Mistakes

 After the double debacle of entering the wrong raid type on the wrong map I thought it might be good to reflect on some of my greatest hits.  A lot of these mistakes were made before I started the blog, when I was first beginning to play Tarkov.

• forgetting to bring spare magazines into raid
• bringing the wrong magazines into a raid
• bringing the wrong ammunition into a raid (Pro Tip: not all "PS" ammo is the same)
• looting a body for its weapon and looting the wrong magazines
• not scrolling down when looting a body - completely missing the backpack and pockets
• not seeing the "Search" button when looting, leaving rig, pockets, etc. unsearched.
• not using the "walk speed", and so making too much noise when wanting to be quiet
• being too timid (I do this a lot)
• conducting a gunfight while standing, still, without any cover (I continue to do this)
• not moving enough when fighting
• not aiming (which may require kneeling, being still, holding breath, patience and bravery)
• firing wildly before acquiring target 
• running when not needed (running drops the weapon, makes noise, and the motion attracts a lot of attention)
• not resetting/flanking in a firefight. I often get fixated on the point.
• not being aware of surroundings
• not knowing map well. (even on customs, there are still buildings that I've never entered, even offline)
• mouse sensitivity too high.  ( the default is too sensitive for me - lowering it has helped my aim considerably - less overshooting the reticle )
• graphic settings not optimal ( ongoing )
• not using meds correctly ( sometimes better to drag to desired area, rather than just "Use". Understanding when you have to use esmarch instead of bandages, etc.  Knowing what painkillers do.)
• not setting up hot-keys ( at minimum, painkiller should be in pockets, hot-keyed)
• misinterpreting audio cues (constantly)
• not understanding scavs (this video helped a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH7ua6wMJkw )
• how the hell do you load ammo into the SKS? ( see below )
• bringing an unloaded SKS into the raid with the wrong ammunition. ( Ironically, that was one of the first raids I ever survived - mostly because I was forced to flee every encounter and thus did not fall victim to my poor combat skills.  It has since lead to the "coward first" style I employ to this day ... and why my advancement is so slow. )
• forgetting I had ears on, and panic running when footsteps seemed to be right on top of me.  
• thinking scavs won't hide in bushes (they will)
• push into firefight when I should have repositioned, or done anything else really.
• gear fear / hording.   ( A grenade safe in my stash will not save my ass out on a raid. It's not like I can throw an IOU at the enemy )
• going to wrong exfil location (there are many variants on this mistake, I've made them all)
• freezing like a deer just hoping the other player won't see me. (they did)
• using cheap headphones that had left and right reversed.  ( search YouTube for "Stereo Sound Test" to check your own )
• trying to change walk speed with scroll wheel while aiming down sight. 
• not using free-look (ongoing, might be mouse problem)
• bringing grenades, but not using them

In retrospect it would be quicker to just list the mistakes I _haven't_ made.  Let's try that:

• putting a fancy optic on a shotgun loaded with buckshot

How The Hell To Load an SKS / (Mosin)

So you have decided to take the advice of the more experienced gamers who intoned "an SKS with PS ammo is a great starter loadout".  And you can't drag that PS ammo onto the gun to load it?  This is for you.

1. Make sure the PS ammo is 7.62 x 39mm.   Prapor sells it.   But be careful, because he also sells a PS ammo for 5.45 x 39mm, and that won't work.  It has the red ring 
2. "Inspect" your SKS, find the "internal magazine" icon. Drag that out into your rig.
3. Load the magazine (drag ammo onto it, or right click it and choose "Load Ammo")
4. Drag the magazine back onto your SKS.  

That's easy, right?  Once you are in a raid, you can simply hit the R key (reload) to load it. But make sure you bring the right ammo, and, of course, it takes awhile to load 10 rounds into a top-loaded weapon. While in raid, you cannot remove/insert the internal magazine.

This is how you load the Mosin too, but it takes 7.62 x 54mm cartridges.  

Here are the icons for the SKS.  The PS ammo and the internal magazine.  BP ammo is better than PS (for 7.62 x 39mm weaponry), so if you have some BP you might want to use that instead.