Every time one looks at a news media website, one cannot help seeing the number of “experts”. Telling us what to do and what is best!

Reminds me of a well known shooting writer I met years ago in Texas.

We were talking about trap shooting, and didn’t agree on something.

He said “I am an expert on the subject! I write about it”

I said “and I am a shooter. And I can shoot better than you any day!”

He shut up because he knows it is true!

I listen to our respectable public broadcaster for much of the day and note that most of their experts are professors of some kind. While I imagine their opinions are well-informed, I wonder why those that are native English speakers so rarely speak the language well anymore. They "beg the question" when meaning pose the question, put the emphahsis on the wrong syllahbles and pronounce the as thuh even before words beginning with vowels.

Writers are often just people who dare to do it or can't help themselves. I know that those published in magazines consistently are mostly slaves to the advertisers who buy the r/h pages. One mag used six or seven of my articles - before I made my opinions about modern scopes too obvious.

My favorite from the AR experts.
Complied by Mike_Dettorre (AR member)

What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.

By definition, the term expert or professional is someone who does it for pay. An amateur is one who does it for the love or interest thereof.

quote:

He said “I am an expert on the subject! I write about it”

I said “and I am a shooter. And I can shoot better than you any day!”

He shut up because he knows it is true

When I was in the state patrol academy almost 4 decades ago.

I had 10 years of LEO experience and 20 plus years of using a 870. I shot my first grouse with one at 9yoa.

The instructor was trying to tell me how to hold my shotgun First off it was tactically unsound 2nd I never shot a shotgun holding it the way he wanted.

I then proceeded to hit a bunch of clays out of the air one handed. After shooting about 15 one handed I turned to him and said do you want to show me how it is done.

He just said next.

The thing about the media is that they don't know where to find an "expert". It used to gall me that when there was a serious unfortunate event in the oil field and it made the news. The media would rush to some university and get the "expert's" opinion. That was usually someone who had busted out of the oil industry years ago because they were incompetent, or too lazy to work, and now were only qualified to teach to kids who had zero knowledge of the subject themselves.

Well If you break the word expert down. "Ex" is a has been as in ex-wife or ex- husband. Spurt is a drip under pressure. Expert therefore becomes a "has been drip under pressure"! Ok, don't ask about "assume"!

Live Oak

You beat me to it

Yes a drip that was under pressure

JW

I have without fail noticed over the years in the building trades that all the building inspectors were those who had been in the trades and failed.

quote:

Originally posted by Norman Conquest:
I have without fail noticed over the years in the building trades that all the building inspectors were those who had been in the trades and failed.

Truth there!


Know days all expert means is someone that agrees with you....

quote:

Originally posted by Live Oak:
Well If you break the word expert down. "Ex" is a has been as in ex-wife or ex- husband. Spurt is a drip under pressure. Expert therefore becomes a "has been drip under pressure"! Ok, don't ask about "assume"!

Except that it is "expert"

Broken down it would be "ex" and "pert"

Where "ex" is former or was

And "pert" is saucily free, forward, flippantly cocky and assured, piquantly stimulating, lively or vivacious