Student of the Gun University

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com  Despite the advice from some “C” students masquerading as firearms instructors, marksmanship or more precisely the ability to deliver shot placement on demand is important, even in combat. We have historical evidence to support our position.

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com How can you get the most from your time and ammunition? Both ammunition and time are investments. We certainly do not want to waste money or waste time. Let’s consider how we can get the most from both our monetary and time investment.  www.oneboxworkout.com

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Do you need aftermarket parts from your fighting rifle? Should you add aftermarket triggers etc. to your AR? What are the pros and cons? Remember we have a new book; the Martial Application of the Rifle available at www.shopsotg.com

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Do you and your buddies only go to the range when it is sunny and warm outside? When it gets cold, do you stop practicing? When it comes to team building, adversity builds camaraderie. People will not remember a range trip on a sunny afternoon, but they will recall that training session in the cold, rain, sweltering heat, etc.

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com We are going to go back to the theme of episode 001: How to find a good instructor?  This time we are going to consider the difference between a coach and an equipment manager. If you missed Professor Paul’s article, take a look.  https://studentofthegun.com/articles/firearms-training/coach-vs-equipment-manager/

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Is it your desire to get on the road to mastery? If so, how do you get there? Regarding the use of firearms, how can a person become a master in their use? One way to achieve mastery is to focus your efforts on a single area or project. Too often, your pathway to mastery is broken by distraction or task confusion.

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com  We have come to the final pillar of the Four Pillars of Combat: Gear. For most American men, it is the topic of gear that occupies the majority of their thoughts, their money, and their time. Good gear cannot be and should not be discounted. How do we sort through all of the noise and clutter to secure high quality, useful gear for ourselves?

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com As we continue with the examination of the Four Pillars of Combat we move on to the topic of skill. Skill requires dedication and commitment. It has been said that education or training combined with dedicated practice produces skill. Skill is absolutely important. However, we must ask ourselves, is a high level of skill enough for us to succeed and be vi...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com  Continuing with the Four Pillars of combat, we will address tactics. When all else is equal, it is the tactics employed by the individual or the unit that will decide the outcome. Tactics combine skill but are not merely skill. Tactics also employ mindset, but mindset alone is not enough to ensure victory.

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com  There are Four Pillars of fighting or personal combat. During the next four episodes we will discuss each of them and their importance to the armed citizens or the warrior. Mindset comes first and it is the most important. Your mindset is what determines the choices you make and how you look at all of the other pillars. Without a proper mindset, everyth...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com What is The Naked Principle? How does it apply to firearms training? Professor Paul shareshis thirty plus years of teaching people, young and old, male and female,  how to employ firearms. We will discuss the best way for a husband or boyfriend to help their wife or girlfriend to become proficient in the use of arms. Paul will give his advice in regard to...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Guns and gear and accessories are tools, it is the human that is the operating system. In what condition is your operating system?  Too often we try to fix problems by buying things. Expensive guns do not shoot themselves. If you plan to survive a hostile encounter and to keep surviving, you need to spend some time focusing on the operating system for the...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com “The most important lesson I learned...was that the winner of a gunplay usually was the one who took his time. The second was that, if I hoped to live on the frontier, I would shun flashy trick-shooting--grandstand play--as I would poison...In all my life as a frontier peace officer, I did not know a really proficient gunfighter who had anything but conte...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com This will be one of many future “mythbusting” episodes. Today we will examine home defense or personal defense shotgun. The shotgun is a tremendously effective self-protection tool when used properly. During this segment we will address popular myths surrounding the defensive shotgun. Is it truly impossible to miss with a shotgun? Do you need to train and...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Before you adopt the latest technique or purchase the newest product that is supposed to fix a problem that heretofore did not exist, you need to have an honest conversation with yourself and determine the goal of the exercise. Mission or goal focus is critical for success. Anything that detracts from the goal should be considered with a critical eye. Is...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com  We have noticed a trend over the last decade or so. Rifle scope magnification power has gone up dramatically. Fifteen to twenty years ago, a ten power scope was considered to be a high power magnification.  A 3-9x variable was the industry standard. Now the old 3-9x scopes seem antiquated or underpowered. What is the real answer? Do you really need 15,...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com One of the many lessons from our Precision Rifle course is that you cannot neglect 100 yards if you want to hit 1000 yards.  It is the same fundamentals that you apply or do not apply at 100 yards that will translate to hits or misses at 1000 yards.  We stress to our students that the fundamentals of marksmanship translate, regardless of the distance or t...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com  Many of you who know me or follow SOTG know that I like to pluck on the guitar from time to time. The late, great Jeff Cooper once opined that; “Owning a guitar does not make you a musician and owning a gun does not make you an armed citizen.” We don’t become musicians or rock stars by purchasing expensive guitars. Likewise, we do not become armed citiz...

Support this show at  https://www.sotgu.com There are so many different colors and styles of handgun sights, even veterans can become confused as to which is the best choice for a fighting / martial handgun. We talk about the Science of Sight, color vision issues and the biology of the human eye. You may never look at pistol sights in the same way again after this show.  https://www.nightfision.co...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com If you are a gun person, you likely get dozens of emails a week and see dozens more ads for firearm accessories that are supposed to make your gun more accurate or make you a better shooter. Can scopes, sights, or lasers make your gun “more accurate”? Do Match triggers make you a better shooter? What do you really need? When you are considering gear or ac...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Why do people struggle so hard in order to maintain mediocrity? Recently I made a public declaration regarding the “press check”. “The Press Check is a nervous tick developed through poor training and watching too many online videos.” One of the greatest aspects of being an American is that you can choose whether or not you want to excel at a given activi...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com Many years ago, a friend who is also a martial arts and firearms instructor stated that Skill is the combination of training and practice. Training or learning is both mental and physical. The use of arms is physical, hands on activity therefore time and effort must be put forth in order to improve and master that activity.  Unfortunately, our society has...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com There is an unfortunate situation that exists in the firearm training culture; that it is alright or acceptable to teach below average or subpar techniques or tactics during a Beginner’s Class. There are instructors who view beginner classes as simply a block checking exercise to get people to come back for the “advanced” training class. The first firearm...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com For episode #3, we will take a moment to consider the Top 3 Mistakes that new gun owners make before they take training. “I need to practice before I take training.”  No, you don’t and I’ll tell you why. “My Concealed Carry Course is all the training I need.” Sadly, this is nowhere close to being true. Buying the wrong gear or gear that you really don’t n...

Support this show at https://www.sotgu.com There is a definite hierarchy when it comes to personal defense and being prepared to save your life with a gun in hand. James Yeager at Tactical Response started expressing the hierarchy for gunfighting over 20 years ago. It goes like this: Mindset, Tactics, Skill, and Gear.  Notice that Mindset is first and gear is last. Mindset is what guides you and w...