Rifle Low Light AAR
We love hearing from our students. We received this AAR (after action review) from a student that attended our recent Rifle Low Light - Day One class and thought we would share it:
I signed up for last night's course last minute (thanks Jared and Abby for fitting me in) mainly as something fun to end the year with. The reality of my current assignment, using and shooting under Nods is zero. And after selling my PVS-14 last year (like an idiot), it is definitely a zero chance. Don't get me wrong, shooting steel under Nods with IR lasers was awesome! The last time I did anything remotely close was '07 in Lejune with a Peq2 bolted to the plastic hand guards of a 16A2 donning 7B's. But I quickly learned that last night would become the "Dot Torture" of carbine courses. At least it was for me.
The reason I call it the dot torture course is that the fundamentals (whether it was marksmanship, weapons manipulation, transitions, reloads, etc...) were amplified in the no light conditions. I could always cheat in "low light" settings because there's always some sort of ambient light from the line. I could verify what I was doing or what was happening. I learned under Nods, you are on your own.
Dry fire has been paying off. Utilizing the tempo drill with the Co2 pistol in the garage worked out well at the match earlier in the day and definitely doing target ID drills with the carbine. Adjusted my hold over with the new 1.93" mount. Finding that third sight picture was magnified at night. The reloads were as clean as they could have been at night, thanks to dry reps. But the huge light bulb moment...
Trigger reset. Or lack of. Reloads during the daylight, I feel we naturally use all of our senses to address problems. As we should. Maybe you feel the buffer tube lock back. The rifle recoiled shorter. You feel the dead trigger and no reset. Either way, these indicators come secondary after I validate that confidence by glancing into the chamber to look for that void, bolt, or brass party. Even under low light, there's always enough ambient light to see it. Not under Nods. Not focused at that distance.
For the first time ever, I had to react strictly off of the lack of trigger reset. It was immediate indicator that I needed to fix a problem when I didn't feel that reset click. I didn't realize it last night that was what I was subconsciously feeling for. As soon as I didn't feel that second click, the weapon went off Safe and came into the work space, finger went straight to press the mag release. It was weird. How did I know the gun was dry? Am I Jedi? It wasn't till I was walking through the bread aisle today that I almost yelled out "trigger reset". I don't know why, but this was mind blowing for me. lol I think we always back up everything with the sense of sight. And after awhile, that sight or image that we look for takes over the actual fundamentals. That "dot torture". Fundamentals. Can't cheat them.
Obviously, my big issue was dropping my head and eyes into the sights. I've been practicing in front of the mirror on purpose for that reason. Doing this, I am able to catch myself and adjust. However, even when dipping my head during the day (even with the higher mount), I could always find the sights somehow. Not last night. There was no way of dipping my head down and looking for that dot. I had to bring it to my eyes. It made it very apparent. This doesn't mean I need to go out and buy a higher mount. It means I need to keep my f-ing head up. Again, that torture. The fundamentals.
One positive I took away was SEK LTAC said I looked confident moving on the range under Nods. I attribute that solely to the confidence in my equipment in movement. What I mean by that is the confidence that my plate carrier was properly sized, the pads in my helmet fit, my sling was at the correct length, my mags were all in the right place, each pouch was out of the way of my work space, my extra commo wire was taped and stowed, the light and laser were mounted where I could reach it, my movement around barricades with outside knee up came natural, my stance (though being picked on by Red) felt steady. The culmination of each little confidence allowed me to focus on what was new and foreign. Allowed me to focus on the fundamentals. Allowed me to focus in general. I contribute this to the years of attending training and figuring out what works. And most importantly what doesn't.
I definitely took away a little lesson from each instructor last night. Chris and working the barricades putting the rifle through one loophole and looking through another. Lateral foot work with Red. The head-up discussion with Jared. It's always the little things. Thanks!