All posts by BigGunner81

3-19-16 Practical Rifle at The Aurora Sportsmen’s Club

This past weekend, I finally had a chance to get out and shoot my F-1 Firearms. This was the first opportunity I have had (Since I DQ’d at the 3 Gun Nation Southeastern Regional) to shoot this rifle since zeroing the Vortex Strike Eagle. It felt really good to get back into shooting a rifle match and was some much needed practice. I finished pretty low at 27th out of 35, which is a good indicator of not practicing enough. Only a few months or so ago I would normally finish practical rifle at the top of the bottom 30%.


Though my “ranking” or placement might be low, the fun I had was great! Regardless of where we finish having fun and being safe should in my opinion be the objective to any shooting activity. I love this sport, and the people in it. If your thinking of getting off the bench or out of the booth and want to try shooting a match, Do it! If you have questions ask them, if I can help answer them I will. Ask them here on the blog or on my youtube or facebook page If I cant answer them I’m sure someone will jump in.

I hope you enjoyed the video, thank you for watching & till next time “Have Fun Shooting”-Rick

Etymotic’s Electronic Earplugs Catch on With Hunters and Gun Sports Enthusiasts

Elk Grove Village, IL – March 11, 2016 – Etymotic’s GunSport•PRO® electronic earplugs are rapidly gaining popularity with gun sport enthusiasts. These tiny marvels resist movement from a firearm’s recoil, and provide comfort on the run, which are proving to be compelling attributes. Outdoor Life Magazine raves, “Get a pair of these in-ear noise-canceling earplugs and watch hearing acuity improve. The little units amplify sound up to five times, but switch to noise-canceling units when a blast occurs. And, they are much more natural looking than either oversized muffs or those orange foam plugs.” Active circuitry allows the wearer to hear naturally as if nothing is in the ears.

Adding electronic hearing protection to one’s arsenal isn’t new. Hunters and marksmen have long been using passive earplugs and over-the-ear style hearing protectors. However, an inability to communicate while wearing some of these products, and the instability of bulky headphone-style muffs on the head, are clearly impediments. For these reasons, Etymotic’s in-ear electronic earplugs have distinct advantages.

Properly sealed in the ear, electronic earplugs don’t move around. More importantly, it’s their ability to automatically amplify for better situational awareness, protect against continuous loud noise and blasts, and pass through normal sound that make Etymotic’s GunSport•PRO electronic earplugs a particularly good choice for hunters and sport shooters. For more, go to etymotic.com.

About Etymotic
Etymotic is a research, development and manufacturing company that designs high-fidelity audio products and hearing wellness solutions to assess, enhance and protect hearing. For over 30 years, innovation and education have been central to Etymotic’s mission. Etymotic is one of the most respected leaders in high-fidelity audio and hearing conservation. For more information about Etymotic, its hearing wellness mission and its products, please visit www.etymotic.com.

Team Springfield™ Wins, Places and Shows at the 2016 Rio Salado Desert Classic/USPSA Area 2 Championship

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MESA, ARIZ. (March 11, 2016) – Team Springfield™ had a successful shoot this past weekend at the 2016 Rio Salado Desert Classic, just one day after announcing its newest additions, junior shooters Jalise and Justine Williams.

Working as a squad and sporting their new uniforms, Jalise and Justine performed side by side with Team Springfield™ members Rob and Kippi Leatham on stage breakdowns, resetting and taping targets, and supporting each other on both good stages and bad.

When the squad’s last shot was fired, the team had earned some noteworthy accomplishments:

Carry Optics Division – Rob landed on top of the new, provisional Carry Optics Division. He discussed the importance of the new division that has emerged:

“After a tough battle with top-level shooter and buddy Nick Saiti, I ended up getting the better of him,” Rob said. “I commend USPSA for creating this division. It is a godsend for several reasons. For the competitors who do not want to spend multiple thousands of dollars on an open-division pistol but need to use an optical sight due to vision issues, your prayers have been answered. And for shooters who see the opportunity this platform offers other than for competition use, you now have a division in which to train and test your skills. I enjoyed shooting it and believe the future of sighting systems for handguns, just as in short-range carbine use, is some sort of optical sight system. I’m glad to have gotten in on the ground floor!”

