Disappointing/NRA

[dwl]

It's been quite a few years since I attended SASS events but I can tell you that one BIG reason cowboy shooting took off was the people organizing it had money and talent, organizational talent. They organized the events, sold food, had vendors and made the event a lot of fun. The fun attracted shooters.

I've been struggling with how to attract more shooters in my area. I look at the very successful archery program that goes on next door and here is what I see.

They have three leagues: beginner, intermediate and advanced, with an award ceremony at the end of each league. Winners get plaques. Not much money and recognition of their peers. Locals come who like a little bit of mild competition without much stress.

There is a youth program for teaching the kids. Volunteers show up every week to teach the kids. A little bit of coaching and a lot of shooting. These folks also own archery equipment that any of the kids can use to get started. There's also food. Kids like food.

There is an advanced program called Junior Olympic Archery Development for juniors who are more commited shooters. Individuals have commited to getting coaching and organizational help. People who know help juniors who don't know to get juniors to state, regional and national matches.

There are also promotional evenings at the range. Since there is enough participation, local archery retailers and distributors are willing to show up, bring this years goodies and even demo equipment.

Always there are dedicated volnteers are there to help and asking less commited adults and especially parents to come and spend a little time keeping score, helping kids, providing food. It's a lower level of commitment but still necessary.

As if I don't have enough opinions, why don't you all consider putting on a program of junior leagues, adult leagues, a once a year unsanctioned local match for all comers, a barbeque, etc. Advertise it locally at the sporting goods stores and to other shooting groups, "Come on down for a shoot and a barbeque!" Then invite your local NRA rep. Not to put him down but to pump him up a little. Put a free burger in his hands and applaude his support when you give out your awards. Take some photos and afterward write an article and send it in to the NRA and your state rifle and pistol association.

In the interest of fair play, I have to say that I have shamelessly stolen ideas from those generous folks who have put on the Conard Bernhart Match in Pe Ell, WA; the Montana Regional Match in Missoula, MT; the Cache Valley Archers in Cache Valley, Utah; and not least, Roger Sebesta who by himself puts on the Wyoming State Match. Oh, and thanks to Mordecai for this web site so we can communicate.

Now get out there and DO SOMETHING.

dwl

[kevinpagano]

All of those are great ideas, I agree that the shooters are the ones that will make or break a local match or club. If the local clubs do not succeed then the sport on a local level will not succeed. We need to get involved. When I was working at a shooting range we were able to put on a weekly idpa fun match. That brought alot of people into shooting our monthly sanctioned match. However it is curious to me as to why some of these disciplines flourish and some do not on a national level. I think as it was stated before, that it is due to organization and the desire to make the sport successful. I do not think that the NRA has the desire to supply any resources to some of the disciplines. I bet that they do supply resources to some disciplines because it probably gets them more headway in some of the political battles that they face. Which is understandable.

I just hate to hear that some states do not even offer silhouette.

[dwl]

Ever notice which shooting sports draw the most public support? The ones that have action: cowboy, various action pistol, bowling pins, etc. Ever see the Rolling Thunder Match? Three guns, multiple team members and 40 bowling pins at 40(?) yards. It drew all kinds of people out of the woodwork.

By comparison, smallbore silhouette is lot more sedate. So are smallbore shooters with the exception of a few high-profile characters. Then again, those high profile characters have generated some big interest in their areas. Dave McLemore has developed the Southern National into a great event with brains, work and a lot of personality.

What are you offering? Pe Ell offers merchandise, a scenic range and the Best of the West. The Missoula Regional, fantastic scenery, a wonderful range, beautiful camping a said range, steaks big enough to hibernate on and homemade apple pie. Lander? Broiling sun, enraging wind and a "I've shot at Lander!" feeling when you're done. Of course lots of your good Colorado shooters come to Lander so that's a draw.

I'll tell you what, you're over in the Denver area right? Why don't you invite everyone to your Colorado State Match and offer us something we don't have at home?

dwl

[Jerry G]

Dave, that would be ilegal. Now I have that out of my mouth, you are correct. It costs lots of money to travel just for a 'man on a stick' which most of us throw away because we don't have room for all them. Here in the west we have to travel so far to get to matches. Wyoming pays cash back but their turn-out is so small because there aren't any people in that state, the antelope outnumber the people. I travel a lot to see all my friends at the matches but now that fuel is at $3.01 per gal again, I'm not so sure how many matches I can make.

[kevinpagano]

Well I think your on to something maybe prizes are the draw to get people to the matches. Particularly MONEY. Trapshooting is a sedate sport as well but continues to draw a fairly large croud. Sporting clays is very popular and that is a big money sport in comparison. I have shot USPSA and IDPA and they are fun sports but you can not compete with the guys that have the resources or the athletic ability. I think that smallbore could be alot like trapshooting or other shotgun sports. The big difference is in general our sport is less expensive to be competitive. Silhouette is alot like the shotgun sports in the fact that if you are a master shooter from podunk where ever on any given day you may be able to compete with the likes of Sanchez, winstead, perry, lawton etc. You may not be able to do it day in and day out but you have a shot. Trapshooting is like this as well, that is why all too often a nobody wins the Handicap championship and the Grand American. I am going to do my best to support the sport, both my sons and my wife now shoot on occasion and I am bringing another new shooter to a match in 2 weeks in Aurora.

