Bullseye Video Tip: Odds and Ends Shopping

Bullseye Video Tip: Sounding Out the Brass

Now That's A Picture!

Poll Results: Why Do You Shoot Bullseye?

Poll Results

In ranked order,

1. I enjoy the camaraderie. (18)
2. I need the distraction it provides. (14)
3. I get a thrill from the Bang! (10)
4. I like to win, tied with I like being out of the house. (8)
5. I like helping others shoot better. (7)
6. I like being needed to help out, tied with It's good exercise. (4)
7. I don't honestly know. (3)
8. My boss/spouse isn't there. (2)
9. Habit, tied with I need the sun, and Other. (1)

Although the sampled number of shooters was small (23), I think most will agree the results are in-line with what they experience at the range.

The top voted reason, "I enjoy the camaraderie", suggests Bullseye is more about socializing than anything else. Eighteen (18) of the twenty-three (23) respondents said this was one of the reasons they shoot Bullseye. As the bar-chart indicates, that's 78% of those who responded, better than 3 out of 4.

And the #2 reason the poll's participants shoot Bullseye, "I need the distraction it provides," is also about something other than shooting. It is about improving mental health and emotional temperament.

Only when we get to #3, "I get a thrill from the Bang", do we have a gun-related reason. And with only 43% indicating this as a reason they shoot Bullseye, the thrill of the "Bang" is important to less than half.

Winning came in a poor fourth. Then again, even with the different classes of shooters in the NRA ranking system, there just are that many "winners" in any given match. Perhaps we have grown immune to not winning? But far more likely, and as this poll suggests, "winning" just isn't that important.

Recommendation: If you organize Bullseye matches, socializing should be actively worked into your program, not just left to chance.

At Camp Perry where many camp out, enjoy shared picnics and have ad hoc get togethers during the week-long event, socializing is a significant activity.

And the organizers at the Palmyra Sportsman's Association (blogged here) know this. I shot a 2700 there just about a year ago and, along with registering the shooters before the beginning of the 2700, the organizers also handed out the menu from a local sandwich takeout. I marked my order, included my name and turned it in. We then proceeded to shoot 22 and Center Fire and, when lunch time arrived, our lunch bags were ready. Each person paid for their lunch and then everyone sat down at picnic tables to eat. We talked about the matches, guns, the weather, different places we knew -- and unexpectedly, I even got to renew an acquaintance from more than a decade ago. I couldn't tell you any of my scores from that 2700 nor even if I did well or poor, but I do remember the faces and personalities of those sitting at the lunch tables.

Socializing is the #1 reason we shoot Bullseye.

Air Travel, Guns Checked in Baggage, Another Perspective

Bullseye Video Tip: Subscribing to Bullseye-L

Attentional Spotlight

I'm reading a non-Bullseye book that has, nonetheless, a lot to say about how we succeed or fail at many aspects that directly contribute to our performance at the firing line.

The book is "brain rules" (yes, the title is in lower case) by John Medina, a molecular biologist with a lifelong interest in how the brain works.

Here's a brief video by the author on one of the aspects he writes about that is directly applicable to what we [try to] do at the firing line.

 

The Evolving Shot Plan

A shot plan is the sequence of steps, physical and mental, that you go through when shooting.

Top shooters use their shot plan to gain consistency of performance; if they follow the exact same steps for each shot, they will get the same results for each shot.

Of course, that begs the question of what's in a successful shot plan?

But there's no simple answer because, over time, the shot plan changes.

Well, that's not quite correct because it doesn't, but it does.

Confusing?

Bear with me a moment.

The shot plan changes for two reasons one of which is experienced by the beginner and the other by the expert.

Beginner's shot plans change because, to be blunt, at this stage we don't know what we're doing. We haven't (yet) figured out what will work for us.

Beginners have to find these things out the hard way. And because we're all built differently, each person has to figure out his own "best solution".

For example, I'm right-handed but left-eye dominant. About 25% of the general population works that way.

In Bullseye, someone who shoots this way is said to be "cross-dominant" or to shoot "cross-eyed".

To line things up, I should rotate myself (body, head and wrist) to align the sights with each other and to my left eye.

But my body has a problem.

When I was eight or nine, I had a neck injury that prevents turning my head as far as most people can. So if I try to use the "correct" cross-eyed position, my neck hurts. It's tolerable for a couple of shots but not for an entire 2700.

