And how.
When the suggestions/requirements say to show up with a known good zero, it’s critical that you do so because failing to do so burns valuable training time. Zeroing can easily suck up half a day…and in a 3 or 4 day course that’s a VAST amount of training time.
Far too many of the 1911’s I’ve seen people shooting are truly not reliable enough for serious use. If a pistol, including 1911’s, cannot fire 1000 consecutive duty rounds without a malfunction, it is not fit for duty/carry.
Doc, I would agree. One thing I will note is that, you can’t blame the weapon, for operator error.
I have a tendency to “slam” the mags home on a locked back slide, inducing malfunctions in a 1911 (“ripple effect” with the rounds). After some good input from LAV, regarding mag changes, this problem was quickly fixed. Loading a pistol is a “finesse” technique…
Doc, good to have you in class…
Mace
Oh, I have many more. I will be releasing them a little at a time. The most embarassing of them will be first. 
Seriously, it was great to train with you Doc. True professionals are always in style.
I’m confused… 
I thought, for a Carbine, the 100 yard zero was deemed less than ideal due to the TRAJECTORY of the .223/5.56 bullet at that zero (rapid fall after 100 yards) and that the 50 yard zero best utilized the trajectory characteristics of the .22 bullet. (About 1.3" high at 100 yards and almost zero again at 250 meters)
Vickers Low Light & Carbine Class in VA
I quote from the above link:
Low Light Intensive 3-Day Carbine & Pistol Course
Instructors: Ken Hackathorn & Larry Vickers
Zeroed Weapons: 50-yard carbine preferred, but others are acceptable if you
have a good reason why and understand it. Know your handguns zero at
various ranges.
Rmpl
The guy who wrote up the description of the low light class (VA Dinger) either did not know or forgot I perfer a 100 meter POA/POI impact zero with a 5.56 mm carbine
it is not a big deal any which way you zero it from 50 yd POA/POI, 100m, or 200 m - there is an argument for and against each one - educate yourself and pick your poison
One thing is absolutely certain - an SMG like 25 yd POA/POI zero is a NO GO with a carbine - you will be way out in left field at distance
Cheers
Larry Vickers
Agreed! A trajectory like a softball…
Rmpl
What are your objections to Ranger Plates?
Do you have any thoughts on Lumpy Plates?
Was it your setup specifically that he disliked? Or does he dislike single point slings altogether??
I have used a single point sling for at least 5 years now, and I like it a lot. It’s never given me any trouble on the range while training.
Need to know…
This really needs some more detail. I’m picturing several variables, but nothing that would dismiss it out of hand, and automatically annoint the Aimpoint with 3x as king…
Can you help us understand better?
LAV is not a fan of single point slings, but he really hates three points.
He told us in the March AK class that they were king for transitioning shoulders but he did not care for them for anything else. I think the consensus was sort of that if you do a lot of vehicular in/out then they are good as well. Naturally Larry favored the adjustable 2 point. Imagine that… 
Well, I guess when I go to a carbine class with him I’ll see how my tried and true MOUT sling does…
Shivan-
… a couple of thoughts …
First, I wouldn’t change my gear just to avoid commentary from an instructor. If its what I would normally use, then I’d run it. What might be very valid from the instructor’s perspective, might not affect me. Take the class with what you carry / use normally and adjust from there based on your experience & what you learn.
Second, you commented on the single point from a training environment. I ran a Wilderness single point in the middle east for a full year. One addition I made was that addition of the adapter they make. This allowed me to run it as a single point when we were mounted & doing raids -and- let me use it as a coventional two point when walking (dismounted patrolling) or not out in sector.
Were I to do to nothing but vehicle mounted work - where I had to have a carbine on me all the time - I’d stay with a single point. But I’ve switched because it is not real viable for the majority of what I do right now.
Agreed, never would change it, unless the suggestions made sense for me. It has lasted through commentary from instructors at BW, EAG, 10-8, etc… Most of their commentary included personal preference only.
