Starting fresh without NRA

Fick_2141 · Post by **Fick_2141** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:23 am

Exactly what are the complaints about the NRA ? What do you want them to do ? The truth is that competitive shooting is on the fringe of gun ownership in America, and silhouettes are on the fringe of the fringe.
If silhouettes is not growing it is because we are losing ranges, and shooting is demonized to young people. Silhouettes is hard, and too many people would rather talk about how well they can shoot, than actually shoot. Opening up the rules for standard rifle will not bring in new shooters. Leting them use 17HMR's from a bench would, but what's the point.
I am in a gun club with 200 members. I restarted a silhoiuette program that died because the member running it before quit in frustraition. In the three matches I have held, I have had ZERO participation from any club member. Is that the NRA's fault ?
If there is anyone to blame it is me. But I am working hard to bring this program back to my club. My match scheduled for yesterday was cancelled one day before the match for range repair. There is always next month.

dave imas · Post by **dave imas** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:23 pm

it is a funny thing about "governments"... hopefully we elect people that have values and views similar with our own with hopes that those making policy and decisions will use logic similar to our own... Doesn't always work out. Often our "representatives" have their own agenda which, typically, we aren't privy to. We don't always get what we vote for I guess is a short way of putting it. It would seem writing to our representatives to express our views would have effect and, sometimes, does but, more often than not, those expressions fall on deaf ears. It is also, and please forgive me in advance for all those that I am about to offend, the easy way to say you did something with no skin off your back, little effort, and again, very little effect. If you want to really make your silhouette life better do something at the local level you will get more bang for your buck. Sending letters to Washington is like buying the custom rifle when you can't shoot. Doesn't fix any of your problems but it is easier than doing the work and you have a pretty rifle. Do something at the local level, do something at a level which you can have some impact and return on your investment.

Put on a clinic, join the board of your local club, drag a neighbor to a match, work with the local boyscouts with the kids getting the marksmanship merit badge, work with the 4H kids, get a booth or table at the local gun show and bring all the gear and targets for display, join your state association, go to a match, go to your neighbor's matches, send match results to the local paper, send match announcements to the local paper, go to the club meetings of the other gun clubs in your area that don't have silhouette to present the game, your program, and invite those folks to a match or practice... ya'll are smart folks, you can think of a lot more than I can... I just hate to see us all pissing in the wind.

mordecai · Post by **mordecai** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:35 pm

dave imas wrote:I just hate to see us all pissing in the wind.

Frankly, pissing in the wind is very underrated.

dave imas · Post by **dave imas** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:20 am

and... back to Fick's point... I'd like to hear from someone(s) that has been around awhile, gone to a couple National Championships or premier matches around the country or, at least been shooting at the local level for a couple of years... exactly how is it the NRA is letting you down in such a significant way? I've had my beef with them on a couple of issues in years past but, other than when purchasing a new classification book, haven't heard anyone mention them in quite some time.

and you Mordecai... we have to get you some rubber clothes!

and...! (sorry, I'm getting worked up) Mordecai is the classic example of someone doing something to effect his personal shooting life... shoots matches regularly, brings his kids out to shoot and sets targets, brings the occasional neighbor or friend out to a match, works with the local club to support the range... not to mention being a founder of this forum. I know we can all point to a few individuals in our local shooting communities that really make a difference. I think we would all be much better off emulating their efforts rather than sending off mail or email to the guys in washington.

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:28 am

The best way to deal with autocrats is ignore them, run your own experiments, and as Mr. Imas suggests, show some positive results. Whenever you look at the powerful in governments and bureaucracies remember that it's usually about power, not service, and they will spend extraordinary effort to maintain power. Unless you want to spend your energy fighting them, simply ignore them and move on, and remember that if you accidentally build something worth having someone will try to take it from you so watch your back.