So I shoot "righty-righty".

My shot plan, therefore, includes aligning the sights to my right eye. And because that's not my dominant eye, I wear a blinder over my left eye. Even so, I have to work extra hard at staying mentally focused; staying alert to that eye takes effort. Left to its own, my mind will ignore it and start thinking about other things. In Bullseye, "thinking" is bad so I have to work to keep my mind focused on what the right eye sees.

Years ago "In the beginning," my shot plan had me try lefty-righty (ouch that hurts), lefty-lefty (look out!) and finally righty-righty with a blinder before I found the "least bad" solution. That is, I had to go through several experimental stages while I worked out what to do with my body and equipment to perform a successful shot.

During that period, my shot plan changed because I would try something, that would force something else to change (and be written down) which would change something else, and so on.

And if I ultimately decided "this isn't working," I'd have to throw out a whole series of steps and begin again.

This period when we're working out the most basic of details can be very frustrating. Each choice leads to more choices but when you decide the first domino in the line is wrong, you have to remove and re-stack a lot of dominoes.

Trial and error.

Eventually -- for me it's been years -- we work out most of the basic steps.

That's when we start seeing, as I do, that our shot plan is still changing but in a different way: It's getting shorter and shorter.

You see, for the most part I have internalized "Ed's Meticulously Worked Out Shot Plan" and, if you'll pardon the analogy, I know the yellow brick road. If I stick to it, I know I'll get to Oz.

My body has learned what to do and what step comes next. (Of course, knowing and doing are two different things, but that's another essay.)

Today, I pretty much "know" my shot plan. It is largely internalized.

When "shooters to the line" is called, I "start the dance" and it all pretty much just happens on automatic.

1. I step up to my firing point and verify that my two magazines are loaded and sitting where my left hand can reach them.
2. I eyeball the location of the brass catcher and the spotting scope, and then move to position myself equally distant from both. In that position, brass will [mostly] land in the net and I can see through the spotting scope just by turning my face.
3. My feet and body go to a 90 degree stance and I look down at my feet to make them parallel with each other. I've heard this called the "Russian position" and, of all the stances I've tried, this one seems to work best for me.
4. I can then lean over, pick up the gun while keeping it pointed down range and verify the slide is locked back -- I have to twist my body a bit to make all this work.
5. When the "Load!" command is given, I ready the gun. The written-out shot plan might say, insert one magazine pressing the release button as it rides over it, press the trigger, hold the hammer with right thumb and release the slide lock with left thumb, move left thumb in front of hammer, release hammer from other thumb, release trigger, remove thumb [if hammer didn't drop], re-square my shoulders with my body, hook left thumb in belt where appendix used to be (on right front side) to take stress off left back muscles, start the first of three deep breaths, relax my shoulders, feel my body "settle in", lean slightly toward the target, get a little bit angry which tightens my grip and focuses my attention to the end of my hand and the gun, ...

Let me interrupt.

You can probably start to see why my shot plan has to become internalized: If completely written out, it would be ridiculously long and impossible to read/do at the firing line.

It has to happen from memory, but not from "head memory". There's another kind of memory that's needed for this.

It has to be body/movement memory, not word memory. I don't "talk" the steps. I just do them. I know step one and what follows it and what follows that.

I don't think.

I just "do".

So let me recap.

In the beginning, and because each of us is slightly different, each of our shot plans will also be different. We each have to work out our own set of details.

Viewing that process over time, each of the individual steps may have been written down at one point but they were then practiced and, once learned, they were summarized into one or two words and the beginner's attention then moved on to other parts of the shot plan needing work.

The beginner's plan was starting to evolve into the expert's plan.

As each part was detailed, it too became just one or two words. And the sequence of three or four steps each containing one or two words were, in time, summarized into one step of one or two words.

Ultimately, the "shot plan" becomes short, really short.

Several years after starting this, I can see what my shot plan will become.

Mine will soon become a single word.

It will be, "Flow."

And even on a bad day, I can remember that.

"Flow."

I'm a computer geek by profession and, of late, a teacher of other computer geeks. My job requires me to think and analyze all the time, not just computers but also students trying to learn to program computers, and not just any computers but those doing complicated and dangerous things such as flying airplanes.

So perhaps that's why I enjoy ... no, why I need Bullseye. To be successful at it, I have to do something completely differrent, I have to "not think."

Instead of thinking, I have to

"Flow."

