CD matches are by far, the most fun and most challenging matches out there. I'd shoot them every month if I could. I'm still sulking about not getting to shoot Team Safari.
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New Year, New Rules, maybe ...
- Thread starter Lowlight
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CD matches are by far, the most fun and most challenging matches out there. I'd shoot them every month if I could. I'm still sulking about not getting to shoot Team Safari.
I can’t speak of all match directors, but the local PRS style monthly match limited registration to 80 shooters. That is 8 x 10 person squads (8 stages, shotgun start). They try to break it up, with a couple of “pro shooters,” a couple of “expert shooters,” and the balance of each squad as “marksmen shooters.” And, they reserve at least on squad for new shooters, with a pro shooter or 2 to play ‘squad mom.’
Par times are a generous 2 minutes, and target arrays run from relatively easy to pretty damned tough. There is something for everyone. A new guy with his top-loading 700 and a SFP scope can be coached into hits on targets he can’t see with the naked eye. (Saw that personally.) And, there are targets that challenge national level shooters.
Before they limited registration, the monthly match was pushing 100 shooters (and growing), with 20% or more each month being new shooters attending their first match.
I write this to convey that the local match is popular, is designed to accommodate and attracts new shooters, and month over month attendance was growing. But, as @lowlight posted above, there is a vocal minority of shooters that don’t want the new or mid-pack shooter there.
You ARE in the way. Someone has to spot, and score, and run the watch, and enter the numbers on the iPad, and squad mom? Really? New shooters aren’t reliable wind dogs. Fuck, the match is dragging. We’re backed up three squads deep because the newbs can’t get their rotation going, and the course of fire has to be explained to every shooter.
There was a group of long time attendees that caused a minor kerfuffle and bounced to a competing match because- essentially- they felt they were not being catered to sufficiently. The match director said (paraphrased) “Fuck ‘em. There’s enough matches and shooters to go around. Our match is full, and growing. You’re not who we are trying to attract anyway.”
It’s been more than a minute since ie competed. I need to get back out there.
Par times are a generous 2 minutes, and target arrays run from relatively easy to pretty damned tough. There is something for everyone. A new guy with his top-loading 700 and a SFP scope can be coached into hits on targets he can’t see with the naked eye. (Saw that personally.) And, there are targets that challenge national level shooters.
Before they limited registration, the monthly match was pushing 100 shooters (and growing), with 20% or more each month being new shooters attending their first match.
I write this to convey that the local match is popular, is designed to accommodate and attracts new shooters, and month over month attendance was growing. But, as @lowlight posted above, there is a vocal minority of shooters that don’t want the new or mid-pack shooter there.
You ARE in the way. Someone has to spot, and score, and run the watch, and enter the numbers on the iPad, and squad mom? Really? New shooters aren’t reliable wind dogs. Fuck, the match is dragging. We’re backed up three squads deep because the newbs can’t get their rotation going, and the course of fire has to be explained to every shooter.
There was a group of long time attendees that caused a minor kerfuffle and bounced to a competing match because- essentially- they felt they were not being catered to sufficiently. The match director said (paraphrased) “Fuck ‘em. There’s enough matches and shooters to go around. Our match is full, and growing. You’re not who we are trying to attract anyway.”
It’s been more than a minute since ie competed. I need to get back out there.
It’s not so much that I’m advocating for that style of match as I am referencing my path into shooting comps. I was motivated to be a better hunter and I enjoy competition. I still need a way to push myself as I get older.
PRS didnt have to recruit me, I recruited myself. I’m not a paying member (only 4 matches down) and I will likely shoot more outlaw matches than sanctioned events if for no other reason than that’s what’s most available to me. I wasn’t a wallflower on my first couple trips, didn’t worry about being poor shamed or not having the right gear and I wound up making contacts who seem eager to help where they can.
So as a new shooter, I don’t know how contrived things have become. Or how boring it is to old shooters. Or anything about what goes on behind the scenes.
The barrier of entry isn’t too high like some have suggested, but I’d argue that it SEEMS very high. There’s a perceived standard of excellence one must have before he/she can compete. Is it PRS fault? Have they done anything to abate that perceived hurdle? IDK.
I see now what you're driving at. You won't achieve that comfort from shooting a practice stage setup on a range.
The only way to be comfortable enough in a match setting is........to start going to matches.
It's hard for anyone to grasp that until they go to a few matches.
That's an ego defense mechanism and it's present in all shooting sports. There's nothing that the sports sanctioning organization nor the match directors can do about it.
Bullahit
The md absolutely controls the atmosphere along with the shooters he attracts and promotes it’s all part of it
Guardian doesn’t have it
The md absolutely controls the atmosphere along with the shooters he attracts and promotes it’s all part of it
Guardian doesn’t have it
I don’t disagree with your assessment that folks are protecting their egos.
