Unity Tactical / Advantage Group hosted VTAC
WHO: Viking Tactics – Taught by one of Kyle’s AI’s
WHAT: Carbine 1.5 with some Bonus Pistol
WHEN: November 9-11
WHERE: Houma, LA – Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Range
WEATHER: TD1-TD3 – 70 and Beautiful
GEAR: I wore generally what I wear every day. Vertx Pants, Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Inov-8 195’s. Riggers Belt with 2 Fastmag AR Pouches and double Pistol Pouch and my EDC holster. I had bought a pair of Smith Elite Aegis Echo eye pro for this class. They worked great.
GUNS: I have sold everything that I don’t use. So I am down to 2 pistols (Identical M&Ps) and 2 AR’s (Nearly Identical).
Primary 1 – 10.5* DD with Troy tube and T-1
Primary 2 – 14.5* LW Midlength with Troy tube and Swarovski Z6i
Secondary 1&2 – M&P 9FS with RMR and TLR-3
AMMO: 5.56 – Silver Bear, 9mm – Generic Brass cased 115g
I had no malfunctions of any kind through 2100 Carbine rounds and 600 Pistol Rounds. These guns hadn’t been cleaned in about 5k rounds (No malfunctions) and I only lubed with EWL at the start of each day. I intend to clean and replace a few parts this week. (Some springs and other wear parts are due).
I have been refining these setups this year and have finally settled on what works for me. I bought the Z6i specifically for this class to evaluate. It exceeded my expectations and I will be keeping it. As a result of the class I will not be making any changes gear wise.
Class Gear Failures – The class was mainly dominated by EOTech with a few Aimpoints mixed in. I had the only variable and only pistol mounted optics. The AR’s were all higher quality as were the pistols (Mainly M&P).
3 EOTech’s delaminated which made the reticles so dim they were unusable in daylight.
1 Guy was using arredondo M&P Mag Extenders. While running barricade drills he lost his followers and springs more than once. I had evaluated these 8 months ago and decided they were junk. This cemented my findings. He is switching to Taylor Freelance.
1 Castle Nut came loose (Not staked)
1 Muzzle Device came loose – Gun shop that installed it did not use a crush washer
An AFG came off a gun – No Loctite
A couple of other malfunctions that I did not get a chance to see close up
More than a few guys gave up single point slings over the 3 days in favor of a VTAC or similar. A few guys gave up on EOTech.
All in all gear failures did not hold up the class at all, and if something went down it was quickly fixed, gear loaned, etc. It was a really great group of shooters and I learned something from all of them, comprised of a great mix of .mil, LE-SWAT, a PMC, and some civilians. Everyone was safe and competent, so the class moved quickly and we accomplished more than what was on the schedule.
TD1:
TD1 started out with a safety brief, incident management, and introductions. We confirmed zero at the 50y line and it only took two strings to get everyone in order. We shot an aggregate drill from the 50, 25, and 10y line which allowed the instructor to get an accuracy baseline for all of the students. We went over alternate shooting positions, kneeling, sitting, prone, rollover, and a few others. We had the opportunity to shoot for accuracy at 50y from these positions before moving up to the 10y line for some ready up drills. We spent a good amount of time working acquisition, sight picture, trigger control, stance, and transitions. The instructor spent a good amount of time with each shooter making corrections and offering advice. We moved onto secondary transitions and conducted some drills specifically gear toward building speed (while maintaining accuracy) on deploying the sidearm.
We conducted timed 2-2-2 drills and 1-5 drills one shooter at a time to get a baseline on speed and to allow the instructor to critique under the stress of the timer. It’s amazing how some fundamentals break down when the timer comes out even though we had shot the drill as a line just minutes before.
Before lunch we went back over some fundamentals to help cement the lessons.
Lunch was catered which gave everyone the chance to get to know each other better and share some stories / knowledge.