The one AI that had a comment about single point slings was of some use to me, and others using them. If you were to get into a hand-to-hand altercation with an assailant, a single point sling may be harder to slip out of if the BG got control of you using your carbine and sling. Whereas a 2-point sling could be slipped fairly easily…
For this reason, I now carry two pig stickers readily available on my gear. Either to cut the BG who has both hands on my carbine, or to cut myself away from the sling if I was truly jammed up so bad that I couldn’t detach the buckle.
Second, you commented on the single point from a training environment. I ran a Wilderness single point in the middle east for a full year. One addition I made was that addition of the adapter they make. This allowed me to run it as a single point when we were mounted & doing raids -and- let me use it as a coventional two point when walking (dismounted patrolling) or not out in sector.
Were I to do to nothing but vehicle mounted work - where I had to have a carbine on me all the time - I’d stay with a single point. But I’ve switched because it is not real viable for the majority of what I do right now.
In reality, if I needed a carbine in my life, highly unlikely as it is, it would probably be while mounted AND driving. The Specter MOUT sling I use allows me to jettison the weapon using the buckle between the two parts. So I would be able to dismount the weapon without removing the sling, and when I transitioned out of the drivers seat, I can grab carbine, move behind cover, and reattach the weapon as necessary.
FWIW, a lot of instructors have commented on my Eagle Industries chest rig too…I find it works for me, and it too has lasted through since BW some 5 years or so ago…
I just like to be prepped for the shit talkin’ that might be headed my way.
Thank you for posting this Larry, there is quite a bit of confusion on this, perhaps a good subject for “tactical tips” ?
There was no shit talking by Larry; I tend not to be a shrinking violet and there was a funny exchange regarding the merits of the single-point and its proper set-up. You had to be there. There WERE some real characters in the class and there was a lot of good natured banter among the students present. It was all in good fun.
My single-point sling was pretty beaten-up after a number of training days and about three weeks of various schools, i.e. crawling around on concrete, crawling around on gravel, crawling around on dirt, more crawling around on concrete, a little rappeling, etc. It was held together with zip-ties on the Fas-tex and butt ugly.
Larry tends to provide opportunities to see if your gear works. It’s up to you to decide whether it suits your intended use. I switched to his two-point for my issue rifle after seeing it used, properly.
What is the proper way to adjust the VCAS? Is it as stated earlier just a t-shirt on and adjust to it’s tight est point so it can be shouldered naturally? Then use the adjustment strap to let out extra room for gear (vest, Chest rig,…)
What is used properly?
I don’t want to beat an old horse, but I want to make sure I am using my VCAS properly.
Also, what about the 100 is preferred above the 50 yard zero?
Mr. Vickers both of these would be excellent “Tactical Tips” for your site…
Sincerely THANK YOU.
Yes, does Larry prefer students arrive at his class with a 50 yard zero or a 100 yard zero for carbines?
I ask because the class descriptions specify a 50 yard zero.
See post #25 by Larry.
Lumpy196,
One of the guys there had S&B Short Dot’s mounted on his carbines–he was a relatively inexperienced carbine shooter. He also made the mistake of getting the S&B post reticle (#2?) instead of the CQB reticle. He was shooting shotgun pattern groups, even at 25 yards. Freddie gave him a Comp M4 to try. I zero’ed it for him (the gun would shoot into little silver dollar size groups for me). The gentleman’s groups immediately shrank to a third of the previous shotgun pattern and improved from there. As I noted–not everyone is able to take advantage of the S&B–it is a shooter problem, not a scope problem. I am increasingly convinced that for the vast majority of carbine users, an Aimpoint is the best way to go.
Submariner,
The Ranger plates tend not to work as well when using the mag as a monopod shooting off a variety of hard surfaces. In addition, the standard Magpul turned 90 degrees (ie. loop running anterior-posterior, rather than the traditional side-to-side) seems to provide more protection when a mag drops to the deck.
I’m tracking with you now. Thanks for the clarification.
I use Aimpoints on most of my carbines. I have an S&B on the “main”.
Thanks for the insight.