Privacy Policy for Pocket Prompter

Privacy Policy for Graydog Pocket Prompter

Effective date: June 6, 2026

Graydog Pocket Prompter does not collect, sell, share, or transmit personal information.

The app does not require an account, does not use cloud sync, does not use analytics, does not show ads, and does not require internet access.

Scripts created, edited, imported, or saved in the app are stored locally on the user’s device. Graydog Pocket Prompter does not upload script content to any server.

The app uses Android’s system document picker when users choose to import TXT or DOCX files. File access is limited to files selected by the user.

The app does not request microphone, camera, location, contacts, or internet permissions.

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact:

info@graydogllc.com

Targets, Watches, and Meeeee.....

 Hey guys, Jay here. Time for our weekly update on what's been happening on the channel and what's coming up next. We had a busy week covering both training methodology and gear, so let's get into it.

🎥 Last Week on the Channel

We dropped two videos last week on completely different ends of the spectrum—one for the shooters and one for the gear junkies.

Target Selection: The Difference Between Practice and Progress If you've been to one of my classes, you know this has been a demon in my brain for a while. We covered why shooting at giant cardboard silhouettes (like the B27 or state qualification targets) might be giving you a false sense of your own skill—what I call the "close enough trap." We broke down why you need quantifiable standards (accuracy + time) and why smaller, scorable targets like the NRA B8, 3x5 index cards, and Dot Torture actually force accountability. Bottom line: aim small, miss small, and stop letting giant cardboard lie to you!

Mibro GS Explorer S Titanium Review: Best Budget Adventure Watch? I’ve been wearing and testing this budget titanium adventure watch to see if its wild spec sheet holds up in the real world. The short answer? The build quality, multi-day battery life, offline maps, and overall durability are genuinely impressive for the price point. The one major weakness is the heart rate sensor—if you want to do serious, structured HR-zone training, it falls short compared to a Garmin or Polar chest strap. But for a rugged outdoor smartwatch, it punches above its weight class.

🔪 What’s on Deck This Week

This week, we are shifting gears away from the tech and looking at some blades. I've got some new knife content coming your way that I think you guys will enjoy.

Behind the scenes, I'm also in the final stretch of putting together the review video on the Girsan. The editing is mostly there, but I still have just a little bit more shooting to do to finalize my thoughts and make sure I’ve got all the data I need before giving you the full rundown. Keep an eye out for that soon.

As always, I appreciate you guys watching, subscribing, and using the affiliate links—it really does help me keep the channel running and get more products to test.

Take care, stay safe, and I will talk to you soon.

A Week in Review & What's Next: The Ultimate Staccato XC Review is Coming!

 Hey everyone, welcome back to the blog!

It’s been an incredible week over on the channel, and I want to take a quick second to thank all of you for your continued support. If you haven’t had a chance to catch up on our latest content yet, make sure you head over and check out the videos we dropped earlier this week. We covered some great ground, and the discussions in the comments have been absolutely fantastic. 

We covered a new flashlight from Nextorch, the C61. Excellent output and a lot of capability for serious work use. Check out the full video here.

We also did a video on the Sencut Braxx. This knife hearkens back to a simpler time. It is beautiful while still being functional. The price ain't bad either. Check that one out here.

But as much as we love looking back at a solid week of content, I am incredibly pumped about what’s up next.

If you’ve been following the teasers, you already know what's cooking. Get ready, because our Full, In-Depth Review of the Staccato XC is just around the corner!

For those who know, the Staccato XC needs almost no introduction. It is widely considered one of the flattest-shooting, most impeccably machined 2011s on the market right now. With its integrated compensator, unbelievably crisp trigger pull, and butter-smooth slide, it’s a thoroughbred pistol that promises elite-level performance out of the box.

But the real question we always have to ask is: does it actually live up to the massive hype (and the premium price tag)?

In this upcoming video, we’re putting it through the paces. We’ve got range footage, accuracy tests, rapid-fire drills to test that compensator, and a thorough breakdown of the ergonomics and build quality. I’ll be giving you my unfiltered, honest thoughts after putting some serious brass through it.

You absolutely do not want to miss this one.

Make sure you are subscribed and have the notification bell turned on so you’re the very first to know the second the Staccato XC video goes live.

👉 Click here to check out the channel and subscribe!

Stay tuned, stay safe, and I’ll see you on the range!

