I don't really time my shots either. I keep a casual mental count more out of unconcious habit than an actual stopwatch affair.
I agree, the distibution and in-PF handling is critical (in my opinion) as the fracturing/channeling has a massive impact when it 'goes off' due to the lever schtuff. Bottomless PF on the lever was a wicked learning curve but it was an excellent decision and it continues to teach me things about the shot.