Joe White Passes Away

A friend told me he  recently saw in American rifleman magazine that long time competitive bull's-eye shooter, Joe White passed away at 95 years old.   Some of you may recall reading Gil Hebard's "pistol shooters treasur"--the small book put out by Gil on bull's-eye shooting with articles from the top shooters of the time.  Joe White had a superb contribution to this wonderful publication---which I've probably read fifty times. His article was on "mental preparation."  Priceless to read and Joe's neat sense of humor added to the story even more. 

I got to know Joe pretty well as he was a neighbor and we found each other practicing together up at the small pistol range we belonged to in MD. We'd shoot local matches together, talk BE, loads, etc til the cows came home. 

Joe was a big believer in dry-firing and often recited his story of dry firing relentlessly for 30 days or so prior to the MD state Championships---without firing any live rounds in that period!  He had a recording of the times and rapid commands and would use that in simulating the shots/timing, even recoil. He went on to win that year's event and chalked it up to his diligent dry-firing!!  I was in awe. 

My "claim to fame" was beating Joe in one Timed Fire match down at Pax River NAval Air Station where my 200 just beat his 199 score!  LOL. Of course he crushed me in the rest of the event!

I still have a number of his ammo cans with his handloads and will always have the fondest memories of Joe White. Similarly, I too have taken a bit of a hiatus from BE (damn golf!), and recall Joe did the same for I beileve nearly 20 years before coming back strong. In fact, at age 74 Joe finally broke 2650--in the rain at 12th PPC in Davidsonville, MD. A dear friend of mine recalls scoring Joe at another match and noted Joe "peed himself " but just shrugged it off and went on to shoot another blistering 2600-something!

RIP Joe; you were a man of dignity and I'll always keep you in my mind as I prep mentally for a match.

Joe White's writing in the BE Encyclopedia is the first one with great impact on my shooting.

The article is great, but mostly this paragraph:
"One of the most effective procedures for me to follow when I am having this trouble is to tell myself that I am dry firing and that, on this particular shot, I will be very careful to keep the sights aligned before, during and after the fall of the hammer. Then during the trigger squeeze I work up a mental picture of the hammer falling and the sights remaining in perfect alignment after the hammer has fallen. This is what I mean by mental follow through. The idea is to continue working at keeping the sights aligned even while the bullet is traveling toward the target. It is the best insurance you can get against relaxing your attention too soon. They say that intense concentration is just the old story of mind over matter. The brain must have complete control of the body and its actions. I think in my case it would be easier if I had a larger brain and a smaller body."

And especially this line:
"...keep the sights aligned before, during and after the fall of the hammer."

That in a nutshell is exactly what LtC Miller was teaching me in the early 70s.

I will look up his writings, sounds like those of us who didn't know him really missed out.

I was lucky to shoot close to him at Perry couple years. Spent several hours with him at jack best shop one night at Perry one year. Great guy.

JOSEPH C. WHITE Jr. "Mental Aspects Of Match Shooting" page 50-52 of very small print.

I've owned and read Gil Hebard "The Pistol Shooter's Treasury" many times while putting the chapters into practice since the '70s and my conclusion is now as it was then, it works!
The best $3.95 ever spent.

RIP Joe

I shot with Mr White many times in the Virginia area . Always the Gentleman Mr. White was insightful and helpful . I had the pleasure of him scoring me at  Quantico the day I shot two 10x timed fire targets . Never will forget his comment  ( with a twinkle in his eye ) on the second target that I needed a sight correction as the group was centered between the X.and the X ring line .

Cleaning out a book case today and found a copy of Shooting Sports USA , April 1990 . On the cover is picture of a Colt MKIV SERIES 70 with a ultra dot and custom grips. I told my wife that I knew the pistol to which she replied SURE !  To which I replied it's Mr. White's and it was .  2650 at 69

Joe White had been an Aircraft Pilot with the U.S. Border Patrol, too! I remember one year, long ago, at Camp Perry. My wife and I were looking at the old score board in which scores were individually hand written with grease pencil onto a Plexiglass sheet. It had been a very windy morning for the High Masters and Masters (welcome to Camp Perry). My wife commented on the low scores. From behind us boomed a voice, "Little lady, those scores are pretty good considering the conditions!" It was Joe White, standing behind us.

What a gentleman! Always admired him even though we never met. I was pleased to meet Hershel Anderson at Perry one year