The Tactical Games has a way of finding what you have been avoiding. Iowa found mine.
I rolled into the 2026 Iowa Regional Event off a 16th place finish in Missouri, chasing a top 10 in the 40-plus division and a ticket to Nationals. Somewhere in that chase I let the goal get bigger than the One who gave me the ability to chase it. This is the full after action review: what went right, what fell apart, the gear that earned its keep, the ammo that never blinked, and the lesson God handed me between stages. The finish is waiting at the bottom. I didn’t like it either.
The Tactical Games Iowa – My Mindset Going In
Like I have mentioned in my pervious articles, mindset is key with anything in life. think of this way, if we look for the negative in everything, we will find it and if we look for the positive in everything we will find it. This tells me that my mindset can set the tone of anything. I knew my mindset had to be on point going into Iowa.
Coming off a 16th place finish at the Missouri Tactical Games, I had some confidence in how my shooting fared. Top 10 was the goal in Iowa, and I knew it was a stretch. The field was stacked, and the 40-plus division is full of guys who can move weight and shoot straight. My prayer going in was the same one I always pray: that God would use me through my strengths or through my weaknesses. He brought me here. All any of us can ask is that He uses us to glorify Him.
What Went Right at The Tactical Games Iowa
Leading up to the event I had a major move from South Dakota to Minnesota and a job change. This through off my normal workout routine. I was not able to get to the gym my 4-5 times a week, averaged 3 to 4 times a week. It was surprising that my fitness went right with the regional event. I was able to lift all the weights and move pretty efficiently through the workouts. On one Stage I was almost able to outwork my misses, which is a good feeling in fitness but man I need to get my shooting on point.
Most of my gear went right. The selection of pouches and belt held up. My pistol ran flawlessly, my ammo from Rock Ford was on point, and my little golf towel came in hand to cover up my pistol grip. This allowed me not to cut into my forearm when doing farmers carries on one of the stages. My optics did what they were suppose to do and there was no issue with zero. If there was a miss, it was on me and not my equipment. All my magazines ran my ammo perfectly too. No issues with malfunctions.
Our prayer tent we host during the Regional Events we go to, went great. My wife was key for this because she packed everything and had a better game plan to be more successful with the tent. We had the logistics down and were ready to offer what we could to competitors. We also ran out of the popsicle we handed out.
Finally, my game plans went well. I had Jeff there to help with coaching and game planning. Jeff is another Tactical Games Athlete, we competed in my first Tactical Games Event last year, which was Iowa. However, we were able to come up with good gameplans for most of the stages. Now when you are tired and things seem to get heavy, sometimes the game plan goes out the window. I felt I stuck to my game plans better this event and it helped with mindset, as well as pushing on certain stages.
What Went Wrong at The Tactical Games Iowa
Funny enough, I would say my fitness was also something that needed to be improved upon. I feel as you do these events, you find wholes in both shooting and fitness. My grip strength could have been better on the stages. I was dealing with an elbow issues, so this didn’t help with the train up before the event. It made me less confident when dealing with farmers carries or other events that would stress the elbow.
My nutrition overall leading into The Tactical Games could have been better. I eat a planet based diet due to my Crohns. It helps with inflammation for me and not doing it for political reasons. Leading up to the Iowa Regional event, I eat clean. However, I was not eating enough. At the Iowa Regional Event my nutrition was on point but could have used more fuel for my workouts.
I feel this is a common theme this year. However, my rifle shooting could have been better. At distance I was not hitting the targets I needed to and the adjustments I made didn’t help with it. My pistol was good, I had less misses compared to my rifle. I have a plan to focus on the mid to long distance shooting. This would have helped with not having to do so much work and I probably would have had a higher placing overall.