Simply lead. Engage, involve and work and good things will happen. Don't like the way Greg Connor runs matches? Start your own - ask anyone in this part of the US about Winnsboro, or I'm sure DuckGumbo would tell you all about it! And if that sounds like too much work, you probably aren't ready to build the new NRA.

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:10 am

Rambling thoughts....

In todays age of email and the internet why is it that the NRA Silhouette management cannot send out monthly updates, a news letter etc., to at least the match directors, with number matches and shooters participating that month. We all have to send this info in for our matches and they have the email addresses so why not communicate it back to the shooters/match directors... one would wonder what they do with it. This also would be a great way to do more on the promotion end by showing the upcoming regional and/or national matches. (It seems the NRA can communicate their wanting money for the lobby group almost weekly so the Silhouette management could do a little on the web to promote the sport)

While it could be 100% wrong, ZERO communication to the shooters gives an impression of their not caring.

Just my 2 cents....

richard · Post by **richard** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:53 am

Newsletter! They can't even keep there coming events web page up so people can find out where matches are in the first place. I haven't been able to look at that part of the website for months. I just sent a note to the competitions division last week and basically said that if they don't want to be in competitive shooting then they should just get out and we will form our own scantioning body. I am a life member of the NRA. I support gun owners rights and have been to rallies and hearings at the state level. I want the NRA to be effective at all levels from competitive shooting (all) to legislative action. BUT, I really think it is time for us silhouette shooters to move on. It is a sad thing and I do not relish it.

duckgumbo · Post by **duckgumbo** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:43 pm

I was going to stay out of this but could not stand it. Forget the NRA and the problems that you may have had with anyone in Fairfax. Mr Connor could give a rat's ass what any of the shooters think. He is ALWAYS right.

A new organization would be counter-productive to the betterment of the sport. Participation is the key to the prepetuation of this sport. I do not shoot anymore as I lost my shooting partner a few years back and he went to shooting pistols and prairie dawgs!

WE will contiune to run the Southern Nationals in Winnsboro each year until ya'll tell us you are not having as much fun as us and we will then stop. The NRA took the fun out of it a long time ago and we just choose to ignore them.

Quit bitching about the NRA and the Silhouette Rulfes Committee and just support the clubs that are trying to help the shooters and not themselves!

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:53 pm

Well said Ducky....

By the way looks like you be running the Southern Nationals for a very long time... its a two thumbs up by all reports and on my list for 09.

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:21 pm

mordecai wrote:
dave imas wrote:I just hate to see us all pissing in the wind.
Frankly, pissing in the wind is very underrated.

It's only funny when you can stand back and watch someone else do it...

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:48 pm

BB,
You might think its funny to watch but it can be useful when you have a Man'O War (or other jellyfish/bee... sting) and no other PH neutralizer with you. Of course some of us have lived on boats long enough to appreciate the finer things in life.

Innocent

jneihouse · Post by **jneihouse** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:41 pm

Geez...Now I find this out....think of all the help I could have been to Mordicai when he ran afoul of the Jellyfish at the Sunshine Classic...Been glad to have helped him out.....

Kitty

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:08 pm

Kitty,
A better mixture to carry (but not in a plastic bottle) is baking soda, meat tenderizer and ammonia, trust me it smells much worse than the guavas I've been taking into work that several of my coworkers insist smells like cat piss. Funny thing is they'll eat the guava ice cream and fruit roll ups that a few of us make...but they cna't stand the smell of the fresh fruit.

Wonder what they feed their cats????

Innocent

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:10 pm

Innocent wrote:BB,
You might think its funny to watch but it can be useful when you have a Man'O War (or other jellyfish/bee... sting) and no other PH neutralizer with you. Of course some of us have lived on boats long enough to appreciate the finer things in life.

Innocent

It's also a good ant-ifungal, as in athlete's foot, but that's a story I don't usually share...

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:37 am

Ahhhhh I was going to say someting but pi$$ on it

Starting fresh without NRA

What's the beef ?