Weekly Recap: Blades, Flat Lights, and 2011 Aesthetics

 It’s been a high-cadence week at the channel with four distinct drops. We’ve covered everything from EDC pocket fillers to bedside security. If you missed any of these, here is the quick-look sitrep:

📺 This Week’s Highlights

• Civivi Purr: We went hands-on with this latest offering from Civivi. It’s a sleek, snappy folder that balances that typical Civivi value with a very ergonomic profile.

• Oraraer Nightstand Gun Safe: Security is paramount, and we put this quick-access safe through its paces to see if it earns a spot on the nightstand. We looked at biometric reliability and construction.

• Staccato XC (The Music Video): Sometimes you just have to appreciate the engineering. This was a cinematic look at the XC in action—no talking, just the rhythm of the flat-shooting 2011.

• Tunenge YC8005 Flat Flashlight: The "flat" light trend is real. We looked at the YC8005 to see how it carries in the pocket compared to traditional round bodies and if the output holds up to real-world use.

---

🔜 Coming Next Week

The testing never stops. Here is what is currently on the schedule for the upcoming week:

1. Sencut Braxx: Sencut has been hitting home runs lately in the "budget performance" category. We’ll see if the Braxx keeps that streak alive.

2. NexTorch C61: Back to tactical illumination. I’m putting the C61 through a stress test to see how the UI and candela hold up when things get fast.

🛠 The Big Project: The Staccato XC Full Review

The music video was just the appetizer. I am currently putting the finishing touches on the full, deep-dive review of the Staccato XC. We’re going to talk about long-term reliability, the compensator’s impact on maintenance, and whether it really justifies the price tag for a duty or competition role.

Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the full breakdown.

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Which of this week’s featured items are you most curious about—the flat light form factor or the nightstand security?

HR Sensors and Sleep Earbuds

If you’ve been following the channel for a minute, you know I’ve got a thing for data and gear that actually survives real-world use. This week, I put some new tech through the ringer—specifically, I wanted to see if you really need to spend top dollar for heart rate accuracy and if "sleep earbuds" are actually a thing or just marketing fluff.

Here is a quick breakdown of what I’ve been testing lately.

The Heart Rate Showdown: Gold Standard vs. The Budget Chaos Goblin

We all know the Polar H10 is the gold standard. It’s what I usually compare everything against. But I wanted to see how two other contenders stacked up: the Coospo ECG strap (which costs about a third of the Polar) and the Amazfit Helio Strap (a bicep-worn optical sensor).

I didn’t just do a casual walk around the block. I took these through:

Peloton rides

Brutal 1km running intervals (the kind that make you question your life choices)

Weightlifting sessions

Elliptical warm-ups

The results for the Coospo were... well, let’s just say it earned the nickname "Budget Chaos Goblin" for a reason. And the Helio strap? It’s probably the most interesting piece of gear in the Amazfit lineup right now, especially if you’re tired of the chest strap "friction" but still want solid data for your cardio.

I’ve got the full data traces and error graphs in the video. If you want to see exactly where the optical sensor started to struggle compared to the ECG straps, or if that budget Coospo is actually "good enough" for your training, check out the full comparison video here.

Can You Actually Sleep in These? (Fitnexa Somnipods 3)

I also spent some time with the Fitnexa Somnipods 3. If you’ve ever tried to sleep with regular earbuds, you know the struggle—they’re bulky, they poke your brain when you roll over, and they usually die by 3:00 AM.

The Somnipods are built specifically for side-sleepers. They’re crazy thin (9.9mm), and for me, the comfort was the real story here. I tested them for:

Battery Life: Did they actually make it through the night?

ANC Performance: Can they handle a "chainsaw powered by hate" (a.k.a. a snoring spouse)?

The App: There's some "data goblin" stuff in there for sleep coaching and ambient sounds.

One thing to keep in mind: these aren't for a midnight Metallica concert. They’re built for a specific job. If you’ve been looking for a way to drown out the world without waking up with sore ears, these might be the answer. For the full breakdown on the call quality (rated by my wife) and the one "stupid phone" trick I had to use to get the volume right, watch the Somnipods 3 review here.

That’s the high-level view. I’m putting the finishing touches on some more tactical gear reviews soon, so stay tuned.

Reviews and How I do Things...

