Loadout Room Guest Authors

Special Operations Snipers Going to a New Caliber Ammunition

U.S. Special Operations troops will soon be fielding sniper systems in a new caliber that will double their hit probability at 1000 meters, has less wind drift, increases their range by a half and cut down on the weight of their ammunition. The 6.5mm Creedmoor which has been kicking around for about a decade is […]

Getting your hands dirty: The practical value of impractical hobbies

You take a rusty piece of scrap metal, a hack saw, a file, and you get to work. After hours of cutting, grinding, and sanding spread out of a week’s worth of days, you’re left with a knife that’s probably not quite as good as one you might buy at Walmart for just less than […]

A retired Navy SEALs Everyday Carry

I am a retired Navy SEAL. This shapes the way that I think, react and interact with the world around me. This also means that I don’t look at the world in the same way that “normal” people do. I have seen my fair share of dick-dragging gunfights in combat zones of all types: pre-invasion, […]

Why you should be carrying a medical kit

If you carry a firearm, you should be carrying a med kit or IFAK (individual first aid kit.) The two go hand in hand really, if you get shot in a gunfight it sure will be convenient to have a med kit on hand. It will also come in handy should anybody else who doesn’t […]

Cold Steel Jungle Machete

Machetes are a great tool to have in the arsenal. I’ll be honest in saying that during the majority of my time in the Ranger Regiment, machetes were not all that common. They were, however, used by some lead elements to break through brush when conducting jungle specific operations or movements through the densely vegetated […]

What does the EDC of a Firefighter/Paramedic look like?

I’ve been a professional firefighter for over two years and am working on my probation at my second department (and what I hope to be my last). As a paramedic for upwards of 8 years, what I carry in my pockets as my EDC (everyday carry) has changed greatly over that time period. Being a […]

Flashlights, weapon lights and your EDC options

Carrying a flashlight is a great idea and can seriously come in handy. It’s one of those tools that when you need one you really need one. There are a lot of light options out there and picking the right one for you can be a bit daunting. That said, carrying anything is better than nothing provided […]

Altama Maritime Assault boots

I was in the market for a new pair of shoes when I spotted these browsing Instagram. I at first scrolled right past thinking they were another pair of black chucks, but upon closer inspection, these were a whole different animal. The Altama Maritime Assault boots come in two heights and I opted for the […]

When point shooting in CQB is good to go

For every shooter there is a certain range that they reach their limit of proficiency at, of course this is not a constant but changes with time and practice; as skill improves, so does the distance. This point of proficiency is the furthest distance the shooter can effectively engage point targets with an almost constant […]

How to “slice the pie” for beginners

There are several different schools of thought out there for CQB (close quarters battle) tactics. The one thing that will remain constant, provided technology doesn’t find a way around it, is the act of slicing the pie. This is a term used to round corners or objects that obstruct the shooters field of view while […]