Southern Hospitality? None Found In Pinson Ala.

[SqHunter]

Thanks for the reply, I hope to make it next month.

[chemteach2]

Since the cosmic gods do not allow my posting, I’ve asked chemteach2 to post the following.
Subject: Childish and Malicious behavior. Regarding the reported maltreatment of a shooter at the Pinson range, I spoke with the shooters who observed directly the reported events. At no time did the range director behave in any way except to offer cordial assistance within the club rules and consideration of all other shooters. It’s a little much to have someone arrive late, have unprepared equipment, dally around instead of taking advantage of the sight-in period( others had been shooting 45 minutes), criticize the range as to inadequate facilities, have no regard for the other shooters who played by published rules, and then post a malicious message. Just another example of our counties plague of irresponsibility i.e. if I don’t have needs satisfied as a I want, then its somebody else’s fault. I find whining offensive.
Most threads miss the most important issue i.e. what was the purpose of the post? Obviously it was malicious and meant to be destructive. Why characterize a range and its match director in such a manner except to negatively influence potential shooters and create an image of an inhospitable place. Perhaps the director should parade testimonials from shooters throughout Al and the southeast or perhaps the 50 shooters who show up for our family fun matches. I think the complainer owes Nick and the Pinson range a public apology. Doing so will represent growth from early stage arrested development and indicate character growth.
G.Hughes

[Jim Beckley]

Well I'm with the kitten when he said that being a match director is a thankless job. And I'll throw my hat Mr. Hughes way on the whining (unless of course it's me doing it). I was running a hp match in Mesa a few years ago, small match usually with about enough for 2 relays, one shooting and the other spotting, no spare bodies, with just myself calling the match, making sure that the new shooters are keeping their guns pretty much pointed down range along with a couple of other rather seasoned shooters that are getting pretty long in the tooth, and making sure that the target setters don't come out of the bunkers behind the berms (normally nothing to worry about, unless a snake or other critter goes into the friendly confines of the bunker), any way this guy comes up to the tower, the match had already started about 15 minutes earlier and he wants me to let him shoot at our rams off the bench, because his friends had already told him that a .243 wouldn't take them down and he wants to see for himself. I explained to him that a .243 with a factory barrel was indeed a little light for rams, and if he wanted to take a shot at them he would have to pay the 10.00 match fee and take his chances standing up like the rest of us, he wasn't a happy customer when he left.

[Jim T.]

I see we have 2 interesting topics going on here. As a match director myself I have come across some of the same things as stated throughout this post. Dealing with people that are a little slow, not quite organized, having trouble sighting in, troubles with their equipment or just wondering when this 10 o'clock match is going to start!!! And most of the time its the same people every month. I have a guy that shows up at around 9:40 every match I have fires a couple of volleys and he is ready to go. In fact its my alarm clock when he shows up, I know we are getting close. But I guess the main idea I use is we need more shooters. If someone needs a little time or if some one needs a few extra sighters well we will just be a little late for our pie at the diner after the match. As for sighting in, when I first started shooting I would watch and take notes on some of the experienced shooters and listen on what they where doing. I remember one person that would work as hard on getting his bench zero's as he would shooting during the match. And then another that couldn't shoot off the bench to save his soul, and still can't and he knows it. So I guess its whatever the person feels good with. I usually like to have a good bench zero, sometimes its hard because their aren't very many places with good benches. But mainly its check my chicken zero and maybe a windage check at turkeys or rams. So I guess there isn't any right or wrong answer to either topic, its a whatever a person is comfortable with. As for the guy that took great time to get bench zero's, we have a match every April in his honor. As for the other guy, he still shoots once in a while, and might even read this and might even agree with me. The main thing we as match directors have to do is make sure people have a good time, get the help that they need. This will encourage them and sometimes they even bring friends to give it a try. We need all we can get.

Steve:

Thanks for your logical and rational response to the issue at hand. Seems like you would have handled the situation we are discussing in a way that would have resulted in no need for this discussion. I hope everyone will re-read your response and pay particular attention to your last sentence!!!!

Jim Tobin

[AZRifle]

COME ON - Lets let this post die where it belongs. I do not even know Nick Tyree but I feel really sorry for him right now because many keep posting here like he definitely did something wrong. IE:

Seems like you would have handled the situation we are discussing in a way that would have resulted in no need for this discussion.
Jim Tobin

From what was said by Nick, AuMiner and most of all a person (chemteach2) who independently witnessed it and seemed to sum it up fairly well with all that was said....

He was not told he couldn't shoot, just that he couldn't hold up the match. He was not told he couldn't zero his rifles, just not on that range. He could have gone to the big bore range, done his trick, and shot the second match. But NOOOO, he wasn't going to have any of that.

In other words sure everyone wants more shooters to join the sport, me included. Unfortunately this post was started by someone who appears to have made a mistake by showing up late for a regularly scheduled match, at a regularly scheduled time.

With some of the blanket comments about how "We should do everything to accommodate the new shooters" it keeps coming out as if Nick screwed up. Personally I do not see it that way and ultimately, there are very few who know EXACTLY what was said by everyone involved.

