{"id":10849,"date":"2014-12-22T17:32:55","date_gmt":"2014-12-22T17:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=10849"},"modified":"2015-12-07T20:31:11","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T20:31:11","slug":"the-gift-of-marksmanship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-gift-of-marksmanship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gift of Marksmanship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-2.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-10851\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-2.jpg?resize=950%2C306\" alt=\"Gunsite-2\" width=\"950\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-2.jpg?w=950&amp;ssl=1 950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-2.jpg?resize=300%2C97&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In a few days, joy and wonder will be everywhere. Guitars, guns, and all sorts of presents will be presented. Anticipation will abound. After a few sessions, where fingers become sore from pressing strings and loading magazines, reality will set in. And, one of three things will probably happen.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The guitar or gun will be stuffed in the closet, only to be withdrawn in exhibition.<\/li>\n<li>The guitar or gun will be sold to finance some other endeavor.<\/li>\n<li>An serious effort will be made to learn how to use the thing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This effort to learn can start with a book or video. Even more popular today, Google will offer advice on how to become proficient with your new toy. Interestingly, going to school is rarely considered. This is odd since we wake our children every morning and send them out the door to learn. As much sense as school makes, it seems adults regard it as a last resort.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10854\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10854\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nighthawkcustom.com\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10854 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-6.jpg?resize=950%2C522\" alt=\"Gunsite-6\" width=\"950\" height=\"522\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-6.jpg?w=950&amp;ssl=1 950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-6.jpg?resize=300%2C165&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Wouldn&#8217;t it be great to get a new Nighthawk for Christmas? Wouldn&#8217;t it be even better to get a gift that taught you how to shoot it?<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d not dare discourage someone from wrapping up a new <a href=\"http:\/\/www2.gibson.com\/Products\/Acoustic-Instruments\/Square-Shoulder\/Gibson-Acoustic\/Hummingbird.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Gibson Hummingbird<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.martinguitar.com\/about-martin\/the-martin-story\/dreadnought-story.html\" target=\"_blank\">Martin Dreadnought<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ruger.com\/products\/newModelSingleSixConvertible\/models.html\" target=\"_blank\">Ruger Single Six<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/marlinfirearms.com\/Firearms\/centerfire\/336c.asp\" target=\"_blank\">Marlin 336<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.colt.com\/Catalog\/Pistols.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Colt 1911<\/a> and putting it under a tree. Regardless of your sex or age, unwrapping a gun or a guitar\u00a0is a special thing. But with the brilliant colored paper at your feet and the wood and steel in your hand, there might also be some realization; realization you really don\u2019t know how to use this thing.<\/p>\n<p>There is also the fact that the procurement of a gun should be as personal as obtaining underwear. I don\u2019t want anyone buying my underwear and as much as I would like a new gun \u2013 I can give those interested in making a purchase a long list \u2013 I would much rather pick it out myself.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10850\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10850\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-1.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10850 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-1.jpg?resize=950%2C316\" alt=\"Gunsite-1\" width=\"950\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-1.jpg?w=950&amp;ssl=1 950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-1.jpg?resize=300%2C100&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10850\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Gunsite Academy trains hunters how to shoot too.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you are considering giving a gun for Christmas, I might have a better idea. The thing that makes a gun enjoyable is being able to use it. What if you could give someone the gift of shooting skill? What if you could give someone the ability to handle a handgun with speed and precision is a defensive situation? What if you could gift field marksmanship for a hunter? Yes, a gift of a gun is special but this would be remarkably wonderful<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll wager my <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nighthawkcustom.com\" target=\"_blank\">Nighthawk<\/a> to a Glock that in almost every case where a guitar is given for Christmas, after the unwrapping the giver says something like, \u201cWe\u2019ll sign you up for lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What a novel concept!<\/p>\n<p>Why is it not applied to gifted guns? Long term, over a years time, the cost is about the same.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10852\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10852\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-4.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10852 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-4.jpg?resize=950%2C360\" alt=\"Gunsite-4\" width=\"950\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-4.jpg?w=950&amp;ssl=1 950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-4.jpg?resize=300%2C114&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10852\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Maybe even better than getting a youngster a gun is sending them somewhere they can learn how to <em>really<\/em> use it.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There is a way. There is an academy in Paulden, Arizona that has been teaching people how to manage, manipulate, and master bullet placement for almost 40 years. It is the oldest private firearms training academy for civilians in the world. It has been called the \u201cCamelot of the Great Southwest\u201d and the \u201cHarvard of Handguns.\u201d It is\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gunsite.com\/main\/\" target=\"_blank\">Gunsite Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>From experience I can\u00a0assure you that anyone\u00a0who has graduated a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gunsite.com\/main\/\" target=\"_blank\">Gunsite Academy<\/a> course, will tell you it was life changing. I\u2019m not talking about those who have attended media events or product launches on the property, I\u2019m talking about those who have registered for, attended, completed and graduated a real, honest to goodness, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gunsite.com\/main\/\" target=\"_blank\">Gunsite Academy<\/a> class. Graduates leave fully immersed in the gun culture. They leave with the skills and knowledge to help them enjoy firearms. They leave ready to fight or hunt with a gun. And, just importantly, they leave as a member of a new family, the Gunsite family.