There's an excellent article on this in Shooting Sports USA magazine. You can find it at Page 16 in July 01, 2009 issue of Shooting Sports USA.

And looking over at what Tony has written recently, I see this same idea there as well.

And a long time from now, that one word shot plan will become shorter.

Eventually it will become a single letter.

X

That's the ultimate shot plan. Everything happens on auto-pilot. Our body knows what to do each step of the way. All we need is that single letter to start the process.

X

And then

X

And again,

X

Staphylococcus Interruptus Redux

I'm mending well according to all the MDs seen today, 10 days after my ER visit. The orthopedic surgeon removed the stitches and said to "keep it clean" but to otherwise go on with things. And the infection MD moved me from the IV administered heavy-duty bug killer to a pill which should be sufficient from here on -- the RN will come by the house tomorrow and remove the PICC line.

Also, I have one more appointment today, with my regular MD, but expect mostly to be bringing him up to date so he can pick up the reins from here.

That's the good news.

But all this comes with the revelation that, even though I thought I had "good medical insurance" that provided 100% coverage for emergencies, and even though I was diligent in selecting an ER that was "in the [insurer-approved] list", I'm still going to be getting bills the insurance won't cover, or at least not at the billed amount.

Apparently "100%" isn't 100%.

Here's how it works. The hospital has an agreement with my insurance to bill only at the "reasonable and customary rate". And that's what they do. The room, the medications from the hospital pharmacy, the surgical theater and all that are billed at this approved rate and, because it was an emergency, my plan gives me 100% coverage. The insurance pays 100% of the hospital's fees.

Now, enter the physicians.

They are contracted -- sub-contracted actually from the insurance company's perspective -- by the hospital. Their [sub-]contract does not require their adherence to the insurance-approved rates. The physicians, if they so choose, may charge whatever they wish for their services.

True, my insurance pays 100% -- and here's the got'cha -- of the "reasonable and customary rate" to the service providers who are "in the network". But these sub-contracted physicians charge more, sometimes quite a bit more. And worse, the unknowing [OK, I'll say it, the ignorant] patient [me] didn't know to challenge each and every physician to see if they take my insurance.

So imagine, if you will, the unconscious patient wheeled in to the ER -- with good insurance, mind you. At the presumably good judgment of the hospital and attending physicians, they can, without ever waking up, run up considerable debt which is only covered in part by their insurance.

Same for the fully-awake but otherwise ignorant patient.

To the case at hand, my insurance plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of California states that I'm 100% covered for emergency care.

But that's only for the care I receive that is covered by agreements between health providers and the insurance company. Going to an in-network facility only guarantees me that the services of that facility are covered. Sub-contracted providers such as the physicians are not bound by that agreement. They can charge whatever they wish.

The bottom line is, if you get sick and need emergency treatment, it's gonna cost you something, maybe a lot or maybe a little. Don't believe the insurance company's "100% claim". What it costs you will depend on who's on call when you get there, and who's on call when they, or one of the sub-contractors, decide you need some other sub-contracted specialist.

The "old boy" physician network is, surprise, alive and well.

Today, the medical and the insurance industries are one-up'ing each other in this tit-for-tat game. And it is the lowly consumer, you and me, that are ultimately footing the bill.

BEWARE: As negative as I've made this sound, please do understand it'll be worse with Obama's plan. Wait times will go up as providers are paid less but more and more seek attention. Instead of "playing it safe", future providers may take a "wait and see" approach before prescribing (note the prefix "pre" in that word) antibiotics.

In the current system, I *did* get immediate attention -- virtually no wait whatsoever -- in the ER.

And in the current system, I *did* receive the needed surgery by the "on call" specialist appropriate to my needs (an orthopedic surgeon). Surgery took place within a couple of hours of my walking through the ER door and saying, "I've got this funny bump on my finger that keeps coming back. Do you have someone that could take a look at it?"

And when the culture from that surgery said "Staph infection, could be MRSA", I did get the appropriate medication including a PICC line, a ticket home, medicines delivered to the door and an RN who has made three visits (with one more to go) to my home.

I'm on the mend with no complications (knock on wood).

I did receive top-notch care, thank you very much.

But when the insurance says "100%", don't you believe it.

 

I don't like being the pawn.

 

Back to Bullseye -- I'll be in the backyard tomorrow morning throwing pellets 10 Meters. The range opens at 6:00AM.

10s and Xs!

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