If we want to discuss "doing everything to accommodate new shooters" start another post and give Nick at least a little benefit of the doubt and kill this post. It is like blaming him personally for what happened every time it is mentioned.

[Jim T.]

Can someone explain to me how you are supposed to sight in on a range other than the Silhouette range. That is , how many "bigbore" ranges have silhouette distances marked and available to post targets?

[AZRifle]

Can someone explain to me how you are supposed to sight in on a range other than the Silhouette range. That is , how many "bigbore" ranges have silhouette distances marked and available to post targets?

Again you are "assuming" you know how their range is set up and "assuming" you knew what was said.

Personally I am "assuming" that when he mentioned "big-bore" he was talking about them having two ranges, one high-power rifle silhouette and one smallbore rifle silhouette". From that I "assumed" that when he said " they were on the big bore range", there were swingers for the smallbore targets there, noting that is what fits the subject he was talking about. Otherwise, it would be indeed stupid to suggest to go to a big-bore range to sight in for a smallbore match.

Again the point here is: it is getting old people "assuming" anything more here and continuing to imply that Nick Tyree did everything wrong.
The guy is nothing more than a name to me and I feel more and more sorry for him the way this keeps dragging out.
Many have properly stated too that Match Director is a thankless job and making everyone happy every day is absolutely impossible.

Tell me why it needs to be "assumed" that Nick did anything wrong and continuing to post as if he did?

[ntyree]

ok folks, I wanted just to say my piece and not post to the thread again, however i feel that i need to cut it off at the pass. AUminer and I have both stated our cases and upon reading all of the comments from all of the posters i assure you that i don't feel like everyone assumes i was wrong. I feel acutally quite supported in my actions by the general consensus of the replies, however i have noted some ideas that could have possibly aided the outcome of the situation while creating only a minor inconvenience to the other shooters if any at all. I don't mind saying that faced with the same circumstances i will probably attempt to find another possible solution. It may have been the case that day that there was not room for compromise, and efforts on my part might have been futile, however i am better prepared to try now than i was then.

so thanks for all the insight criticism and support, but i would just assume we let this thread go and if the discussion on sighting in offhand vs. bench is still active, lets start a new thread,


thanks

Nick Tyree
205 789 9486

[Jim T.]

The one feeling this thread has left me with is that I am truly blessed to live in Colorado where we have numerous and well designed ranges that allow me to shoot every weekend of the month year around, weather permitting. More importantly, it makes me even more grateful for the patience, understanding and help I have received over the years from all of the more experienced shooters and especially the fantastic Match Directors!!!! Thanks again, guys!!!!

[Jerry G]

I was a match director for about 15 years. I tried to accomidate new shooters in any way I could. I had a lot different auditude to the old hands that were always late. When you hardly have enough shooters to have a match, you need to cut the new guys a little slack. What would the point be to piss them off and have them go home? If you don't have a half hour to spare for a longer shoot, you shouldn't even go to the range.

On the chicken zero issue. I have a zero on my rifle that is very close at all the ranges I have shot at and will get me going if I am running short on time. Thank God for plastic stocks and free floating barrels.

[Gator]

so thanks for all the insight criticism and support, but i would just assume we let this thread go and if the discussion on sighting in offhand vs. bench is still active, lets start a new thread,
thanks
Nick Tyree

I agree with you Nick. This thread is toast.

Glen (chemteach2) hit it on the head.

Let this thread go and if the discussion on sighting in offhand vs. bench is still active, let’s start a new thread.

C ya in Chattanooga Saturday?

Gator

[Trent]

The one feeling this thread has left me with is that I am truly blessed to live in Colorado where we have numerous and well designed ranges that allow me to shoot every weekend of the month year around, weather permitting. More importantly, it makes me even more grateful for the patience, understanding and help I have received over the years from all of the more experienced shooters and especially the fantastic Match Directors!!!! Thanks again, guys!!!!

Absolutely!!!

[atomicbrh]

What is the actual name of the club or range in Pinson,AL.? I cannot find anything in this post where the actual name of the club or range in specified? Its been awhile since I have been in that area.

Thanks,
Bobby R. Huddleston

[Gator]

What is the actual name of the club or range in Pinson,AL.? I cannot find anything in this post where the actual name of the club or range in specified? Its been awhile since I have been in that area.

Thanks,
Bobby R. Huddleston

Magic City Gun Club

[atomicbrh]

Thanks Gator. That Club is on the "farthest" side of Birmingham for me. At one time there was another range on the West side of Birmingham(Hoover?) that was really neat because the range road went through cuts in the mountains. I asked Glenn Hughes if that was a rather expensive road for a rifle range. He laughed and said that the road had originally had been a pre-civil war railroad and their club made use of what was already there.

I will never forget the day many years ago that somebody locked Patsy Hughes out of the range(Hoover?) on the pracitce day before a Alabama State Match and she walked all the way from the entrance to the Silhouette range. Must have been before the invention of cell phones. That incident reinforced my respect for that lady.

Just a few miles north of the Magic CIty Club there was a fantastic Bar-b-que place. I thought it was a condemned building until we ate there with the locals. The food was great, plentiful and cheap.

Ah, those were the days.

Bobby R. Huddleston