Althouse: At the Target Café...

March 9, 2012

At the Target Café...

... I'm afraid of all the metaphors.

39 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Are those kevlar breast implants? And no 10 ring hits showing, so it must have been fired by a beginner.

Wait a minute, is this The Macho Response Blog?; 3/9/12, 9:41 PM
Synova said...: My oldest, my son, is turning 21 tomorrow.

We're going to John Carter and then on Tuesday we're going shooting, since that's what he particularly asked to do for his birthday.

I had gun safety the summer after 6th grade and was always around guns. I hadn't realized, I don't think he's ever so much as touched a real one.; 3/9/12, 9:42 PM
chickelit said...: The silhouette targets at my shooting range have internal organs marked. I always aim for the spleen.

What are you shooting with, BTW?; 3/9/12, 9:47 PM
chickelit said...: Those hole patterns make for great discussions of accuracy versus precision. The same principles hold for sniping against internet targets.; 3/9/12, 9:49 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: ... I'm afraid of all the metaphors.

Why? I wasn't,...; 3/9/12, 9:59 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Tg,

Wait a minute, is this The Macho Response Blog?

Only if you can look at that first target and see someone smiling back at you,...; 3/9/12, 10:01 PM
edutcher said...: The Blonde prefers a .22 for accuracy and a .45 for stopping power.

Ann, what do you like?; 3/9/12, 10:02 PM
mtrobertsattorney said...: That is impressive shooting. Ann, are those your targets?; 3/9/12, 10:09 PM
chickelit said...: Looks like a .45 or a 9mm; 3/9/12, 10:10 PM
wyo sis said...: This is the kind of thing that has kept me a lurker here for 3 years until I finally got my courage up to start commenting.
1. There are a lot of people commenting on this blog who know a lot more than I do about almost any topic.
2. There are a lot of smart people commenting on this blog.
3. It's time I got into the fray and tested some of my thoughts against smart, knowledgeable people.
4. So far it's been fun and enlightening.; 3/9/12, 10:36 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Thanks for speaking up, Wyo Sis.; 3/9/12, 10:51 PM
edutcher said...: Sis, you are as good as anyone else and your opinion probably has insights no one else here has.

Dive on in; the water's fine and don't mind the crocodiles.

A good punch in the snoot sends them scurrying.; 3/9/12, 11:06 PM
Christy said...: Is that man outline with two targets supposed to be a Gallifreyan?; 3/9/12, 11:20 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/9/12, 11:20 PM
Wince said...: I thought this ReasonTv video, Remy: Cough Drops-The Mandate, was very funny.

BTW, does Sandra Fluke speak with a vocal fry at the beginning?; 3/9/12, 11:35 PM
30yearProf said...: According to Col. (Dr.) Marty Fackler, THE Army's wounding expert, for maximum effect shots should be placed in the upper thorax (head moves too much) about 2' inches apart. That way you get themendous temporary wound cavities throughout an area rich in vital organs. THAT will neutralize (don't you love that cop word) the threat.

Decent shooting, Ann.; 3/9/12, 11:35 PM
Wince said...: wyo sis said...
This is the kind of thing that has kept me a lurker here for 3 years until I finally got my courage up to start commenting...

2. There are a lot of smart people commenting on this blog.

Think of the stupid ones... in their underwear.; 3/10/12, 12:00 AM
Wince said...: "Alright, I'll take the soup".; 3/10/12, 12:15 AM
shiloh said...: Speaking of always off target!

Ouch!

But as mittens said quite eloquently, MS/AL are away games. They must still be territories lol. btw, MS and AL are quite competitive as they are usually competing w/each other for worst state re: education, median income and #1 in obesity.

Interesting that Haley Barbour was actually considering a presidential run lol, Dennis Kucinich notwithstanding. :D; 3/10/12, 12:37 AM
Penny said...: "Think of the stupid ones... in their underwear."

Yeah, OK, that worked at first.

