This person is a shooting coach.
Holy crap, that was some meet. Not only was this the biggest match I’ve been to (508 shooters) but it attracted so much of the top talent. Seriously, the guy that finished in 180th place had to beat several Master class shooters to get that far. I am not one of those, so I had my lowest finish EVER, including one Nationals match in which I was disqualified in the third stage (there were only 298 people in my division that time). And to get to our area, you had to drive through some sort of trap meet that apparently had a thousand shotgunners (one of whom picked their shotgun up off of the back of their tailgate and brought it directly across my face as I drove by, but I hear that’s typical of shotgunners.) I have been interested in shotgun sports, but apparently the equipment outlay is considerable between the gun, the F450, the $250k travel trailer (at the low end, there were a few straight-up luxury tour busses out there), the golf cart/ATV for getting around at the venue etc. A highlight was meeting Grummun and his lovely lady (though unfortunately only briefly.) Here are some pic that the boarding lady sent me of Lily while I was away.
The Frenchies belong to the boarder-lady. No idea who the others are.
Lily and unidentified gun dog in the kiddie pool at the resort. Can’t tell if I know the Berner or not.
This week starts off with absolutely nothing going on, planet-wise. By midweek, things start looking downright pleasant, with the Mars-Venus conjunction coming into greater prominence. On the 7th, the moon is also involved there, which could be a good sign or could mean something more akin to a change in romantic status — whether that’s good or bad depends entirely on your personal situation.
Rak gets its typical early-season boost with the appropriate lucky influence from Mercury. Leo is hoarding Venus and Mars all to itself, though if seafood feels like challenging the lion for those planets I can only hope the attempt is posted to youtube. Sagittarius says this is not a good week for the shooting sports. Sorry there’s so little to report, have another pic by way of apology.
This is a VERY popular daycare/boarding The Aussie center-top is Toby. He’s a very good boy, but will sadly be moving to Raleigh.
Cancer: 9 of Cups reversed – “Making it rain” might be expensive, but it’s still a good time.
Leo: Weaselly little backstabber… but he’s on your side.
Virgo: Wheel of Fortune reversed – Is it really good luck if you keep getting stuff that you don’t really want?
Libra: 8 of Coins reversed – If you were expecting to realize profits, I’m sorry.
Scorpio: 8 of Swords – Oh woe is me. Look at how much I am suffering.
Sagittarius: The Star reversed – Amber Heard (or equivalent).
Capricorn: King of Wands reversed – A burly dude with a large truck opposes you.
Aquarius: 8 of Wands reversed – Jealousy and petty things that slow you down (rock in the shoe, long train at a RR crossing, etc.)
Pisces: Temperance – Boring but effective.
Aries: 6 of Cups reversed – This card has an unusually particular meaning: “Two long-term acquaintances having completely different memories of a shared event.”
Taurus: 3 of Coins reversed – There will be strong urges to halfass things.
Gemini: Ace of Swords – When you redline the engine, sometimes it explodes. Don’t do that.
Back to the match results, it is remarkable how “shooting to win” differs from “shooting for a good score.” Since I was doing the latter I wound up with some very interesting relative finishes. On the Beretta side match, since there was only one prize and there was no way I was going to get it, I wound up in the top half. All the guys who had a legitimate shot at winning it went all-out and since the rules are just brutal for any mistakes, many of them finished below me. “Hero or Zero” winds up with a high percentage of zeroes here. Ditto stages where I placed a healthy respect for the difficulty of the shots — I wound up beating some national/world champions that shanked a one-handed shot at speed taking the shot off of the designated target and onto the no-shoot placed low left (extra grief for it being Virginia Count). But what I found particularly fascinating was one stage that I finished over hundred places higher than any other one:
In the final arrangement, T7 was between the poppers and the barrel. It made for a nice dramatic finish.
…I have no idea why. There is literally nothing weird or wacky about this stage. It’s completely normal. I mean yes, this is one of the few stages I didn’t fuck up by leaving targets too early (a bigger problem when dot-shooting than I realized) but WTF tripped up all those Ms and Gs that ended up below me? Did they try some exotic stage plan (I shoot it in the obvious way — popper-popper-paper-swinger-swinger then clockwise to the other two shooting positions) to shave off a few tenths of a second? Did I luck out such that my shooting cadence caught the swingers just right and saved a cycle? I did rip the last six shots off fast enough to get a “woo!” but that’s nothing that a much better shooter couldn’t have also done. I’d like to believe that this represents my true ability if I can keep my head out of my ass, but the other 19 stages tell me otherwise (though there was much assheading on those).
Some of y’all need to take up practical shooting so I can commiserate about this without having to rely on Evil Sheldon.