After lunch we brought out some steel targets we had just bought from MGM (Who by the way were ultra-helpful in getting them to us in time). We also brought out some VTAC Barricades. The instructor demonstrated working behind cover, positioning the gun, and targeting when the gun is canted 90 degrees. He had a lot of real world stories that drove the training and gave some color to why some positions were better than others. We spent some time working the barricades one at a time, the instructor making the rounds to offer advice and correct form. Once everyone was comfortable with the positions and had time to ask pointed questions we moved onto the 9 hole drill. Running one at a time we worked out way through each of the 9 ports under the timer. Taking a break from the barricades we worked strong – support side transitions and shot in a lot of the positions support side. We ran the 9 hole again from the support side.
Because the class had a generally high proficiency level we moved through a lot of material and all had the chance to shoot each drill nearly as much as we wanted to. Everyone kept extremely safe and the class melded together quickly. There was a lot of story swapping, learning, examples, and laughter. As a civilian, it’s truly an honor to get to shoot and train alongside guys like that.
The day broke with a final Q&A Session about some of the things we had covered.
TD2:
TD2 started with another short Q&A session on those lessons students had time to incubate on and was followed by a safety brief.
Then it was straight back to the barricades. We ran a barricade catch up drill and got everyone moving quickly. The shooter started out on the left side of the barricade standing, made two hits on steel, then transitioned to strong side kneeling on the right side of the barricade and made two hits. He then bounded to the next barricade to start it over again. Once the first shooter started on the second barricade, the second shooter began his run. If the second shooter caught up to the first shooter, the first shooter had to go back to the line. It was a great drill to cement the fundamentals and move efficiently.
We pulled some more props out and setup some cover scenarios. The first set started out engaging from 50y behind cover, moving to a large tire for SBU Prone, to another barricade for port shooting, to an aluminum fishing boat (It is Louisiana) for prone, and finally to a low wall for a transition to pistol.
Because the range is wide we could run two shooters head to head with a following spotter for safety and to call misses. All shooters had the opportunity to run it several times before we moved the props and started again.
During lunch the Sheriff’s office setup their moving target (They were very helpful and things moved along very smoothly). The instructor spent some time discussing moving targets, how to engage them, and how to utilize cover when dealing with them. We set the mover to a slow jog and engaged it from roughly 30y one at a time. After each shoot the instructor and student went down-range to assess the hits, make corrections, and offer advice. We then moved to standing from about 10 yards. We increased the speed of the mover and repeated the evolution with both carbine and pistol. After every string we could see the hits and make some self-critique about sight picture, trigger control, and tracking.
Because the class was moving quickly we devoted the remainder of the afternoon to some pistol only work. The Lafourche range has an excellent steel bay that allowed us to setup a few different drills.
We started with 6 plates setup at about 10y. The drill required you engage the targets in order, always coming back to 1. So 1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-1-6-1-5-1-4-1-3-1-2-1. It’s a higher round count that that required a slide lock reload, a fast presentation, good sight pictures, and quick target transitions. We ran it one at a time on the timer. Everyone moved through it quickly (though we had some math issues…) and we setup the targets for the zigzag drill. It is a great drill that combines fundamentals, movement, situational awareness, and speed. The instructor spent some time discussing pistol mag changes, thinking on the move, and *Doing something when you are doing nothing*. After every run, the shooter had time to ask questions, receive advice, and re-walk it while implementing the advice. It was an excellent use of time and hugely beneficial.
We closed the day in the same manner as TD1, Q&A on the day’s lessons. The instructor is very personable, very attentive, and has an incredible amount of experience to pull from. Anytime a question was asked in private he made a point to consolidate and disseminate it to the rest of the class. It was a proverbial knowledge flood.
TD3:
TD3 was devoted to vehicle work. Advantage Group secured a 4 door BMW for use (With all of the glass intact). We started out with the vehicle at about the 25y line at an angle. All shooters had an opportunity to work all of the positions in and out of the vehicle, shooting around, over, and under. We shot from the driver’s seat, employing both carbine and pistol. We then moved to engaging targets from the driver’s seat, to crawling over the console and exiting the passenger side, finding cover, and re-engaging. We paired up and executed contact drills, working on communication, and maintaining constant effective fire. A debrief was given after every run and the entire class learned something through each string. The great thing about working with a group of guys like this is the complete lack of ego. Everyone took criticism, learned from it, and became a more effective shooter as a result. Mistakes were not repeated.
