2014 Winter Field Training Exercise (FTX)

Steve (L) and Ed (R) discuss the course of fire

Right after the Christmas holiday, the 6.5 Guys hit the road in the Match RV for a full day of field training exercises (FTX) in the cold winter weather at Rock Lake rifle range. This site in Eastern Washington state is a tactical precision shooters playground and offers an amazing variety of steel targets from 200+ yards to well past 1000 yards. Additionally, there are number of natural terrain features and a variety of barricade positions to shoot from. The FTX adventures we take every 2 to 3 months supplement our regular weekly practice sessions at our local 200 yard range, and it gives us more opportunities to train in field conditions that we would normally encounter in a typical tactical long range match. Through actual video shot on location, we share our key takeaways from the winter FTX and and offer our perspectives on how to better prepare for shooting in cold, wet, and windy conditions. Here are our takeaways and observations from the trip:

• Equipment: Our rifles and optics held up without any malfunctions. If you have a sun shade on your scope, we recommend you use it as it keeps snow and slush from accumulating on the objective. The rubber feet on our bipods were prone to slipping on the snow and ice so spiked feet would have come in handy.
• Clothing: We both wore undergarments made of synthetic materials and deployed them in layers which proved effective. Ed wore jeans which really soaked up the moisture. While his undergarments kept moisture away from his skin, he was not very comfortable. Steve’s outer garments were made from rip stop material and held up well. We’ll both be looking for better gloves – something that doesn’t retain water but provides enough agility and sensitivity to shoot with while keeping hands warm. We were surprised at the degree to which the simulated leather on our gloves soaked in and retained moisture. A key takeaway is the need to more closely assess the adequacy of foul weather clothing particularly if you spend most of your time in milder climates. Equipment recommendations from our audience would be most appreciated.
• If you ever get a chance to shoot while snow is falling, do it. You get an excellent visual representation of the wind. Unfortunately, it can be a challenge to spot your misses with snow on the ground.
• Finding your target, particularly when the paint has been stripped off, can be a real challenge when rocks and brush are exposed through the snow – targets just blend in. It became apparent how important it is to establish reference points in the terrain for each target. For example, the 595 yard IPSC target is to the right of the turn in the road. When you are stressed you’ll forget this information, so capture as much as you can on your arm board.
• Don’t let bad weather keep you from shooting. It allows you to test your equipment and also provides a useful form of stress inoculation that will make you a better shooter.
• Make a checklist.  Up to now we’ve been relying on a mental checklist and quite frankly we’ve been lucky.  On this trip we forgot our shooting mat – of all the things to leave behind with snow on the ground.

Again – special thanks to Doug Glorfield for hosting us at the Rock Lake rifle range and to his family for allowing us to stay at their farm.