On This Episode
A $5,000 weapon-mounted rangefinder sounds ridiculous until a bad range costs you the shot. Matt returns from a National Guard sniper train-up at Camp Robinson and a match in Montana with side-by-side time behind the Maztech X4-LRF 15K and X4-LRF 2K Generation II. The question is not whether the expensive unit is impressive. It is what the extra money buys, who can use it, and where a lower-cost unit still gets the job done.

They break down the practical difference between a 905 nm commercial laser and the 1534 nm system in the 15K, including target size, return speed, fog, smoke, dust, onboard Applied Ballistics, atmospherics, field zeroing, and a wired trigger beside the rifle’s trigger. Matt shares what it took to range small steel around 800 to 850 yards and full-size silhouettes past 1,500, plus the simple mistake that can send the laser miles behind the target if the turret is not returned to zero.

The conversation goes beyond one piece of gear. Cole and Matt get into the new MDT DRT chassis, a pre-production Leupold spotting scope, BX-6 Range HD binoculars, why guides should take glass seriously, and the budget workaround of pre-ranging a stand before a coyote or animal appears. The goal is not buying the most expensive setup. It is knowing the capability wall of what you already own and deciding whether the problem is worth paying to remove.

Then the episode turns to wildfire responsibility, public-land cleanup, hunting rifles, recoil, cartridge availability, youth setups, and why a magnum is usually the wrong answer for a 300 to 400 yard deer. They cover 6.5 PRC, .22 Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, straight-wall cartridges, an experimental 10mm lever gun, upcoming hunts, Straight Jacket Armory’s move, beginner rifle questions, industry misinformation, and the uncertainty around suppressor regulation.

Detailed Episode Breakdown:

Life and the return to the podcast: Cole and Matt catch up after a rough stretch of fires, travel, moves, work, and a long break between episodes.

Camp Robinson and Montana: Matt recaps a week-long National Guard sniper train-up in Arkansas, followed by a sniper-focused match at the Thorson Ranch near White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

Wildfire damage: Cole describes losing a cabin and seeing his ranch burn, then explains how loose soil, ash, monsoon rain, and missing vegetation turn the next storm into years of sludge and flooding.

Shooter responsibility: They separate responsible target shooting from preventable fire risks such as old steel-jacketed surplus ammunition, tracers, exploding targets, tannerite, and shooting trash during dry conditions.

Public-land stewardship: The conversation returns to the basic rule that shooters should know what they are firing, choose safe conditions, clean up the range, and stop giving land managers a reason to close access.

The field setup: Matt ran a 6.5 Creedmoor built around a Lone Peak action in the magnesium MDT DRT chassis, with an Area 419 mount, MDT CKYE-POD, and a weapon-mounted Maztech rangefinder.

Maztech 15K versus 2K: The 15K delivered faster, tighter returns on small and distant targets, while the 2K remained a practical option for larger targets, terrain features, and shooters who do not need the same adverse-condition performance.

Ranging workflow: They discuss zeroing the laser, validating the return, integrating a ballistic profile, keeping the rifle turret at zero while ranging, and getting a range and hold without leaving the firing position.

Who needs the expensive tool: A professional user, timed competitor, predator hunter, or hunter carrying a rare tag may be paying for speed and certainty. A recreational shooter can often pre-range terrain and keep a simple dope reference instead.

Glass is part of the job: They explain why low-light clarity and a dependable range matter to guides and hunters, especially when the best animal appears at first light and there is no time to fight poor optics.

Hunting cartridges and recoil: The episode pushes back on ultra-light magnums for moderate-distance deer hunting. They discuss 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Grendel, .277 Fury, .22 Creedmoor, and choosing a cartridge the shooter can control.

Availability matters: A hunt is a bad place to discover that a specialty cartridge, brass, or ammunition cannot be replaced locally. Build around the mission, but account for what happens when something is forgotten or damaged.

Youth rifle setup: Cole and Matt argue for manageable recoil, correct fit, and enjoyable early experiences instead of handing a young shooter a hard-kicking rifle and hoping they learn through punishment.

10mm lever-gun experiment: Matt shares his testing with a suppressed 10mm Marlin lever gun, the difference between pistol and carbine behavior, pressure signs, and why he will not publish experimental load data.

What is next: Straight Jacket Armory is moving into a larger building with studio space. Future LRT topics include first-rifle decisions, beginner scope questions, youth hunting setups, technology versus primitive-weapon rules, industry changes, and suppressor policy.