Originally Posted at Free Market Shooter
Early this morning, James Hodgkinson opened fire on a baseball field with Congressional Republicans playing in a game. Notably, Hodgkinson made sure to confirm that the field was filled with Republicans and not Democrats before he opened fire:
Rep. DeSantis: Man Asked Whether Republicans or Dems Were on Field Before Scalise Shooting @foxandfriends https://t.co/BhVapqddNW
— FoxNewsInsider (@FoxNewsInsider) June 14, 2017
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This is not surprising at all, given the shooter’s overt leftward leanings; the mainstream media could even be to blame for radicalizing Hodgkinson to the point of rage in which he felt the need to shoot a field full of Republican Congressmen. As many have already stated, those at the field were fortunate that Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) was there, as his presence demanded a Capitol Police security detail which likely saved many lives.
In the hysteria of denouncements, finger-pointing, and even celebration, one thing was left unstated; those at the field are beyond fortunate that Hodgkinson had no idea how to accurately and properly fire a rifle. In fact, he appears to be so poor of a shot, he would likely have caused more harm with a car or a truck.
Though it has not been confirmed as of the time of this article’s publication, according to CBS, the shooter appears to have used a rifle “similar to an M4”. However, The Truth About Guns provided a disclaimer when citing the information:
Always remember: mainstream media sources are notoriously bad at getting facts about firearms right, so take the above with a grain of salt.
With that in mind, we can state with reasonable accuracy that the shooter used an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle chambered in .223/5.56mm. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) shared specifics on the shooter’s engagement distance with his victims:
Rep. Brooks praised his security detail. He said they were facing a rifle — shooting through a chain link fence — with pistols at 90 to 100 feet distance “He shot at least 50 times,” Brook said.
“The gun continued to fire” .@RepMoBrooks gives first person account of shooting at baseball field in Alexandria https://t.co/fWv9P3i9P9
— New Day (@NewDay) June 14, 2017
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So Hodgkinson had the element of surprise, the far superior accuracy of a rifle vs. that of Capitol Police toting handguns, had his targets at an incredibly close distance (inside 50 yards) with Capitol Police outside of optimal pistol engagement distance (~25 yards), had the time to take “at least” 50 shots (some are reporting up to 100 shots were fired)…
…and he still couldn’t manage to kill anyone, getting outgunned and killed by Capitol Police before he could cause any harm beyond serious injury. If this guy received any instruction on rifle marksmanship, it was likely from a squad of Antifa LARPers. Even staunch anti-gun advocate Gabrielle Giffords (pictured above and who, coincidentally, was shot by a different lunatic) put on a better display of accuracy, and with less than half the number of rounds used by Hodgkinson.
Even with his glaring lack of firearm ability, Hodgkinson would have been far more dangerous if he armed himself with a rifle chambered in a more powerful caliber. The AR-15 is most commonly sold in the .223/5.56mm configurations listed above, and is noted for its sustained accurate fire at distances of up to 300 yards. The sustained accuracy of the .223/5.56mm class of weapons is obtained by trading off a significant portion of size and power in the round used. Even without any practice or training, a rifle chambered in a heavier round such as .308 Winchester Magnum would have caused much larger wounds that could have resulted in many more casualties.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at the ammunition in question for yourself:
And it’s not as though this is a rare thing to see – the “battle rifle”-sized .308 cartridge is quite common, with many AR-style platforms being chambered in the round:
In fact, the .308/7.62x51mm cartridge is so highly regarded, the US Millitary has outfitted many soldiers with the Mk14 Enhanced Battle Rifle to supplement soldiers using M4 rifles in .223/5.56mm.
But, alas, the gun control crowd will take this opportunity to blame the firearm Hodgkinson chose to use, oblivious to the fact that a far deadlier option is available, yet never used… likely because this “Bernie Bro” followed their lead and considered the AR-15 his best available option…
Bernie Bro filled with Ramadan rage LARPs liberal talking points, shoots up GOP softball practice.
— Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) June 14, 2017
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…when the truth is, given his lack of firearms experience, Hodgkinson likely would have caused more casualties if he drove a car or truck onto the field and ran down as many people as he could. Don’t you worry though; it’s the gun that’s the problem, not the climate of violence against Republicans created by mainstream media.
As many remarked about this website’s prior article on Antifa’s laughable “Range Day” intimidation video, it would not take very much practice and training for violent radicalized leftists to become proficient killers. We should all be fortunate that liberals haven’t chosen to learn how to properly exercise their second amendment rights; according to The Truth About Guns, 68% of firearm murders are committed by Democrats.
If and when a group of lunatics like Hodgkinson learn some proper training and marksmanship, it will be far more difficult for even highly-trained and courageous Capitol Police to stop them. And, unlike the gun control crowd would like you to believe, no amount of “gun control” would stop a lunatic from using any possible means to brutally murder as many people as possible.
Common sense gun laws encourage American citizens to carry their weapon wherever they might need to defend their own life.
— Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) June 14, 2017
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Rep. Scalise’s presence was likely what saved the day; Capitol Police would not have been present without him. Do not expect to have the fortune of a House Minority Whip’s level of personal security if you are targeted by one of these lunatics; learn how to use a firearm properly, get a concealed carry (CCW) permit, and carry your weapon with you… if you are fortunate enough not to live in one of the liberal enclaves that denies that right to its citizens.
Perhaps it’s times like these in which that whole “national CCW reciprocity” thing might come in handy for you?
I hope Trump starts wearing a Kevlar vest.
Ignorance. Absolutely useless against .223, let alone .308. Works against a lot of handgun rounds, not rifle rounds.
A kevlar vest might as well be a T-shirt if he’s hit by just about any centerfire rifle round.
….Kevlar vest and helmet. JFK died of a head shot.
Agreed a higher caliber weapon would have made any wound more serious but I’m not sure this guy even had a 5.56 round weapon. There are reports that two bullets struck windows and one of them was found lodged between the inner and outer pane of glass! That sounds more like a 22. not a real rifle round. That all 4 people hit were not seriously injured also argues against a rifle round. You get hit in the hip with a 5.56 mm and internal bleeding is going to be the real problem. Scalise would likely have been unconcious if he didn’t die of blood loss.
Not criticizing but I didn’t hear anything resembling the high pitched crack of a .22 cal.
I freely admit I could be wrong. But I wasn’t hearin’ it.
The gunman may have had two weapons, at least there is a ‘news’ report indicating that. It would appear from later medical reports that Rep. Scalise was hit by a high velocity rifle round with the attendant bone and tissue damage and blood loss.
Definitely not .22 LR. Too heavy sounding. .223 possible but sounds heavier than that. Sounds like 7.62×39 to me.
Based on his accuracy…quite probable its 7.62×39. Spray and pray weapon. Hit everything but the broadside of a barn.
WTF are you on about? I have a Chinese SKS in 7.62 x 39 fitted with an aftermarket peep sight. I can hit a paper plate at 100 yards offhand all day long.
Some of you people need to spend less time at the movies and more time at the range.
I own two russian style AK’s. In my experience they are not the prime standard for accuracy. However I was using the installed sights and not a scope. Accuracy was not the reason I bought them. Reliability and ease of modification was.
My stock sighted M14 could shoot a fly off one’s ass easily out to 200yrds. My scoped .338 easily is good for 500yrds+.
Now you’re talking sense. My point being in capable hands AK or SKS rifles are not “spray and pray” weapons.
My guess is his accuracy had more to do with lack of experience than choice of rifle.
To be most correct, a shooter is accurate and a rifle is precision.
A precision rifle with a poor shooter is still precision even if it isn’t hitting anything, change shooters and change the accuracy of the shooting.
“My stock sighted M14 could shoot a fly off one’s ass easily out to 200yrds”
Really? That’s it?
