New Cowboy classifications

mav · Post by **mav** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:33 am

I'm curious. Has the NRA ever adjusted classification scores before? I'm fairly new, so I would assume that "in the beginning" things had to be tweaked occasionally. Does this affect previous scores? i.e. If a person (not me) shot three 35's in PC last year do they move up to Master this year?

Not trying to stir the pot, well.. maybe I am.

P.S.
I've always wondered why the class scores were the same for SB/PC and full size Cowboy, being that the chickens are proportionately more difficult in SB/PC.

lone ringer · Post by **lone ringer** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:50 am

mav, they kind of did it backwards with Cowboy, the scores had never been adjusted before last year and those that were shooting two points below the next classification will be promoted to it this year if they deserve it.

In my opinion it will affect AAA and Master class more so than other classes because even at Nationals a lot of times the scores in AAA were better than in the Master class.

I heard that one of the silhouette committee members made an study with numbers of shooters and scores fired at the Nationals and was able to convince the rest to adjust the classification scores.

I know that at the local level here in CA we will be moving up a number of AAA shooters to Master which will make the class more competitive.

cslcAl · Post by **cslcAl** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:59 am

Mav, Yes they have adjusted classes before. Once upon a time there was no master class. ( Lone Ringer will remember this ) I believe the year was 1986 when they created the master class and in HP and SB accually moved the preak points upward. AAA in HP at the time started at 23. It was a real mess. If a shooter did not have 3 26's recorded from the previous year he had to go back to AA. I was our stat officer at the time and people were very upset with me. ( Don't shoot the messenger ) Al Foust

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:56 am

Does this mean we have to go back and find people's 2007 books to check their scores and reclassify them if necessary? The way I thought it worked was off any scores fired after the classifications were changed were classed with the new score ranges. For instance, I had one 37 and a couple 35s in smallbore cowboy rifle last year. I don't think I get to go straight up to master class this year until I shoot at least two 35s or better. That's going to be a royal pain to try to go back and check everyone's scores from last year, especially since some people don't keep the prior year's book with them once they aren't using it anymore.

lone ringer · Post by **lone ringer** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:09 pm

Al, I meant to say Cowboy score classifications had never been adjusted until last year. All of the other silhouette disciplines scores have been adjusted at one time or another, including like you said the addition to Master class to rifle silhouette back in the mid 80's.

Jason, every year we get a new classification book where we are required to write down the highest two scores fired the year before. In your case having three scores higher than the new classification makes you a Master for this year. If you have any doubts about that talk to Greg to see how he is going to enforce the new changes.

At our club the MD will promote those with 3 scores of 35 and above fired last year to Master class immediately.

mav · Post by **mav** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:15 am

Lone ringer, Al and Jason,
thanks for the responses, info and history. I can't wait for the weather to start warming up.

GTS · Post by **GTS** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:51 pm

lone ringer,

Assuming that the new classifications are effective beginning January 1 for the 2008 season, I do not understand your response to Jason's scenario or the reclassification by your local MD.

If only 2 scores are brought forward from the previous year, would the shooter not need to shoot one more master score to be reclassified?

If this correct, then how would the local MD justify advancing a shooter based on a score that does not transfer from the previous year?

Thanks,
GTS

cslcAl · Post by **cslcAl** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:09 pm

Here is what I was told by the committe person who did the survey mentioned in a pervious post. In my situation last year I shot in SB a 37 and 2 36's. I may carry the 37 and one 36 forward, and I still need one more 35 or better to move to Master. I do not disagree with this as I did not shoot three master scores under the old rules. Hopefully I can quickely knock out another 35 to move up to master. I did obtain Master class with the other two guns and believe me three 37's aint an easy task. Especially given some of the lighting conditions we have to contend with.

Al Foust

GTS · Post by **GTS** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:53 pm

Al,

Thanks for your input. That is exactly how I had planned on addressing this new classification issue as the MD for our local matches here at the Benton Gun Club.

Greg Sullivan

lone ringer · Post by **lone ringer** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:49 pm

GTS, you and Al are correct and what I told Jason was wrong, sorry about that.

cslcAl · Post by **cslcAl** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:36 pm

Well, I got our new classification books yesterday. There was a sheet with the rule changes with them, and wouldn't you know it there is a different way of reclassifying than what we discussed.
The class you were last year has no bearing on your 2008 classification. You will carry forward your two highest scores from 2007 and if they are both for example 35's you will be in master class. If one was a 35 and the other a 33 you will be AAA. It is possible that some shooters will be re-classed downward; while others will be moved up.
I did call Greg to verify this and it is the way it's to be done. Anyone confused yet?
I would advise all MD's to try and explain this to shooters if possible before their first match of the year. It will save a lot of time and confusion when you have a whole line of shooters signing up and buying their new book. I was a stat officer the year they reclassed HP, and when you tell a shooter he has to move down a class they usually are not happy.
Have fun and Shoot straight.
Al Foust

lone ringer · Post by **lone ringer** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:18 pm

A friend of mine that runs matches told me about the memo that was sent by Greg explaining how to reclassify shooters up or down in Cowboy LA and it sure did not make sense to me because it is totally against how it is supposed to be done.

Like I said it in the begging of this tread they did the score classifications completely backwards, usually the score classifications start low and are adjusted up and now a lot of shooters are going to be promoted to a new class by having only fired two scores above their previous classification instead of three. I can visualize a lot of not so very happy campers.

Or maybe they did it on purpose to cut down on the number of participants to their National matches. At the beginning Black Powder Cartridge National matches were growing so fast that the NRA could not keep up with all the new shooters that wanted to participate so they screwed with the program to the point that a lot of those shooters decided to stay home instead so maybe that is the strategy they are going to follow with Cowboy LA since it has worked so well with all the other Silhouette Shooting programs. That is a shame though because Cowboy LA was the best thing going for us besides Black Powder Cartridge Silhouette.

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:31 pm

Nothing should surprise us coming from this office.

GTS · Post by **GTS** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:41 pm

MY HEAD HURTS!!!