We got the windows rolled back up and had some shooters engage targets through the windows with carbines. After a quick reposition of the car we began engaging targets through the windshield from 35y shooting steel. We had the opportunity to shoot at the target using fresh glass and see the deflection. Here was my take away. The first shot will likely not be a hit, make a hole to shoot through, and engage through that hole. Getting the muzzle through the windshield was a huge benefit. Also compensators and SBR’s in vehicles are teeth wrenching. Even using my Mini-4 suppressor in the car was an enormous improvement. As a civilian it’s very unlikely I will be rolling around in my Minivan with my carbine, but if I am, it will have the can on it. We had secured 5 or 6 new windshields, so everyone had the chance to shoot through fresh glass with both pistol and carbine. We shot the mover through the windshield as well.
Before we moved on the Instructor related some experiences and more vehicle specific advice that gave me a broader frame of reference.
He setup a scenario for teams to run. He played the principle in the back seat. The car was positioned at 35y and we had 3 steel targets directly ahead. Each team had the time to put together a game plan for *contact front* and run it. It was a great experience and I learned a lot. The instructor spent several minutes debriefing each team before the next team started and the entire class benefitted from each run.
The next scenario involved the shooters moving from a follow car to retrieve an injured principle from the vehicle and then move to cover. The sheriff’s office provided a 150lb dummy for the task. Again, the debriefs were very informative and eye opening.
The class ended by shooting at targets in the car through the glass and analyzing the effects glass has on trajectory and terminal ballistics. We should some bonded ammo, 855, and some cheaper range ammo. We shot through glass, rims, doors, structural posts, and anything else we could think of. I learned a tremendous amount about effective fire into vehicles.
It would be difficult for me to put everything I learned into this AAR. I took some notes during the class, but the pace was quick and I am sure I missed some items. All in all it was a great class. It was very safe and I learned something with every round I fired. There literally was not a wasted shot over the three days.
The instructor was awesome, it was the second time I had the opportunity to train with him and he delivered. He has a lot of current real world experience, has a great personality that prompted questions, answers, advice, and detailed training.
The class flowed smoothly and everyone learned a lot, both from the instructor and the other students there.
Take Aways:
As a civilian, it’s always an honor to train with military and LE professionals and always a great experience. Here is some of what I took away from the class; this is in no way complete as I will be learning from it for the next 6 months.
Gear:
• Don’t fight your gear. I did not have this issue, but saw others having it. Train with it, learn what is wrong, and refine it.
• I am very happy with my carbine and pistol setups as well as support gear.
o I will be training in my armor *Street Fighter* in April to shake that down.
• I am very happy with the Z6i. I am just as fast on 1x as I am with my T-1, and the magnification is great. It got beat up a little during the class and took it well.
Software:
• I need to spend some time working core driven target transitions.
• I need to spend more time planning my personal range time to maximize its effectiveness on my weak points. I need to create opportunities to train under stress. I need to have someone watch and identify the things I did incorrectly, or could do better. I don’t always catch my mistakes.
• I need to benchmark / record progress better. And push myself for incremental improvement.
• I believe I am at the point where I need to incorporate more scenario based problem solving into my training. And reality check my fundamentals under these situations.
• I need to aim for improved consistency with fundamentals, movement, and transitions.
• I need to be faster engaging targets in awkward positions (Sight Picture). Dry Fire!
• There is a lot more, but I need to review my notes and incubate on them for a time.
Pictures:
Conducting the aggregate TD1.
Demonstrating some alternate sitting positions.
Demonstrating kneeling, anchoring the gun.
Working movers from a barricade, making the most of cover.
SBU Prone around vehicle tire, engaging the mover.
We brought a FUSION mount for shooters to try out. Save some weight and space!
Engaging targets over the hood of the car. Get low!
Two shooters engaging through the windshield. Make a hole, then put effective hits on target.
Thank you to:
VTAC – For providing excellent instruction and a great time
LPSO – For a great facility, excellent staff, and a lot of help
All of the shooters for no egos, great stories and a great learning environment.
Nate @ Advantage Group for going above and beyond coordinating, bringing in all of the equipment, and keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.
Please ignore spelling or grammar mistakes.
