I recently took TDI’s TacRifle I. It was a blast of a 3 days class. Can’t wait for 2 and 3 in the next 2 months. I made a little video from the class. If anyone is in the vicinity of TDI I can’t recommend them enough.
I watched up to the positions segment and the prone shooting afterward. I’m wondering what their instructions were regarding using a magazine monopod. The technique wasn’t being utilized in the clip, and I’m wondering if that was deliberate, and if so, what the stated rationale was.
They didn’t really talk about bi or mono pods and I don’t think anyone really asked about them.
Well, if you got through a class that covered the prone position and you’re not sure what I mean by “magazine monopod,” then I’d call that a red-flag for the instructors. I’m not saying they’re incompetent, but it’s a little odd that it didn’t get brought up.
I never said I didn’t know what they are. I know what they are. I’m just saying that they didn’t talk about them in the class and none of the students asked about them. Some people were using bi-pods, some people were just on their bags, some people had sand bags. Didn’t see anyone with a magazine monopod.
Oh okay. I just wasn’t sure because of the way you’re phrasing it, IE, “didn’t talk about bipods or monopods” and “didn’t see anyone with a magazine monopod.” Everyone presumably had magazines in their AR’s, so really, they all had magazine monopods - if you know what I mean.
Not being critical. Really. I just saw the segment when you’re shooting prone unsupported and thought, “why doesn’t he put his magazine on the ground?” That’s all.
No problem. Its all good. 
I’ll see what they have to say about it next month when I’m there for TR2 though.
Agree. This is really is the best option IF you have to shoot prone. For it not to be taught is odd to me.
Was just at Hackathorn’s carbine class in PA. He basically stopped teaching kneeling and prone shooting (as there are more important things to concentrate on).
C4
Video is nicely done. Thanks for posting.
Well, it took probably 45min of a 3 day class to cover it. I don’t know how long the Hackathorn class it, but between the 3 levels of this class its 7 days worth of training so I think it was a worthwhile thing to fit in there.
In a 3 day class, you do have a lot more time to teach things like kneeling and prone (which makes me wonder why using the mag as a monopod wasn’t taught).
C4
While I use and teach the mag support method, here is some insight as to why some old time instructors or instructors taught by old timers as to why they are against it…
I do know that many old time military types were trained to use a classic prone position with the rifle supported and not rested on the magazine. So you will see some mil type instructors teaching it. I do know that the largest producers of instructors is the NRA and they still teach a full support and are against a rested mag support. I still take an NRA course every 3 years or so on my employers dime in order to keep all my NRA certs updated, instead of submitting ongoing training records and my own $50, but as of my last course that I repeated for the nth time being the patrol rifle course about 2 years ago, the NRA is still against the mag support for the classic reason of inducing failures with a rested magazine. So the full support prone is still widely taught out there.
I will also add however that I do teach a fully supported prone position because it can give added height to perhaps clear an object while staying prone. Also guys who are more barrel chested, wearing armor and a helmet which can create its own issue, often times have a harder time making the mag rest prone position work for them.
Thanks for the insight!
Right. Like you said, old habits die hard. I saw a bunch of Gunsite fans at a recent class. NONE of them would use the mag in the prone position (even after the instructor addressed it multiple times). :rolleyes:
For whatever reason, many firearms instructors and or facilities are stuck in 1980 and refuse to grow.
C4
Gunsite is the epitomy of refusing to change with the lessons learned over the past decade by our troops. Money spent much better elsewhere.
And what are you basing this statement on?