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, without question, few things are as exciting to find under the Christmas tree as a guitar or a gun. Both require proper schooling before they are useful for anything other than looking at. I think we should start a new gift-giving trend. Let\u2019s give those we love and care about the gift of marksmanship. Get them\u00a0<em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gunsite.com\/main\/contact-us-2\/gunsite-course-application\/gunsite-training-certificate\/\" target=\"_blank\">a certificate to Gunsite Academy<\/a><\/strong><\/em> so they can learn the gun.<\/p>\n<p>Then, they will have the knowledge to go out and do something else that\u2019s immensely enjoyable; make music by pulling a trigger. And, with some good experience under their belt, they can shop for and purchase the gun they really want. That might even be more fun than unwrapping one.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10853\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10853\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-5.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10853 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-5.jpg?resize=950%2C569\" alt=\"Gunsite-5\" width=\"950\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-5.jpg?w=950&amp;ssl=1 950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Gunsite-5.jpg?resize=300%2C180&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10853\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">For those who have been there, they know that Gunsite can be life changing.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a few days, joy and wonder will be everywhere. Guitars, guns, and all sorts of presents will be presented. Anticipation will abound. After a few sessions, where fingers become sore from pressing strings and loading magazines, reality will set in. And, one of three things will probably happen. The guitar or gun will be stuffed in the closet, only to be &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2509,2522,2500],"tags":[138,111,2363,2362],"class_list":["post-10849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense","category-hunt","category-shooting","tag-firearms-training","tag-gunsite-academy","tag-gunsite-gift-certificate","tag-shooting-school"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-2OZ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13708,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-gunsite-story-40-years-of-firearms-freedom\/","url_meta":{"origin":10849,"position":0},"title":"The Gunsite Story","author":"gunwriter","date":"July 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"From 1958 until 2003 the pages of Guns & Ammo magazine\u00a0were graced with the words and wisdom of COL Jeff Cooper. Readers worldwide subscribed to read his thoughts; primarily those associated with the use and application of the defensive handgun. Similarly, when Cooper opened the American Pistol Institute on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"GSS-7","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/GSS-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/GSS-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/GSS-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/GSS-7.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12224,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/defensive-handgun-training\/","url_meta":{"origin":10849,"position":1},"title":"Defensive Handgun Training","author":"gunwriter","date":"October 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm at Gunsite taking the 250 Pistol Course yet again. Actually I'm taking the Crimson Trace Laser Integrated Version. I was shocked to learn that it is not one of the most popular courses at Gunsite. But then I realized some folks probably assume you only use lasers during this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/image-1024x352.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/image-1024x352.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/image-1024x352.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/image-1024x352.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14894,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/kids-guns\/","url_meta":{"origin":10849,"position":2},"title":"Kids &#038; Guns","author":"gunwriter","date":"March 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"When I was growing up cartoons only came on TV on Saturday morning. There were no video games, and fun was mostly found playing football, cowboys & Indians, or army. Everyone in my family was a hunter and guns were a part of our life and my childhood. I killed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;EDITORIAL&quot;","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/K-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/K-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/K-8.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/K-8.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13823,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/imagine\/","url_meta":{"origin":10849,"position":3},"title":"Imagine","author":"gunwriter","date":"August 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Imagine if you will a 16 year old boy going to Gunsite Academy to take the highly respected, week-long, 250 Pistol Course. Imagine that same boy taking a pistol that was first introduced in 1935. Imagine that boy competing against other shooters in the course who were adults, and who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"DD","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DD-1024x626.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DD-1024x626.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DD-1024x626.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DD-1024x626.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7821,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/why-gunsite-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":10849,"position":4},"title":"Why Gunsite Matters","author":"gunwriter","date":"December 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Regardless what ship you\u2019re on, it needs an anchor. Ships and boats without anchors eventually end up adrift. The ship of gun owners we all ride on finds rougher water at each turn in the river. To hold our position we need an anchor and Gunsite, the place where the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"MKT-5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/MKT-5-300x226.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12065,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/kids-guns-and-kissing\/","url_meta":{"origin":10849,"position":5},"title":"Kids, Guns and Kissing","author":"gunwriter","date":"September 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent my childhood with a gun. Before I really kissed a girl I was out hunting on my own. I take that back. When I was in 1st grade some girls held me down on the playground and kissed me repeatedly. It was a traumatic experience. In my defense,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;SHOOTING&quot;","block_context":{"text":"SHOOTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/shooting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"d-2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/d-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/d-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/d-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/d-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10849"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12739,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10849\/revisions\/12739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}