President Claims Shooting as a Hobby, and the White House Offers Evidence [Archive]

Wendell

02-03-2013, 04:58 PM

...on Saturday, the White House tried to silence the skeptics by releasing a photograph of Mr. Obama shooting on the range at Camp David in August. The president, wearing protective glasses and ear-muffs, is squinting down the barrel of a shotgun moments after pulling the trigger. Smoke is shooting from the front of the gun. The White House said the photo was taken on Aug. 4, Mr. Obama’s 51st birthday. But it offered no further details on whether his target practice was a regular hobby or a one-time event.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/politics/obamas-skeet-shooting-comments-draw-fire.html?_r=0>

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/02/03/us/politics/03skeet_image2/03skeet_image2-articleLarge.jpg
Pete Souza/The White House
In a photo released by the White House on Saturday, President Obama is shown skeet shooting at Camp David in August 2012.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/politics/obamas-skeet-shooting-comments-draw-fire.html?_r=0>

TGS

02-03-2013, 05:07 PM

Good thing he has a fancy ported shotgun, otherwise he'd be getting owned from recoil.

I wonder how betrayed all the hardcore anti-gunners feel now. Their beloved saint is now a baby killer like us.

orionz06

02-03-2013, 05:10 PM

Wouldn't the porting fall under compensation and therefore be subject to proposed legislation?

RoyGBiv

02-03-2013, 05:15 PM

Sociopath.

http://m.urbandictionary.com/#define?term=sociopath

Spr1

02-03-2013, 05:16 PM

Wouldn't the porting fall under compensation and therefore be subject to proposed legislation?

Whoa, did I miss that compensators are proposed to be illegal, not just flash hiders?

If so, the big 0 just might have given us a great ad..... "0bama shooting an assault weapon". It would be great to wake up the "average" American.

TGS

02-03-2013, 05:18 PM

If so, the big 0 just might have given us a great ad..... "0bama shooting an assault weapon". It would be great to wake up the "average" American.

And besides the porting.....why does he need 2 rounds?

And why the hell does he need auto-ejectors, allowing for quick and effortless reloading for more carnage!?

Spr1

02-03-2013, 05:21 PM

Perhaps one of the women here can help us further analyze that photo.....

Are those size 6 or size 8 jeans?

JV_

02-03-2013, 05:36 PM

The ports on the left side must be for looks only, since the gas is escaping from the right side and muzzle ....

Tamara

02-03-2013, 06:37 PM

Perhaps one of the women here can help us further analyze that photo.....

Are those size 6 or size 8 jeans?

Dude, mom jeans are SO much more practical for CCW than trendy low-rise ones. Trust. :p

(Besides, my old jeans from The Gap had vestigial pockets that wouldn't take a knife bigger than my Spyderco Dodo or CRKT Urban Shark...)

ToddG

02-03-2013, 06:40 PM

I'm no skeet shooter, but doesn't that barrel angle seem a bit low for hitting a bird?

Tamara

02-03-2013, 06:44 PM

I'm no skeet shooter, but doesn't that barrel angle seem a bit low for hitting a bird?

Second-hand info, so take it for what it's worth:

Secret Service has taken Barack shooting more than several times.

The first time was the federal range on top of the fed building in downtown Chicago which hosts a LE range. I am told Barack's first experience with a pistol was an experience in itself, but as an educated man he was a quick study. (http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2013/01/at-camp-david-we-go-skeet-shooting-all.html?showComment=1359311933229#c55894737253931 22402)
Although Shootin' Buddy's gun skool training partner is Barack's old next-door neighbor, who has actually had to chase "In His Steps" bicycle tour participants off the grounds of his Hyde Park condo complex before...

ETA:

re: The photo itself...

I wouldn't be shocked if he does occasionally bust clays at Camp David. It is fun, after all, and entirely socially acceptable in even the snootiest social circles. I wouldn't necessarily hold a staged photo for promo purposes against them, since that sort of thing is pretty standard practice, although the entire reasoning behind it is slippery and specious. "Look! POTUS enjoys playing snooty clay sports! He's not going to ban your stack-barrel Perazzi!"

Spr1

02-03-2013, 06:53 PM

I suspect that was "fam fire", as in "Mr. President, would you like to fire A round?"

He has no pouch for shells....

secondstoryguy

02-03-2013, 07:15 PM

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh201/secondstoryguy/9505D49E-2768-49AF-8231-E66A308908C4-3740-000004310496E766_zpsbf22d408.jpg

Tamara

02-03-2013, 07:27 PM

He has no pouch for shells....

When you're President, you don't need a pouch for shells; they have people for that. ;)

ToddG

02-03-2013, 07:57 PM

I wouldn't necessarily hold a staged photo for promo purposes against them, since that sort of thing is pretty standard practice,

So to prove that he's an ordinary guy who's shot skeet before, they need a staged photo? Does not compute. Using that approach, they could "prove" he plays NFL football, too.

Let's face it, he threw that "I shot skeet" comment out in an attempt to connect with casual sport shooters. Instead, it's become a comic event.

