For the 10th episode of Everyday Marksman Radio, we’re starting something new. From time to time, I want to bring on members of our own community that you see posting in the comments or in the forum. One of the most rewarding things I've gotten to do while running this site is have conversations with a variety of people. And while interviews and discussions with the experts is always fun and interesting, it’s the conversations with readers like you that really excite me.

It doesn’t matter if it’s via email, the forum, the comments section, or even a phone call. It’s the community aspect of all of this that really motivates me.

So let’s get into things.

Finding The Everyday Marksman
The interview starts off with Mark describing how he came across The Everyday Marksman and why he stuck around.

In fairness, it was several years ago and the exact article has since been lost to the sands of time, but the important part is that he stuck around because of the message. The point of all of this is not about shooting fast and expensive gear, but about building a solid base of skill.

Shooting Community Observations
During the discussion, Mark relayed some observations about the kinds of people involved in the shooting sports and tactical training.

The hazard is that there’s a lot of ego that gets wrapped up into things. Guys want to shoot faster, louder, and have better gear. For a lot of people that can’t keep their impulses in check, there is a real risk of spiraling down a financial rabbit hole.

Training Experience
Mark found himself involved with Asymmetric Solutions down in Farmington, Missouri. As part of a training subscription, he had the opportunity to take a lot of tactical and medical training from some serious professionals over time.

During that, he learned a lot about weapon handling, situational awareness, and saving lives.

One of the highlights here was talking about the importance of medical training. He relayed a story from a former special operations combat medic discussing blood loss and just how much the human body can lose before it becomes a problem.

I’m sure I’ve heard that number before, but it was the visualization in his story that stuck with me.

We also discuss how force on force training will often be a humbling experience for even those who have a lot of training under their belts.
During those force on force scenarios, Mark learned a lot about situational awareness. The story he tells reminds me of a great book i worked through in 2017, Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horn and Jason Riley.

Current Goals
Our conversation pivoted towards Mark’s current goals. Aside from shooting goals and working on the plate rack, he is working on survival skills. Some of the highlights he discusses are primitive skills and wild edibles in his region.

Knives
I knew I wanted to venture into this territory because Mark was one of my sources for my article on field knife selection. Mark runs a small business crafting quality knives.

We discuss what he looks for in a good outdoors knife, as well as some things to keep in mind when shopping around. We also derail a bit talking about people who unnecessarily abuse their equipment.

Wrapping Up
After listening to the episode, be sure to leave a comment down below and thank Mark for participating in the very first Community Highlight. I look forward to doing more of these from time to time, and I think Mark was a great first interview.

Take care!