We all suffer from what my instructor in the early days of computers called “information overload.” Too much information delivered with too-little context. There was no reliable way to discern the difference between real knowledge and regurgitated information.
The only thing that’s changed since then is the magnitude of both. Today, you can get “instant expertise” via Google along with a side of opinion disguised as fact, peddled with a heaping helping of emotion. It’s more difficult to acquire the information essential to achieving knowledge. Knowledge takes time. Regurgitation is, as it sounds, nearly instantaneous.
To me, knowing a subject means being able to explain complex concepts in simple terms. That includes being able to demonstrate the difference between upgrades and marketing-based SKU “expansions” – and have no compunction about being honest about both. Last week’s event with the MidwayUSA Foundation demonstrated the difference in no uncertain terms.
As I wrote in yesterday’s post, the Vortex Edge instructors were more than capable of demonstrating the technology involved in the company’s optics. They were also capable of explaining why the technology mattered.
There were other experts on hand as well. The team from Silencer Central didn’t just explain how they’ve helped simplify the suppressor acquisition process from the legal side, they were also there to help Vortex Edge Experience participants apply for their suppressor permits with the ATF. It’s one thing to hear someone talk about individual silencer ownership versus various trusts. Seeing them explain it and then carry through the process was impactful.
Karter’s ability to explain different manufacturing techniques and the materials and assembly processes used in various suppressors helped us understand how gun “mufflers” are really as job-specific as the mufflers on everything from cars to power tools. The advancement of 3D printing technology explained why it’s better to print some products designed to hit certain price points. And his explanations of NFA trusts versus individual ownership of suppressors also enabled attendees to decide which was best for each of them.
For me, the session on Ruger’s new American Gen. II rifle corrected my misconception about the new gun. I have both models, but knew the “old” rifle absolutely is capable of outshooting my abilities. I suspected the newer version of the American might be more “SKU expansion” than a new product because I lacked essential trigger time on my own rifle.
After shooting it for a while, there was a realization. I was, to use a very exact word, wrong.
Ruger engineer Mike Johnson was there to explain the upgrades. He should know as he worked on engineering them. He explained each of the several improvements, from a stiffened stock to a new trigger.
The stock fit better and the trigger was noticeably improved. It felt more like an aftermarket replacement than the one in my Gen1 American. Johnson also explained the best features of the “old” model weren’t ditched, they’ve been augmented after feedback from buyers, shooters, and Ruger’s own engineers.
The effectiveness of any shooting system (rifle, optic, etc..) is only proven one way…by shooting it.
As MidwayUSA Executive Director Scott Reynolds had explained to me earlier, Vortex hadn’t been asked to provide their best, brightest or most expensive scope, only to select “the Vortex optic that best fit the rifle and caliber. They chose their Venom 3-15×44 FFP model.
As we used the Ruger rifles and the Venom scopes, we crept our distances out from the 50 yard boresighting distance on the indoor ranges. As we transitioned to targets at distances from 400 to 1,000 yards (and beyond), it was obvious the combination of rifle and scope in 6.5 Creedmoor was more than enough to accomplish the vast majority of shooting and hunting situations any of us we were likely to encounter.
Not too long ago hitting targets at those distances required custom rifles, extremely expensive optics and lots of fiddling to get things tuned. Last weekend, every shooter hit their 1,000-yard goal with a rifle, optic and suppressor combination that costs under $2500...including the AFT’s $200 tax stamp and establishment of an NFA trust for the suppressor.
That’s less than the cost of most true custom rifles. As I’ve written before, this is a great time to be a shooter.
We’ll keep you posted.
I sometimes wonder just what could be accomplished with a neutral AI to run the initial calculation experiments and identify possible optimized configurations to be investigated by humans and reenter the data with updates to further refine research. Then I realize it would be exactly what we have now just more quickly realizing the NFA is blocking a lot of things and chemistry/tolerances/metallurgy can only be so perfect.