Gear Used at The Tactical Games Iowa:
Ferro Concepts Slickster: The Carrier That Gets Out of Your Way
My old 5.11 carrier was a holdover from my CrossFit days, and by the time I got serious about The Tactical Games it was fighting me on every rep. Sagging on the run. Shifting on the drag. Riding up on burpees. I went looking for something that would ride tight and stay quiet, and the Ferro Concepts Slickster answered.
Two years and six-plus events in, this is hands down my favorite plate carrier. Here is why it earned a permanent spot in my kit:
- Zero movement tax. It stays locked to the body through sprints, low crawls, and everything Iowa threw at us. No bounce, no readjusting mid-stage.
- Slick profile, real capacity. Six magazines ride on me without turning the rig into a billboard. In Iowa, that mag count mattered.
- Built to be forgotten. The best gear is the gear you stop thinking about. Halfway through a stage, the Slickster stops existing.
If you are shopping a carrier for The Tactical Games, put the Slickster at the top of your list.
Stealth Arms Platypus (Comped)
This pistol showed up, again. I have about 1,500 rounds through the Platypus. I have run it through several competitions ranging from The Tactical Games to 2-Gun.
- Flat shooting
- Fast follow-ups
- Reliable in dirt, sand, and stress
A double-stack 1911 running Glock mags; with performance to match. Check out Stealth Arms to see all the options. Full review coming later this season.
Riverarms LLC Custom Holster:
Riverarms LLC Custom Holster: Retention You Can Bet a Stage On
Iowa was the first regional where I ran a custom holster for my Platy, and I am thankful for how it came together. Riverarms LLC builds Kydex for the Stealth Arms Platypus, and I went with a Level 2 with hood. When you are moving fast with a pistol on your hip, that extra peace of mind is worth every penny.
Here is the reality of this sport: I have watched a lot of athletes lose a pistol on course. Sprints, obstacles, and drags do not care how confident you felt at the safety brief.
My report from Iowa is short. Zero issues. The Hulk Platypus stayed exactly where I put it, stage after stage, with the retention and hood doing their job without complaint.
Was there a learning curve? Absolutely. Drawing against a new type of Level 2 hood takes reps and it takes a little break-in time. Put in the work and the draw becomes automatic. Mine is on point now.
What sets Riverarms apart:
- Limitless customization. Colors, patterns, and Kydex configurations for just about anything you can picture.
- Build quality you can feel. Clean molding, solid retention, no rattle.
- Competition and EDC. He builds for the timer and for everyday carry.
If you run a Platypus, go check out Riverarms LLC. Gear does not win stages on its own. Preparation does. So does the God who gives you the strength to show up and put in the work. But good gear removes the excuses, and this holster removed mine.
Holosun 507Comp
This was my second time running a Holosun optic. For years, I’ve been firmly on Team Vortex when it came to red dot optics. However, after transitioning from a Vortex LPVO over to the EOTech Vudu, it opened the door to trying different setups and seeing what else the market had to offer. That led me to the Holosun 507Comp.
The Missouri Regional Event I ran the Holosun 507C, which is a great optic. However, I really enjoyed upgrading to the 507Comp. I love the ability to changed the reticle, I have my set-up for 8 MOA. This helped with the star burst affect and being able to pick up the dot quicker. The glass is super clear and I have been enjoying the larger window too.
A few early takeaways from my time behind the optic:
- Bright and crisp reticle presentation
- Clean window with no fogging issues
- Maintained zero throughout the weekend
- Durable enough to handle hard use and impacts
- Larger Window
The Holosun 507 Comp definitely made another strong first impression. A full long-term review will be coming later this season as I continue putting more rounds and reps behind it.
AR Platform Notes
Ran into issues again:
- Light strikes due to trigger
I had 4 light strikes during the competition. Figured out it wasn’t the ammo because I tested those same rounds in another AR. I also tested other brands of ammo in my current AR and ran into more light strikes. Knowing this, after this season I will need to buy a new AR for the 2027 Season.
