From Ranger Sniper to Testifying About ATF in Congress – Ryan Cleckner Details His Experience

In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Richard Nance interviews Ryan Cleckner, a former U.S. Army Ranger sniper from the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, who shares his journey from an impulsive 18-year-old enlistment in Arizona to making it through the rigorous Ranger Indoctrination Program and serving in a sniper role, including deployments to Afghanistan. Cleckner discusses his transition to civilian life, where he became a passionate instructor and author, emphasizing practical, fundamentals-focused teaching over overly complex or gatekept approaches to long-range shooting—drawing from his bestselling Long Range Shooting Handbook and its advanced sequel. He critiques military training methods that prioritize attrition over effective instruction, debunks myths like excessive focus on minor variables (e.g., barrel twist rate or Earth's rotation at practical ranges), and advocates simplifying concepts like wind calls using tools such as "gun numbers." The conversation also covers his diverse career path as a firearms attorney specializing in ATF compliance and FFL issues, his experiences testifying before Congress on agency overreach, his creation of ventures like Gun University (an ad-free, honest gun review site), Rocket FFL, and Fail-Safe software, plus practical insights on concealed carry equipment, self-defense insurance, red dots on pistols, and the primacy of reliability, training, and mindset over fancy gear.Visit Ryan’s website at: https://ryancleckner.com/ Follow Ryan on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cleckner/Follow Rich Nance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/ and https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSAVisit: https://aimpoint.us/ to learn morePRODUCED BY IRONCLAD