I’m very interested
but you’ve got to be an NRA member to shoot at my local venue
I proudly quite the NRA 30 years ago
so I’m standing alone on principle, just like election day * sigh *
I can understand why some people may not want to come to NY to join me at one of our shoots, but for those that already live here…
Old man/Ted’s/Spud… yeah, talking about you guys.
https://uspsa.org/find-a-club
thank, but the club your link finds is that exact offender and requires the coolaid: https://mssashooting.com/membership
best of luck up there !
Lame.
However…
Around here, the clubs are open to non-members to shoot organized sports (USPSA/IDPA/ATA/SASS/whatever the national skeet shooting organization is.)
TN might be weird, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did the same — more shooters = more match fees.
I suppose you’re too far away from “The Ancient and Honorable Pistol and Rifle Society of Baxter?”
200 miles
I really need a place to practice. When I was a kid I lived 60 miles from anything; most of my world was leased to Weyerhauser or was right-of-way to navigable rivers and all my spare time was spent in some blend of trespassing and shooting.
The Ancient and Honorable Pistol and Rifle Society of Baxter
anyone else instantly think of Ed Zern?
Also:
It’s a bit of a paradox, but free states have fewer shooting clubs than restrictive ones. I would assume because the free states don’t NEED them.
TN might be weird
free states don’t NEED them
good thinking on both points
TN, like other states, is two places: largely decent proles punctuated by batshit urbanites. Like TX, it’s mostly a fraud; when Tennessee asserts freedom they really mean puritanicalism whenever you cross some line, which, essentially, is the unvarnished position of every culture from Mao to Adam Smith, just a question of where the line is and whether you step over it from the left or the right.
I continue to argue and hunt for freedom, but at this point I’m just slouching to the grave and thrilled with my B+ reality.
I’m pretty practical about dropping spruce grouse with a nice old Brit 12ga side-by-side.
Really? I had no idea that would be effective on something 300 yards across weighing 150 tons.
Aim for the pilot.
Incendiary rounds
I need to find local places to shoot. I have a work buddy who had a church men’s shioting event scheduled this weekend (rained out 2x previously) – that was rained out again. May be able to shoot there in the future…been to ask – otherwise I’m either driving to Manassas or Richmond for range time – possibly a closer one but I think it’s handguns only. Thought being in the country would change that, but not so much hereabouts
Virginia’s lack of active gun clubs is a Commonwealth-wide disgrace. I have to go to Maryland to train outdoors. Fucking Maryland.
Sadly in this particular case, I’m commiserating being a dumbass and letting my Nationals slot slip through my hands. Next time for sure…
And yes, the rest of y’all need to take up practical shooting. Some of these excuses are kinda sad.
What’s fascinating is that whatever hex was on me was on other people too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eozoj2B6TF0
A GM missing poppers?
That guy is a GM? Watching his shooting I’d have guessed he’s about an A. Maybe it’s the rain?
4th place overall — still misses:
https://youtu.be/TAsUnXzeS_E?t=111
Virgo: Wheel of Fortune reversed – Is it really good luck if you keep getting stuff that you don’t really want?
even I don’t believe in birthright citizenship! – deSantis
Gemini: Ace of Swords – When you redline the engine, sometimes it explodes. Don’t do that.
The.Perfect.Call. What’s so hard to understand about that? – DJT45
Taurus: 3 of Coins reversed – There will be strong urges to halfass things.
The HEROES Act’s text settles the legality of the Secretary’s loan for-giveness plan. The statute provides the Secretary with broad authority to give emergency relief to student-loan
borrowers, including by altering usual discharge rules. What the Secretary did fits comfortably within that delegation. – Elena Kagan
Sagittarius: The Star reversed – Amber Heard (or equivalent).
1% ain’t exactly shitting the bed! – Asa Hutchinson
I’m almost tempted to agree. As usual, the law was passed with wiggle room – no definition of “national emergency.” At the least, Congress should have appended words to the effect that “as confirmed by Congress within 60 days.” Or something like that. Sure, the Constitution writers couldn’t have foreseen all the loopholes they created, but some of the loopholes today are just so obvious but the Stupid Party doesn’t see them, and the Evil Party applauds them.
oh, absolutely correct, sir: the stupidity is deep and wide there
as ever, limited and concise legislation creates the least problems; all these loosy goosy acts and omnibus re-financings will be the death of us all: almost anything can be asserted or ruled as going too far or well within the intended limits depending all on the weather or chicken entrails or whathaveye
A highlight was meeting Grummun and his lovely lady
They are good folks.
Nice dog pictures.
Weaselly little backstabber… but he’s on your side.
Having a thief in the party has its benefits.
He shot a couple of the Berettas, don’t know if he made it to SIG before the rain started.
Sagittarius: The Star reversed – Amber Heard (or equivalent).
What’s an Amber Heard? Is that good or bad?
Depends.
Are you into Scheiße porn?