 I'll review almost any tech product that reasonably fits into my life, that includes flashlights, wearables, knives, etc. That said, if there are issues, my review is going to outline those. And if I encounter enough issues to where the item isn't reviewable/useful, I won't even bother publishing a review. I know this may be frustrating to some companies that are just looking for a fluff unbox/feature reading, but I don't do that. 

I remember getting a smartwatch that had a ton of problems, completely useless HR sensor, etc. I emailed them back with the problems I found, and they just said, "focus on these features for your video!" So I told them, somewhat nicely, to F off.

My review style has probably turned off some companies, but I won't partner with or advocate for products or companies that are problematic. If anything, it has probably also cost me some money.

To give you some idea, I make the vast majority of the channel's budget on Amazon through their Influencer program. And a lot of that comes from smart watches. I picked up the Kospet Tank M4 thinking that it would be a solid watch at the offered price, and would make for a fun review. Their previous T3 ultra 2 was pretty solid for the cash. The M4, however, was a buggy mess. Hardware was solid and very durable, but there were SO many software problems...

I didn't even bother putting up an Amazon Influencer video on it. And legitimately I probably threw away hundreds of dollars doing that. I realize that "hundreds of dollars" isn't much for most people, but that is enough for me to pick up some other item to review, or some other production necessity for the channel. (Lights, cameras, teleprompters, etc., ain't cheap!)

So, yeah, ethics, what a thing. I either won't even bother reviewing something or I'll do a negative review, depending on my schedule and feelings. I just got a set of earbuds for review and in the first few days the right earbud quit working. Even before that, the sound was pretty mediocre, the support app was too bare bones (no eq, no control customization, no advanced sound codecs) and there wasn't a lot to recommend them over other earbuds. Also, when putting them back in the case they didn't disconnect, and sometimes would keep playing in the friggin' case. These were Nearity Mempod Fit 2s in case you're wondering. Also, if you're wondering, my current general recommendation for open style buds is the Soundpeats Clip 1s, those things have a lot of depth/bass for open buds, but still have decent separation in the higher frequencies, stay put nicely when working out, and have tons of customization/controls/eq/etc. 

So... rest assured that if you see one of my reviews, it's gonna tell the truth. One of these days I'm going to compile the "best smartwatches at all price points" video, that is probably going to be January. I don't have enough data compiled for buds or headphones, but the ones that I've reviewed, I have faves, and I have ones that I would tell you to not spend money on.

Low Cost Smartwatch Review

 A friend just did this incredibly detailed review of the FT66:

https://smartwatchcentral.co.uk/reviews/ft66/

Updated B8 style targets

 If you use bullseyes for any drills, here are several variants that may help you out:

🎯 Target for this drill with black 9 and 10 ring: https://bit.ly/4jXLlBH 🎯 Target for this drill with a red X ring: http://bit.ly/4myiYeN 🎯 Target for this drill (printer ink friendly): https://bit.ly/3YWdy3J

All of them were generated for The Devil's Drill, but any drill using B8 style targetry is doable with these.

Sig P320: The houseguest that wouldn't leave....

 Up until very recently I never really bothered telling my chain of command about the Sig P320. I honestly thought that all of the member agencies I work with would organically go away from that platform as the problems kept cropping up. I really thought that. I'm naive, obviously.

My leaving my chain of command out of it changed last week. Two things contributed. Firstly, the death of the Airforce Servicemember, and two, the fact that it was becoming abundantly clear that those two member agencies that were using the P320 were going to keep on going.

I understand some agencies' reticence to switch guns. Usually things like that are almost totally driven by budget, and if you're a smaller agency, especially, new guns, holsters, and training is not a cheap endeavor. So any agency looking at this is going to have to balance risk vs. cost. And I know that if you're reading this as an individual and have never dealt with agency level purchasing, this seems nuts to you.

If you've ever seen Fight Club, remember the scene where they are talking about initiating a car recall?

"A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."

While that probably isn't factually correct, the sentiment is real. And not just on Sig's part, but also on any given agency dealing with a potential safety issue. When looked at from a very myopic lens, no gun is "safe," so how can a P320 be even less safe? (This is not my professional opinion, please don't read into that.)

So now I'm on a campaign in my professional career to make that stupid P320 go away. The streams have crossed and now I'm not just a part time hater.

