IV8888 Range Day 2024: 2A Community, Top Firearms, and Content Creation

Oct 12

My team and I had the opportunity to attend Iraq Veteran 8888’s Range Day. We flew under our 2AR.OOS banner, our YouTube channel. That's where we document our journey navigating the 2A/Outdoor space as Urban Latinos. Shameless plug here, Go Sub, We’ll be uploading a 12-episode season in its entirety soon. Back to this blog, I want to emphasize the level of community in the 2A Space. Though this is our second year attending, it almost felt like our first year. We saw many familiar faces, RGG, The 2A Boys, Byron the Instructor, The guys from Tundra Tactical, the Range Bros TV, and more, and still, it was all about community.

We had great conversations with several influencers, the same can be said about our conversations with the vendors/ companies who attended. You might be asking yourself, What is the commonality? Simply put, the Second Amendment. We’re all very passionate and adamant about our Second Amendment rights. Your race and religion don't matter here. I’d venture off and say political affiliation either, but we know that isn't the case.

So here we are after two days of shooting content, networking, and kicking creative ideas with other content creators and companies. Some incredible firearms were on display. MASP Industries had their Executive Series M15 on show for shooting. To say it shoots excellent is an understatement. Not only does it feel good shooting, but it also shoots incredibly flat.

FDEZ WERX, a customization shop, was in attendance. They had some modded slides and barrels out on display. It was interesting to see how many variations of cuts and styles can be combined for improved performance.

I'm not exactly sure what this particular blog will highlight, but it will definitely highlight a few firearms and vendors. It will redundantly emphasize the importance of community. As valuable as it is to have content for all the vendors, none of this would be possible without the community. Creators with small followings and large followings alike are excited about pumping out content that resonates with their audiences.

The conversations surrounding platforms like YouTube, where they are getting stricter with the content style being published, is an eye opener because it forces the community to think about other ways of publishing their content. We heard about Rumble, of course, and a few people mentioned GreyHive. These platforms are healthy alternatives to 2A Content Creators and, frankly, creators who post other style content, like cigars, liquor, hookah, etc.

Some of the creators are too small to reach out to more prominent creators for tips or any information to help grow their following, evolve their content or just essential guidance. However, events like IV8888s Range day allow for these conversations to take place. Yes, it is invite-only, so there's that caveat but there are several around the country that any content creator can attend.

Iraq Veteran 8888’s Range Day isn’t just about the guns or gear; it’s about the people. The community here is what makes this event so special. Whether you're a content creator with a small following or a seasoned veteran in the 2A space, the opportunity to network, learn, and exchange ideas is invaluable. We left with a renewed sense of connection and inspiration, eager to continue documenting our journey as Urban Latinos in the 2A/Outdoor space.

Stay tuned for our upcoming 12-episode season, where we'll dive deeper into these experiences, highlight the firearms and vendors we loved, and, most importantly, keep the conversation going about our rights, our community, and the passion that unites us. Until then, keep creating, stay connected, and, as always, protect what matters.