Al T.

02-03-2013, 07:58 PM

Looks like he may be shooting Trap. The angle and the single choke tube would support that. Not sure what to say about Photoshop, way beyond my capacity.

ToddG

02-03-2013, 07:58 PM

Looks like he may be shooting Trap. The angle and the single choke tube would support that. Not sure what to say about Photoshop, way beyond my capacity.

It would amuse me to no end if it turns out that he didn't know the difference between trap and skeet, and demonstrated that ignorance in an attempt to "relate" to sport shooters. :cool:

Hatchetman

02-03-2013, 08:27 PM

I teach trap and skeet; there is a lot wrong with that picture. Gun doesn't fit very well, short LOP makes for an awkward grip and mount. Looks to me like his head is too low on the stock and not over far enough to sight straight down the barrel's rib; cheek weld needs work. No vest or ammo bag; what, he has someone handing him every round? If shooting trap he should be more squared up to the house that would be in front of 'em instead of bladed. If shooting skeet a lefty would want his navel pointed toward the high house, which appears to be the case, though as stated the barrel is too low for skeet unless there was a serious tailwind involved. And most clay shooters don't wear muff type earpro as the stock's comb tends to knock it off the ear after several shots.

My guess is that they have some sort of low trap sending birds straight and away as that's the easiest sort of bird to get newbs to hit. Lack of vest/ammo bag suggests someone is handing rounds to him and likely coaching him. Bad fitment means they just grabbed whatever gun was laying around. Can't quite tell how long the gun is. 26" barrel is a skeet gun, 32" is trap, that looks like a 28" that would be choked tight for trap. If that is indeed one choke then they have the gun set up for trap; by definition skeet includes pairs on certain stations.

Tamara

02-03-2013, 08:35 PM

So to prove that he's an ordinary guy who's shot skeet before, they need a staged photo? Does not compute. Using that approach, they could "prove" he plays NFL football, too.

Oh, I'm just saying that maybe he does bust clays every now and again at Camp David and some WH photog asked for a staged shot at some point last August because it might prove politically useful at some point down the road.

Doesn't make him a shooter, no matter how much he doeth protest. ;)

TCinVA

02-03-2013, 08:40 PM

Remember that this is the same administration that leaked Obama using "baseball cards" with profiles of terrorists on them to determine who gets a hellfire from a drone strike. They thought it would make him look more muscular.

They really do think that kind of picture makes a difference...

...despite the fact that he's handling that shotgun with all the practiced poise you'd expect to see from Refrigerator Perry in stiletto heels and a thong. He looks for all the world like a dude in khaki's and a pocket protector that just walked into a biker bar.

I'd make a more crass analogy, but we have this thing about how staff is supposed to behave on the forum.

Spr1

02-03-2013, 08:48 PM

Why does Michael Dukakis in a tank come to mind???

Shawn.L

02-03-2013, 08:58 PM

Im no shotgunner , but one of the competitive skeet shooters at our club posted this in a thread about this

Whatever he's doing, it isn't skeet shooting. Not only is the angle of the gun wrong for any target on a skeet field, but the skeet field at Camp David has a tall fence closely surrounding it which isn't in the photo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/bobski/JFK-skeet6301.jpg

He's shooting it like a rifle and why is there an extended choke only in the top barrel? He'd never be able to even see a target while staring at the back of the reciever like that. He's obviously never done it before. They probably trotted him out for a few shots just to get a photo. I really want to know why people care so much though. No matter what he shoots, he's still a tool

Again, I already think he's a liar whether he was lying about shooting or not. I'll add some fuel to the fire though. I kept thinking the smoke coming out the top of the barrel (presumably from porting) looked wrong. Brownings like that usually have several ports drilled in the side of the barrels which wouldn't make the smoke shoot out the top like that. I found a larger version of the picture where you can see the porting. Sure enough, no smoke coming out of the ports:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/8436110735/sizes/o/

MechEng

02-03-2013, 09:06 PM

"Drifting to the left." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk47saogI8o&feature=youtube_gdata_player)

Tamara

02-04-2013, 06:44 AM

Remember that this is the same administration that leaked Obama using "baseball cards" with profiles of terrorists on them to determine who gets a hellfire from a drone strike. They thought it would make him look more muscular.

They really do think that kind of picture makes a difference...

I wonder how many people staunchly defending the First Skeet Shooter pic were frothing vehemently at the mouth over the previous administration's little flight-suit-on-a-carrier-deck photo op as "contrived"?

TCinVA

02-04-2013, 07:43 AM

I wonder how many people staunchly defending the First Skeet Shooter pic were frothing vehemently at the mouth over the previous administration's little flight-suit-on-a-carrier-deck photo op as "contrived"?

I've stopped asking myself those kind of questions because the answer is too scary. Like Germany, 1933 scary.

orionz06

02-04-2013, 07:53 AM

1299

Seems legit.

fuse

02-04-2013, 08:02 AM

1299

Seems legit.

Photo is authentic.

Story checks out.