Sig, I do believe, is screwed when it comes to the P320 specifically, and their reputation generally. They've denied problems for so long and so hard that now they don't have any trustworthiness or credibility. They'd be best served by making the P320 go completely away. Forgotten Weapons opined that it might be in their best interest to continue to "upsize" the P365 to the scale of a duty weapon and just start selling that instead. I said similar things to a rangemaster of an agency that was fielding P320s several years ago, and he felt similarly.

And now for an opinion that has no basis in fact but is pure conjecture... If Sig had put a trigger safety on the P320 and a plunger style firing pin block, this discussion wouldn't have ever happened. Their wanting to differentiate themselves in the marketplace by not putting a trigger safety on the gun was foolish. Every other striker fired gun out there that I'm aware of uses some sort of inertial disconnect/trigger safety paradigm. (AKA the "trigger dingus.") And the firing pin safety system that Sig is currently using is so very delicate and fiddley that I can't take it seriously. If it were that good, they would've used it on the P365, but news flash, they didn't.

It is entirely possible that the sear could stand some redesign as well, but that's beyond my smarts by a significant degree, so I won't bother with an opinion there.

Anyway, the P320... it is like a dead fish left under somebody's car seat. The car's stinking and the smell is still here.

 Happy 4th! Solid news, my app is live on the Google Play Store, so you don't have to be a tester to use it. I'm also hard at work creating a live fire timer app, and that is proving to be harder, but not impossible, so don't give up hope. I'm not a programmer by nature, just a shooter and goofball for sure. Some of the more recent videos I've done that you may be interested in:

Nitecore compact weapon light review.

Nitecore EDC29 flat flashlight.

Kore Essentials EDC Belt.

Stay tuned for other developments, and I appreciate your support!

Dry Fire App is LIVE!

Special thanks to all of you who volunteered to test out the app. There were no issues in testing and it is now officially live on the Google Play Store. It is free to use, there are no ads, and no permissions required to use it. You can download it here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.academy.shottimerapp

And if you want any ideas on how to use it, I did a video a long time ago on dry fire practice:

https://youtu.be/XbsSQ9_ZJwA

I may do another updated video sometime in the future if there is any demand. For some reason, dry fire isn't as sexy as other firearms related endeavors, and so the views on videos like this are always less than others. In general the vids I do on shooting drills don't get crazy views either, but I still like doing them. I didn't start doing YouTube to become viral or famous, so I'm not too concerned. If I help out a few people, I'll be happy.

Lastly, I'm trying to do a real deal shot timer version of this app. Most other apps I've tried out that claim to be shot timers really suck. Overcoming the limitations of the phone hardware is a real thing, and the earlier version I tried was ghosting shots all over the place. (i.e. shoot once but get more than one shot registering.) 

If you have any questions or feedback, as always, email me: info@graydogllc.com

Dry Fire App!

 If you're coming here from the podcast, and want to try out the app, you'll need an Android device (phone or tablet) and gmail address. From that address, please email me: info@graydogllc.com, and if there's room to add you to the test, I will do so and send you a link. Thanks for your help on this!

Alternatively, if there's enough interest, I'll generate an APK which you can load on your phone, but it is a bit more involved than the above work, i.e. clicking on a link after you email me.

When I'm not developing apps by way of arm twisting an AI to do the work for me, I'm on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC26CV4n12TqDNgoxfKBVq-A

Privacy Policy For DryFire App

 I don't collect ANY data from you in any form. There are no ads, there are no fees. Please use this app and become better at your craft. Share with your friends. Interact with me on YouTube and Instagram if you want, but you definitely don't have to do that. In summary, I don't take anything from you, I am only GIVING TO YOU. You're welcome!

Dry Fire Timer App!

 So I made an app that will help you out with dry fire. It is very simple, and currently only works on Android. It gives you the ability to set a start beep after a certain amount of time. You can also have it randomly start between 2-4 seconds. Then you set how long you want until the second beep. This is solely to help you out with dry fire.

There are other apps out there that will do this, but all of them seem weird or kludgey. Some also want you to pay them, or want additional permissions that I don't understand the rationale for. Mine is FREE. It will stay free.

Right  now it isn't in the app store, because I need testers. If you'd like to test it out, ALSO FOR FREE, email me: info@graydogllc.com

Langdon Tactical HK P30

One of my good friends let me borrow his LTT tuned HK P30. I have never been the biggest fan of the P30, but it is certainly a decent gun. My objections to the gun weren't anything to do with accuracy, reliability, or durability. HK makes a good gun, no doubt. My general thoughts about the P30 were more akin to malaise. Of course, the P30s I had been playing with all had the traditional double action type trigger, ala DA/SA. HK does offer different trigger setups, including their LEM trigger, which is a DAO type setup. I had previously shot the LEM setup a handful of times, and while I didn't love it, I didn't find it objectionable either. It still sat squarely in the "meh" category, to borrow a term from our beloved Gen Z.