As a young Marine I fired 10 shot groups you could cover with a pie plate at 500 yards…
and that wasn’t good enough for Scout/Sniper School.
I said “easily”. It can certainly shoot farther as can the .338.
.308 Winchester Magnum?
At Free Market Shooter? Really?
We are indeed lucky that the lefties are terrified of guns, and as such will never adopt the gun culture real Americans grew up with.
>.308 Winchester Magnum
Old habits die hard, and this particular bad one was something I picked up when I was too young to know any better. You’re right; “Really?” is the proper response. I fixed it in the original post.
I agree with the ‘carry everywhere’ but there are some places, such as when actually playing a sport, it isn’t practical. I carry ALMOST everywhere, but while playing volleyball, softball, or golf, I don’t have a gun on my person. Even in your backpack in the dugout, its a long way away from second base when you are getting shot at.
They were very lucky indeed this guy sucked so bad. Its hard to imagine how he could do so terribly with a semi-auto long gun at those ranges. But, it would be a mistake to assume all of them are equally incompetent. A group of them firing into a crowd of people would be a lot of carnage. Never underestimate the power of stupid (or weak, or incompetent, take your pick) people in large groups. Plus, nearly anyone can learn how to shoot a torso sized target at 100 or less yards. With a 500$ rifle, a 100$ of ammo to practice, a reasonably intelligent person could get all the instruction they needed just watching youtube videos.
Edit for clarification: when I say they could “get all the instruction they need watching youtube” I don’t mean that is all thats needed to be what most would consider good or proficient, I just mean good enough to hit a person sized target at 100 yards or less while standing still, which is apparently all this guy was attempting to do.
You have all this free time, and choose softball, volleyball, and golf?
Gay…
Yeah, I noticed that. It’s actually called .308 Winchester, and it’s pretty much the same cartridge as 7.62 NATO. The sporting rounds sold as .308Win have a heavier bullet than the FMJ NATO milsurp ammo, usually hollow point or controlled expansion. They’ll chamber in your M1A but I wouldn’t load one unless it was the last round in the magazine.
The guy is confusing it with .300Winmag.
I was incredulous at the claim a guy who can’t shoot would be better off with a heavier weapon requiring more skill. LOL!
.223/5.56mm and .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO are terms used to differentiate between the commercial loadings and military loadings. Rifles chambered in 5.56 require more freebore in chamber dimensions. Probably the same with the 7.62 NATO. Military loadings may require a specific type powder and a primer of a certain hardness, perhaps with a primer crimp. Sometimes there can be slight differences in case internal dimensions, even though the rounds are the same in outward appearance. Civilian rifles “could” experience over pressure situations using military rounds. While I have never seen a gun blow up from interchanging, if it says .223 only or .308Win only, I would pay attention. When I buy barrels for AR’s I always get one that can use either. The Wylde Chamber is often used in AR’s as it is designed to use either .223 or 5.56.
With a heavier round, those few hits he DID make would have produced much larger wound cavities. Rep. Scalise might be gone already if he was hit with a .308/7.62×51 round.
I was not trying to get into specifics (or semantics) regarding ammunition pressure tolerances that should be known by anyone who owns a rifle chambered in any caliber – that is for another article (you can write it for Free Market Shooter if you want). The point I was making by providing both loadout distinctions was to articulate the difference in the overall size and power of the rounds in question. A rifle chambered in either .223 OR 5.56×45 will fire rounds that produce similar wound profiles; same goes for .308 OR 7.62×51.
Just remember, Democrats want to take our rights away while Republicans just want to sell us a license to exercise a privilege. Fuck them both. I will never shed a tear over an injured or dead politician from either side and you shouldn’t either if you love your children.
I’m from South Carolina. One of my 2x great grandpas was hunted for awhile after the war for violating the occupation government’s prohibition on carrying a pistol. That was a republican law, issued by republican carpetbaggers who took over the state government by throwing the elected South Carolinians out and declaring themselves officers of the government.
