More on Laser Training

Thanks to Robb Allen for getting some video of me shooting at the shoot house, where Todd was training us on how to use a laser to make yourself a better shooter.  One of the major weaknesses in my shooting is breathing.  Locking my knees is a silhouette habit, where you’re more concerned with a stable shooting position than you are with recoil management.  But breathing is a problem.  It’s often I find myself missing a string of animals when I realize I’m laxing on my breathing discipline.  I’m totally amazed that Todd can see this just by looking at a laser.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuVPKYKB1LQ[/youtube]

I need to look into some Grecian Formula for Men or something, because I am pretty grey from the back.

New Bench of Evil

Well, the old bench of evil turned out to be too small, too unstable, and I hated the fact that the only way I could mount the press was on the side.  I decided to go to Sam’s Club and get myself a new bench of evil, where I could mount the press the right way.   Now every time I decap and resize a piece of brass, it’s like I’m playing a slot machine, only with this slot machine, I win every time!

New Bench of Evil

Now I’m thinking about upping the ante toward a progressive press.

What Can I Say …

… I’m a sucker for hot Alaska governors who shoot AR-15s.  I just donated 100 bucks to McCain/Palin ’08.  Regardless of how I feel about McCain himself, he’s elevated some very good folks to the national stage, and put them in positions where they’ll be leaders in the Republican Party.  Even if his campaign is destained to crash and burn, this is a great legacy to leave us for the future.

If you’re thinking about donating, now is the time.  McCain took the public financing route, so this weekend is the last his campaign can take donations.  After this, you can only donate through the RNC.

Strategery vs. Tactics

I’ve been worried that the McCain camp doesn’t seem to have their ground game in too good order, especially here in Pennsylvania, but I have to say that their strategic outlook seems to be pretty good.  The media is already starting to attack Sarah Palin as inexperienced.  But every article that brings this issue up is also highlighting Obama’s lack of experience as well.  The difference is, she’s on the bottom of the GOP ticket, and Obama is on the top of the Dem’s.  It’s probably not too smart for the Obama camp to even bring this issue up, but they are doing it.  The selection of Palin to the McCain ticket has put him in a win-win situation.  They can’t not criticize the choice, but on the only issue they can hit her on, also indirectly hurts Obama.

Will NRA Endorse McCain?

It’s been something I’ve been wondering, but I think Palin’s addition to the ticket might change things.  I still lean toward the idea that McCain is not worthy of an endorsement, but then I think how much is on the line this election.  McCain is far from perfect, but I think it should be considered in the following light:

  • Gerald Ford never met a “reasonable gun law” he didn’t support, and is responsible for Stevens being on The Court.
  • Ronald Reagan favored the enactment of the Brady Act, but also nominated Kennedy and Scalia to The Court.
  • George H.W. Bush, who was Reagan’s VP before becoming president, issued an executive order to ban so called assault weapons using his powers under the GCA of 1968.  While he put Souter on The Court, he also put Justice Thomas.
  • Bob Dole did not receive an NRA endorsement in 1996 because of his stance on the Clinton gun ban, and lost to Bill Clinton.
  • George W. Bush favored re-enacting the assault weapons ban.  Granted, his VP pick was pretty good, but Dick Cheney is a duck gun kind of guy.  Bush’s Solicitor General worked against us in Heller, but he put Roberts and Alito on The Court.
  • McCain favors regulating private sales, but Palin is pretty solidly pro-gun, and is a hunter and NRA life member.  Unlike a lot of other politicians, he’s not afraid to oppose an assault weapons ban.  He’s picked up a lot of obscure pro-gun candidates and put them front and center on the public stage.

I’m not saying NRA should endorse McCain, but I’m not going to freak out if they do.  In terms of previous Republican presidents, McCain is really no worse, and may even be better.  I have no idea which way NRA is leaning in terms of an endorsement, but I’m willing to accept either course of action.  An endorsement has serious political consequences for how people on the ground may help his campaign.  While I wish McCain would repudiate his stance on private sales, gun owners have been able to make progress with a very imperfect endorsed presidential candidates from the 1980s to now.  I worry that ceding the White House to Barack Obama will cause us to lose everything we’ve worked on for the past decade.