If you’re a snobby shooter then this article isn’t going to make you happy, but it might be just what you need to hear. The truth is that you have some expensive firearms, and the chances are astronomically high that you don’t have the skill to exploit their quality. It hurts, I know, but let me explain.

Before we dive into this subject, and the data behind it, we need to further clarify a few things. Nothing in this article is meant to deter you from owning or collecting whatever you want.

I’m simply pointing out the truth that many of us, myself included, delude ourselves in thinking that the next gadget, or a higher quality firearm will take our shooting to the next level, when really the odds are that they will not.

Anecdotes and Hard Data

I can tell you that at one particular competition I saw two different shooters, with brand new $3500 dollar STI pistols, both have negligent discharges. You know how many beat up plastic guns this happened too? NONE!

While this story may be anecdotal, I do have some data to back up my assertion that expensive guns and gear, while cool, are not always necessary.

This information comes from an excellent website called, Precision Rifle Blog. In it they wrote an article where they used some sophisticated ballistic software to model exactly how changing certain variables will effect the outcome on the target.

As the name implies, they are only interested in precision rifle shooting at extended distances. I’m talking distances out to like 2 friggin miles!

At 2 miles most bullets are taking 8 seconds to hit their target.

The writer of the article used a sophisticated software suite that models every variable imaginable for precision rifle shooting. They then started to change variables like cartridges, load consistency, accuracy in distance estimation, and wind calling to see what effects these variables had on the target.

They found that by far the biggest factor that affected long range accuracy was the accuracy of the wind call, which is a human factor. Incredibly, increasing the mechanical accuracy of the weapon system from .8 moa to .3 moa only increased the odds of hitting a target at distances between 700-1000 yards by 4%!

This means that doubling the mechanical accuracy of the rifle, only increased the odds of hitting the target marginally. The real cost of going from a .8 moa gun to a point .3 moa gun might be $3000!

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They found that if you decreased the wind call error from 4 mph down to 2 mph your accuracy would drastically increase, up to 31% greater chance of hitting your target at distance.

Now I know some of you are saying, “great Jake, but all that wind call stuff is for long distance shooting nerds” and you are right. But you are failing to see the bigger picture.

The biggest increase in accuracy was not increasing the mechanical accuracy of the weapon system, it was increasing the shooting skill of the operator. This is just as applicable to any other firearm and shooting style.

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Snobbery

If I had a dollar for every time someone took a crap one someone else’s gun setup you’d be calling me Jeffy Bezos. Most of this is just plain snobbery brought on by successful marketing campaigns by weapons and equipment manufacturers. I mean if SEALs don’t use it then why should I own it right?

Here’s why….

Yep it’s an issued weapon to many SOCOM units

Now I’m not taking a crap on the SCAR, because I still want want one, and logically that’s crazy. It doesn’t work that well, it’s really expensive, but hey I saw some other SEALs use it right?

What Your Money Should Buy

I’m sure most of you think I’m a communist and are angrily writing emails as fast as you can type, but here me out before you press send. There are a few cases where you might legitimately need an expensive high quality firearm, apart from just wanting something really cool.

Case 1

You are purchasing a defensive weapon, wether that’s for concealed carry, or for your home. This weapon needs to run, and it needs to work all the time, in less than optimal situations.

Again we need to consider our situation and where we are likely to use it. Is our home defense gun likely to need a special nitride coating that allows you submerge it in sea water for months and still shoot it? Probably not, but you might need something that will operate with a wide variety of ammunition and will chamber those rounds easily without malfunction.

Case 2

You are an armed professional and your life, your buddies, or the people you are paid to protect depend on your weapons and equipment working. In this case we still need to consider what environment these weapons will be in to make sure we are buying the best fit for our mission requirements.

In this scenario it makes sense to purchase a thousand dollar plus firearm, if it fits the agencies’ requirements. The part you don’t see is the annual training, schooling, and qualification requirements that normally comes along with these expensive weapons systems.

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Parting Thoughts

As I stated in the beginning I’m not opposed to fancy guns, and gear, I still like that stuff, but I am opposed to folks taking a dump on good equipment because it didn’t cost them a mortgage payment.

I would also encourage you to seek to improve your skill. Places like the American Warrior Society are a great online resource to learn the skills that will allow you fully use very high quality equipment.

If you’re more of a book worm like me, then check out any book by Kyle Lamb, former Delta Sgt Major and all around badass. He has an excellent book on rifle shooting called, Green Eyes Black Rifles that I highly recommend.

Remember the guy who bought a Glock, a thousand rounds of ammo, and a training course from a reputable trainer will always be better than the guy who bought a custom 1911 from the hottest gun smith and shot it once at the range.

Like the article, hated it? Well come at me bro! Put your thoughts in the comments section.

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