The Nationals Survey e-mail

[atomicbrh]

I received a survey by e-mail about the Nationals being held exclusively at Raton for the next 6 years. I cannot tell where that survey originated. I will not fill out the survey. Like many surveys it is jaded to the narrow agenda of the author. I am only in favor of rotating this match all around the country not just Ridgeway and Raton. Deep Southeast(at a time of the year when it is not hot and humid), Southwest, West Coast, East Coast, Midwest, Northeast. Hold the match in different places every year and at a time of year to be comfortable at each location. That option needs to be on the survey and only that option.

[Tlee]

Agreed... I tried to do the survey and opted out of it when I saw, like way too many survey monkeys, that it was crafted with a specific agenda and narrowly interpreted intent.



- Tim

[Another Dang 9]

I agree there needs to be more places to hold the events but until the clubs can meet the NRA standard of 10 banks of animals Raton and Ridgway are it.
I shot the first CLA match at Raton in 2004 and haven't been able to make another since. Ridgway is still a 12 hour drive for me and I've made only hand full of those as well. HP will die if WE let it. I may suck it up and go to Raton for no other reason other than to keep it alive. But would much rather see it swap between the two clubs.

[Jerry G]

How many small bore shooters at the nationals? I know of clubs with 6 banks that handle over 80 shooters for hunter and standard in a day.

The fly in the ointment is you have to hold the SB and HP at the same place. How many 500m ranges are there in the US with 10 firing points per animal?

The real kicker about using Raton is the NRA can move there for 2 months for all the nationals.

[Bob259]

How many small bore shooters at the nationals? I know of clubs with 6 banks that handle over 80 shooters for hunter and standard in a day.

The fly in the ointment is you have to hold the SB and HP at the same place. How many 500m ranges are there in the US with 10 firing points per animal?

The real kicker about using Raton is the NRA can move there for 2 months for all the nationals.

Jerry you know we held it in Phoenix one year with 8 banks for HP and in SB we could do up to 12 for 40 shot matches and 6 places for 15 shot matches which is our normal set up. But everyone said it was too hot here

I agree the survey was slanted, but it was one way at least getting it out on what the shooters want. The housing in Raton can be difficult at best.

Bottom line is the NRA has made the decision with no input from the shooters, not that it would have made a difference seeing the NRA Smallbore prone matches are in Bristol now for the next 5 years and 90% of the shooters wanted it to go back to Camp Perry, their wishes were denied and not considered.

[DavidABQ]

The real kicker about using Raton is the NRA can move there for 2 months for all the nationals.

I think Jerry stumbled upon the real reason the NRA is keeping the Nationals at The Whittington Center.

[ppkny]

Let's start arguing amongst ourselves rather than support at least a effort to get the Nationals back on track at the two locations. Maybe than we can fight for more locations after we win this battle. Please look beyond the single purpose of the survey in it's present form and support the cause as a single step towards regaining some flexibility for locations.
ppkny

[DavidABQ]

Let's start arguing amongst ourselves rather than support at least a effort to get the Nationals back on track at the two locations.
ppkny

Why would I support going back to the two locations when I am only 3 hours away by car? I am looking forward and support having Nationals at The Whittington Center every year!

[TURKEYSFEARME]

Let's start arguing amongst ourselves rather than support at least a effort to get the Nationals back on track at the two locations. Maybe than we can fight for more locations after we win this battle. Please look beyond the single purpose of the survey in it's present form and support the cause as a single step towards regaining some flexibility for locations.
ppkny

agreed. Yes I thought the survey was poorly written and slanted toward a single outcome but I still filled it out, at least it is an attempt to have our voices heard!

[TURKEYSFEARME]

Let's start arguing amongst ourselves rather than support at least a effort to get the Nationals back on track at the two locations.
ppkny

Why would I support going back to the two locations when I am only 3 hours away by car? I am looking forward and support having Nationals at The Whittington Center every year!

Seems a tad bit selfish,,, that would be like me insisting they are always held at Ridgway.

[Taps]

Turkeysfearme wrote, "Seems a tad bit selfish,,, that would be like me insisting they are always held at Ridgway.[/quote]

From where I sit, that is where most of the "noise" comes from when whinging about it being at Raton.

[glen ring]

Let's see...the climate at Raton is nice. The shooting points are nice. I wake up and see antelope, mule deer and an occasional bear or elk...Nope and Noper. Raton is nice and I hope the nationals stay there. I'm a 9 hour drive from there and we make it often.

[Bigfoot]

Jerry hit on something pretty compelling. I've shot at Ben Avery in PHX (mind you only twice). That's one heck of a range with tons I mean tons more choices of housing nearby, cheap flights and close physical proximity to an actual airport.

I see the points both sides have here but if we're going to look at petitioning to have a rotating range Ben Avery shouldn't be left out of the discussion. Maybe if for no other reason than it's closest to where the sport originated. Which I think is kind of neat! That's just me.

[DavidABQ]

Let's start arguing amongst ourselves rather than support at least a effort to get the Nationals back on track at the two locations.
ppkny

Why would I support going back to the two locations when I am only 3 hours away by car? I am looking forward and support having Nationals at The Whittington Center every year!

Seems a tad bit selfish,,, that would be like me insisting they are always held at Ridgway.

A bit selfish? Perhaps but I have and had no input to the decision. I am simply celebrating my good fortune at it being held nearby.

[BrentD]

I far prefer Raton to other locations. I think it is much better than Phoenix for instance. I haven't been to Ridgeway, and it may be a nice range, but it is the wrong direction regardless of how far, so far as I am concerned. Raton is 13 hrs for me. It's worth every inch.

Housing in Raton is a problem? Really? With competitor housing on top of many motels (affordable at that), good capacity campgrounds, etc, I don't see the housing issue as even a minor problem.

I find it interesting how limited the perspective is that people have of silhouette disciplines. For some disciplines, Raton has ALWAYS been the site of the national championships. Through thick and thin, that has worked well. I don't see a need to change personally, but change it will. This year, for BPCR, there will be an Eastern Nationals at Ridgeway in addition to the Western Nationals that has already happened at Raton. FWIW, the Western was better attended this year than last. So two nationals may seem blasphemous to many, but if it works? If it gets shooters to the line? Does it really matter? Perhaps the two nationals will revive the old East-West match that we used to have at the Miller Range in Kansas, independent of the NRA championships.

I have some doubts about the NRA actually hosting these as they have claimed, even for one year, much less 6 in a row. But why not make the best of it, which could be pretty good, and seeing what happens before making all sorts of dire predictions about the end of the universe as we know it?

All I know is that I'll be in Raton, as usual for CLA, BPCR, 22bpcr, and BPTR. I'm building a new rifle for the trip, practicing even tonight for it, and counting the days until I can go. I hope all the guys and gals that enjoy competitive shooting with other good people come and all the people that want to complain about the NRA incessantly and wring their hands stay home, or got to Ridgeway and hold an ABF (Alternative BitchFest) Silhouette Match or whatever.