DarkLordOfOptics
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Guns, Optics, 2nd Amendment and resisting the Left in everything they touch.
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Social Media Crackdown and some random thoughts.

I posted some short blurbs about the social media crackdown in a few places already and figured I should add a little more context to my take on things. This might be long and is likely to meander around a bit, so bear with me
A while back I wrote about the importance of Kamala Harris being on the Democratic ticket (https://darklordofoptics.locals.com/post/167162/the-importance-of-harris).
She is completely and entirely owned by the Big Tech. She is their candidate. She got the VP nomination because she has an umbilical cord to Big Tech money. It did not hurt that she fit the intersectional profile, but ultimately that did not matter all that much. She has value to the DNC because of her link to the Big Tech and value to the Big Tech because she has no principles or beliefs that can not be changed for a few bucks. She is the creature of the Big Tech as are many other cabinet members in the Biden team.
Everything that has been happening in the last year benefits Big Tech. I do not think they had anything to do with COVID leaking out of a Chinese lab, but they definitely took advantage of the opportunity. Big Tech wanted us glued to social media and they got what they wanted. Everyone was stuck at home binging on Netflix/Amazon Prime/Hulu/etc, glued to Facebook and Twitter and shopping on Amazon.
They definitely know how to take advantage of an opportunity.
They also know how to get what they want. If I were to identify what had the most impact on the election that resulted in Kamala Harris in the White House, I would put the Big Tech's control of information at the top of the list. Here is an example for you: depending on which poll you are looking at, around one sixth of the people who were undecided but voted for Biden, said that they would have changed their vote had they known about Hunter Biden being owned by China. That would have probably been enough to swing the election. That is one of the reasons they pushed so hard to get people to vote via mail-in ballots. Once you send your vote in early, you can not easily change it if new information comes out. Early voting is just a bad idea if you want a fair and free election.
Don't get me wrong, corrupt public employees definitely had their part. In a typical year, nationwide, a bit over 6% of absentee ballots are rejected due to various errors. In the 2020 election, despite the fact that there was a much larger number of mail in ballots, the rejection rate was less than 1%. That is preposterous on its face. Difficult to do anything about, but nonetheless preposterous. Mail-in votes generally favoured Biden, but it varied state by state. In Pennsylvania, for example, ~75% of mail-in votes were for Biden. Well, if extra 5% of those were rejected, it could swing the election in PA.
Big Tech suppressed information and convinced the gullible to mail in their votes early, while the election officials accepted everything without verification. Keep in mind, that close to 80% of unelected state bureaucrats vote Democrat. There may be a Republican somewhere in there to put in front of a camera, but the rest of them wanted Biden to win. The election was close and it does not take that much to nudge it over in the direction you want.
To be fair, we should not discard Trump's lack of self-control and propensity to mouth off in random directions. That alone was probably enough to loose re-election. He just would not let Biden sink himself. He had to be in the center of attention 100% of the time, so here we are. If the election was about Biden, Biden would lose. The election ended up being about Trump, so Trump lost and Biden will stop over for a few months in the White House as he relocates from his basement to a nursing home.
Despite all the other nonsense (and any one of the things I mention was probably enough to swing the election), Trump should take a long hard look in the mirror. Hell, he probably lost Arizona because he decided to pick on Senator McCain for some insane reason. I appreciate the man's fighting spirit, but you have to choose your battles.
Anyway, here is where we are now. Big Tech started their crackdown on competition earlier than I though thanks to some assholes storming the Capitol building. I know there is a lot of stuff floating around that there was Antifa involved and I have no way of knowing the veracity of that. The tactics of attacking the police were similar to what Antifa has been doing in Portland. We do know that plenty of Trump supporters were inside the Capitol. That resulted in two things:
1) we can no longer claim that political violence is the province of the Left
2) for the Left, this is the best New Year's gift possible. They will use this as a pretext for all sorts of insane stuff they want to push through and the first one, a crackdown on Big Tech's competitions has already started.

As I write this, Parler is already down. Apple, Google and Amazon came down on Parler all at the same time within 24 hours of each other. Keep me mind they all hate each other, and this is not the kind of stuff they can organize on the fly. This had to be in the works for a while. On top of it, they leaned on everyone who was doing business with Parler, so they will have a hell of a time getting back up.

