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Article in Barron's this week...
12-10-2014, 12:27 PM, (This post was last modified: 12-10-2014, 12:35 PM by BelieveIn308.)
#1
Article in Barron's this week...
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#1
There is a wonderful article in Barron's this week, on CEO's and business executives organizing days at the range with other CEO's much the way they used to meet on Golf Courses.

Barron's, Dec. 8, 2014 Page 44, by Jim McTague, titled, "Feeling at home on the Range"

Taking clients to a ballgame, or even a nice dinner, is so last year. But bonding with them at a pistol-shooting range? Many executives seem to be embracing the idea. Jeani Dukes, director of marketing and corporate events at American Shooting Centers in Houston, recalls that the gun range hosted 47 corporate events annually when she started her job 16 years ago. It hosted more than 45 such events in October alone, and has averaged 260 corporate events in each of the past three years.

Wanting to understand the growing attraction, I headed for Strasburg, Pa., to get a shooting lesson from my nephew, Richard Elliott, who helps stage corporate shooting events.

A client wields a Glock pistol under the watchful eye of a trainer at a range in Strasburg, Pa. Photo: Courtesy of Marksmanship Trainer
Richie, who grew up around guns, became an expert marksman in the Marine Corps. After several combat tours, he was selected to train officers with a 9mm Beretta, the military’s standard-issue sidearm. One of Richie’s corporate clients, David Reichwein, became so enamored with the sport after a three-hour introductory lesson (cost: $165) that he built a professional-level gun range on his nearby farm. Reichwein, founder and CEO of Hong Kong–based GTP International, a privately held maker of building, flooring, and automotive products, began hosting shooting events with the company’s customers, some of whom got to fire a classic Thompson submachine gun. Reichwein says customers talk about the events for years, and sometimes beg to return for another round.

MY PREVIOUS SHOOTING experience was limited to two rounds of skeet shooting and three rounds of target shooting with a .22-caliber rifle, and that occurred more than 15 years ago. Everything I knew about handling a pistol came from watching television characters such as Jack Bauer and Charlie’s Angels. The Marine Corps way of shooting is to hold the pistol between both hands, as in a vise grip. Initially, you hold the butt end of the pistol against your sternum and then push the gun out toward the target until your arms are extended. You then line up the bull’s-eye with the sights. I have a slight quiver in my left hand. To compensate, Richie had me engage in some isometrics, pushing forward with one arm while pulling back with the other. That worked like a charm.

Richie was relentless in demanding that my trigger finger remain off the trigger until the moment I was prepared to fire. When you squeeze the trigger, you have to be careful not to tighten any other part of your hand, because if you shoot right-handed, that fist-tightening will jerk the barrel left and low of the target. This unconscious fist-squeezing was the hardest habit for me to overcome, especially since I was also concentrating on the push of one arm against the pull of the other.

My trigger finger was also as weak as overcooked spaghetti; I had to master the requisite smooth squeeze on weapons with five pounds of trigger tension or “pull.”

My ears rang like a church bell the two times I forgot to wear my ear gear. Richie had me fire seven different handguns of varying makes and calibers over three hours, expending some 200 rounds. After a while, I even began placing bullets in the vicinity of where I was aiming. This was no minor accomplishment. I was hooked.

SHOOTING, I DISCOVERED, requires intensive focus and concentration each step of the way. No two guns are alike. Some are heavy, some light; others have safety mechanisms built into the trigger. I had to become familiar with the nuances of every one of the guns, and my weapon of choice that afternoon was a .45-caliber Glock automatic pistol. The gun’s long barrel, designed for target shooting, made it easier to sight the target accurately. The bullet holes it left were so large, I didn’t have to squint to see if I was hitting the target. But the Glock recoiled like a small cannon.

I have now purchased a .22-caliber replica of a 1911 Colt .45, engineered for shooting competitions. It cost about $375. The .22-caliber ammunition is about $20 for a box of 300 rounds. I calculate spending another couple of hundred for accessories like trigger locks, a strongbox for the gun, and ear protectors. The annual gun club fee is $300. I have golfer friends who spend more than that on their sport in a month.

A shooting iron, I reckon, is easier to master than a nine-iron. For a 65-year-old, wobbly-kneed fly fisherman who is looking for another recreational escape, the easier learning curve is alluring. A smart-aleck friend suggested I ought to take up shuffleboard if I wanted a sport less complicated than golf. Too quiet. I liked the bang I got for my buck from target shooting.
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -Col. Jeff Cooper

Barron's, Dec. 8, 2014 Page 44, by Jim McTague, titled, "Feeling at home on the Range"

Taking clients to a ballgame, or even a nice dinner, is so last year. But bonding with them at a pistol-shooting range? Many executives seem to be embracing the idea. Jeani Dukes, director of marketing and corporate events at American Shooting Centers in Houston, recalls that the gun range hosted 47 corporate events annually when she started her job 16 years ago. It hosted more than 45 such events in October alone, and has averaged 260 corporate events in each of the past three years.

