Great Satan, Inc.

Does anyone in Pennsylvania want to win a nice gun? If so, get yourself to the Bucks County Friends of NRA Dinner this Thursday evening, September 15th at 5:30 PM. You can win a gun in a raffle, like we have, or win a unique collector firearm at the auction, while enjoying a tasty dinner with people that you’d like to hang out with. Doors open for raffles, games & silent auction at 5:30pm. Dinner will be served at 7:15 PM, at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland, PA.

While online ticket sales have ended, you can still email Christie Caywood through bucksnratickets@pagunrights.com to get tickets to the best investment in the shooting sports you could ever make. The tickets are only $40 per person and half of all net proceeds go to fund projects within the state on youth firearm safety and education programs, hunter education, range development and improvement, women’s training seminars, and wildlife conservation efforts. The other half is used to fund similar projects with a national scope.

Enjoy a great meal, meet people who share your interests, and maybe even walk away with a new gun, what more could you want?

You want more? Well then, I’m glad you asked! You could also win a pro-gun toaster. No really, you can win an NRA toaster that makes divine, pro second amendment BLTs. Everyone loves this unique and rare item!

If you are on the East Coast, what are you waiting for? Get yourself to this Friends on NRA dinner and support the future of the shooting sports by emailing Ms. Caywood, right now!

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It’s been about a year and a half since I dove head first into the world of competitive shooting, and while I’m making some progress with my speed and accuracy, there’s something holding me back, and I can’t seem to shake it.  I’m no stranger to the stress, anxiety and pressure present when participating in sports (especially since my nature is to be ridiculously competitive), but there is an element of practical pistol shooting that I have never experienced before, and it’s making me look like more like Jerry Lewis than Jerry Miculek when I’m shooting a match.

Some call it the Red Mist.  My better half has referred to it as bezerker.   It is an indiscriminatory and unrelenting force that is laser-focused on sabotaging your performance.  Ridiculously clever and devious, it will allow you to build up your confidence just until you step up to the line and into the shooting box.  And then the timer goes *beep*, the red mist appears, and all careful planning and strategy disappears as if it never even existed.

If you’ve been watching Top Shot on the History Channel, you may have noticed that the Red Mist makes a cameo appearance in almost every episode.  During episode two of season 3, it appeared during the elimination challenge and prematurely knocked my favorite contestant and WOMA home girl, Sara Ahrens, out of the competition.

During Sara’s commentary at the end of the show, she recognized the role the red mist played in her loss when she said,  “I’ve had practice in friend and foe targets, it’s just a matter of I’ve never done that next to another person.  I’m kind of being overcome by the intensity of the situation.”

Yep, that’s the unmistakable mark of the red mist.  It doesn’t just effect your performance on the range, it also leaves a trail of amnesia and dumbfoundedness in its wake, making it that much more difficult to overcome.

So, is it possible to defeat the Red Mist, and if so, what’s the secret?  Watching shooting greats like the Leatham’s and the Miculek’s make it pretty darn obvious that it can be overcome, but how does a mere mortal like me fend off this unwelcome creature that has the power to take over my brain at will?

I recently had the opportunity to ask World Championship competitive shooter, and all-around awesome woman, Eva Micklethwaite how she deals with the pressure and anxiety that builds up when she’s competing in a big match.  Eva was kind enough to explain to me what she did to conquer the Red Mist when she found herself a bit “freaked out” by one of the stages at the recent USPSA Area 3 match:

It’s the preparation I do BEFORE I even step on the range that helps me with that. At this particular stage, though, I told myself to take your time and get through it. Don’t rush it, stay focused, and be patient with myself and the trigger. Basically a mental talk off the ledge. Once the buzzer goes off, instinct kicks in as well.

Experience helps a lot, you’ll get there. Mental strength is also a BIG part of this game. And if all else fails….breathe!

Looks like I’ve got some dues to pay to the Red Mist.  If you’re looking for me, check the local ranges.  I’ll be the one trying to reload my left thumb into the magazine well.

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