If you have spent much time in the firearms world, you're probably at least passingly familiar with Langdon Tactical. Ernest Langdon is a world class shooter, instructor, military veteran, and probably much more. In addition to those bonafides, he also works on guns, or at least did, as now I suspect that his company does more of the work than he actually lays hands on. None of this should be taken as an indictment, because his company turns out top notch stuff. A lot of the product that they turn out is centered on the Beretta product line, but that isn't the sum and total of their output.

I had no idea that they did work on the HK product line until Zach pinged me and asked me if I'd like to try out his LTT HK P30. I was certainly intrigued, and took him up on the offer.

This gun comes with all the usual stuff from HK, which is to say three 17 round magazines, multiple grip panel and back strap options, manual, cable lock, and case. In the case of this LTT version, it is optioned out with an optic and LTT's proprietary backup sight setup. 

I wasn't expecting a LEM trigger on it, and was initially unexcited, but when I dry fired it, I changed my mind. I don't know what the heck they do to the trigger, but it is light and easy. When I measured it with my trigger pull gauge, it measured 3.75 pounds. When I did it again, it broke exactly the same. Langdon puts a flat faced trigger in this amongst their other changes, and so it breaks very nicely and consistently. I was pleasantly surprised and this setup changed my mind about the LEM trigger setup.

There's also a pretty LTT logo on the slide now, so if you couldn't tell something was up with this gun from the other changes, that little logo lets you know that you're holding something special in your hands.

But that's a lot of pretty verbiage, the real question, how does it shoot? The answers are simple words, things like easily, flat, and fast. Between the LTT trigger and the configurability of the grip, getting this gun to run well is like a cheat code on a video game. How so? Well when you put in the cheat code, everything is just easy and effortless, and this gun feels like that. 

I'm going to do a video on this gun. I will probably have to do a scripted voiceover for some of it, because me just yammering on about it won't really capture what I'm trying to say about it. But I will say this, if you have the means and desire, getting a gun worked over by LTT seems very worth it to me.

Evolution and FUDDS

 There's a little kerfluffle regarding Ken Hackathorn and his commentary on things like appendix carry, as well as "gadgets" we put on guns, such as optics and lights. The short summary is that Hackathorn doesn't allow AIWB in his classes, and he's not a proponent of optics and lights. 

To go into greater detail, Hackathorn said that any gun carried AIWB is officially a "decocker." Amusing because in the modern world of semi-autos, a lot of kids have never dealt with a DA/SA gun. (Tell me you're old without telling me you're old.) Further, he was very derisive of optics or lights unless you are military or police. That's pretty divisive right there.

Now most of you are probably at least passingly familiar with Ken Hackathorn. Quickly, he's a former US Army SF soldier, deputy sheriff, and has been a consultant for numerous companies that you've doubtless heard of, including Glock and HK. He contributed greatly to the world of competitive shooting, including being one of the original advisors to IDPA. He's trained thousands of people and he's an excellent shooter. To be completely dismissive of anything he says would be, at least in my opinion, a mistake. One of the east coast match directors I know referred to Ken Hackathorn as "the only guy in IDPA that gives a shit about the shooters."

All that said, Hackathorn is missing the mark when it comes to today's shooters. While appendix carry isn't universal, or even universally recommended, it works really well for a lot of shooters. And while lights on guns rarely see real world use, when you need it, it is really nice to have it. Optics are a game changer for a lot of shooters, but most especially shooters with aging eyes. (Of which, I am sure, Hackathorn is one!)

Now I'm not going to beat on Hackathorn, but I am going to observe that I think almost everybody hits a point in their life and/or career where they are less accepting of new developments. My grandparents wouldn't even entertain a cordless phone, much less a cell phone. I remember trying to get my grandpa to use a cordless phone, telling him that he could make or take phone calls from the living room, but his response, every time, was to point to the little table in the kitchen, and say, "that is where we make phone calls." Mental flexibility had simply fled the building.