Wanting to understand the growing attraction, I headed for Strasburg, Pa., to get a shooting lesson from my nephew, Richard Elliott, who helps stage corporate shooting events.

A client wields a Glock pistol under the watchful eye of a trainer at a range in Strasburg, Pa. Photo: Courtesy of Marksmanship Trainer
Richie, who grew up around guns, became an expert marksman in the Marine Corps. After several combat tours, he was selected to train officers with a 9mm Beretta, the military’s standard-issue sidearm. One of Richie’s corporate clients, David Reichwein, became so enamored with the sport after a three-hour introductory lesson (cost: $165) that he built a professional-level gun range on his nearby farm. Reichwein, founder and CEO of Hong Kong–based GTP International, a privately held maker of building, flooring, and automotive products, began hosting shooting events with the company’s customers, some of whom got to fire a classic Thompson submachine gun. Reichwein says customers talk about the events for years, and sometimes beg to return for another round.

MY PREVIOUS SHOOTING experience was limited to two rounds of skeet shooting and three rounds of target shooting with a .22-caliber rifle, and that occurred more than 15 years ago. Everything I knew about handling a pistol came from watching television characters such as Jack Bauer and Charlie’s Angels. The Marine Corps way of shooting is to hold the pistol between both hands, as in a vise grip. Initially, you hold the butt end of the pistol against your sternum and then push the gun out toward the target until your arms are extended. You then line up the bull’s-eye with the sights. I have a slight quiver in my left hand. To compensate, Richie had me engage in some isometrics, pushing forward with one arm while pulling back with the other. That worked like a charm.

Richie was relentless in demanding that my trigger finger remain off the trigger until the moment I was prepared to fire. When you squeeze the trigger, you have to be careful not to tighten any other part of your hand, because if you shoot right-handed, that fist-tightening will jerk the barrel left and low of the target. This unconscious fist-squeezing was the hardest habit for me to overcome, especially since I was also concentrating on the push of one arm against the pull of the other.

My trigger finger was also as weak as overcooked spaghetti; I had to master the requisite smooth squeeze on weapons with five pounds of trigger tension or “pull.”

My ears rang like a church bell the two times I forgot to wear my ear gear. Richie had me fire seven different handguns of varying makes and calibers over three hours, expending some 200 rounds. After a while, I even began placing bullets in the vicinity of where I was aiming. This was no minor accomplishment. I was hooked.

SHOOTING, I DISCOVERED, requires intensive focus and concentration each step of the way. No two guns are alike. Some are heavy, some light; others have safety mechanisms built into the trigger. I had to become familiar with the nuances of every one of the guns, and my weapon of choice that afternoon was a .45-caliber Glock automatic pistol. The gun’s long barrel, designed for target shooting, made it easier to sight the target accurately. The bullet holes it left were so large, I didn’t have to squint to see if I was hitting the target. But the Glock recoiled like a small cannon.

I have now purchased a .22-caliber replica of a 1911 Colt .45, engineered for shooting competitions. It cost about $375. The .22-caliber ammunition is about $20 for a box of 300 rounds. I calculate spending another couple of hundred for accessories like trigger locks, a strongbox for the gun, and ear protectors. The annual gun club fee is $300. I have golfer friends who spend more than that on their sport in a month.

A shooting iron, I reckon, is easier to master than a nine-iron. For a 65-year-old, wobbly-kneed fly fisherman who is looking for another recreational escape, the easier learning curve is alluring. A smart-aleck friend suggested I ought to take up shuffleboard if I wanted a sport less complicated than golf. Too quiet. I liked the bang I got for my buck from target shooting.
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -Col. Jeff Cooper
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12-10-2014, 01:36 PM,
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RE: Article in Barron's this week...
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Very cool.
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12-10-2014, 04:30 PM,
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RE: Article in Barron's this week...
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One would hope there would be a lot more of these and they would be as common as a golf outing.
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12-10-2014, 08:31 PM,
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RE: Article in Barron's this week...
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It is my understanding that in Texas they are a fairly common way for corporate executives to 'bond' and build relationships with customers. When RDA gets their gun range, I'd recommend they try to get some local business' to give it a try. It could make a range very popular, and build a base of loyal customers.
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -Col. Jeff Cooper
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -Col. Jeff Cooper
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