Medical Training | Higher Purpose Training

Defensive Rifle Gear

As 2nd Amendment absolutists, we believe private citizens should be able to own everything a soldier or police officer in this country is issued. We have no issues with anyone showing up to class in full-kit wearing a plate carrier equipped with Level IV body armor plates, with magazine pouches across the front, a water bag, dump pouch, radio and anything else you can attach to said plate carrier.

We have no issues with anyone bolting whatever they want to their rifles from IR lasers and night vision or thermal optics or canted 45” offset iron sights and bad levers. However, our Defensive Rifle Skills Program is focused on the practical use of a semi-automatic defensive rifle in the context of a private citizen. You are welcome to bring all your gear to class and run it, but understand the focus of our training.

For most of our private citizen students, a quality rifle, equipped with a two-point quality sling, either iron sights, a red dot or LPVO and some quality magazines loaded with quality ammunition in belt-mounted magazine pouches will get them through our Defensive Rifle Skills Program.

Higher Purpose Training has no affiliation with any of these companies and receives no compensation from any companies for endorsing their products. We have simply had good experience with these companies’ products and desire for our students to have the best experiences training in class and invest only in quality gear.

Rifles

Our Defensive Rifle Skills Program is designed around the common AR-style rifle. Other rifle platforms such as Mini-14’s, M1A’s, AK’s, pistol caliber carbines and bull-pups are welcome as well. If you choose to bring a NFA item such as a short-barrel rifle or suppressor, please bring a tax stamp and any other required documentation.

Basic, but quality AR-style rifles we recommend would be the Smith & Wesson M&P Sport II, Palmetto State Armory PA-15 and Springfield Saint.

Sighting Systems

Our Defensive Rifle Skills Program is focused on the use of a semi-automatic rifle within 100 yards. Most of that training is done within 50 yards. You may use the sighting system of your choice. Most students can come to class with iron sights and do quite well.

If you would like to invest in an optic, we recommend a red dot sight or a LPVO (Lower Power Variable Optic). Red dots are great for CQB (close quarter battle) and have been used by professionals for this purpose for decades. Within 100 yards or less they are extremely easy to use and can assist first-time shooters with more simplified aiming.

LPVO’s are often found with zoom ranges such as 1-4X, 1-6X, 1-8X and 1-10X. Most of the newest ones on the market have a 30mm tube and illuminated reticles. They are also usually found with a fast-focus eyepiece with excellent light transmission. Although they may be heavier than a red dot, the trade gained would be greater capability at distance. On 1X power, an LPVO has the ability to be shot like a red dot, but then you can dial it up to 4X,6X or even in some cases 8X or 10X, and shoot at 600 yards-plus depending on the gun and ammunition used.

We recommend budget rifle red dots from the Holosun 403 Series and 503 Series and the Primary Arms SLx MD-25 Gen 2.

For budget LPVO’s, we recommend the Primary Arms SLx 1-6x24 mm FFP ACSS Raptor, the Monstrum G3 1-6×24, Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6×24, Sig Sauer Tango MSR 1-6x24mm.

For LVPO mounts, we recommend the Primary Arms Cantilever Mount & Deluxe AR-25 Scope Mount, Geissele Super Precision, Scalarworks LEAP Mount and the Vortex Sport Cantilever Mount.

Slings

“A sling is to a long gun what a holster is to a handgun.” A sling allows you to secure your long gun on you, leaving your hands free to do things. We recommend two-point slings on your long guns. Single point slings tend to swing in front of you and tend to hit you in the legs and groin, getting in your way.

We recommend slings on your long gun in training or for duty use, but we do not recommend a sling on a gun that is staged for home defense as it will catch things as you navigate your home. You can use products such as ranger bands and the NeoMag Sentry Strap to secure your sling when it’s not in use. We recommend slings from Magpul, Blue Force Gear, Viking Tactics and Pew Pew Tactical.

Magazines

As with handguns, we recommend that you run factory-made, OEM rifle magazines. For AR-style magazines, we recommend Lancer Systems magazines. They are manufactured with a plastic body and metal feed lips. They come in a variety of colors so that you can differentiate between calibers you may own (i.e. .223/5.56 and 300 AAC Blackout). Most of them are translucent or transparent, allowing you easily see the remaining capacity of the magazine while it’s inserted in the gun. We also recommend Magpul Pmags and Brownells’ USGI all-metal magazines.

Belt-Mounted Magazine Pouches