Single Stack Division – Jalise finished top junior and second among the women; Kippi finished third among the women
Production Division – Justine finished second junior and second among the women
Team Springfield™’s guns of choice were:

• Rob – Springfield Armory® XD(M)® 5.25” in 9mm with Leupold Delta Point Scope
• Kippi – Springfield Custom™ 1911 in 9mm Jalise – Springfield Armory® 1911 Range Officer® in 9mm
• Justine – Springfield Armory® XD(M)® 5.25” in 9mm
“I’m so thrilled that the Williams family has joined Team Springfield™” Kippi said. “I could not be more proud of the girls and their performance this weekend. These young competitors are serious and fearless. I cannot wait to see them progress in the sport. This is going to be a fun ride.”

The match ran flawlessly and was blessed with the typical Arizona spring weather, according to the team. “Match director Paul Caudill and his team of exceptional volunteers always produce a top-notch event,” Kippi said.

This year’s USPSA Area-2 offered 15 stages, requiring 350-plus rounds of ammunition and allowed more than 430 shooters to attend.

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Springfield Armory® Introduces Newest, Youngest Members of Team Springfield™

Justine and Jalise

GENESEO, IL (03/04/16) – Team Springfield™ just got a little bigger and a little younger. Springfield Armory® is proud to announce the addition of young shooters Jalise and Justine Williams to its lineup of competitors.

Jalise, 12, and Justine, 11, come to the team from St. George, Utah, and are avid shooters in their own right. What drew team captain Rob Leatham most to the new additions was their character first.

“While both are very talented, that’s not the only thing that stood out to me,” Leatham said. “What really caught my attention was how they conducted themselves at the range. The combination of such high levels of character, devotion and talent is very rare today.”

The Williams sisters are competing today through the weekend in the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Area 2 Championships in Mesa, Ariz.

Jalise and Justine are both pleased to be a part of a team that values the spirit of competition and commitment to something you love.

“I am totally committed to the shooting sports, and I plan to make history,” Jalise said. “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I will one day.”

“Shooting is epic,” Justine added. “It is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

To learn more about Team Springfield™’s latest competitors:
http://blog.springfield-armory.com/team-springfield-factory-shooters-jalise-justine-williams

About Springfield Armory®
“The first name in American firearms,” Springfield Armory® was founded in 1777, when George Washington ordered the creation of an armory to store ammunition and gun carriages during the American Revolution. In 1794, the armory began to manufacture muskets and spent the next 150 years supplying firearms for every major American conflict. The original armory closed in 1968. In 1974, the Reese family took ownership of the Springfield Armory® name and began making the M1A™ rifle. Today, Springfield Armory® develops many products loyal to its heritage, like the 1911 pistol, while ensuring its future with innovative products, including the XD®, XD® Mod.2™, XD(M)® and XD-S® polymer pistols.

**Preproduction** Rifle Projectiles from Eggleston Munitions

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Here is something I am very excited about, Eggleston Munitions is currently developing rifle projectiles. These projectiles are not yet available to the public for purchase. I am pleased to be part of their testing and evaluation phase. Since these are so new there is very little information available to share. What I can say is that Eggleston Munitions is working with and testing a new coating for their projectiles. What I really like about their company is their forward thinking, commitment to customer service, and high value quality products.


If you are interested in purchasing their projectiles, be sure to use the “BIGGUNNER81” coupon code for 10% off your entire order. At EgglestonMunitions.com

#TeamTyr 2016

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I’m really proud of my team mates from the Tyr 1 Marksmanship Team. Both Toby Babcock & Haden David really started this 2016 season off strong at the 3-Gun Nation Southeastern Regional. Toby, has been working hard on improving his lifestyle and has lost a considerable amount of weight since last year. I am honored and appreciate them both for accepting me as part of the team, though my skills are no where near their level. I have learned a great deal from them so far, and am looking to learn more this season along with building my skills. #TearmTyr
Check out The Try 1 Training Corporation’s website for more info on firearms training classes Tyr1Training.com


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