Smart Shooters

[Haziel Barbour]

Weknow that to be the best at your job, you need good equipment. Unfortunately, the state cannot always provide this to everyone, so we want to do our part to ensure that those who protect us can train and work with the best equipment.

The SG Training Shot Timer is a versatile and advanced tool designed for shooters of all skill levels. Thanks to the adjustable sensitivity, it is suitable for different firearms and calibers, even for dry training. While recording all the data, this device is synchronized with a special phone application to record videos in real time with statistics and also share them with your friends if you want to.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

Kevin has lived in Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and California. He has enjoyed two distinctly different careers: he was a welder (in a nuclear power plant!) for a decade and followed that up with 30 years as a nurserymen. Now retired, Kevin is a world class falconer who hunts his two gyr/Peregrine hybrids with his sleek and beautiful English Pointer Sage. You have never seen a dog run as fast or as far as Sage. He is now living with His significant other, Colleen, Parrill in Washburn, ND. They will be moving to a beautiful new home on a spacious natural lot outside of Indianapolis Indiana.

Kevin had COVID when he created this image. He had pulled a trailer all the way to AK in hopes of photographing Brown Bears (grizzles). As he and Colleen drove into Haines, Kevin spotted a pair of Trumpeter Swans in a small pond. He grabbed his gear, lay face down on a rocky slope, and photographed the pair for an hour. He finished the session squatting in three feet of cold water in order to get low. The good news is that he did not die.

This image was created on 4 December 2022 in Yellowstone National Park, Montana by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the handheld Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM lens and the Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 3200: 1//4000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode.

Kevin was driving his truck around Yellowstone in search of subjects when he spotted this coyote walking along a small river right towards him. He grabbed his gear, and using his truck as a blind, hid behind it. The beautiful animals in a pristine setting walked by him. With a combination of good spotting and excellent photographic and field skills, Kevin was justifiably rewarded.

This image was created on 22 March 2024 in North Dakota by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the tripod-mounted Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM lens and the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2000: 1//3200 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode.

Kevin is smart, strong, and tough, seemingly impervious to fatigue or cold. He is mechanically gifted. He can figure stuff out and fix pretty much anything. He can hike for miles in the dark carrying heavy loads of gear. He has gotten lost in white-outs and fog, but always finds his blind. He is persistently addicted to grouse and prairie chickens. He has hiked in blizzards through drifts 3, 4, and 5 feet deep. He has hiked through mud a foot or two deep. Recently, he rescued a blind from a very cold farm pond. He simply will not be deterred.

Less than a month before my visit, he headed out to a local sharp-tailed lek and with just enough now on the ground, created this lovely image of two male Sharp-tailed Grouse going at it. I love the sharpness, the soft light, and the dorsal view of the attacking bird that kindly turned its head to the right just as Kevin fired off a long series. Best of all are the dried grasses just peeling through the snow cover.

Because Kevin is so strong, he uses a Wimberley head and an Induro GIT 504 XL tripod, a real brute. For several years he worked in Av mode but finally and correctly switched to Manual mode in 2022 when he realized that he was losing many images as the background tonality changed. He is the only Canon shooter I know who prefers the R5 to the R3 for its higher quality, more detailed raw files.

Kevin works hard for his photographs and deserves every word of praise. I love all of his work and have learned so much from him! Great all around guy always willing to lend a hand and show you the ropes!

Federal investigators have released the name of the man they say sought to assassinate presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at a Butler County rally on Saturday, but much else about Thomas Matthew Crooks remained a mystery on Sunday.

Early indications are that the 20-year-old had been a quiet student in Bethel Park schools, known for having a small circle of friends and an interest in the military before graduating in 2022 from Bethel Park High School. A spokeswoman for the Community College of Allegheny County also confirmed that he graduated from that institution in May after earning an associate degree in engineering science.

Voter registration records showed he was registered as a Republican. No one answered the telephone or responded to a message left at the home where he lived in suburban Bethel Park, and the neighborhood surrounding the home was quiet early Sunday. The only indications of a connection to Saturday's events were police blockades preventing entry to the block in which the house is located.

Crooks was employed as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, according to Marcie Grimm, an administrator at the facility: "This morning, Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation became aware that Thomas Matthew Crooks, a dietary aide at the Center, was the alleged shooter in the assassination attempt on Former President Trump.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean," Grimm said. "We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on any specifics. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Former President Trump and the victims impacted by this terrible tragedy. We condemn all acts of violence."

A woman who asked to be identified by only her first name, Kathy, said her son attended classes with Crooks and sometimes did group projects with him in high school. She said her son told her that Crooks was very small, smart and quiet.

Updegraff said she believes Crooks transferred to the Bethel Park School District in eighth grade and that he was a part of a class that received special instruction and often caused trouble for their teacher because of material they looked up on the internet.

In a statement Sunday, the school district extended "sincere wishes for a speedy and complete recovery for Mr. Trump and those in attendance at the Saturday event who may have been physically harmed or emotionally impacted by these tragic events. We offer special condolences to the family of Mr. Corey Comperatore, who was killed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time."

"Moving forward, we will work closely with law enforcement investigators and share information as appropriate regarding school district policies, the active investigation, and law enforcement protocols," it said in the statement.

Shooting is arguably the most important skill in basketball and one they take very seriously. Players are expected to shoot every day. The goal is for every player every day to make 80 out of 100 three-point shots. The shooting charts are used for tracking success, and competitive emphasis.

For example, after the first shooting drill Player A could finish with 25 makes and Player B with 27, which would mean Player B is currently up 2. During the next drill if Player A out shoots Player B by 3, he would now be up 1.

At the end of the practice, whichever player won the day, would move up or keep their spot on the chart. On an odd day, 1 vs 2, if 1 beats 2, he would keep the title, if 2 beats 1 he would then move to number 1 and formerly 1 would become 2nd on the charts.

Another way for players to make their way up the charts is by challenging a player outside of practice. If the 3rd player on the chart wants to move up, he can challenge the 2nd person on the chart. They would then find a time that is convenient for both of them that day to shoot at least 250 three-point shots.

The players, both shoot 25 threes at a time at 10 different spots, making their way around the arc. After every spot of 25 there is a winner (i.e. 3rd rank goes 19/25 and 2nd rank goes 20/25, 2nd ranked player on the chart would win that spot and go up 1-0). At the end of those 10 spots there would have been a winner determined. In case of a tie after 10, players can pick one last spot as a tie breaker.

This shooting chart system makes shooting a priority for our team, but it also helps us determine the roles for our players. The shooting charts are used to determine which players get to shoot or dive in practices and in games. Shooters get to shoot. Drivers only get to drive. Non shooters get to dive.

Smart Shooters merge film and photography into one smart production. Two separate artistic and productional disciplines become one. Including both creative + production its smart production system converts challenging, varied company briefings into one creative approach and delivers premium content assets for all brand channels and departments.

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