Stopping his heart

[John-Melb]

I've been having some rather interesting debates just of late with a feral anti on GoogleGroups who recently come up with this classic.

"I have several acquaintances who own and use guns. I regularly chat to them, drink and eat with them.

* One is a farmer and uses his gun to exterminate feral and pest species on
his own land.
* One is a city boy, who uses his gun to exterminate feral and pest species
on other people's land.
* Two are competitive handgun shooters.
* One is a competitive long arm shooter (he stops his heart while he
shoots - he demonstrated it to me, neat trick).
* One is a city boy, who has just purchased a property and plans to use his
firearms to exterminate feral and pest species".

I'd like to ask about this incredible target shooter who is able to "STOP" his heart whilst he takes a shot, despite being asked by a number of people for more information, this feral anti has so far declined to provide it.

Has anybody on these boards ever heard of a target shooter actually "STOPPING" his heartbeat whilst he take a shot, or is this piece of information just another anti-gunner lying?

Has anybody else got any information on this "neat trick"

 

[daniel (australia)]

Not "stopping" the heart, but techniques for slowing the heart rate as much as possible, and for firing between beats, are pretty well known in precision shooting. I remember learning about and practicing this stuff thirty years ago.

 

[John-Melb]

Thanks Daniel, I know about that, but this fellow said "stop", not slow.

 

[armoredman]

Tha's like a racist saying he has black friends.

 

[wizard of oz]

i reckon you'd be better off taking someone shooting who wants to get into it rather trying to persuade some idiot anti.

 

[the naked prophet]

"I'm not a racist, I have black friends. One is so black, he pulled out a tooth and I watched a gold tooth grow back in its place. Pretty neat trick."

Would you believe that line?

 

[El Tejon]

It is simply using the voluntary muscles to control the involuntary ones via breath control (as others have stated, not really "stopping" but a gradual slowing). It's been around for thousands of years in yoga (the Bhandas), qigong (directing the "qi" to where it can help the body, the Falun Gong movement in China), Chinese martial arts (many forms of kung fu have breath control exercises), target shooting (to steady the body), various religious practices, and delivering babies. Recently this ancient practice has become the lastest thing for the "tactical community" in the form of "tactical breathing". Yes, really, I'm not making that last part up: http://www.amazon.com/Combat-Dave-Grossman/dp/0964920514

For more info I would recommend:

http://ymaa.stores.yahoo.net/qigmedembrea.html

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/pranayama/

 

[Pilgrim]

I took a 'tactical' carbine class from Morrigan Consulting that required some fast paced moving and shooting, resulting in pounding heart and heavy breathing. Bill Jeans taught us to take a deep breath and hold it to take the shot. We couldn't hold it but a few seconds, but it was enough to steady us up for a quick accurate shot.

Pilgrim

 

[wooderson]

Would it be shocking for someone unfamiliar with firearms to misunderstand his friend (or simply to be given a simpler explanation)?

 

[hillbilly in MI]

One of my uncles can slow/muffle his enough that it's almost imperceptible. He used to do it while his wife was lying with her head on his chest, just to freak her out a bit. She always said it was creepy. I don't think he trained himself to do it. He just came by it on his own.

 

[Avenger]

Pilgrim, I had been told your hands would be steadier if you held after EXHALING, not on the inhale. I've always fired that way, and most people I know seem to as well.

BTW I ran into a tidbit of info the other day. Lance Armstrong, 7-time Tour D'France winner, has a resting heart rate of 40 beats per minute. An average human has a RBPM of 70, and most military pilots and auto racers are around 55.

 

[gm]

Stopping ones heart?

I wouldnt recommend trying it.



I dont think the person actually meant "stopping" the heart.The heart stops, everthing else will go quickly.One can slow the rate by breathing exercises(as mentioned its the exhale after a deep breath that slows the rate) I always take a deep breath and exhale then wait for the heart beat to slow enough to take the shot.What Ive done as well.

 

[wuluf]

pest control

i'm a pest control "city boy" and i WISH i could use my
"firearms to exterminate feral and pest species". some people have all the luck...

 

[LkWinnipesaukee]

If your heart stops, it's not going to start ever again.

Even when someone's heart "stops" when they have a heart attack, it isn't really stopped. I believe it's an irregular or weak beat, or something like that, but not stopped.

 

[CSA 357]

yea im tryin to keep mine going! csa

 

[SMLE]

There are techniques called "vagal manuvers" that can slow the heart.

LkWinnipesaukee;
there are different types of "heart attack". An "MI" is an interuption of blood flow to the heart muscle. If untreated, this can lead to erratic heart beats, some of which do not allow the heart to pump blood. "Ventricular Fibrillation" and Ventricular Tachycardia" are two common arrythmias. Both of these can be treated with electrical shock or "defibrillation". Contrary to TV, Defibrillation does not "restart" the heart, it actually STOPS it long enough for the cardiac electrical system to reset itself. If the heart has actually stopped, then it's time for CPR and IV drugs like epinephrene and atropine. I have worked one "code blue" where we took a patient with no heart beat and gave him a pulse. Such saves are rare in field EMS.

 

[91Bravo]

x

 

[LkWinnipesaukee]

SMLE- I stand corrected. That's just what I was told in my CPR class.