On day some of us calculated hoe much money the doggy day care is making, and it’s insane. I hope they’re investing and hare successfully hiding their cash clients from the IRS.
[whistles innocently about wife’s gig]
She’s just a homemaker who likes visits from her furry friends?
Sounds like a 7 figure OnlyFans.
Great pics!
The place we used to bring our dogs would post daily pics. It was always cool to see how much fun they were having.
Leo: Weaselly little backstabber… but he’s on your side.
Lol. That works.
Goddamnit every damn pub in this place closes the kitchen at 5 and i just got here at 5
I thought Eurolanders ate later in the evening?
Not in small town england.
Why are you in small town England?
It’s either human trafficking or drugs. maybe both.
Or the music.
Why does anyone do anything? Boredom curiosity. I blame oscar wilde
I blame Edmund Hillary
No half-assery here.
I ordered a hat from the Amish. I figure, they work outside in all weather so it must be decent. I am a little concerned that they make them circular, but at least they have them in a size 8. And if it doesn’t work it’s vastly cheaper that a Resistol.
I wear a Boonie cap in the summer to prevent my bald head, ears and nose from getting bbqed. Works pretty well and they are great for keeping cool. Also they are cheap, durable, and can be rolled up and packed.
I keep one in my motorcycle tank bag or in a pocket on my jacket. Another great thing about them is that you can get them in hat sizes. Great for those with box heads like myself.
https://www.truspec.com/accessories/headwear/military-boonies/
Need to dig out my military ones – which don’t fit quite as well as before when I have a bit more hair on my dome. Most of the time I wear a civilian edition I picked up in Hawaii – esp for yard work.
I love my Wallaroo scrunchy hats (for women, although you do you…). They can be rolled up and then popped open and are rated UPF 50 +. Kinda cute too.
I used them whil driving in Nevada since they can also be pulled into whatever shape is needed to block the sun.
https://wallaroohats.com/collections/womens-wide-brim-hats/products/scrunchie
The ones in may link are 15$. Cheap and well made. Lasted 10 or more summers and still going.
I am starting to pull my single shot .22lr out for improptu matches that my club holds (for old men.) Diopters only. None of this lame ass, week sauce “optical” sight cheating. Just 100 yards with light bulluts. Learn holds, master trigger control, and read the wind. I might need a shooting jacket. I am not ready to buy Eley 10x.
It helps that my .22 is from the thirties, made by BSA, has an 8oz trigger, and uses the best single shot platform, the Maritini Henry action.
Weirdly my Winchester 52 shoots Wolf better than Eley, or at least it did when I was shooting it.
Wolf is just a distributor – last I heard, their .22LR ammo is made by SK-Jagd. It’s pretty good ammo for a really good price.
Jealousy and petty things that slow you down (rock in the shoe, long train at a RR crossing, etc.)
That explains the stupid bitch in the Kroger parking lot that nearly hit me coming around a blind corner (I was hugging the curb btw) because she was on the wrong side of the drive aisle and she had the audacity to honk at me. Grinds my gears.
nearly hit me
when I’m mayor I’m abolishing police reports: if State Farm wants a report on who broke into your house or wrecked your car, they can damned well come out and write it up themselves; the civic practice is impractical, slow, and obtuse and should be replaced and financed by whoever gives a shit: I promise that the insurance companies can pass on lower fees for same than I’m being taxed for today
I can agree with wrecks, but police should investigate break-ins.
of course
they should even solve them
but they don’t do either, so why pay for the charade?
I think it’s very dependent on where you live. For instance, when I lived in Miami it seemed like a waste of time. But where I am now, they will try to catch them.
They’re useless where I have my business. Worse than useless, actually.
Eh, these things happen.
As the late QE2 said “Recollections May vary.”
That first pic of Lily, with the French bulldogs in the background, looks like she is posing for her school picture. So sincere—and well-groomed!
Scenes from the match:
*wanders into Tanfoglio tent*
“You know what, I think I like this one better than my current one. How much does it run?”
“$2800”
*Wanders out of Tanfoglio tent*
—-
I spent most of my time hanging out with the Beretta sales crew. This particular crew were all salespeople that happened to work for a gun company. The people running their shop over in the shotgun venue were actual shooters, but they didn’t stop by my range until late on Sunday. Were ere running a side match using a 92x Performance (9mm). All the demo guns thy had were also 9mm — with the exception of their new Cheeta, which is a really good gun (though not $800 good imo) which is chambered in .380. They preloaded all the magazines… with .380.
They asked me why the percentage of shooters using Berettas was so low, and specifically why so many were using a CZ Shadow 2. I asked them “well, have you ever shot a Shadow 2?” They had not.
And I can confirm all the positive reviews that the APX is getting. It’s the best $400 gun I’ve yet encountered.