Twitter banned Trump, allegedly for inciting violence. However, the Iranian Ayatollah has not been banned and he incites violence all the time. That's all he does on Twitter. Hell, he said that they will assassinate Trump once he is out of office. Twitter seems fine with that. For months Democrats and Democrat celebrities have been encouraging their supporters to vilence. They are all still there, not banned:
Madonna (Democrat): "Let's blow up the white house!"
Peter Fonda (Democrat): "Lock 10 year old Barren Trump in a cage with child molesters."
Johnny Depp (Democrat): "We need another John Wilks Booth!"
Tom Arnold (Democrat): "I fantasize about standing over Donald Trump Jr.'s dead body!"
Kathy Griffith (Democrat): Holds up a bloody, decapitated head of Donald Trump
Snoop Dog: (Democrat): Shoots a likeness of Trump in a music video, has Donald Trump in a body bag on his album cover
Joe Biden (Democratic presidential hopeful): "I'd like to take Trump behind a barn to beat him."
Corey Booker (Democratic presidential hopeful): "I dream of punching Trump in the face."
Maxine Waters (Sitting Democratic congresswoman) "Harass Trump's staff and supporters in public and refuse to serve them."

This is a pure and simple Soviet-style purge of dissenting voices and it will not stop with Trump and Parler. It has already touched many anti-Leftist organizations with a big voice (like the "Walk Away" movement) and it will eventually get to small fish like yours truly.

To be fair, these are private companies and they can ban anyone they want. However, they should not enjoy Section 230 protections if that is how they want to play. That's the reason they are doing this now, not a year ago. With Kamala Harris in the White House, they are confident that Section 230 will continue to apply to them.

As it is right now, this is an open assault on the 1st Amendment and an even stronger assault on the 2nd Amendment and the rest of the Bill of Rights is sure to follows.

The end result will be a further rise of 1st Amendment friendly media like Parler, Dailywire and many others, leading to an even further disconnect between the Left and the Right.

It will be interesting to see is Section 230 will apply to Parler when it is reborn. I bet they will find a way to work around it, so that the Leftist thugs can sue Parler out of existence.

But, I digress. Get ready for a few interesting years folks. I want to have a voice on any platform that is willing to have me. I will remain on Facebook and Youtube for as long as I can, but chances are my days there are numbered.

I want to be able to talk to both sides of the isle, but I fear that my ability to do so has an expiration date.

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AR-15 Handguards with integrated Arca rail

I had a couple of ARs I wanted to set up for long range training. There is more to do with them, but I started out by swapping out the handguards for models with an integrated full length Arca rail. Larger flat on the bottom of the handguard helps it settle on the sandbag and makes it easier to shoot off of a tripod. I also found the ability to slide the bipod to different positions occasionally helpful.

The two handguards I have been testing are:

Fast Track my Catalyst Arms: https://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/fast-track-arca-precision-rifle-handguard-ar-15-rpr-only/?ref=fl0iza41

IWI/CMT HDM https://alnk.to/8iWcTQE

Both work well once installed, but IWI/CMT was ultimately less of a hassle to get properly lined up.

Fasttrack barrel nut arrangement is a little goofy and getting properly lined up took some trial and error. Here is the video they made that shows how it is set up. I was going to do my own, but once I got it all aligned, I did not want to mess with taking it up and ...

00:19:29
Burris XTR PS Wrap-Up

The first Burris XTR PS scope I got my hands on landed here in the beginning of March.
That means I have been messing with this design for a bit under four months. That does not quite qualify as a long term test by my standards, but it is a fair amount of time and quite a few rounds shot, mostly 5.56 and 308.
I have both of the models of XTR PS and both work well.
https://alnk.to/3U3cZEC

For matches and such, I would lean toward the 5.5-30x56 version, but for general purpose use, the smaller 3.3-18x50 model does have an edge. You can shoot a match with it, take it hunting in the mountains or slap a thermal clip-on in front to go shoot some pigs. While not light weight, it is a very flexible design owing to moderate size and mid-pack magnification range.

As I said in the video, I think XTR PS is a meaningful step forward in simplifying how we shoot at distance.

I will provide occasional updates as I continue using the scope.

00:26:02
5x Prismatic Wrap-up

This is not the end of my commentary on 5x prismatics, but it is a wrap for an unintentionally very long term project I had. I spent an unhealthy amount of time evaluating these four prismatic riflescopes:
Element Immersive 5x30 https://alnk.to/gzXEPUr
Swampfox Sabre 5x36 https://alnk.to/aAPTubq
Vortex Spitfire Gen2 5x https://alnk.to/3co4hVD
Primary Arms SLx 5x https://alnk.to/2jOhnT7

Two are large prism designs. Two are small prism designs.