WHO: Viking Tactics – Taught by one of Kyle’s AI’s
WHAT: Carbine 1.5 with some Bonus Pistol
WHEN: November 9-11
WHERE: Houma, LA – Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Range
WEATHER: TD1-TD3 – 70 and Beautiful
GEAR: I wore generally what I wear every day. Vertx Pants, Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Inov-8 195’s. Riggers Belt with 2 Fastmag AR Pouches and double Pistol Pouch and my EDC holster. I had bought a pair of Smith Elite Aegis Echo eye pro for this class. They worked great.
GUNS: I have sold everything that I don’t use. So I am down to 2 pistols (Identical M&Ps) and 2 AR’s (Nearly Identical).
Primary 1 – 10.5* DD with Troy tube and T-1
Primary 2 – 14.5* LW Midlength with Troy tube and Swarovski Z6i
Secondary 1&2 – M&P 9FS with RMR and TLR-3
AMMO: 5.56 – Silver Bear, 9mm – Generic Brass cased 115g
I had no malfunctions of any kind through 2100 Carbine rounds and 600 Pistol Rounds. These guns hadn’t been cleaned in about 5k rounds (No malfunctions) and I only lubed with EWL at the start of each day. I intend to clean and replace a few parts this week. (Some springs and other wear parts are due).
I have been refining these setups this year and have finally settled on what works for me. I bought the Z6i specifically for this class to evaluate. It exceeded my expectations and I will be keeping it. As a result of the class I will not be making any changes gear wise.
Class Gear Failures – The class was mainly dominated by EOTech with a few Aimpoints mixed in. I had the only variable and only pistol mounted optics. The AR’s were all higher quality as were the pistols (Mainly M&P).
3 EOTech’s delaminated which made the reticles so dim they were unusable in daylight.
1 Guy was using arredondo M&P Mag Extenders. While running barricade drills he lost his followers and springs more than once. I had evaluated these 8 months ago and decided they were junk. This cemented my findings. He is switching to Taylor Freelance.
1 Castle Nut came loose (Not staked)
1 Muzzle Device came loose – Gun shop that installed it did not use a crush washer
An AFG came off a gun – No Loctite
A couple of other malfunctions that I did not get a chance to see close up
More than a few guys gave up single point slings over the 3 days in favor of a VTAC or similar. A few guys gave up on EOTech.
All in all gear failures did not hold up the class at all, and if something went down it was quickly fixed, gear loaned, etc. It was a really great group of shooters and I learned something from all of them, comprised of a great mix of .mil, LE-SWAT, a PMC, and some civilians. Everyone was safe and competent, so the class moved quickly and we accomplished more than what was on the schedule.
TD1:
TD1 started out with a safety brief, incident management, and introductions. We confirmed zero at the 50y line and it only took two strings to get everyone in order. We shot an aggregate drill from the 50, 25, and 10y line which allowed the instructor to get an accuracy baseline for all of the students. We went over alternate shooting positions, kneeling, sitting, prone, rollover, and a few others. We had the opportunity to shoot for accuracy at 50y from these positions before moving up to the 10y line for some ready up drills. We spent a good amount of time working acquisition, sight picture, trigger control, stance, and transitions. The instructor spent a good amount of time with each shooter making corrections and offering advice. We moved onto secondary transitions and conducted some drills specifically gear toward building speed (while maintaining accuracy) on deploying the sidearm.
We conducted timed 2-2-2 drills and 1-5 drills one shooter at a time to get a baseline on speed and to allow the instructor to critique under the stress of the timer. It’s amazing how some fundamentals break down when the timer comes out even though we had shot the drill as a line just minutes before.
Before lunch we went back over some fundamentals to help cement the lessons.
Lunch was catered which gave everyone the chance to get to know each other better and share some stories / knowledge.
After lunch we brought out some steel targets we had just bought from MGM (Who by the way were ultra-helpful in getting them to us in time). We also brought out some VTAC Barricades. The instructor demonstrated working behind cover, positioning the gun, and targeting when the gun is canted 90 degrees. He had a lot of real world stories that drove the training and gave some color to why some positions were better than others. We spent some time working the barricades one at a time, the instructor making the rounds to offer advice and correct form. Once everyone was comfortable with the positions and had time to ask pointed questions we moved onto the 9 hole drill. Running one at a time we worked out way through each of the 9 ports under the timer. Taking a break from the barricades we worked strong – support side transitions and shot in a lot of the positions support side. We ran the 9 hole again from the support side.
