Eat Your Vegetables

by Carrie Lightfoot - Guest Contributor

“I don't want any vegetables, thank you. I paid for the cow to eat them for me.” Doug Coupland 

 

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."  Doug Larson

I have noticed something very interesting. I post a photo on Facebook of a cat wielding a machine gun or a Mae West quote about being a bad girl and within hours - over 500 shares, even more LIKEs and tons of great comments. I post a photo of an attractive woman brandishing a firearm and BINGO thousands of shares and likes and hundreds of comments. (Yes, there are tons of MALE Well Armed Women fans.)  I post a link to a phenomenal article loaded with potentially life saving tips and/or spot on marksmanship tips and..... Maybe 10 shares, 100 likes and only 5-10 comments. 

So what is that? 

That is human nature. We love something quick, fun and satisfying but don’t really like to take the time to take care of our “firearm health”. There are a few areas in our lives, where this probably really doesn’t matter much. Then there are the few that really do matter, like our health, our relationships, our careers and yes, our skills as an armed personal defense shooter. But of course as Booker T. Washington said “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.” 

This is where the Broccoli comes in. 

It really is like eating vegetables. We know they are good for us, very good for us. We don’t even question it and yet some of us still avoid them like the plague. So What can we do to get over the barrier of “if it is good for me, than no thank you”? What can we do to make these “vegetables” taste better besides wrap them in bacon? 

We know that regarding one’s physical health, if they have an illness or are diagnosed with a serious medical issue, they will make the dietary and lifestyle changes necessary. They WILL begin to eat their vegetables. The fear becomes the motivator. 

Now, none of us should have to, or needs to go through the trauma of a close call or an attempted attack to create the fear to get us to change our ways, should we? Of course not.  It takes the mental commitment and belief that we each could REALLY be in this type of horrifying situation to create the fear that will cause us to change our ways and do the reading, training and practicing necessary.

So the moral of the story is: enjoy the simple things and the things that make you laugh, but also invest in your firearm health. Read, train, practice and grow in your knowledge of what just might keep you alive if the horrific and unexpected happens. Oh and yes, eat your vegetables, too!

Carrie Lightfoot is owner of The Well Armed Woman and quest contributor for the Beretta Blog. Join the dynamic group of women shooters on Facebook or Twitter or on her website.

Make sure you follow Beretta on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube

This post and its contents are the views and opinions of the author only, and do not necessarily represent Beretta.

Hello, Texas? You can have your star back…

by Phil Mcnaughton- Guest Contributor

This is a Texas Star target. 

It is a common array at practical and steel shooting events.  The 5 plates at the points of the star are the actual targets.  Shoot a plate, it falls to the ground. 

I know, it sounds pretty simple.  Until you factor in the axle.  Yes, an axle, in the center of the star.  With all the plates in place, the star is balanced.  Knock one plate off, the balance is gone, and the star spins, eventually swinging back and forth like a pendulum until all the plates are down.    

It’s typically shot with pistols or shotguns, the latter being a little easier on the nerves if you have the right shot pattern.  Although I have personally never seen it, I suppose you could use rifles on it, if the distance was far enough, and the steel was rated for rifle rounds, although the very thought of trying to clear this thing with a rifle, at distance, gives me nightmares.

There are some wicked variations of the star.  I’ve seen paper targets in place of the steel, with weights added to keep the star in constant motion.  Adding strategically-placed no-shoot targets (the ones you don’t want to put holes in), anywhere near the star tends to result in no-shoots with a lot of holes in them.  Even better: let’s put 2 stars together on the same axle.  We’ll put paper or steel targets on one star, and no-shoots on the other.  Then we’ll make them spin in opposite directions!

Good grief, who thinks of this stuff?

There are some “tricks” to clearing the star.  Start at the top, work your way down.  This keeps the center of gravity near the bottom, which limits the swinging.  It also helps to pick a spot and wait for the plate.  When it passes, hose it.  A good place to hold your sight is the point where the plates pause to change direction.  This works well, unless a devious match director has hidden that magical spot behind a steel wall, or a no-shoot.  Yes, it happens.

I don’t recommend chasing the moving plates with bullets.  That’s a surefire way to burn up rounds.  The crowd will get a good laugh, but in the end you may be left standing there with an empty gun, as those little plates mock you, merrily swinging along, untouched. 

“Ok, but bad guys don’t move like that.”  I’ve heard folks say that the star doesn’t represent any sort of “real world” target, whatever that is.  I view any challenge on the range as something that will make me a better shooter.  Hopefully none of us ever have to use our shooting skills off the range, but if we do, experience with targets like the star might just give us the edge we need to get home that day.

I really don’t know why it’s called a Texas Star.  It is a big star, after all, and Texas is big on stars.  Maybe its origins can be traced to the Lone Star State?  Sometimes I want to send it back to wherever it came from, but deep down I’m glad someone made this thing.  It’s made me a better shooter. 

Make sure you follow Beretta on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube.

This post and its contents are the views and opinions of the author only, and do not necessarily represent those of Beretta.

Love is a many splendored thing...

by Carrie Lightfoot - Guest Contributor

Ahh, a new relationship. The excitement, the long talks, spending as much time together as you possibly can. These things are all part of any new significant relationship. You explore each other, learn everything you can about the other and eventually know everything there is to know.  People begin to say the two of you look alike, act alike, talk alike and, as years pass, even dress alike! I know you know what I am talking about: you have seen couples wearing basically the same outfits, most of them don’t even know they have done it. It just happens. They have grown so much together that they seem to meld into one. 

Yes.... I know I am writing a gun blog and am sure you are wondering “what does this have to do with guns”? 

Many women and perhaps men, purchase a firearm for self-protection. They want to feel safe and have the means to protect themselves and those they love. So they make the purchase, perhaps even glance through the owner's manual, load it with ammunition and put it in a safe place. Only to be left there, until the day they need it. The honeymoon is over, and so is the relationship.

What’s missing here? Yes: the romance. Every relationship needs attention and some quality time spent together. For a relationship to work, this is required on a regular basis. Otherwise, you will grow apart and become like strangers. 



(photo courtesy of Bouf.com)

 Romance with my gun? you ask. Well, sort of.  

Spending some quality time with your firearm is one of the most important things you can do, not only when you first purchase your gun, but on an ongoing basis. This firearm is extremely important to you: this piece of metal (or plastic, in some cases) will become a part of your body. Heaven forbid the time comes when you must rely on it to save your life, you need to know it, really know it. You need to know how to get it to do what you need it to do, under incredible stress I might add. The level with which you and your firearm are “one” in a life threatening situation will seriously contribute to the outcome. 

Hold it, wear it and work it. (UNLOADED OF COURSE). Regular safe dry-fire practice is a great way to get acquainted and stay acquainted. Take your firearm on a date - go to the range and spend some quality time together. Owning a gun is a long term and committed relationship, one you must actively spend time on and invest yourself in. The rewards? A long, healthy happily-ever-after life together.

I expect you will have some interesting comments on this one! In the meantime, I will leave you with some famous love song lyrics. 

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” - The Beatles, The End

“The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is to love and be loved in return.” - Nat King Cole, Nature Boy

Carrie Lightfoot is owner of The Well Armed Woman and guest contributor for the Beretta Blog. She can be reached on Facebook orTwitter    

Make sure you follow Beretta on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube

This post and its contents are the views and opinions of the author only, and do not necessarily represent those of Beretta.