The order in which I list them above corresponds to the image quality, from best to worst, although there isn't a ton of difference between SLx and Spitfire Gen2. Purely on the merits of resolution, Sabre is comparable to them as well, but much wider FOV and forgiving eyebox does put it a step above in terms of performance (at the expense of about a pound of weight). Element Immersive 5x30 is a different beast optically and it should be at a higher price at which it sells. It resolves better, has higher contrast and widest FOV of the bunch. Side-focus adds ...

00:16:40

Leupold Scope dump at CDNN.

I just got an email, multiple models and reticles for 3HD, 4HD and 5HD scopes. You need call to get prices.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/optics.html?manufacturer=LEUPOLD

Independence Day, 2025

Publishing a "Happy Independence Day!" a day after independence day is probably bad form. It is also bad for posting affiliate links. Everybody and their grandmother is having discounts and I am not posting any links. To be honest, I do not particularly like posting general links and I simply did not have time to dig through everything and come with specific product links.
Still, if you plan to be buying something from one of the retailers I have an affiliate account with, I would appreciate it if you were to start with one of my links listed in the FAQ: https://darklordofoptics.locals.com/faq

I started writing the more substantive part of this post yesterday, but got sidetracked with thinking about the origin of the ideas that make America and ran out of time. I was only able to get back to it now. I suppose, better late than never.

We live in the world that, as far as the details go, is dramatically different from the world of the founders of the United States.

For the majority of this ...

July 04, 2025

This is a good deal:

https://alnk.to/c0a5bf9

Scoping Gas Guns
an interesting question that acme in via PM

I received this question via a private message and thought it was interesting enough to answer it in some detail.  I have been thinking a lot about appropriate optics for gas guns recently, so this came it at the right time.

 

Here is what I ahve been messing with last few days:

 

Above: 18" WOA barrel 5.56 AR-15 with Burris XTR PS 5.5-30x56 on it.

Below: 22" Satern barrel 224Valkyrie AR-15 with Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 on it.


For obvious reasons, I am not posting who asked the question, but what I'll do is send him a link to this article, so that he gets an answer and we might have a good discussion.
Here is what I received:

Had a question for you
I have a Knights Armament SR25 6.5CM with a 14.5" barrel - I plan on shooting 100 - 600 yards at targets at 100 yd intervals
I am favoring the TT 315P with an Aimpont Acro mounted on top -( see you liked the TT315M) - would that be enough magnification?
I saw the SB SB 5-20 which offer more top end - I like the turrets on the Tanget and tooless Zero - what are your thoughts between the 2?
If I stayed 400 and under - how do you see the TT315P with the Acro Red dot against the SB 1-8 Short Dot (saw your review on that)

There isn't really enough information in the question for a simple answer, so let's consider a couple of options.

What is the gun for? 

For shooting medium range (out to 600) with occasional close range use?  If yes, go with a conventional scope and offset or piggybacked RDS.

For shooting at close distance with occasional med/long range use? If yes, so with a nice LPVO like the above mentioned S&B Short Dot 1-8x24 https://alnk.to/3J8vlFv.  It is quite capable at long range, but where it will really knock your socks off is up close and personal.

The question of what is enough magnification is pretty personal.  For me, 3-15x is plenty, but I shoot a lot off of the tripod and off of barricades which likely influences my decision.  For that, my 3-15x50 TT315M Tangent works great and 6mrad of elevation is plenty.  https://alnk.to/gVNkUXB  175gr #08 out of a shoter tube will drop in the 5 to 5.5mrad range at 600 yards.

For a dedicated long range semi-auto, other than the looks, there isn't much downside to a larger scope, which is why I set up Burris' XTR PS on the 5.56 AR pictured above.  It is for my son to learn to shoot at distance and to us in next year's BOTC match.  https://alnk.to/gp33YuR

If I were setting up an accurate semi-auto and wanted a high mag scope for it, I would likely lean toward March 4.5-28x52. https://alnk.to/dLjHgjh  It is compact, relatively light and very good optically for any use other than the dead of the night (for which we should be using clip-ons anyway).

S&B Short Dot is a very nice scope, but March is a newer design and, other than the lowest light, has an edge in terms of image fidelity and stray light control.

TT315P Tangent is a veyr ncie scope and toolles turrets are appealing.  However, there is a weight penalty to that.  For me, that was not worth it.  I ahve 5-25x56 and 7-35x Tangents and those toolless turrets are spectacular.  However, in a 3-15x50, I am quit ecomfortable with simpler 6mrad per turn knobs on the TT315M.