So, republicans were the original gungrabbers where I come from. Fuck them both, I agree. In the case of the republicans, fuck them all the way back to the first ones to ever hold office, and fuck their messiah, Lincoln and their blessed trinity of Bedbug Billy Sherman, Firebug Phil Sheridan and the Stumbling Sot, Uly Grant..
CC: This is just the beginning of CW2. Actually it started when cops were being gunned down in Dallas. When this goes full monty and it will, remember the communist pieces of shit that encouraged it. One more thing… better for you to die before ever surrendering your firearms. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a slave.
They are lucky the first few rounds didn’t take out the Capital police, as a trained shooter would do.
After that, the odds get very long for the unarmed.
Ever read the book “Terror at Beslan”? The first men killed at that school were those in uniform.
Nairobi
Munich
Mumbai
Eventually it will be our turn.
Bastards.
I just read that book. I suggest it to anyone here. The writing style leaves a bit to be desired but it was an interesting story that I had somehow never heard about and I’m 52.
Both the book “Terror At Beslan” and its author have been completely discredited.
The entire premise and value proposition of Terror At Beslan is that the author, John Giduck, a shadowy figure that has trained with Russian Special Forces Spetsnaz units traveled to the Beslan school just after the final assault on the evening of 3 Sept 2004 while the smoke was still rising amidst the bodies. There are first hand quotes littered throughout the book from Moscow as the siege was ongoing and later as he stepped through the rubble and bodies. He supposedly then leveraged his Spetnaz contacts to write what he calls the authoritative book on the siege.
The problem is that none of the above narrative is true.
Giduck wasn’t in Beslan anytime close to the siege. He corrected his improbable travel timeline to Beslan to 5 Sept after uncomfortable questions were raised about how he could have arrived with flight schedules and an unfavorable 10 hour time difference. Like most untruths, the revised date created a cascade of additional factual problems. Giduck claims in the bok to have walked through the rubble, booby traps, and bodies but all these were cleared away on 4 Sept 2004. There are press photos from 5 Sept confirming this. Other cascading problems included the flight records indicating that the only flight between Moscow/Beslan on 5 Sept had been cancelled. The first hard evidence of the author being in Beslan is from Nov 2004 which obviously was months after the siege. This date actually coincides with Giduck’s own podcast statement describing a visa problem and information from the Russian consulate indicating that the fastest visa would take 6-8 weeks.
A November arrival and lack of primary sources may also be the reason that the book is also rife with basic factual errors. These include inconsistencies in body counts, weapons, and the whopper of an error that the leader of the siege was confirmed as killed in Giduck’s book but was actually alive enough in 2013 to stand trial in Russia.
Giduck’s personal narrative also fell apart. For years, Giduck’s speaker bios (normally provided by the speakers themselves) described him alternatively as former or retired US Army Special Forces soldier and/or a US Army Ranger. A 2012 Freedom of Information request for Giduck’s military records indicated that he spent 58 days on active duy in 1987 but couldn’t even complete US Army Basic Training. It would be a stretch to think that one of the world’s premier special operations units would invite someone who couldn’t complete basic training to be a tactical consultant.
Giduck’s claimed Spetnaz “experience” turned out to be the result of several one week commercial military style Spetnaz summer camps held in Russia between 1999 and 2004. These commercial adventure style camps and his 58 days in the Army form the basis of Giduck’s false narrative upon which he’s built a career as a tactical training and operator.
So if your recommendation is that someone should read a non-fiction bordering on fiction as the underlying premise is based on a deception and basic facts are in error, then so be it. That said, there are better, more factually correct works out there.
None of that refutes the fact that with a tactically savvy attacker, the uniformed cops/security are the first to die. It’s one of the reasons I don’t advise open carry.
It happened in the Florida nightclub too.
“those who live by the sword die by the sword.”
not my words so dont go balistic on me about your gun rights. you can speak to the origin of those words when you die and argue your point for eternity….maybe.
i can appreciate both sides of the argument in this climate and am glad i live where the deranged leftie can not get to a automatic firearm without some serious criminal connections or application to a mosque. ?
