Saving Money at the Range

We live in difficult times. The economy of this country has created problems in many family’s budgets. My wife is very frugal and has found many ways to save money. This has taught me to stretch a dollar and has me thinking about the many ways I save money at the shooting range. The gun industry is flourishing in the United States. But because of that, products abound. There are many different targets out there to fill the market. Targets to please everyone from paper to ¾ inch AR500 Steel. In my training program I’ve found paper works very well and is economical. To save money, I use paper plates. I shoot at a popular outdoor range that has many members. Because of this I have seen many “Splatter” type targets used. The Splatterburst brand targets are very popular. I notice that many people that shoot these targets don’t use the black and red dots that are provided to cover the holes to continued using the target. So I’ve pulled the targets from the trash and cut off the dots. That way, I have something to put on my paper plates to use as a bulls eye or point of focus. I’ve amassed a big zip loc full of these dots. I also cut off the unused 4 inch targets that are often unused on the Splatterburst target. Also in the area of backing for targets I just keep an eye out for large cardboard boxes and cut them up. I also make my own silhouettes with cardboard or paper. You can also make your own target stands if the place you shoot does not have stands available. This can be done economically too. The internet is full of ideas from expensive to very economical. I also don’t buy range bags. In just a cursory search of the internet you can find range bags from $65 to over $300! I bought a Protégé duffel style bag from Wal-Mart for $15. Now it is just a bag. It doesn’t have special slots for hand guns and magazines. But my bag serves my purpose and has lasted me several years. If worse comes to worse, I’ll buy a new bag every 5 years and still save money. When you look for a bag make sure it will carry heavy loads because 100’s of rounds, several magazines, and a couple handguns are heavy! What I’ve noticed is many people only shoot 3 or 4 times a year. I have no problem with that. That is called recreational shooting. But for those that train, or would like to train, ammo and its cost and availability can be an issue. I have been buying ammunition since the 80’s so I have come up with a storage program for ammo just as my family has a preparedness and food storage program. Like canned food, ammo is first in, last out. That requires dating ammo so you know when it went into storage. I also keep track of it all on my computer. What I suggest is if you train to limit your shooting to a certain number of rounds. I have limited myself to 50 rounds a workout. That is altered once in a while but generally its kept to 50. Depending on your training program, you should limit yourself. The reason for the limit is I could go through 300 rounds easy. I love to shoot and it is therapeutic for me. But I go to the range 2 or sometimes 3 times a week. That would add up fast and be quite expensive. Now if you are training for competition that is a different story. You would have a budget and possibly a sponsor. That would not limit your ammo use. But most people train once or twice a month. You shouldn’t skimp on your gun. But many people can’t afford a Glock or a Kimber. These are great, reliable, guns. But Ruger, Smith and Wesson, Kel-Tec, and other makers have more budget conscious guns available. I know some of you purists out there are stuck on a particular brand but not everyone can afford a H&K. Buy a gun you are comfortable with and that you can afford. Like Golf, you can invest quite a lot of time and money into shooting. Invest what is necessary and what you can afford. I am a gun nut. It is my hobby, my defense, and my passion. At one time I competed. That didn’t last because of my obsession with defense but it was fun. Shooting can be expensive but the cost can be mitigated in many ways. Ammo can be reloaded but that requires equipment, components, and room to do it. I’ve reloaded for years but started when I was competing. I acquired the equipment over many years. I even have cast my own bullets, which requires another set of equipment. I probably could save money reloading now because I have the equipment. If you shoot large caliber rifles then reloading might be a money saving option. These are just some ways I have used to save money at the range. Shooting can be a very rewarding venture and if you own guns for defense it is critical. There are many accessories for shooting but also many ideas for fulfilling your needs without breaking the bank! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Building Your Bug Out Bag: Intro

Go Bags AKA: GOOD get-out-of-Dodge bag, battle box, BOB bug-out-bag, PERK personal-emergency- relocation-kit, 72 hour kit, QRB quick-run-bag, Grab bag, Bail out bag, "A" bag, which refers to a military series of bags that a member is deployed with, A, B, and C. The "A"0 bag is individual equipment and clothing bag. I just had a few hours to kill so I went to the first 50 sites (5 pages worth) of a Google search of “72 Hour Kits”. There were “About 89,700,000 results (0.31 seconds)!” WOW! I have been working on our personal preparedness for almost 30 years and I thought I could still learn something. I learned that if I was a complete novice at this I would be in trouble! Not only have we worked on a bug out bag for our family for many years, but I feel my experience in the military was a great plus to this preparedness. After looking at these sites I just want to throw in the towel! Sometimes going to the internet for information is like going into the jungle, I never know what’s going to happen and I’m real scared. There are too much and too many differing opinions out there and everyone, (including me!) wants to post their ideas or sell their product. The first 10 or 15 sites were devoted to selling me “the most comprehensive 72 kit you could ever own.” That was actually a statement made about a kit I thought was pretty weak. Amazon has 771 pages under 72 hour kits. Now I understand the retail world. It’s about selling a product. I must admit, most of the kits I looked at were pretty good, not perfect for me, but pretty good. Most were very similar so if you’re looking to buy a readymade kit, find the ideal ingredients that the retail world can offer, and then find the price that fits that list. I would not be caught with a store bought kit. That would not work for me. They are way too generic and I don’t think I’ve seen one that addresses security. I understand the reason; I don’t think I’d want that kind of liability in my product either. But, I’ve yet to see a company back up their product and show the results of using that product. I did see some products that I felt had some quality items, not anything flimsy or cheap. That was refreshing. None of the over 100 kits I looked at approached the first aid kit with much more than a cursory effort. I believe there are very few commercial first aid kits that are worth very much. I know that the commercial world is not going to put in certain items because that would tell the customer that “You too can put in an IV at home!” The liability is horrible and I can