 

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A morning with a chronograph

When I tell people that I am using Hornady's factory ammo for matches, I get occasionally surprised looks.  Occasionally.  Most of the time, I get fairly condescending looks from handloaders who would not let a factory round pollute the chambers of their precision rifles if their lives depended on it.

To be fair, if I had the time, I might be reloading as well.  I might be able to do better than modern factory ammo, but the truth is that I am not a quarter MOA shooter, so a lot of that would be lost on me.  The UKD matches I fidn most interesting can be done by a competent shooter with a 1MOA gun.  I am working on that first part.  I reload when I have to, but if I can get factory ammo that's not outrageously expensive and that shoots well, I will go with that every time.

I looked around and realized that I have about 600 rounds of Hornady 147gr 6.5CM factory ammo from two lots.  400 rounds from one that I will use during the match later this month.  The remainder I will likely use up practicing prior to that.

I woke up early and snuck out to the range while my family was still asleep earlier today.

I set up in the 100 yard tunnel we have.  I took my four shots to zero with the lot I plan to use for the match.  Then I fired a six shot ~0.7MOA group.  That's accurate enough for my purposes.

Here are the chronograph results:

It is slow, but accurate and consistent.

Then I shot a five round group of Hornady 147gr ammo from the other lot.

Both of those lots are not too shabby for factory ammo.  POI was within 0.2mrad between the two lots, all laterally.  

 

I had some other ammo on hand, so I fired two five shot groups with Berger 144gr hybrid target ammo and Sako TRG 136gr.

Here is what I got for five rounds of Berger:

That's not a ton of statistics, but it is a data point.  The group was ~1.1MOA

 

Here the data for the Sako TRG 136gr ammo:

This ammo showed some mild pressure signs, but not too significant.  

Again, this is not a ton of data, but Hornady is looking pretty decent here.

I'll repeat the zero retention and consistency tests a couple more times between now and June 18th when we head to Wyoming.

I might pick up a couple more boxes of Hornady 147gr from a different lot to get some more data.

More to come.

 

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First PRS Match is behind me
High Noon at Del Norte

My first PRS match is officially behind me.  It was, I think an officially sanctioned regional PRS match at the shooting range called Del Norte about an hour from me (just east of Rio Rancho).
As I discussed previously, rather than using the rifle I originally prepared for it, I ended up having to change gears at the last moment and slapping a 5-25x56 Tangent on my daughter's 6ARC MiniFIx.  A lightweight 16" Proof barreled 6ARC is not an ideal set up for PRS competition, but, in the grand scheme of things, the rifle did hot hold me back at all.  I had a couple of weights that fit the Q-cert handguard, so I slapped them on there as well, which got the rifle to right around 12lbs.  The balance point was almost where I want it, but not quite.  In all other ways, this was a very handy rifle to shoot.  I am actually thinking of getting a couple more weights that I can stack on it (Sawtooth weights are stackable), so that I can shoot some future local matches with it.  It shoots Hornady's Black 105gr ammo very well (it also shoots 108gr ELD-M and 103gr ELD-X well, but I had a larger supply of Hornady Black ammo on hand).

It chrono'ed pretty consistently for factory ammo.  Here are the measurements for a 20 shot group.

If I were to take out the fastest shot, SD drops down to 8fps.  

In terms of wind performance, it is a 5mph rifle, so slightly better than the 308 ammo I was going to use originally, but not as good as the 6.5CM that was my intended match rifle for this year (we make plans, but then life happens).

I do have to admit that I really enjoyed shooting the match with the MiniFix.  So much so, that I am seriously thinking of building another one for myself, since this rifle is technically my daughter's.

The closest shot we had was a bit over a couple of hundred yards.  The furthest was around 1150.  That was a bit challenging for the 16" barreled 6ARC, especially since the terrain there is tricky and wind is doing strange things.  Morning was relatively quiet wind-wise, but then the wind becamse gusty with changing directions.

It was a one day match with about 30 shooters (six squads) and ten stages.  The 17 year old kid who won the match was in my squad with his dad.  Apparently he is on the US team, so it should not be surrpising that he won.  He was very good.

Overall level of the shooters in the match was quite good.  I really was not sure what to expect.  Somewhat paradoxically, the only matches that I have shot in so far are the much larger two day NRL Hunter matches.  In those, I am just out of the bottom third in terms of skill level.  In this match, it was pretty much in the same spot, I think.  

The terrain was a little bit like Cameo, I think (I have been there, but not shot there), with some angle changes and sufficient vegetation to make getting on target occasionally troublesome. 

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