But then they never seemed to change their underwear. Only their friggin' avatars.

Which is precisely why I decided to do avatars with James Cameron from Monday through Friday, and dirty laundry with Don Henley on the weekend.

There's a clear winner here, and it ain't my Frigidaire.

Hotpoint gal, all the way.; 3/10/12, 12:42 AM
Pete said...: Bible reading and gun shooting. Althouse is trying too hard to convince us she's not a Leftie.; 3/10/12, 6:01 AM
Lyssa said...: What, no "breasts" tag?

Wyo, I felt the same way when I started reading here. But then I jumped in and I never looked back!; 3/10/12, 6:38 AM
Rusty said...: shiloh said...
Speaking of always off target!

Ouch!

But as mittens said quite eloquently, MS/AL are away games. They must still be territories lol. btw, MS and AL are quite competitive as they are usually competing w/each other for worst state re: education, median income and #1 in obesity.

Interesting that Haley Barbour was actually considering a presidential run lol, Dennis Kucinich notwithstanding. :D

Dude. Your life sucks.; 3/10/12, 7:28 AM
Tank said...: I use those orange paste ons too. Makes it much easier to see your hits from a distance, especially if the background is black, which it is at my range.

My targets tend to look like that too. Good results righty, not as good, and a bit wild, lefty.

Practice, practice, practice - or get a shotgun.; 3/10/12, 7:49 AM
Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...: Wyom Sis -- there's a reason Wyoming was the first state in the union to give women the vote: most of 'em carried and knew how to use the things.

Ann -- if those are your targets you're consistently a bit low, though with one decent group to the left and one to the right ... about like your blog.

Anyhow, try to focus on your front sight, because the target is big enough to be a bit blurry. Many beginners focus on the target, which makes the rear sight really fuzzy and messes up your aim.

Also, set the middle of your front sight at the horizontal of your rear. Your groups look like you had the TOP of the front sight at that point.

I'm also old enough to be amazed that many people now consider shooting to be a left/right issue. The NRA used to be full of Democrats until that party got taken over by the McGovernites back in '72.

Personal carry is a women's issue. Go for it. In states where concealed carry is the norm violent crimes against women have dropped by 30 to 70 percent.

Finally, don't let anyone convince you of the "shoot to wound" bullshit. If your life is threatened, shoot to kill. Three rounds, center of mass, and don't try for a tight group, because you'll want to mess him up as badly as possible.

"Warning" shots, or shooting to disable will be used in court as evidence that your life was not really in jeopardy ... which is the only justification for shooting another human being at all.; 3/10/12, 7:51 AM
Peter said...: When I went to the range a few weeks ago I choose a target that had the silhouette of a turkey. Shooting at a human silhouette no doubt has its good points, but I figured the motivation of a nice tasty turkey dinner, even if not actually in reality, would be a better motivator for accuracy.; 3/10/12, 8:00 AM
Patrick said...: Synova - Congratulations on shepherding your son through the first 21 years.

Wyo - glad you're here. I think my first comment was on the Turin Olympics on figure skating of all things. I guess it takes a blog like Althouse to make me realize I have an opinion on figure skating.; 3/10/12, 8:07 AM
Paco Wové said...: "you get themendous temporary wound cavities"

funny, they don't sound like they would be temporary...; 3/10/12, 8:36 AM
Toad Trend said...: I see Gloria Allred is taking aim at el Rushbo.

Look, everyone knows he's on the air 15 hours per week and he's bound to say something stupid once in awhile.

But prosecuting someone for having an opinion? Geez Louise, Ms. Fluke defamed herself with many by her less than frank self-depiction but nobody seems to care about that.

If someone calls me a male slut in front of a group of people is that grounds for a defamation suit? I would think the test for that has some pretty high standards to meet. But, I do not underestimate lawyers and their ability to manipulate.