So while I'm not calling Hackathorn old or out of date, I am questioning his mental flexibility. Not that he doesn't have anything to offer, because this man has decades of relevant experience when it comes to the employment of firearms in real world scenarios. I would still take a class with him any day of the week. I wouldn't call him for advice about appendix carry or pistol optics, however.

I suppose that if I draw the timeline out far enough, I'm going to fall into the same trap. One day something will change or there will be a new development, but I won't be able to wrap my mind around it. Hopefully I'll have enough presence of mind to recognize the disconnect. Hopefully that will be enough for me to recuse myself from that topic, discussion, or point of instruction. Hopefully.

All The Pistol Draw Mistakes

 Issues observed in recent weapon draw practice:

1. Ducking/turtling head

This one is obvious. The more the student moves their head, the less consistent their draw, slower speed to first aimed shot, and reduced accuracy downrange.

2. Scoop draws, various

I saw 3 different variants of scoop, to include one student scooping their hand low before ever getting to the holster. So I'd classify them as early scoop, mid scoop, and late scoop. None of them are efficient.

3. Two step holster retention

Several students using their thumb only to defeat retention with the remainder of their fingers nowhere near the grip.

4. Robotic movements

Students having hitches at various points in their draw, to include outright hesitations.

5. Hands coming together late (playing cymbals)

Rather than getting hands together at step 3, several students were getting the gun almost all the way out and then putting their support hand on the gun.

6. Adding extraneous motion(s)

If 4 steps to draw is good, 5, 6, or 7 must be better. Plus mo' tactical.

7. Low intensity of practice

Several were just going through the motions, i.e. I was told to do this and I'm doing it, with no real thought to why I'm doing it or that it could save my life.

8. Starting with hand already on gun

Apparently they're going to walk around all day with hand on gun rather than in field interview.

9. Slamming to a halt at the conclusion of the draw (punch that gun out!)

Nobody ever sees their sights or gets accurate shots if they slam to a halt at the end.

10. Changing stance/squatting during draw (poop stance)

Comedic and slow.

11. Fishing

I saw a lot less of this than I normally see, but there is always at least one representative of the fishing clan.

Training Junkies

 Lot of talk lately about training junkies when it comes to classes. I noted several years ago that any training company that isn't nationally known (Gunsite) is likely to have 150-250 students, and those same students keep showing up, class after class. This is probably why some instructors do a lot of traveling, otherwise they'd be dealing with the same group, and that group by its very nature won't typically be enough to sustain somebody who is dependent upon this for their sole source of income. This article isn't really about income levels and professional instruction, but I will note that it isn't easy to make tons of income in this space. The number of instructors you know that are making their entire living from this endeavor is small. (Many have pensions from LE, other revenue streams, etc.)

So the real conundrum as an instructor is how to coax the tons of firearms owners out there into classes. Not the junkies, but the other people. Depending on who you want to believe, somewhere around 17 million guns were sold in the USA in 2022 alone. Now obviously many of those guns were sold to people that already own guns, but even a small percentage of that number going to new owners means that the potential audience for firearms instruction isn't shrinking.

A lot of those new firearms owners do take one class: concealed carry. They aren't interested in any further instruction, and the only reason that they did the CC class was due to state requirements. In their mind no other instruction is wanted or needed. As a side note, I don't want anybody to have to take a class or training in order to exercise any right. But I do want them to pursue training because they desire to, not out of any requirement. If I've seen anything, it is that governments do love to heap requirements on people's ability to carry a gun, and at some point it becomes so difficult, time consuming, and expensive, that most won't bother. This disproportionately affects lower income individuals, and so those requirements are really an exceptional tax on the poor.

If there were some reliable way to convert the CC class attendee into a student of other classes, it would definitely stimulate the training economy. If you've figured that part out, you're definitely winning. If I have noted anything, it is that most shooters are getting their education about shooting from the online world. In some cases I've seen people really do well from that, but I have also seen people miss substantive things through an incomplete education in that venue.

I taught a private lesson to a family several months ago. They were avid shooters, but didn't have a lot of understanding about achieving accuracy with a pistol. One of the family members talked to me about learning from Garand Thumb. Not that GT doesn't know what he's doing, but 99% of his channel is really entertainment. He is the online version of "come to a show, be entertained, possibly get some info." There are several instructors out there that do the same thing in person. Cool stories, engaging personality, and you go shooting with them, but any reliable feedback on your skill and abilities is rare.