imagine the lawsuits over an item as simple as a suture. But it would happen. So, I can understand the challenge of putting together a first aid kit or a 72 hour kit that will work, and also “not get us sued!” But how much of a disservice is it to give someone a kit that is called a “survival” type kit which actually won’t do much for you or others with a real injury? Four aspirin and 25 band-aids and a roll of gauze are hardly a first aid kit for anyone with even a limited training. The same goes for 72 hour kits that only assume you’re not only an idiot, but an untrained, uneducated idiot! I wish some company would put out a kit that would be better based in reality and would also advise where to seek training and give some real world advice on how to use their kit, and how to improve it. I don’t think that will happen business being what it is. Some companies have blogs and articles connected to their products that I see as an attempt to train and educate. But I know you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Many Americans are spoiled and want to be prepared, but don’t want to pay the price for that preparedness. What might that price be? The price of both money and especially time. “OK Burn, now that you’ve whined to us about the problems of the internet in buying a 72 hour kit or gaining information, what is your solution?” Well, dear reader, I’m glad you asked. Actually I go to the internet for information all the time. In fact, this blog is actually an attempt at some kind of sanity in the area of preparedness, though it too will probably fall short. But hopefully our ideas will spark some ideas of your own. In 1984 I was on a mobility team in the military. This was a team of 15 or so members that could be deployed at a moment’s notice to anywhere in the world to perform our particular operation. This meant always being prepared and practicing what to do if the deployment was “real world”. I had several bags that were inspected constantly and by regulation had to have certain items in them. If I was missing a specific item, I was advised that I may not deploy and could be reprimanded. The military liked to use fear to get you to act appropriately. After those specific items I could include almost anything I wanted short of some unauthorized items. I had being ready down to a science. Now, as a civilian I don’t have to worry about my “A” bag being inspected, I am my own inspector. That can be good and bad. Without a consequence, most humans tend to relax their standards. Unless discipline is employed, disaster can result. Once you get your go bag together, do not take anything out unless you have an emergency of course. Camping is not an emergency by the way. Whatever you may use from your kit while testing it must be replaced unless it is going to be removed permanently. You must be strict with yourself because your life may depend on it. As you start this go bag journey, do your homework. Look at several places you feel you can trust. Ask someone who is “5 by 5 and mission ready*”(someone who knows) and they can help you. Please don’t trust only one source. As I’ve emphasized before, find a list you can live with and customize it. Add to, or take away from it. Then practice with those items and test them. I’ve done this for years with camping equipment too. Sometimes you’re surprised at an item you thought was junk, but turned out to be great in the field. Camping is a good way to test your kit. If you don’t want to camp (some people don’t), then test it in your back yard. Your neighbors will love it! Most of what I saw of lists was on government or school sites. These lack, in my opinion, a reality check. But some may be a good place to start. I think it’s amazing that the best lists I saw were on “zombie” sites. Zombie sites refer to a pop culture idea that somehow after a pandemic or other disaster zombies come out in droves to chase and attack non-zombies. I always wondered why they don’t feed on each other? Anyway, these zombies have created a culture of preppers that are quite grounded in “reality”, believe it or not. Aside from the fictional reason to be prepared (zombies), the preparedness that these sites and groups advocate is pretty reality based. Even a government agency (the Center for Disease Control) have adopted a “zombie” attitude. They use the zombie culture to try and get people better prepared. Please use common sense in this preparation. I’ve mentioned SWB (size, weight, bulk) in other blogs. To me it is very important. I can’t tell you the times as a Scoutmaster that I took my Troop on a backpacking trip and watched boys empty their backpacks on the trail to “pick it up on the way down.” They thought they could handle a 50 pound pack for 5 miles each day for 3 days. That was also the reason we had shorter hikes before the big one and encouraged the boys to pack the same thing they would take on the longer hike. This way you get some operational intell on what will work and what will not. Do not try a long hike with your go bag. Start small and work your way up. You will find yourself talking in terms of ounces when preparing your kit. Every ounce counts and will add up quickly. Don’t be fooled by what you “think” you can handle. If you haven’t started a kit I challenge you to do it. Do it now! Get up from the computer and find a couple of items you think would be handy. Put them in a box or even a Wal-mart bag and put it in a place that you think you will eventually put a go bag. A closet near a door would be good. Do it now, we’ll wait. I hope you actually did it and that you continue to do it on a monthly, weekly, or daily schedule until you think it’s ready for a test. Making a goal is important. A small budget is part of that plan. Training is part of that plan. This is a journey but you must take that first step to see any progress. You know I don’t like to gamble. But I sure would like to win the lottery. Think I could win without playing? Probably not. By the same token, you can’t become prepared without action. Set attainable goals and then put a plan on paper. A goal not written is only a wish. Always remember that skills trump gear every time. Get training. After a goal and a commitment the only thing left is to work the plan. Being prepared is a lifelong pursuit. Being able to leave quickly is an important part of that preparedness. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn *Five by five and mission ready refers to an old military term. In voice procedure (the techniques used to facilitate spoken communication over two-way radios) a station may request a report on the quality and strength of signal they are broadcasting. In the military of the NATO countries, and other organizations, the signal quality is reported on two scales; the first is for signal strength, and the second for signal clarity. Both these scales range from one to five, where one is the worst and five is the best. The listening station reports these numbers separated with the word "by". Five by five therefore means a signal that has excellent strength and perfect clarity — the most understandable signal possible. Five by five by extension has come to mean "I understand you perfectly" in situations other than radio communication, the way Loud and Clear entered slang, post- WW2. “5 by 5” is the opposite of “broken and stupid”