When I asked if the sanctioning body has done anything to abate that, it was a genuine question based upon the fact that I don’t know shit about fuck as to how PRS runs their business. I don’t think folks should be coddled at all. I’m drawing a distinction between being “invited” and being “led.” Something like a guardian is inviting, no one seems coddled, but new shooters are looked after. I was looked after during my first couple PRS events, but the premise of the match wasn’t as “inviting” as, say, a guardian or an outlaw match. It was up to only ME to overcome the sense of preserving my ego and showing everyone that I do indeed suck.
I can see that I might have been unclear due to brevity.
Ego is a barrier to entry in all shooting sports. It's self imposed by potential participants on themselves.
It's not something that the competitors, match officials, or sanctioning body can fix despite all efforts to be welcoming to new shooters.
You can't be welcoming to someone who won't fucking show up because they're afraid of how they'll look in front of others.
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How many times have people said, “shit I need to get in shape before I join the gym!”
Same bullshit as the people who need to "train up" before they go to a shooting class.
For most people, it seems, a shooting class is an opportunity to try to one-up the others on whatever drills they're doing instead of being there to push till the wheels fall off and learn how to correct that.
Yet, somehow, sporting clays can get people to come from across the country and from around the world- to fricken San Antonio Texas- to shoot a 11 (?) day tournament. Master class shooters are putting up scores on the main that would make a C class shooter cringe, yet their name and scores are right out there on winscore for anyone to see. Say what you want about the clays sports- most of it is self inflicted- but they are doing something right. Youth select teams, high school teams, collegiate teams, approachable pros (2 of my son’s coaches are sponsored beretta shooters, and you can see their photos on the front of the Beretta booth at the National Shooting Complex).
For all that you do see, what do you not see are high speed low drag tactical hard-asses and their followers. And, while you may not see the top 10 shooters sharing wind calls, they are generally more than happy to share how the approach the stage to anyone that asks, and to give a helpful hint to a struggling shooter.
Edit; And a kid shooting his dad‘s dove gun (ruger all weather) and economy shells can compete on equal footing with a guy shooting a kreigoff or a zoli or any of the high end guns.
For all that you do see, what do you not see are high speed low drag tactical hard-asses and their followers. And, while you may not see the top 10 shooters sharing wind calls, they are generally more than happy to share how the approach the stage to anyone that asks, and to give a helpful hint to a struggling shooter.
Edit; And a kid shooting his dad‘s dove gun (ruger all weather) and economy shells can compete on equal footing with a guy shooting a kreigoff or a zoli or any of the high end guns.
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It's media; it's content, it's inviting the public to enjoy the fun.
Look at Nascar this season, they are doing a TON of media around the playoffs, they didn't do shit for a while, but now they are changing the order of the tracks, turning ovals into Rovals, and producing high quality media, all to attract new people to the races and to watch on TV. What they are selling is beyond interest it's an investment in the driver and teams. It's saying hey everyone, this is why you want to follow Joey...
Now look at the PRS, yes, there is an intimation factor, no question, but if you produce media to change the conversation to friendship and fun, people go, oh that isn't so bad. I can do that...
Look at the GRIND; you cram 350 people on K&M, you move people through an assembly line that would make Henry Ford proud but you do nothing to nurture that new shooter to the line. In fact, if a Stage slows down, it's the opposite, it's hurry up and move commands that does no one any favors.
You can absolutely "invite people" Guardian does it very well, but Gary is able to disarm people.
The word people are looking for is, Disarm, you have to disarm the competitors of their fear by producing media demonstrating how much fun it is
the Shotgun model is real, they dont' have the same issue, some of the other sports as well, and again, Shooting stuff, look at the Numbers with Archery, the sad sacks who say you can't do this are just lazy, you absolutely can
it takes effort and again, I have asked over and over, one example of them doing anything positive that is not a straight up money grab... where is their Reinvestment in the sport they run, Reinvesting in K&M is not Investing in the PRS
Look at Nascar this season, they are doing a TON of media around the playoffs, they didn't do shit for a while, but now they are changing the order of the tracks, turning ovals into Rovals, and producing high quality media, all to attract new people to the races and to watch on TV. What they are selling is beyond interest it's an investment in the driver and teams. It's saying hey everyone, this is why you want to follow Joey...
Now look at the PRS, yes, there is an intimation factor, no question, but if you produce media to change the conversation to friendship and fun, people go, oh that isn't so bad. I can do that...
Look at the GRIND; you cram 350 people on K&M, you move people through an assembly line that would make Henry Ford proud but you do nothing to nurture that new shooter to the line. In fact, if a Stage slows down, it's the opposite, it's hurry up and move commands that does no one any favors.
You can absolutely "invite people" Guardian does it very well, but Gary is able to disarm people.
The word people are looking for is, Disarm, you have to disarm the competitors of their fear by producing media demonstrating how much fun it is
the Shotgun model is real, they dont' have the same issue, some of the other sports as well, and again, Shooting stuff, look at the Numbers with Archery, the sad sacks who say you can't do this are just lazy, you absolutely can
it takes effort and again, I have asked over and over, one example of them doing anything positive that is not a straight up money grab... where is their Reinvestment in the sport they run, Reinvesting in K&M is not Investing in the PRS
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