By the Way our State Match is in September. I am not sure about any prizes but it will be a fun match. The majority of shooters that show up at our matches are Masters. So any of you lower classmen show up and give me some competition or at least someone to shoot against so I dont have to take another trophy from my son.

He just smacked me as I was typing that.

Kevin

[Jerry G]

Has anybody tried to handicap a match? It may be a way to get all on an even keel and just have one class at a match. That way you could cut back on the number of awards but give bigger awards to the podium.

[Jason]

Isn't the classification system designed specifically to handicap shooters? I guess you could get everyone's scorebooks and calculate their average score over the last five matches or so and handicap them by calculating their score at that match versus their average. It sounds like a lot of work for the one calculating all of that and it's just chock full of holes to let people win easily. If they've only shot one or two matches and then come back with better equipment that they've practiced with so they shoot significantly better, they could beat out a master class shooter that shot a perfect score.

[kevinpagano]

I think the current classification system is fine. The Masters have earned and they should be recognized as such.

Kevin

[Bob259]

I think the current classification system is fine. The Masters have earned and they should be recognized as such.

Kevin

I have to agree with Kevin and Jason both. A handicap system would be a nightmare to manage and in addition this way the new an poorer shooters get an opportunity to get something. Nothing better for the sport than a new or poorer shooter taking a small trophy home and only goes to make them want to try and come back and do better.

[TXCharlie]

If silhouette shooters want to

[dwl]

Oops. Been a few days since I've been to this thread. Here's the latest ideas.

While I see the merit in what TXCharlie is saying, I'm wondering how far I want to go to cater to edgy. Part of that may because I'm closer to 50 than 40. Then again, people were acting edgy and extreme when I was in high school. So there is hope for the future generation.

My latest idea is to ignagurate our new 300 year range be organizing and annual rifleman trophy match. The match would consist of aggregate scores at 100, 200 and 300 yards shot standing, sitting/kneeling and prone. (Part of the purpose is to celebrate the new 300 range).

There would be a take home trophy and a permanent trophy at the range. Match winner, senior, high woman, high junior trophies awarded as well. Food to be offerred and advertising would have to be done. the remaining questions: what type of target and do we have seperate classes for target vs hunting rifles.

Any ideas?

[Jerry G]

And just how far is 300 years? For us old fogies, 30 years is a long way. I know you mean yards. I realy think we should be happy that people turn out to shoot any kind of a match. When that ends, our sport will die because we don't have guns to shoot anymore.

All BS aside, If we want more shooters we will have to make it easier and put some action into it. If we are happy with our little group, we need to get rid of the people that irritate everyone (I think we have done a good job on that in the past) and be happy with our difficult corse of fire and our small turn-outs. I guess that isn't even worth 2 cents.

[jneihouse]

One thing we are overlooking is the ground we are standing on. I mean Steelchickes.com This forum has brought more shooters together in an open discussion format and more good information has been exchanged (thank you lone ringer and others) than has ever before been possible. Our attendance at matches (Old Fort Gun Club) has been up late last year and this year and there is a lot of excitement. IMHO one of the best things a match director can do is travel to other matches, especially the bigger ones, and exchange ideas on guns, matches, etc and get excited about the sport and bring it back to your local club. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Of all the club shooters that come our way very few will do as much traveling as a handful of us do, but they will get excited if you are excited and will be encouraged if you spend time encouraging them, and they will insure the health of our sport if we manage to keep them around.

If we do anything I might suggest that the day before the bigger matches (Sunshine Classic, Southern Nationals, Midsouth Classic, Conard Cup, maybe more?) we have an open meeting for match directors from any club. The newer guys could get input from the more seasoned folks and only good could come out of it. We could discuss rule changes we would like to present to the silhouette committe and so on and so forth. Let the meeting be chaired by the host match director. It could only help the growth of our sport.

Kitty, The Long Winded one.

[slowstdy]

Kitty said:
"If we do anything I might suggest that the day before the bigger matches (Sunshine Classic, Southern Nationals, Midsouth Classic, Conard Cup, maybe more?) we have an open meeting for match directors from any club."
Kitty, that is IMHO The best idea you have every had. Fantastic, Can we talk to Duckygumbo about having one at Winnie?. Each MD could tell every one how he runs his match, etc, etc. I have 2 people on your list already. One point, I think the MD of the big matches has enough on his plate so some one else should run it for him.
Duckygumbo if you are willing to host a MD meeting, i would like to suggest Kitty as Chairperson.
Now look what you have done.....

[jneihouse]

I have a lot of great ideas.....though most of them involve mischief or strippers, or strippers with mischief......Every once in a while I have a lucid thought.

Would be glad to chair the meeting, and if someone will take notes, publish the culumative wisdom for free distribution to anyone who could not attend.

Kitty, Chair Master of the Universe, Friend to Strippers everywhere