Beretta would like a bigger slice of the gamer market, but they’ve done some stupid management-driven shit in the recent past that makes them hard to trust. Like trying to force their world-champion IDPA factory team to switch from their Langdon-customized Elite IIs to factory PX4s – which resulted in their entire team walking. Very smooth.
They were handing out loyalty gifts to competitors with Berettas in their holster — Decent-to-nice backpacks with goodies inside.
I don’t understand why the vertec grip has to be so stubby. I do not enjoy it. It’s 1/4″ shorter than the CZ’s (measuring from the beavertail).
Libra: 8 of Coins reversed – If you were expecting to realize profits, I’m sorry.
https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-accuses-supreme-court-of-dangerous-creep-toward-authoritarianism-2023-7
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Ocasio-Cortez said the court’s recent rulings — striking down both race-based admissions in higher education and President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan — “signal a dangerous creep towards authoritarianism and centralization of power in the court.”
nothing more centralized than taxes, love
Missed it by that much…
She’s the young, secular version of a church lady.
Buzzword bingo.
Ocasio-Cortez said, “We have justices saying that the Supreme Court is going themselves much too far. They are expanding their role into acting as though they are Congress itself. And that, I believe, is an expansion of power that we really must be focusing on. The danger of this court and the abuse of power in this court particularly as it is related to the entanglements around conflicts of interest, as well.”
What?
“I truly do. And this is not a new, this is not a new development in history. This is part of our system of checks and balances. The courts, if they were to proceed without any check on their power, without any balance on their power, then we will start to see an undemocratic and frankly dangerous authoritarian expansion of power in the Supreme Court which what we are seeing now from overturning abortion to the ruling for discrimination and frankly stripping the full dignity and personhood of LGBTQ people in the United States.”
None of this happened.
“There also must be impeachment on the table. We have a broad level of tools to deal with misconduct, overreach, and abuse of power and the Supreme Court which has not been receiving the adequate oversight necessary in order to preserve their own legitimacy. And in the process, being themselves have been destroying the legitimacy of the court, which is profoundly dangerous for our entire democracy.”
“The court is, like totally illegitimate and a threat to democracy when it doesn’t do what I want.”
indeed: the Court and the Constitution should be bulwarks against too much democracy; if the majority is always right, why have any permanent documents at all ? she thinks the majority need protection?
As usual she has it backwards. Most of the rulings have moved power away from the legislative and executive branch, and back to the federal and state legislatures where they belong. The ones that didn’t were enforcing explicit rights stated in the Constitution.
If she wants abortion legal at all stages and in all states, let her introduce the legislation.
I can only assume the “ruling for discrimination” refers to striking down the use of race to discriminate in college admissions.
The LGBT+ reference, I honestly can’t figure out what ruling she’s talking about. Oh, maybe the thing where the wedding website designer doesn’t have to take any clients she doesn’t want to?
AOC is stupid or lying or both.
As far as the Russia (civil war discussion earlier) – “Baroque Cycle” notwithstanding – I do question how much influence the historic Russian empire was able to legitimately exert beyond their borders (or even domestically thousands of miles from Moscow or St P) given how stratified their society was over the centuries. Would love to read more if folks have suggestions
The joys of flying on July 4th weekend are innumerable.
I got a kiddie pool for Chadwick and put a 7lb bag of ice in there. He’s taking the cubes out one by one https://ibb.co/jzKfMYp
Oh, that glare is not happy.
The leash weighs more than he does.
“I am not amused, human.”
“The court is, like totally illegitimate and a threat to democracy when it doesn’t do what I want.”
Reining in the President’s attempts to rule by decree is the very definition of authoritarianism.
whaddup doh’
“Virgo: Wheel of Fortune reversed – Is it really good luck if you keep getting stuff that you don’t really want?”
Trying to get home and out of SFO on a holiday weekend. Pray for me.
I put on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm this afternoon for background noise. Interesting moment:
He had a field where nothing came up at all
.. beetle infestation.
His advisor told him that since they banned protective seed coatings in Europe, they just have to deal with this sort of loss. 4,000 pounds loss on one field. Coated seeds would have stopped it.
Not sure that not coating seeds provides any benefit at all.
You know who else was coated in seed?
Bro after coming in first at the circle jerk?
Not sure that not coating seeds provides any benefit at all.It provides a boon to the beetle population.
Socialism made simple.
https://twitter.com/Zeronelite/status/1675420015204466690
The left is anti-Semitic.
New York City’s rules to force pizzerias that use wood- or coal-burning ovens to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 75% could put Jewish matzah bakeries out of business, affecting Jews’ ability to observe the Passover holiday.
Matzah is unleavened bread made strictly of flour and water. It must be mixed, rolled, and baked within 18 minutes, or it is not considered kosher for Passover, because the bread must not be allowed to rise at all.
Cracka, please. But I have been to a couple Passover Seders and I had a lotzah matzah.