Because the class had a generally high proficiency level we moved through a lot of material and all had the chance to shoot each drill nearly as much as we wanted to. Everyone kept extremely safe and the class melded together quickly. There was a lot of story swapping, learning, examples, and laughter. As a civilian, it’s truly an honor to get to shoot and train alongside guys like that.
The day broke with a final Q&A Session about some of the things we had covered.
TD2:
TD2 started with another short Q&A session on those lessons students had time to incubate on and was followed by a safety brief.
Then it was straight back to the barricades. We ran a barricade catch up drill and got everyone moving quickly. The shooter started out on the left side of the barricade standing, made two hits on steel, then transitioned to strong side kneeling on the right side of the barricade and made two hits. He then bounded to the next barricade to start it over again. Once the first shooter started on the second barricade, the second shooter began his run. If the second shooter caught up to the first shooter, the first shooter had to go back to the line. It was a great drill to cement the fundamentals and move efficiently.
We pulled some more props out and setup some cover scenarios. The first set started out engaging from 50y behind cover, moving to a large tire for SBU Prone, to another barricade for port shooting, to an aluminum fishing boat (It is Louisiana) for prone, and finally to a low wall for a transition to pistol.
Because the range is wide we could run two shooters head to head with a following spotter for safety and to call misses. All shooters had the opportunity to run it several times before we moved the props and started again.
During lunch the Sheriff’s office setup their moving target (They were very helpful and things moved along very smoothly). The instructor spent some time discussing moving targets, how to engage them, and how to utilize cover when dealing with them. We set the mover to a slow jog and engaged it from roughly 30y one at a time. After each shoot the instructor and student went down-range to assess the hits, make corrections, and offer advice. We then moved to standing from about 10 yards. We increased the speed of the mover and repeated the evolution with both carbine and pistol. After every string we could see the hits and make some self-critique about sight picture, trigger control, and tracking.
Because the class was moving quickly we devoted the remainder of the afternoon to some pistol only work. The Lafourche range has an excellent steel bay that allowed us to setup a few different drills.
We started with 6 plates setup at about 10y. The drill required you engage the targets in order, always coming back to 1. So 1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-1-6-1-5-1-4-1-3-1-2-1. It’s a higher round count that that required a slide lock reload, a fast presentation, good sight pictures, and quick target transitions. We ran it one at a time on the timer. Everyone moved through it quickly (though we had some math issues…) and we setup the targets for the zigzag drill. It is a great drill that combines fundamentals, movement, situational awareness, and speed. The instructor spent some time discussing pistol mag changes, thinking on the move, and *Doing something when you are doing nothing*. After every run, the shooter had time to ask questions, receive advice, and re-walk it while implementing the advice. It was an excellent use of time and hugely beneficial.
We closed the day in the same manner as TD1, Q&A on the day’s lessons. The instructor is very personable, very attentive, and has an incredible amount of experience to pull from. Anytime a question was asked in private he made a point to consolidate and disseminate it to the rest of the class. It was a proverbial knowledge flood.
TD3:
TD3 was devoted to vehicle work. Advantage Group secured a 4 door BMW for use (With all of the glass intact). We started out with the vehicle at about the 25y line at an angle. All shooters had an opportunity to work all of the positions in and out of the vehicle, shooting around, over, and under. We shot from the driver’s seat, employing both carbine and pistol. We then moved to engaging targets from the driver’s seat, to crawling over the console and exiting the passenger side, finding cover, and re-engaging. We paired up and executed contact drills, working on communication, and maintaining constant effective fire. A debrief was given after every run and the entire class learned something through each string. The great thing about working with a group of guys like this is the complete lack of ego. Everyone took criticism, learned from it, and became a more effective shooter as a result. Mistakes were not repeated.