Pass the popcorn.

wyo sis, welcome and don't be afraid to speak up.; 3/10/12, 8:38 AM
Petunia said...: From a purely theoretical standpoint, if aiming for the abdomen, I wonder which is the best place to hit.

The spleen bleeds like a son of a gun, true (having accidentally nicked a cat's spleen once during a spay, I can testify from personal visual evidence), BUT the spleen is also partly protected by the ribs, and if the shootee gets to the OR in time, the spleen can be removed and one can live quite happily without it.

The liver would also bleed a lot, is a bigger target than the spleen, the gall bladder if hit releases very caustic bile into the abdomen, and if the entire liver has to be removed, well, you're in BIG trouble. But it's also largely tucked up under the ribs.

I'd think the transverse colon would make a good target. It crosses the entire abdomen, and if you hit it, you create instant septic peritonitis as feces and all sorts of fun bacteria are let loose in the abdomen. Cleaning up that mess would be a real challenge.; 3/10/12, 8:40 AM
Michael Haz said...: Will Gloria Allred now have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Sandra Fluke is chaste?; 3/10/12, 8:44 AM
Hagar said...: Shooting at an actual baddie is not going to be like target plinking. Shoot for center of mass and hoe you at least nick him sufficiently to discourage him.; 3/10/12, 9:26 AM
Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...: Petunia -- spays are indeed tricky, since there are lots of blood vessels that can give you a dead cat in a hurry. Do not try this at home, boys and girls. OTOH I've done a lot of tomcats on the farm by stuffing 'em upside down in a gum-boot and knackering them just like a pig. Working as RINO politicians and political consultants now, every one of 'em.

To answer your "practical" question, I'd suggest targetting the upper inguinal region. This would be especially effective if carrying a .410 load with #0 or #1 shot, but a hollow-point .45 would also make enough of a mess (femoral artery) that the perp would exsanguinate rather rapidly.

The Taurus 'Judge' family of revolvers will allow you to chamber either .45 slugs or .410 shotgun shells. Excellent personal defense weapon and fairly easy to conceal, even for a woman.

Simply drawing to low-ready will drive most perps away, and if you have a laser grip, the red dot will usually convince most of the others when you go to high ready.

Don't forget that a threat can close 25 or 30 feet before you can draw, so don't be shy about drawing if things get squirrelly.

Just remember, however, that you're simply attempting to save your life, not take his unless you must.; 3/10/12, 9:32 AM
Anonymous said...: Shooting is becoming quite popular, even in the liberal precincts. Living Social has shooting/wine tasting gatherings now. I'm signing up for the next one!

Hopefully the serious imbibing happens after the gun play.; 3/10/12, 9:39 AM
Richard Dolan said...: "I'm afraid of all the metaphors."

If so, I dread to think what happens when you spy a spondee coming 'round the bend. No doubt, that fear must incline you to oppose federal funding for Sen. Reid's cowboy poetry fest, no?; 3/10/12, 10:14 AM
mariner said...: Petunia,
From a purely theoretical standpoint, if aiming for the abdomen, I wonder which is the best place to hit.

From either a purely theoretical or a purely practical standpoint, aiming for the abdomen is not the best idea.

The idea of shooting someone is to STOP him, NOW. Shots to the abdomen are serious and often fatal, but not usually quick stops.

Aim for the center of whatever you can see, and keep shooting until your target is no longer a threat to you.; 3/10/12, 12:54 PM
David Blaska said...: Aim, shoot, repeat as needed.; 3/10/12, 1:50 PM
AlanKH said...: Someone should open a target range where the weapons are slingshots and the ammo are Angry Birds.

AAAAA-HEE-YAAAAA!; 3/10/12, 9:25 PM
Tom said...: That looks like .22 cal, no?

And to all of the gun nerds who are commenting on the quality of the shooting: stop it...you don't know the distance to the target nor how the targets were engaged (careful aiming or rapid draw for concealed carry, etc.); 3/11/12, 7:50 AM