HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

LEARNING A HARSH LESSON AT THE SPORTING GOODS STORE

 

 

 

On a trip to Richmond the other day, the wife and I stopped at our favorite sporting goods store to do a bit of shopping.  We noticed a number of differences since the last time we had stopped in: there were long lines of people waiting to look at handguns and AR-15 class rifles; shelves were empty; and prices had increased dramatically. The recent political uncertainties have encourage people of all ages, backgrounds, and creeds, to stock up on firearms and ammunition. However, there is one group of firearms enthusiasts that always stand out: the long distance marksmen.  These dedicated marksmen have a common theme, they are all dedicated to shooting as accurately as possible over long distances. 

These guys will spends big bucks on precision rifles that are used strictly for target shooting, and there is an entire industry built around competitive long distance shooting. Precision rifles tend to be more expensive than most rifles intended for hunting or self-defense. They feature extra heavy barrels, flat bottomed stocks, adjustable triggers, and other options which help steady the shooter and increase accuracy. The precision rifles we saw on the shelves began at $2500 and quickly increased in price. Fancy scopes for these precision rifles are also available, and many of these scopes cost more than the average hunting rifle. 

Having spent anywhere from $4000 to $6000 on a rifle and scope, plus several hundred dollars on top quality ammunition, marksmen will spend hundreds of hours at the range, in order to improve their shooting skills. These fellows are absolutely enamored of the idea of hitting a dime at a thousand yards, and that is just for beginners. There is no limit, no distance too long for the dedicated marksmen. The Internet is filled with guys arguing about the technical details of which rifles, scopes, ammunition, wind, distance, velocity, and so on will provide for the perfect shot. 

However, there comes a time when the great marksmen fail. Their accuracy disappears completely. Even when taking all factors into account: wind, distance, velocity, rate of fire, steady aim, quality of projectiles, etc, they will simply miss the target. Some of the older, more experienced guys will use a trick called "Kentucky windage" to help with their accuracy, but in the end it does them no good. Their projectiles go all over the place, everywhere except for the correct target. These poor fellows, for all their practice and attention to detail, fail in their accuracy every time they use the public toilet.