We got the windows rolled back up and had some shooters engage targets through the windows with carbines. After a quick reposition of the car we began engaging targets through the windshield from 35y shooting steel. We had the opportunity to shoot at the target using fresh glass and see the deflection. Here was my take away. The first shot will likely not be a hit, make a hole to shoot through, and engage through that hole. Getting the muzzle through the windshield was a huge benefit. Also compensators and SBR’s in vehicles are teeth wrenching. Even using my Mini-4 suppressor in the car was an enormous improvement. As a civilian it’s very unlikely I will be rolling around in my Minivan with my carbine, but if I am, it will have the can on it. We had secured 5 or 6 new windshields, so everyone had the chance to shoot through fresh glass with both pistol and carbine. We shot the mover through the windshield as well.
Before we moved on the Instructor related some experiences and more vehicle specific advice that gave me a broader frame of reference.
He setup a scenario for teams to run. He played the principle in the back seat. The car was positioned at 35y and we had 3 steel targets directly ahead. Each team had the time to put together a game plan for *contact front* and run it. It was a great experience and I learned a lot. The instructor spent several minutes debriefing each team before the next team started and the entire class benefitted from each run.
The next scenario involved the shooters moving from a follow car to retrieve an injured principle from the vehicle and then move to cover. The sheriff’s office provided a 150lb dummy for the task. Again, the debriefs were very informative and eye opening.
The class ended by shooting at targets in the car through the glass and analyzing the effects glass has on trajectory and terminal ballistics. We should some bonded ammo, 855, and some cheaper range ammo. We shot through glass, rims, doors, structural posts, and anything else we could think of. I learned a tremendous amount about effective fire into vehicles.
It would be difficult for me to put everything I learned into this AAR. I took some notes during the class, but the pace was quick and I am sure I missed some items. All in all it was a great class. It was very safe and I learned something with every round I fired. There literally was not a wasted shot over the three days.
The instructor was awesome, it was the second time I had the opportunity to train with him and he delivered. He has a lot of current real world experience, has a great personality that prompted questions, answers, advice, and detailed training.
The class flowed smoothly and everyone learned a lot, both from the instructor and the other students there.
Take Aways:
As a civilian, it’s always an honor to train with military and LE professionals and always a great experience. Here is some of what I took away from the class; this is in no way complete as I will be learning from it for the next 6 months.
Gear:
• Don’t fight your gear. I did not have this issue, but saw others having it. Train with it, learn what is wrong, and refine it.
• I am very happy with my carbine and pistol setups as well as support gear.
o I will be training in my armor *Street Fighter* in April to shake that down.
• I am very happy with the Z6i. I am just as fast on 1x as I am with my T-1, and the magnification is great. It got beat up a little during the class and took it well.
Software:
• I need to spend some time working core driven target transitions.
• I need to spend more time planning my personal range time to maximize its effectiveness on my weak points. I need to create opportunities to train under stress. I need to have someone watch and identify the things I did incorrectly, or could do better. I don’t always catch my mistakes.
• I need to benchmark / record progress better. And push myself for incremental improvement.
• I believe I am at the point where I need to incorporate more scenario based problem solving into my training. And reality check my fundamentals under these situations.
• I need to aim for improved consistency with fundamentals, movement, and transitions.
• I need to be faster engaging targets in awkward positions (Sight Picture). Dry Fire!
• There is a lot more, but I need to review my notes and incubate on them for a time.
Pictures:
Conducting the aggregate TD1.
Demonstrating some alternate sitting positions.
Demonstrating kneeling, anchoring the gun.
Working movers from a barricade, making the most of cover.
SBU Prone around vehicle tire, engaging the mover.
We brought a FUSION mount for shooters to try out. Save some weight and space!
Engaging targets over the hood of the car. Get low!
Two shooters engaging through the windshield. Make a hole, then put effective hits on target.
Thank you to:
VTAC – For providing excellent instruction and a great time
LPSO – For a great facility, excellent staff, and a lot of help
All of the shooters for no egos, great stories and a great learning environment.
Nate @ Advantage Group for going above and beyond coordinating, bringing in all of the equipment, and keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.
Please ignore spelling or grammar mistakes.
Last edited:
Fail. The other shooter was understanding and nothing came of it, and it did not happen again. Everyone there seemed about learning, not sniping at each other's ego's or trying to look "hard". I was extremely pleased with the environment I had discovered, and the people I had met so far!
