here, a couple mags there and some ammo now and again it is much more doable.

Anyway those are my thoughts on that.

Preparedness Website Q and A #4

Today I will jump into the multi-part series of Questions and Answers involving several websites who each take one simple question…..and answer it. A bit late but better than never I guess.

The other participating sites are as follows:

ModernSurvivalOnline

SeasonedCitizenPrepper.com

IfItHitsTheFan.com

The Retreat

reThinkSurvival.com

DoomandBloom.net

ApartmentPrepper.com

Today’s Question: What firearms do you feel are most appropriate for long term survival and why?

I guess we have to look at the question. To me long term means we want rugged, durable weapons that are unlikely to break or fail. What is great for a competition or a day at the range might not work for the long run.

Survival is kind of open ended. I don't know if we are talking an economic slow slide towards 2nd world status or some Mad Max/ Red Dawn type scenario. Lets just say it is an open ended scenario with a variety of possibilities.

We could break the purposes for weapons into self defense and gathering food. Yes there are other purposes but these are the important ones for this discussion. 

For self defense I favor the Glock 19 and an AR-15 (or an AK these days it is the AR but whatever). My wife likes a .38 revolver so that is important also. (We are down to just 2 pistol calibers these days so logistics are not bad.)

For gathering food I would use a .22 rifle and a 12 gauge. Some sort of big game rifle like a 30-30 or a 30.06 would be nice but isn't required. (Yeah legally it is but desperate times call for desperate measures)

These are the weapons I would really want to have to survive a variety of different scenarios. Five guns (Glock 9, AR, .38, .22, 12 gauge) will cover just about everything. We would both have a pistol to carry which is very important. I have a rifle for home defense. We have a .22 and shotgun because they are useful. 

A dedicated rifle to hunt big game is a bonus in my book. If we couldn't have two rifles the one we had would be semi automatic and of sufficient caliber to legally hunt big game. That means an AK or some sort of .308. [This is probably the biggest benefit of using a .308.]

What is right for us might not be right for another person. A long distance gun isn't needed in the primordial woods of the deep South but would be in the wide open western plains. If I wasn't comfortable with an AR or an AK a 30-30 might be our only rifle. Some folks like the 20 gauge over the 12. 

We own more guns than this. Some are redundant backups and others are useful in their own right. However these are the guns we would use and rely on in a long term survival situation.

Posts Worth Reading

Teotwawki Blog continues their prepping on 40 dollars a week series. Obviously it could easily be $40 a paycheck or month or whatever works with your situation. The emphasis on realistic and practical solutions that are still affordable is outstanding. I actually have one of the Sawyer Water filters they talk about. Honestly it was a last minute add on to another order just to check it out. This post reminds me that I should get to fiddling with the thing.

Claire Wolfe (who needs to be added to the blog roll) wrote a great post Things I  no longer have to worry about. I would add 'what other people think' and 'how (broke or barely getting by) people think I should spend my money'.

So a Glock is too big for you? Just saying a small 16 year old girl does it.

Shout Out to Bayou Rennaisance Man and Rethinking Survival

Thanks for the linkage. Check out Bayou Renaissance Man and Rethink Survival for some good stuff. Both will be added to the blog  roll as soon as I get motivated enough to update it.

Anti Zombie Strongholds For Sale

Click to read about Anti Zombie Strongholds for sale. Can Anybody Sport Me A Few Million Bucks?

This and That

The Governor of Maine says the court decision [on the new health care law] has "made America less free." "We the people have been told there is no choice," he said. "You must buy health insurance or pay the new Gestapo -- the IRS." I really think he should stop holding back and tell us what is really on his mind.

The Patient Option Act, a practical alternative to the current mess we are getting into.

Will your internet connection go black tomorrow?

Instead of bothering to link to all of them just go to Claire Wolfe's tab clearing page.

The Sovereign Man: Offshore Business, Global Opportunities, Freedom and Expat News.

If you are looking for a used vehicle I strongly suggest consulting The best used vehicles for under $20,000 by consumer reports. We are probably going to be in the market for either Hyundai Accent with 50-60k miles or a Toyota Corolla with 70-90k on it once we get to the states. Hyunai's were a great deal 8-10 years ago but their prices have gone up a lot which ironically raised the price of the older used ones also. The Toyota is a lot more money but they last forever. Then again for 50% more money you can usually get a lot more car. We have some thinking to do on this one.

If you haven't seen it yet I recommend Western Rifle Shooters Backgrounder on First Aid Kits and Blow-Out Kits. It is complete with links and you could use it as a shopping list if so desired.