Your Ozzie politicians and cops are deranged lefties. You’re not as safe as you imagine.
I guess when the authorities come to round you all up, you can throw those big fucking spiders you’ve got at ’em.
This is where you live:
http://www.barenakedislam.com/2017/06/15/australian-taxpayers-did-you-know-you-are-giving-your-illegal-alien-muslim-invaders-53-million-in-compensation-for-being-detained-in-substandard-accommodations/
Those without a sword die a lot sooner. JMHO
I’ve heard of 308 Win and the 308 Norma Mag. Is 308 Win Mag new?
“In fact, he appears to be so poor of a shot, he would likely have caused more harm with a car or a truck. ”
Ummm, yeah. An expert sniper with decades of experience would probably still cause more harm, in this type of event, driving a Ryder truck across the field vs. trying to shoot people before they disappear.
Regardless of how good/bad a shooter this nut was, remember he was on the opposite of a chain link fence, so his range of motion was certainly limited.
Anyway, if he was so upset about the election, why wasn’t he hunting down Debbie Wasserman-Schultz? She and Donna Brazile were big reasons why Bernie was shutdown, and this guy was a HUGE Bernie fan.
The logic of the left…figures.
And of course, the idiot Virginia Gov Terry Mcauliffe said 93 Americans A DAY die from gun violence. A bit of an overstatement, ya think? This is him using the tragedy to promote gun control:
“The logic of the left….figure.”
There is no logic of the left and that is the problem.
Ed…hell yeah . When we’d have our family reunion in S.C. ( where I live ) folks would still talk about the War For Southern Independence like it was yesterday.
Talked to my girlfriend last night about the need for 2nd amendment…she’s on board with it !
Fuckin A, Buck. Old people back at home still use the terms “Carpetbagger & Scalawag”. Of course, nowadays every single politician in office there is one or the other.
Left-Wing Zealot Shoots Republicans Playing Baseball
Posted Jun 15, 2017 by Martin Armstrong
James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, is the alleged shooter who tried to kill the Republicans at a charity baseball game. This is the problem with such hate speech playing out against Trump. They fail to realize that there are people who believe every word no matter how insane such as Putin is now running the United States and Trump is his puppet. Certainly, the shooter was a zealot with an intention to kill Republicans. Bernie Sanders has come out and said on the Senate floor:
I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice this morning is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act. Let me be as clear as I can be: Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action and anything else runs counter to our most deeply held American values. I know I speak for the entire country in saying that my hopes and prayers are that Representative Scalise, congressional staff and Capitol Police officers who were wounded make a quick and full recovery. I also want to thank the Capitol Police for their heroic actions to prevent further harm.
For all the media making constant jokes and supporting this anti-Trump movement, this is the end result. They are causing irreparable harm and forget harm. It is vital that we all be cognizant that our words that have strong meaning among people who are zealots. It’s time to tone down this rhetoric and recognize that we are all of one country. Failure to respect that creates what we have been warning about – civil war.
How the fuck does Bernie think we became a country independent from jolly old England? Real change can only come about through nonviolent action? Really? Is the man daft? With only non-violent actions we would still be sending money across the Atlantic to support the Qyeen. Not that what we have now is any better, but that is a different problem, one that will never be solved through nonviolent actions.
Didn’t sound like a .22 LR to me. Good thing the guy was a libtard and didn’t no how to shoot. I’m pretty accurate with my AR15, and my long-range eyesight is poor.
the local TV news blast this title across the screen:
“Ron Paul Ducks Behind Trees”.
maybe it’s me, but I think this description makes it sound that Ron Paul is associated with water fowl or some other bird. They purposefully make his actions sound like he is “hiding” instead of describing the event in a more positive way, like “he used evasive action” or “he avoided gun fire”
WTF is wrong with our MSM?
It’s hard to write coherent English with your head up your ass.