So, if you have figured out how to get more gun owners into classes, share! I know Maj Toure is doing it community activism style, and that seems to be working for him. I ask these questions completely selflessly, as I only do private lessons currently. Open enrollment classes don't have a lot of upside for me right now, and my day job is also firearms instruction, so that is enough for me. But I would like to see the training community grow beyond the same group of people who keep coming back. (No offense to you guys, and I enjoy seeing you at every class I attend, but some new faces would probably be good for us all!)

I know some of the hurdles already: fear of failure, fear of the unknown, remote training locations, austere training locations, cost, travel time, and I'm sure there are others. Solving a lot of these issues would require a substantive and ongoing investment that most instructors either can't or won't afford, which is why you see classes held out in a remote field with a porta-potty if you're lucky. Things like running water and HVAC are luxuries when it comes to this training community as it currently exists.

Did I mention that I'm open to ideas?

The Importance of the Pre Season

 Just like a sports team, when it comes to my training season, I do pre-season work to prepare for the hijinks.

Some of it is probably obvious, like going to the range and making sure that everything I demo is squared away. That's just the surface level stuff, though. I shoot often enough that I don't really need to do much of a run up, as I'm almost always at the range. I may take some detours into things I'm trying to improve on, like raw speed.

All of my lesson plans get reviewed at a minimum. Anything that needs to be changed, will obviously get changed. Some things get out of date quickly, and some things evolve. The lesson plans I'm using are nowhere near the same ones as even two years ago.

Power points also get reviewed and freshened up with new photos, graphics, and any changes that need to be made to properly reflect the lesson plans.

All of the equipment that I'm going to be using gets looked over and checked to make sure it is all in working order. Anything not meeting specifications gets repaired or replaced.

I also have to order consumables for the season. The biggest of which is targets. I don't want to tell you how many targets we go through, it is pretty crazy. I go out of my way to reduce waste, but some of it is unavoidable. Other consumables: gun cleaning stuff, spray glue, dummy rounds, binder clips, wooden stakes, and batteries.

Much more recently I've been going out of my way to physically prepare myself. Contrast that with years previously where I was just letting myself get fatter and more out of shape. I could get away with that at a younger age, but now that I'm more "senior," I need to be more proactive about my physical abilities. There's a lot to go into with this, but suffice it to say that I'm doing a lot of weights and supplemental cardio. I'm doing all of that more with an eye toward injury prevention. I don't need to go giving myself a case of rhabdomyolysis. (Been there, done that. Not fun.)

What do you do in order to prepare for your work? Do you find any similarities between that and me? I'm curious, let me know.

2024: It is going to get interesting!

 Election years are always difficult if you are a shooter, especially in terms of ammunition availability and pricing. Every election seems to generate the same sturm und drang: THE END OF DEMOCRACY and such. While I don't think that much hinges on a presidential election in the USA, they are certainly important, but this discussion isn't really about that.

What I'm concerned about really centers on the aforementioned inability to get bang bang fodder, but there are related issues. If we get riots, if there's another pandemic, if we have lockdowns, if the planets align a certain way, etc., things will get difficult in general, not just when it comes to trying to buy a few boxes (or cases) of 9mm. While I can't even begin to predict what can or will happen in the next 12 months, I suspect it'll be a bumpy ride.

Now is a good time to start considering those potential issues, so if you haven't already, I'd buy a few extra cases of ammunition. It won't go bad, and it isn't like you won't use it! Whatever you usually buy for practice, buy some more. If you have the budget, I'd buy the whole year's worth right now, and then continue to supplement it as time and and cash flow allows. 

If you reload your own ammo, get primers and powder now. It is all available and while it isn't cheap, it is probably as cheap as it is going to be. (And that sucks, but this is reality, not "what should be.") And for that matter, if you don't reload, but you always wanted to start, DO IT NOW. I even put together a video about it, which you can watch here. 

There are obviously other considerations. In general, having 72 hours worth of shelf stable food and water in the house never hurt anybody. Make sure you have a decent first aid kit along with some trauma level stuff in the event of the worst. Know how to use it all.

Take care of you and your family, as I fear things will get weird. If you live in a major city, have a plan to bug in and bug out. I hope I'm wrong and that 2024 is a very uneventful year, but as things keep repeating, I doubt that it will.

Lastly, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! Despite the fears that I have, I also have high hopes for us all. Be well!