Rembrandt
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- Joined
- Feb 1, 2003
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- 4,657
Found this article while cruising around....I'm no advocate for alcohol and guns, but it's interesting how other countries view this.
http://www.gun-tests.com/pdfs/1-2-alcoholperformance.pdf
"Alcohol And Shooting Performance"
Shooters in the United States have
been trained to avoid alcohol when
practicing for a big meet, and the social
pressures to avoid drinking at the range
are intense. In fact, most ranges in this
country forbid alcohol consumption on
their premises at any time.
However, that wasn’t the case at the
Winnsboro Gun Club’s private facility.
After the line was called safe for the day
and everyone’s gun was cased and put
away, kegs in a Budweiser trailer were
tapped, and the suds flowed. Still, such
an arrangement would be considered
restrictive in Mexico, where the game of
silhuetas metalicas originated, and
where observers and some shooters
drink around—and on—the field of play.
Antonio Barriga, a 64-year-old resident
of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, won
the high senior award in the smallbore
rifle silo championship with a three-day total of 90. He said he didn’t think drinking
was a safety factor in shooting as much as it was a performance factor.
“In Mexico, as well as many of the European countries such as Germany, drinking
is part of the social aspect of shooting,” Barriga said. “I think people in your
country don’t allow drinking because it can give some shooters an edge, not because
of safety.”
Barriga’s opinion runs counter to most training dogma in the U.S., which says
that alcohol interferes with reaction time and depth perception. He also qualifies his
stance by saying that alcohol might not help shooters in the Olympic events, where
a great deal of precision is required.
“But for silhouette, alcohol is not bad,” Barriga said. “I would say that 60 percent
of the shooters in Mexico drink before or during a match, and it helps them stay
calm and shoot better. The other 40 percent are dangerous with alcohol, and they
don’t drink. But Mexican shooters know who is who.” He says he personally knows
certain shooters who have won major championships in Mexico under the influence.
“When I was younger, I was a much better shooter when I drank something
before a match,” the 32-year silo veteran said. “But one of the problems is that you
must drink more as time goes on to get the same effect. At some point, it is too
much. Because I am older, I don’t drink anything now.”
http://www.gun-tests.com/pdfs/1-2-alcoholperformance.pdf
"Alcohol And Shooting Performance"
Shooters in the United States have
been trained to avoid alcohol when
practicing for a big meet, and the social
pressures to avoid drinking at the range
are intense. In fact, most ranges in this
country forbid alcohol consumption on
their premises at any time.
However, that wasn’t the case at the
Winnsboro Gun Club’s private facility.
After the line was called safe for the day
and everyone’s gun was cased and put
away, kegs in a Budweiser trailer were
tapped, and the suds flowed. Still, such
an arrangement would be considered
restrictive in Mexico, where the game of
silhuetas metalicas originated, and
where observers and some shooters
drink around—and on—the field of play.
Antonio Barriga, a 64-year-old resident
of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, won
the high senior award in the smallbore
rifle silo championship with a three-day total of 90. He said he didn’t think drinking
was a safety factor in shooting as much as it was a performance factor.
“In Mexico, as well as many of the European countries such as Germany, drinking
is part of the social aspect of shooting,” Barriga said. “I think people in your
country don’t allow drinking because it can give some shooters an edge, not because
of safety.”
Barriga’s opinion runs counter to most training dogma in the U.S., which says
that alcohol interferes with reaction time and depth perception. He also qualifies his
stance by saying that alcohol might not help shooters in the Olympic events, where
a great deal of precision is required.
“But for silhouette, alcohol is not bad,” Barriga said. “I would say that 60 percent
of the shooters in Mexico drink before or during a match, and it helps them stay
calm and shoot better. The other 40 percent are dangerous with alcohol, and they
don’t drink. But Mexican shooters know who is who.” He says he personally knows
certain shooters who have won major championships in Mexico under the influence.
“When I was younger, I was a much better shooter when I drank something
before a match,” the 32-year silo veteran said. “But one of the problems is that you
must drink more as time goes on to get the same effect. At some point, it is too
much. Because I am older, I don’t drink anything now.”
