Some feedback once the dust settled on KO2M 2017. from the KO2M Facebook page
1-
This match is like pro's playing against college team's. They cater to certain team's/people. For instance AB was struggling with the
final target's. Team's were required to follow all rules but exceptions were made to allow AB a advantage in keeping them as winners.
I recommend you look at this long and hard before shooting in this match. I liked how the wind caller for AB admitted he had all the
information on the target's the day before it was released to all the other shooters in it. He said it in the AB clinic at the end of day 1. If
it's not a rigged event then why would other team's not be allowed that information until day 1 when they could be shooting 30 minutes
later. AB gets the information well in advance. Definitely something to think about. Along with the rules not being enforced for AB. I
know several other's were told it was immediate disqualification if there were more than 2 spotters. AB had 3+ everytime and nothing
was done about it.
2-
Okay well the 2017 match in Raton NM is over once again. In reality it needs to be renamed the AB show instead of it's current name.
The AB team had their own camera crew, filming everything they did from start to finish and for those that may not have noticed, even
had a camera man tapped into the match target cams relaying information and recording the AB shooters while shooting. The AB team
caught every angle possible.
The rules were obviously different for the AB team, and many of the other teams were very aware of it.
Case in point, when another competitor asked Mr. Manners “Hey is that fair to have two rifles on the line like that”? Referring to
moment when another AB team member was down on the line with the new king while the new king was shooting and the AB team
member was using the scope on his rifle to walk in the new kings rounds. Mr. Manners replied, “Well no not really but look who it is,
there not going to say anything”. Yes, wind coaching is allowed but 3/4's of the AB team was in the shooters box/staging area at the
time when the new king was shooting giving signals and impact adjustments. On several occasions, the match director or the match
referee would demand observers with spotting scopes preparing for their team, to leave the shooters staging area.
Another point, in the 2017 rules it clearly stated that when a team is on the line shooting, no one from that team can be in the target
camera viewing area where the monitors are. AB team members were seen countless times in this area observing target hit's and
misses. Another rule states that the shooter is responsible for making all adjustments to his/her rifle once they begin engaging targets.
Not the case, the AB team lead was viewed making scope adjustments to the several AB scopes while they were shooting. As were
other teams also viewed doing the same thing, again nothing was said. Also the 2017 rules stated that if a shooter has a malfunction of
the same type two times during his/her course of fire, that shooter is disqualified. An AB team member had this very thing happen, two
fail to fire type one malfunctions, click no bang due to poor quality control during reloading and apparently was allowed to continue.
The afternoon of the first day, right at half of the shooters had shot. The AB team offered up a free clinic in the eagles nest for those
that wished to attend. Several thought it was kind of odd that the AB wind coach stated during his segment “As soon as I got the target
distances last night, I went to work”. How did the the AB team wind coach have the target distances the night before everyone else did.
In previous years of this match, the target distances and course of fire were not reveled until the morning of the first day at the
shooters brief. Mmmm???
Congratulations are flying all over social media for the AB team. Why? It's obvious the match was for them and the other
teams/competitors were there to make it seem as more of a big deal match. Keep in mind shooters and teams travel great distances,
thousands of miles at their own expense to compete in this match. It was also observed by several participants that the AB team had
way more time to get their shooters set up than other teams did. From just observing, this match was a f-class elr match, not a tactical
match. Do away with the f-class bi-pods and the bench rest rear bags and let's see how the scores are next year. By the way, it was a
great target presentation and the cold bore target was brilliant indeed!!!
Oh, and the cherry on the cake, you're going to love this one. The match referee, the same person responsible for picking target
locations a few months just prior to the match as well as hanging/setting the targets for the match came in third place. Wow!!!
really??? So do you think he had time to game the course of fire just a little bit. The top three all walked away with thousands of dollars
in really nice prizes with this years king walking away with nearly $10,000.00 in cash, trips and prizes.
Solutions
One: enforce the rules written and don't change them several times because someone doesn't like it.
Two: anyone associated with the design and/or control of the match can not shoot the match for score.
Three: don't show favors to any team for any reason.
Four: all team members are required to wear the same team shirt for identification purposes.
Five: if a team has five or more team members only four shooters can participate in the match.
Six: no more than two team members of the same team in the the shooters box/staging area.
Seven: two spotters may assist wind calling for their team shooter only with a spotting scope.
Eight: target cam/referee monitoring area should be sealed from all accept match officials.
Nine: no one is allowed to tap into radio frequency cameras viewing the targets at any time during the match.
Ten: make it fair for everyone competing and always refer to solution one!
Eleven: any one team may only have two team members in the finals.
If this match isn't made fair for everyone, attendance will surely decline and that's not the intent. Now ask yourself this. Why would an
individual or a team want to drive 10, 15, 25 or even 30 hours if there is noticeable and blatant issues in regards to the rules of the
match, match officials ethics and over all fairness of competition.
an honest and accurate description of what we saw at KO2M. For the good of the KO2M I sincerely hope next year the organizers enforce the rules on all shooters so we don't have to deal again with this "AB-takes-all" perception that in the end is just nothing more than misguided approach. I respect their teamwork, their effort and resources put on the line, but I've been talking to some of the shooters and most feel the same way. Frank said it's just an exhibition. Well, if that's the case, why don't they advertise it as such? By the way, I fully concur with that statement.