I got an email from the folks at Full Spectrum Dominance saying they are linking to us. They are a News Aggregator who pull in some really obscure stuff. Pretty cool if you've got the time. I will probably add it to my weekly news rotation.

I stumbled onto a topic floating around that concerns me called The Orkin Man. I wish people could finally realize that this plan doesn't work. It has repeated and failed way more times than Communism. Here is what happens: A bloodbath ensues, killing a bunch of elite's as well as a whole lot more of the wrong folks and just plain folks caught in the crossfire. This bloodbath is almost immediately followed by the people who did the killing becoming the new elite's. [Hint: the folks you want as leaders aren't the ones running around executing people wholesale or leading the mass murdering bloodbath executions.] With boring repetitiveness those new elite's are even worse than the old elite's. Those first folks may or may not not hold power but the ones who come next aren't much better. Reference the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, Mao's disaster in China, The Khimer Rouge and pretty much every revolution I can recall except the American one.

To end on a lighter note I stumbled into a site for Infantrymen called 11series.com. Got some half funny half motivational quotes off their FB page:

"Not saying your a whore, but baby if you were a range target you would be the 25m one."

"It's too hot to train said no taliban fighter ever in the history of the world."

"How many vets does it take to screw in a light bulb? You don't know man, you weren't there."

Lazy Day Randomness

I stumbled to an interesting blog called Rocky Mountain Preparedness that is new to me. It looks pretty good and if you are open to following another blog this might be a good one.

Survivalistblog linked to an excellent post on 10 Brand Name AR-15's under $700. You will see Bushmaster, Smith and Wesson and Olympic Arms models on the list. This brings up a very valid point. It is not necessary to spend a ton of money to have a good functional AR-15 that will serve you well. High end guns by folks like LaRue, Daniels Defense and Noveski (sp?) are probably great. I am not knocking those guns or trying to take anything away from them. They are almost certainly more accurate, have better fit and finish and may even be more reliable than standard and budget models. However most folks just don't have 2k or more to spend on a rifle. I sure don't have that kind of coin. If your funds are limited and will remain so for the foreseeable future it would be better to spend that extra $1,300+ on some mags, ammunition, something to carry your mags and training than on more gun.

Apparantly I am a right wing terrorist. My ideas of individual liberty and  “believe in the need to be prepared” are the reason for this.  Here I was figuring that I am a pretty boring family guy but apparantly I am doing all sorts of interesting right wing terrorist type things. [The most interesting thing that has happened here in weeks was Wifey and I betting on whether the brown thing across the floor was poop or a piece of cookie. It was not cookie and I lost a buck. Aren't toddlers fun.] Why am I even slightly suprised about this ridiculousness. Hat tip to Rural Revolution for the find.

Handled a Benchmade Griptillian today. The grip is nice and that axis lock is sure sweet. Their customer service is pretty much reputed as being awesome. I would have bought it but it wasn't the specific model I favor. May have to pick up one of these.

That is about all that is going on right now. I hope you all had a great Independence Day.

From Around the Web

Our friends and advertisers at Lucky Gunner did a very well researched and interesting post on 5.56 vs .223. My totally anecdotal observations are that it doesn't matter and they are functionally equivalent. Anyway I just don't have enough good things to say about the good folks at Lucky Gunner. They do not play the accept your money without telling you they don't have the items in stock for and probably won't for 6 months, they think backorder game which I really appreciate. Also they bring a lot of great products like JHP defensive ammo at bulk prices to the marketplace which is cool. Over the last couple years around half the ammo I purchased has come from them (paying full price) which probably really says more than my kind words.

Tam wrote an interesting post on current affairs in the whole Eric Holder/ Gun Runner/ Contempt/ Executive Priviledge thing.

There is an interesting youtube video series (it flows sort of like a journal) by a fellow who goes by SouthernPrepper1 on his family and community dealing with a 'WROL' situation. Aside from my minor annoyance at him using an acronym that probably doesn't need to exist I really enjoyed the series. Each one gave me some things to think about. Unlike fiction blovel type stuff I can sort of zone out and just watch it which was nice. Hat tip to Rourke of Modern Survival Online for the find.
EveryCitizenasoldier.org has a good description of the "line" system as I understand it with pictures. Also the site has some other interesting stuff if you float around it. I can't say I know or vouch for everything there but what I have seen was solid and suprisingly nonpolitical/ tin foil hat ish.

Anyway that is what I have stumbled into recently that seemed worth posting.

New Blog and Blovel

A reader and contributor starteed a blog called On the Western Front. He is also doing a blovel about some folks based in South Texas who seem to be fighting Mexican Cartel's, it is a bit early to know more. Anyway give the place a look if you have a few minutes.

