Do you agree with my feedback to Keefe?

[Jeff686]

Dear Mr. Keefe,

I am active in the shooting sports, a member of the NRA and USPSA, and a viewer of American Rifle TV.

Since the main purpose of this letter is to provide feedback on American Rifle TV, let me begin by thanking you for your hard work and dedication to producing professional, high quality episodes. Although sometimes excessively used, the flashy graphics, theme music, and special effects do give the show a nice look and feel.

However, I believe there are several improvements that could be made that would significantly increase my enjoyment of the show. My comments are intended for the series as a whole, but I will take specific examples from the January 30th episode 5.

1. Scripts: I tire of the excessively flowery and verbose scripts. It seems that there is an attempt to use impressive (yet vague and meaningless) adjectives and adverbs to add fluff to the commentary. It is beginning to sound more like a romance novel than a gun show. At times, it approaches hyperbole. An example of this was the segment on the Winchester Model 70. I felt like the commentator wanted me to snuggle with the rifle, not shoot it. Additionally, I understood the meaning and message of the alliteration “Rifleman’s Rifle” the first time. I did not need to hear it as many times as I did.

2. Details: I think the biggest shortcoming of many of the segments is the lack of details. Gun owners are, by nature, technically minded people. We appreciate an elegant technical design and understand how form and function interact. Give us more details and explain more about specific parts and features. An example of this was the new trigger on the Model 70. A few minor comments were made about the ‘lever system’ improving the performance of the trigger. I was extremely disappointed when you omitted an explanation and demonstration using the moving model/poster seen on the wall. An additional 30 – 60 seconds of technical explanation would have turned that segment from ordinary to exceptional.

3. Midway Gun Smith: Obviously, Midway USA is a big supporter of the show. Many thanks to them. Sometimes it is not clear if I am watching an advertisement or a show segment, therefore I do not know if the Midway USA Gun Smith footage is technically part of the show. If not, it should be! Increase the length! I would love a recurring segment that shows gun smith techniques and tools. I would not undertake many gunsmith tasks myself, but I really enjoy knowing how they are done.

4. Instructional and Informational: I would enjoy a recurring segment that includes instructional and informational content. Please teach me something. A range of topics could cover things like shooting techniques, equipment selection, reloading, ammunition selection, ballistics, physiology and human factors, range etiquette, and safety. Specific examples could be: barrel twist vs. bullet weight, how to use a rifle sling, cross-eye dominance, shooting positions, moly vs. plated vs. jacketed bullets, point blank range, using a chronograph, wood vs. synthetic stocks.

Once again, thank you for your hard work and dedication to the NRA and American Rifleman. I hope you find my feedback constructive. I look forward to future episodes.

Sincerely,

Jeff686

[ima45dv8]

Very nice letter.

[GentlemanJim]

Very nicely done!!

And I have to agree with your opinions!!

Jim

[DBeck77]

Not to be nasty since Midway is a big sponsor of NRA, but if they could teach Larry Potterfield to look at the prompter over the camera instead of to the side I would be eternally grateful. He obviously can't memorize his spiel and his looking at the prompter the whole time he is talking is distracting.

It could be just me, but he never looks like he is looking at the camera.

I believe they could hire almost anyone with any training as the host of the American Rifleman show and exceed Mr. Keefe. He does not have the skills that it takes to convey stuff well verbally. Neither do I, but I'm not hosting a television show.

David

[Jeff686]

Not to be nasty since Midway is a big sponsor of NRA, but if they could teach Larry Potterfield to look at the prompter over the camera instead of to the side I would be eternally grateful. He obviously can't memorize his spiel and his looking at the prompter the whole time he is talking is distracting.

It could be just me, but he never looks like he is looking at the camera.

I believe they could hire almost anyone with any training as the host of the American Rifleman show and exceed Mr. Keefe. He does not have the skills that it takes to convey stuff well verbally. Neither do I, but I'm not hosting a television show.

David

I'm a pretty good public speaker, mostly because I use props and don't 'read the slides' to the audience. Maybe I can host the show. (not)

Once, I gave a presentation about a new product, but I didn't agree with the data analysis and conclusions. I offered a prize to the first person to guess the 'theme' of the presentation. During the talk, I constructed a fog machine from a hot plate, pot of H2O, and some dry ice. I then proceeded to waft the fog around the room with a ladies compact. Smoke and Mirrors! Get it?

I never noticed that about Larry looking to the side. Now it's going to haunt me forever. Thanks a lot!!

With so many good technical and informational shows on Discovery, History, and Military Channel, I would think the viewers could handle and would welcome more detailed content from Wednesday Night TV.