Ted Cruz Knows how to carry a Shotgun

Gun Watch ^ | 4 November, 2015 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

A blogger named Wes Siler criticised Ted Cruz for carrying a shotgun in the fashion in the photograph.  I am not sure if the critique was in jest,or serious.  It is not clear that Wes Siles is a liberal.  His favorite president is Teddy Roosevelt.  One of Wes' tweets advise on 16 ways to avoid being  "modern man" by the NYTs famous list.  Wes was soon corrected about shoulder carry, and rightly so.

Shoulder carry, as exemplified by Senator Ted Cruz in the Picture, is explicitly suggested as a means of safely carrying a shotgun or rifle.  It is explicitly demonstrated in the Texas hunter safety training.  From texas.gov:

The shoulder carry balances the rifle on your shoulder, controlling the firearm by a hand on the grip. Always keep your finger off the trigger and on the outside of the trigger guard. This is a good carry when walking beside or behind others. It is not a good carry if others are behind you.

 I looked at Wes Siler's site.   He seems like someone that I would get along with.  His remark about Ted Cruz may have been constructive criticism.  Wes prefers the muzzle forward version of shoulder carry.

Might have been nice if the picture above had been "in the field", but as a writer looking for appropriate photos, it isn't easy to get one that is "just right".

On the other hand, Wes has bought into conspiracy theories about the Koch brothers.  In a weird way, he knocks Republican lawmakers for doing what he wants done, which is to keep the sage grouse off the endangered species list.

(Update: It isn't obvious that Republicans were either keeping it off or attempting to get it on.  What I read seemed a delaying tactic for the status quo.)

Wes goes into a complicated scenario about how keeping the Sage Grouse off the endangered species list (a laudable goal) somehow kept energy developers from buying federal land.  Hey, the left has lots of conspiracy theories.

The theory is that energy producers want the sage grouse listed as endangered, so that private landowners will be enraged at the federal government, thus making them look more favorably at selling off federal land.

So maybe Wes is a complicated creature.  Maybe he is channelling some Edward Abby.  Abby had some interesting thoughts.

Remember this, Wes, energy development is what allows you to have the lifestyle that you have.  It has not destroyed the West.  Population increase from uncontrolled immigration is a much bigger threat.


©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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[mac_truck]

Cruz never sweeps anyone with the muzzle, and the video shows him shooting a pheasant.

I already posted a link to the relevant video Siler was commenting on and it clearly shows several people behind Cruz...so I'm not sure what your point is.

[marktwain]

“Several people behind Cruz” is not the same as sweeping someone with the muzzle.

“Behind Cruz” covers a 180 degree arc.

[wardaddy]

It’s all bull shit

A million ways to carry a scattergun

Just keep the front end outta harms way and safety on

Till ducks are stalling to drop in or flushed birds are set by the dog

[wardaddy]

Wow

You’re beating up a fellow traveler ozz

[Fightin Whitey]

that's the butt

Butt...butt...I was talking about the guy at the link. The metrosexual with the free advice.

[mac_truck]

Here's what the National Shooting Sports Foundation says about it.

How to Carry a Shotgun

[ozzymandus]

Do you mean you or this Siler?

[mac_truck]

A million ways to carry a scattergun

Bad habits lead to accidental shootings...as I'm sure you're well aware (lol).

[yarddog]

I could not watch the video but I guess he is showing the shotgun carried by holding the barrels and broken. If he is also saying that it is unsafe to carry it broken and empty over your shoulder by the stock then he is simply wrong.

I don’t care if he is with the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Carrying a double or OU broken, by the stock with no shells in the barrel is as safe as it can be carried. There is zero chance of an accidental discharge.

I am a certified hunter safety instructor and a certified firearms instructor. Certified by the State of Mississippi and the NRA.

I taught skeet shooting at the University of Southern Mississippi. I am a fanatic on gun safety but there is a difference between being fanatical and being ridiculous.

[EternalVigilance]

Yep. Personally, I always preferred to keep the muzzle pointed at the sky, unless it’s time to aim at something lower.