AKT1 Blackout TWS Earbuds
These have become my favorite hearing protection. This was the second Regional Event I ran with them. I had no issues with them popping out and I was able to do all the work with them in. They work great with being able to hear and also protecting your hearing.
Performed flawlessly all weekend. AKT1 Blackout TWS Earbuds are my go to for hearing protection. Full review coming later this season too.
Ammunition Performance at The Tactical Games Iowa
I was excited for The Tactical Games Iowa Regional Event because I had a full load out of ammunition from Rocky Ford. In my last Tactical Games event, I only had pistol ammo from Rocky Ford and had to use 5.56 Bong Frog, which didn’t run great in my AR-15 due to barrel length.
I ran 147-grain for 9mm pistol and 62-grain for .223 rifle ammunition. Which I was excited to test out the .223 ammunition because my 9mm 147-grain ran flawlessly. I used 62-grain for all of my stages. It was easy to engage my long distance targets, as well as grouping my shots easy close-up. I even stacked rounds on top of each other during the 2-gun stage. Hiting steel at ranges from 150 yards all the way out to 440 yards. I had no issues with Rocky Ford ammunitions. It held up to all the stages and was very accurate at distances.
The 147-grain 9mm pistol ammunition ran flawlessly, again. I had no issues with primers not going off. I had no issues with the ammunition not cycling my pistols. It was acurate at distances. My favorite part about the 9mm is how ligth it feels, compared to all other ammunition. It allows me to fire shots quickly because of how light the recoil impulse is.
Lessons Learned – Faith, Fitness, and Firearms
Every Tactical Games Regional event, I always learn something. It seems to find your weaknesses, whether you are lacking in the fitness side or with your firearms. This time around I was lacking in my fitness and firearms.
Coming into Iowa I could have been more regular with my workouts throughout the week. Figuring out a new routine since moving will help with ensuring my 4 to 5 times a week for workouts. The Tactical Games Complete Program has been great. It offers a well rounded program for the demands of The Tactical Games.
Since starting this journey God has placed many great people around me. Since moving back to Minnesota, I have made several connections with some local shooters. I will be working with some precision shooters and 3-Gunners to get better at the shooter.
As Christians, our faith is always tested. Leading up to the Iowa Regional Event, I lost sign of what was important. I set my eyes on my goal to make it to Nationals. It is okay for us to have goals but these goals shouldn’t be ever consuming. God gave me this drive and ability to glorify God and to make disciples of all nations. God can easily takes these abilities away. I ws reminded not to waste the interactions I had, and to set my eyes on Jesus and God.
It is a reminder of Hebrews 12:2-3:
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
-Herbrews 12:2-3 (NASB ’95)
To Make a Long Story Short: The Journey Continues
I know most of your are wondering, how did I finish. Was I better then Missouri ranking? I ended up with my worst ranking since competing in the Tactical Games. I ended up 24th. It came down to not being fit enough and not shooting the best. This combined with a group of solid shooters with solid fitness, lead me to be in the 24th ranking.
During Iowa my gear selection held-up, pistol ran great, ammo was excellent, and optics were on point. My AR had some issues with the trigger and light strikes. I know next year I will need to build or buy another one.
The Tactical Games Iowa Regional Event wasn’t a loss because I didn’t make it to Nationals this year. It was a learning experience and a test of faith. Some times we aren’t looking to be tested. God reminded me of what truly is important with the pursuit of competition. That I shouldn’t lose sight of God and Jesus.
Check Out Some More PR2Alpha Articles:
- How Two Pieces of Camping Gear Unexpectedly Improved My Tactical Games Experience
- Tested the Limits of American Defense MFG Mounts
- To Make a Long Story Short: Faith, Firepower, and the Fight for Better: TTG Missouri Recap
- Echelon COA Tested: Does It Deliver Under Pressure?
- Echelon 4.0FC Tested To The Limits
- Dominate the Return to Zero: DPM Systems Tested
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