Read and Think

TEOTWAWKI Blog did a good post on 5 Tips for Avoiding Violence. My thoughts on it are as follows:

#1 Nothing good happens after 11 o'clock. We could debate exact times but the principle is sound.

#2 It is about choices. You can choose to pay a bit more in rent or have a slightly more modest place to live in a safer area. Maybe you can drive a bit further or in an extreme case choose to relocate to another city or region.

#5 In some situations harsh commands will let you separate a odd guy or somebody with mental problems/ whatever from a more probably threat. If you tell somebody to "Get the F back" and they keep coming, well at least you know there is a problem.

My bonus #6 would be to not be under heavy influence of drugs/ alcohol in public. I am not talking about a couple beers with dinner or a few drinks over the course of an evening. Being under heavy influence of anything makes you far more likely to miss the signs that a problem is coming or let yourself get into stupid situations. I am not judging as I enjoy some drinks myself. The point is that if you are going to tilt the bottle a little harder than usual keep it at home, or a buddy's place or whatever.

Anyway those are my thoughts on a great post.

A Cool New Blog- Free Survivalist/ Prepper Type Kindle Books

One of the cool things about having a kindle is that there are always free books. Typically from lesser known or unknown authors who are trying to drum up some attention. This isn't the way you are going to read the newest Stephen King or other popular author but if you just want something to read it is a great way to go. Wifey is on there all the time finding random light reading. The only downside is that it takes time. You have to look through a sea of random stuff and books are typically only free for a a short time.

Enter Pam's Pride Recommendations. She links to a bunch of free kindle books that are in the survivalist/ prepper/ homesteading/ staple cooking/ etc genera. You might not be interested in all of them but some will probably strike your fancy. Since they are free you might as well just grab whatever seems interesting and check them out as time allows.

Please do be sure to confirm that the book is actually free before clicking to purchase it. As they are only free for a short time the stuff a week back typically costs money. I say that so you don't go hog wild and accidentally spend a bunch of money thinking you are getting free books. That being said it is still a good list of interesting books, most for about $3 a piece. I added a few to my wish list that looked pretty good.

Anyway I will be swinging by Pam's Pride Recommendations pretty regularly, if not daily. You should check it out. Even if you do not have a kindle give it a look. I think there are apps to read the books elsewhere like on your computer or a tablet.

Worth Reading- 9 Things To Consider When Looking For Your Survival House

I don't get to some blogs as often as I should and that is definitely the case with Food Storage and Survival formerly known as Adventures in Self Reliance. I saw this interesting post

Nine Things to Consider When Looking For Your Survival House

The only things I would change are that "#6 Animal Regulations" might be better stated simply as "Regulations." Can you build a shed or put up a 6" fence, what are the gun laws like,  can you have an RV or motor home in the yard, etc all are things to consider.
I would add something to the effect of "Comfortably within your budget." It doesn't matter if you buy the sweetest survivalist bunker Idaho has ever seen on 200 beautiful acres with spring fed water, 3 ponds, 4 forms of alternative power, all the outbuildings that you need and walls that will stop sustained fire from a .50 BMG if you get foreclosed on as soon as you hit a financial bump in the road! Also remember that there is a distinct possibility the world will not end so you need to be saving and investing which are hard to do if you have to scrape to make the mortgage every month.

Pretty conventional financial advice is that housing should not take up more than about 1/3rd of your take home pay. Dave Ramsey says payments on a 15 year mortgage should not be more than 1/4 of your take home which is pretty conservative. Something in this range is probably where you need to be. I see this as significant for 2 reasons. The first is that it lets you save and invest and do other things. You don't want to be "house poor." The second is that you have a better chance of being able to circle the financial wagons and make the mortgage if things get bad (which they will for just about everyone over a couple decades) than if you are reaching and scraping to make it work when things are going fine.

Also Jim Rawlses acronym WALLS: water, access, location, light, security, though specifically made with rural "retreats" in mind is still worth revisiting. You simply have got to have reliable access to water without grid power to have any sort of viable doomstead. This really should be from multiple sources like a small solar pump and a nearby spring or whatever. Not just one source, especially if it relies on something complex like an electric pump. Unless you are going out into the sticks access is not an issue. Light is a consideration to the degree that you plan to garden. Location is pretty important but touched on in the article.

Security is really the last consideration because unless you are completely hosed (a condo in downtown LA) it is the easiest to fix. An 8' high cement wall, a pallet of surplus concertina wire stashed in the shed, a couple RPK's with 3 drums a piece, some quality night vision, a dozen friends and some fairly basic planning can make the worst security situation into a pretty hard target. On the other hand if water is 500 feet down you are pretty much hosed.