Today, we’re diving headfirst into the world of survival preparedness and the critical role that firearm proficiency plays in ensuring your safety in dire situations. Whether you’re facing the untamed wilderness or navigating through urban chaos, being armed with the right skills and gear can make all the difference between survival and succumbing to the elements. So, grab your earbuds and get ready to lock and load with us!
“Why emergencies and riots John?”, you ask. Well, let’s see. We live in a world of disasters, both natural and man-made. Tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other weather phenomena happen all the time. They disrupt supply chains, essential services, and communications. Say an earthquake hits Los Angeles. (Stop it, stop rooting for that.) Suddenly, three point eight million people are without electricity, drinking water, access to food, and no communication. If you don’t think it would become the stone age in a day you haven’t been paying attention to the news.
Then you have man-made disasters. You know, the economy making things hard if not impossible for some, our dependence on foreign oil with increasing prices, and riots over slights, both real and imagined. Because when the faithful decide it’s time to start their Christmas shoplifting early, nothing will stand in their way. You may find yourself in the middle of the latest Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, ruled by savages who are untouchable by the police. Money means nothing, and it’s the law of the jungle.
And yes, riots, because Americans are tired of the government and their three letter agencies being weaponized against them. The day is soon coming when we take to the streets in dune buggies and face paint, glad to be free of society’s rules. No, that’s not the weirdest sentence I’ve ever uttered. That was last Tuesday. So, if you hear the purge siren sounding, are you going to be comfortable in your ability to make it home, or are you going to be left hoping for a miracle? Just my opinion, but putting together a toolset to deal with any situation that brings out the worst in people is preferable to not having one. And one of the most important tools in that kit should be at minimum proficiency with firearms.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. I’m in no way, shape, or form advocating or looking forward to any kind of revolution here. I’ve been to places where one half of the country thought the other half would be better off unalived. The damage to cities and infrastructure and the toll in human lives just makes me think that there has to be a better way. Blown-up buildings and self-detonating meat pinatas leave permanent images in your brain. Oh, look — another shower of fiery debris and human limbs. Nothing good comes from fighting a war on your home ground. But people have their limits, and other people seem to feel it’s their job to push the limits.
Remember, hope isn’t a plan. Don’t count on, without any prior effort or training that you’ll rise to the occasion, which is like expecting your cat to start barking one morning because you always wanted a dog. Ain’t happening. You’re not the Bad News Bears. Find a reputable instructor, get training, and practice. Amateurs practice until they can get it right; professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.
So, in the unpredictable theater of survival, firearm proficiency stands tall as a non-negotiable pillar of preparedness. Picture this: you’re stranded in the wilderness, surrounded by the deafening silence of the unknown, when suddenly, you hear the unmistakable growl of a predator lurking nearby. And remember, this could actually be an animal growl, or the guttural voice of a methhead armed with a machete demanding money. In such moments, your ability to wield a firearm effectively could mean the difference between becoming the hunter or the hunted.
Being proficient with firearms isn’t just about mastering the art of shooting; it’s about instilling confidence in your abilities to defend yourself and your loved ones when the stakes are at their highest. Whether it’s navigating through treacherous terrain or facing off against unexpected threats, the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can handle a firearm can’t be overstated.
Now, let’s talk turkey—or rather, targets. When it comes to survival, honing your shooting skills isn’t just about hitting bullseyes at the range; it’s about adapting to real-world scenarios where split-second decisions can make or break your chances of survival.
First and foremost, mastering marksmanship fundamentals such as grip, stance, and sight alignment lays the groundwork for becoming a proficient shooter. But survival situations often demand more than just static target shooting. That’s where dynamic shooting skills like rapid target acquisition, shooting on the move, and shooting from unconventional positions come into play. One of the best ways to become proficient in everything you’d need to do in a gunfight is to get involved with your local International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) club.
IDPA as a sport is quite simply the use of practical equipment including full charge service ammunition to solve simulated “real world” self-defense scenarios. Shooters competing in IDPA events are required to use practical handguns and holsters that are truly suitable for self-defense use. No “competition only” equipment is permitted in IDPA matches since the main goal is to test the skill and ability of an individual, not his equipment or gamesmanship. The sport of IDPA shooting is a safe way to practice your handgun handling skills in defensive scenarios as well as test your shooting skills in scenarios and standards exercises. Here’s a link to the IDPA website. Find a club, go watch a match, then get shooting in them.