NETim

02-04-2013, 08:26 AM

Just doesn't look like the stance of a guy who shoots a lot of skeet to me. You would think the CinC could afford a shotgun that fit him better. And a Proletarian Grade Citori? You'd think he'd be swinging some of that soft n' sexy Italian iron. C'mon!

LHS

02-04-2013, 10:38 AM

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/217516_547430495274764_1842449883_n.jpg

A more accurate photo..

RoyGBiv

02-04-2013, 11:15 AM

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/03/white-house-dared-people-to-photoshop-obamas-gun-picture-and-did-they-ever/

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/flowers-in-barrel-620x339.png

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/photo-27-620x318.jpg

Tamara

02-04-2013, 11:20 AM

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/217516_547430495274764_1842449883_n.jpg

A more accurate photo..

Best one I've seen yet. Where'd you find that?

LHS

02-04-2013, 11:28 AM

Best one I've seen yet. Where'd you find that?

"The Skeptical Libertarian" on FB.

LHS

02-04-2013, 12:15 PM

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/03/white-house-dared-people-to-photoshop-obamas-gun-picture-and-did-they-ever/

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/photo-27-620x318.jpg

Making his way the only way he knows how
But that's just a little bit more than the Constitution allows

LHS

02-04-2013, 12:45 PM

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/LordHeadshot/facebook_-518002535jpg_zpsd004353e.jpg

Al T.

02-04-2013, 08:08 PM

LHS wins.

peterb

02-05-2013, 06:56 AM

The NSSF chimes in. They helped build the range at Camp David.
http://www.nssfblog.com/skeet-gate-some-constructive-advice-for-the-president/

LHS

02-05-2013, 10:13 AM

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426672_255058047960714_1763988516_n.jpg

fuse

02-05-2013, 10:15 AM

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426672_255058047960714_1763988516_n.jpg

Blessed be thy Internets

ezthumper

02-05-2013, 10:15 AM

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426672_255058047960714_1763988516_n.jpg

HAHAHAHAHA. well played, well played indeed.

Tamara

02-05-2013, 10:27 AM

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426672_255058047960714_1763988516_n.jpg

While not as trenchant as the Predator one, that one is so wonderfully dry. POTUS and TOTUS, out busting some clays... :cool:

LHS

02-09-2013, 10:52 AM

This one's a bit ham-handed, but true nonetheless.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/560015_575663172462929_1644129544_n.jpg

LHS

02-17-2013, 01:58 PM

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/21665_507982495919483_979965511_n.jpg

So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause...

Robert Mitchum

02-17-2013, 04:05 PM

He likes shooting but his real love is dressing like beyonce

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o701/rbrindley/Political%20Humor/ObamaBeyonce.jpg

Drang

02-17-2013, 05:24 PM

I think you just broke the Internet.

Robert Mitchum

02-18-2013, 02:30 AM

I think you just broke the Internet.

Can do better than that
http://rookery.s3.amazonaws.com/1018500/1018695_f33e_625x1000.jpg

Skaaphaas

02-18-2013, 05:35 AM

Pretty surprised that this hasn't been posted yet:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_sGdPzR3Ew/URsVPbd6yYI/AAAAAAAAPbo/G4r5_2Yc0Vc/s1600/ninetymilesa3iSM91re6kijo1_500.gif

Tamara

02-18-2013, 06:06 AM

Pretty surprised that this hasn't been posted yet:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_sGdPzR3Ew/URsVPbd6yYI/AAAAAAAAPbo/G4r5_2Yc0Vc/s1600/ninetymilesa3iSM91re6kijo1_500.gif

That pic is worthless without "Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!" :D

cclaxton

02-18-2013, 10:42 AM

As commander-in-chief wouldn't he be entitled to carry a 1911 sidearm?
Have previous Presidents carried on the job? Seems like I remember Teddy Roosevelt wore a pistol.
CC

Kyle Reese

02-18-2013, 10:44 AM

As commander-in-chief wouldn't he be entitled to carry a 1911 sidearm?
Have previous Presidents carried on the job? Seems like I remember Teddy Roosevelt wore a pistol.
CC

Did Teddy Roosevelt hold the 2nd Amendment in such contempt as the current President?

LHS

02-18-2013, 10:45 AM

Pretty surprised that this hasn't been posted yet:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_sGdPzR3Ew/URsVPbd6yYI/AAAAAAAAPbo/G4r5_2Yc0Vc/s1600/ninetymilesa3iSM91re6kijo1_500.gif

He apparently went to the Rick Grimes "Urban Strong Hand Unsupported" school of revolver shooting...

Chuck Haggard

02-18-2013, 11:32 AM

How do those SAAs fire without cocking the hammer? He obviously, and I have been counting his shots, has high capacity assault SAAs because he's firing way more than ten shots without reloading.

I know that by reputation and self admission Eleanor Roosevelt packed heat, and IIRC Nancy Reagan talked about having a pistol. Not sure of any POTUS since Teddy packing, but Harry Truman had a day where he almost needed a gun rather badly.