Whether you’re stalking prey in the wilderness or defending your homestead from intruders, the ability to shoot accurately under pressure is paramount. And let’s not forget the psychological aspect—maintaining a cool head and steady hand amidst the chaos separates the amateurs from the seasoned survivors. If you’ve never shot under pressure you need to so you can see how you’ll really perform. Since, hopefully, none of your friends will volunteer to shoot at you so you can experience stress, try running a couple hundred yards then engage targets while your pulse rate is up and you’re sucking for air like a beached grouper. You’ll see a whole new side of that sight alignment and trigger squeeze thing, guaranteed.
In the world of survival preparedness, your gear can mean the difference between weathering the storm and being swept away by it. And when it comes to firearms, having the right tools in your arsenal is absolutely critical. When assembling your bug-out bag or survival kit, prioritizing lightweight and versatile firearms is key. Compact yet powerful options like the AR-15 or just about any of the modern semi-automatic pistols offer a perfect balance of firepower and portability, making them ideal choices for survival scenarios.
But it’s not just about the guns themselves; it’s also about the accessories that complement them. Optics, such as red dot sights or low-power scopes, can enhance your accuracy and target acquisition speed, especially in low-light conditions. And let’s not forget about ammunition—stockpiling the right caliber for your chosen firearms is a no-brainer. For anything battery-powered, make sure you have abundant spares, and a plan B for when the powered optics just won’t work anymore.
Of course, gear recommendations extend beyond just firearms. Items like cleaning kits, spare parts, and tactical gear such as holsters and slings should also find their way into your survival cache. Remember, it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
To learn how to put together a complete bug-out bag, visit The Grizzled Grunt’s YouTube Channel and watch the video “Get home SHTF bag and load out” Get the wisdom and practical knowledge of an infantry God and Global War on Terror veteran. Link to the video.
To truly grasp the importance of firearm proficiency in survival situations, we need to look no further than real-life examples where lives were saved—or lost—based on individuals’ ability to handle firearms effectively. And please, for the love of God if you’re going to research firearm use saving lives, don’t do it in Google or Bing. By design, these two search engines are programmed to give you nothing but anti-gun views, as the left is so superior to we mere mortals and they know what’s best. If this entire massive corporation hates some of its own customers so much, why bother providing Internet search at all instead of, say, a cable that delivers an endless stream of spiders straight into our homes? Use Brave instead. They’re actually apolitical.
I challenge you to find a day in the last year where there wasn’t one single homicide, home invasion, or home invasion resulting in homicide. Finding the cases is easy enough.
One such case is that of April 4, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois, where a doorbell camera captured a homeowner’s incredible defense against two armed, masked men who brazenly tried to rob the residence in broad daylight. The video shows that when the homeowner answers the door, two would-be robbers force their way inside. A struggle ensues off-camera, and the homeowner is next seen chasing down and fighting with one of the intruders on his front lawn. When the homeowner returned inside, police said, he found the second intruder pointing a gun at his wife and children. The homeowner retrieved his own gun from a safe, then shot and killed the assailant in defense of his family. In this harrowing ordeal, the survivor’s quick thinking and proficient firearm skills undoubtedly played a pivotal role in their escape from danger.
But not all lessons come from success stories. Tragically, there are also instances where lack of firearm proficiency has led to dire consequences. Take, for example, November 24, 2022 in Dekalb County, Georgia, where a man was killed on Thanksgiving after a shootout at a DeKalb County parking lot on Thursday, according to police. Officers said just after 11:30 a.m., they responded to an area off Candler Road and Interstate 20 regarding a person who was shot. Once there, they found a man in his 30s, wounded and lying in the middle of the parking lot. Police said that he was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Officers later stated he died from his injuries. According to witnesses who met with police, the victim was in a shootout with someone else before getting shot himself. Officers said that no other victims were located. There is also no word on who the suspect was or his/her condition. In this scenario, the inability to effectively wield a firearm resulted in a missed opportunity for self-defense, highlighting the sobering reality of the importance of preparation and training.
Summing up, the lessons learned from these real-life survival incidents serve as reminders of the critical role that firearm proficiency plays in ensuring our safety and security in the face of adversity. By honing our shooting skills, equipping ourselves with the right gear, and learning from the experiences of others, we can better prepare ourselves for whatever challenges may lie ahead.
And there you have it, folks! We’ve covered everything from the importance of firearm proficiency in survival situations to essential shooting skills, gear recommendations, and real-life case studies. Remember, when it comes to survival, preparation is key—and mastering firearm skills is an indispensable part of that equation.
I’m either dead right, or horribly wrong. Either way, the results should be entertaining.
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