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So what do you like in a stage?


Grizzly Dave

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I'm lucky to shoot at clubs that have what I like.

 

I like variety, different sweeps, varying target size, height, and distance.

 

I like some movement, but not alot.

 

I like down range movement.

 

I like reloads on the clock, maybe one every match or two.

 

I like varied number of targets, not just the stereo typical 10-10-4

 

I like stages that offer a choice to the shooter in either target order or gun order, or movement - left to right or right to left.

 

I like interesting props to shoot around / over / whatever.

 

What do you like in a stage?

 

Grizz

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Okay, Grizz, this is what is fun for me. YMMV:

 

-A mixture of movement stages and stand and deliver stages.

-A mixture of fast and not so fast stages.

-A wide variety of sweeps. Some sweeps with the rifle don't mix well with the pistols, so add a simple double-tap sweep for the pistols, or even a dump on occasion.

-Movement from left to right, and from right to left to work on muzzle control.

-An occasional bonus target.

-An occasional flyer.

-An occasional reload.

-An occasional vertical sweep instead of the usual horizontal sweep.

-An occasional downrange movement stage.

-An occasional all shotgun stage, with a mix of fallers, snakes and flyers.

-An occasional Burger King stage (do it your way).

-An occasional non-shooting task on the clock (such as carrying a money bag from station to station).

-A theme shoot, with fun lines.

-A well-maintained stage/range, free from hazards.

-Stages with a twist -- I shot at the Orygun Cowboys last week, and every stage had an IRS Sweep, but they were twisted and turned every which way, which added a fun factor.

-Target stands with varying heights.

-Props are nice, but should take into account the infirmities that an aging population of shooters have.

-Friendly ROs who are trying to help the shooter on the stage instead of letting them flounder.

 

These are some of the things that readily come to mind.

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Generously sized targets

Closer than average target placement

Sensible target sequences

 

Movement - side to side and downrange

 

Starting lines (simply so the TO doesn't have to ask me if I'm ready)

 

Keep the match simple - let the shooters performance dictate the standings.

 

I write stages or matches with NASCAR racing in mind.

The course is not difficult and driving slowly is not that tough.

Going really fast in that circle - Therein lies the challenge.

 

A good match allows newer shooters to be successful, while providing an enviroment that encourages faster shooters to "let it all hang out" in their quest for speed.

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I REALLY like targets that move :D . I just lurvs me a Texas Star, pop-ups, falling plates. We have a carousel powered with a washing machine motor that revolves and presents knock downs (e.g.- 10 shots on 7 targets) etc. Also, playing cards taped to a cardboard back. Try to shoot best hand w/5 shots. Love it when popper has full soda cans/water bottles to bust. Enjoy occasional small, far bonuses. Absolutely HATE dump targets! :lol: Baddog N.

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I like different sweeps - Nevada from the left, Nevada from the right is a little less than creative.

As much shotgun as they can fit in.

A couple of pistol or rifle KD's now and again is fun.

Lots of targets per gun - 3 is ok 5 or 6 is better

Choice in which gun you start with or which direction you move/shoot the stage

A reload on the rifle/pistol occasionally

Poppers/flyers - I used to hate these but now that I hit one occasionally I really like them! :)

Did I mention how much I like shooting my shotgun?

 

Regards

 

:FlagAm:

 

Gateway Kid

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I like a nice padded seat.

 

A pretty lady to sit beside.

 

Nice curtains to stop the dust.

 

Horses that don't smell too bad.

 

A driver that misses most of the bumps.

 

One that runs on time.

 

Good food when we stop for lunch.

 

Or did you mean something else... :D :D :D

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What I hate is rifle targets just right behind or even beside the pistol targets. Hate dump targets. Rifle targets should be no closer than SASS minimum and widespread.

 

I like more than 4 shotguns all from the same spot. Give me 6 or 8 from 3 or 4 spots.

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I like them to offer something other than the same old 10 -10 -4.

I don't believe that a new kind of sweep constitutes a new stage.

I like movement (side to side and down range)

I like reloading on the clock

I like flying targets for the shotgun

I like knockdowns

I like Texas stars and other targets that make you shoot well

I like stages with good props (gotta love shooting from and in what amounts to a real building)

I like creativity.

I am not so fond of stages designed to be mind games and penalty traps (where the instructions are so restrictive as to be the only real challenge in the stage)

I am bored to tears by "dump" stages designed only for speed.

 

Some of my favorite stages include shooting from a moving ore cart up at Mokelumne Hill in Northern California and a bar fight stage at the old High Plains Drifters that involved all your guns as well as a shotgun and pocket pistol staged behind the bar (you had to move around the bar shooting at targets) something close to 40 rounds in all with a number of must fall targets. In my opinion, SASS stages have gotten too tame and boring, but that is the price you pay for having so many shooters (many of them new and inexperienced).

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Like movement. Not a big fan of stand and deliver. Does not have to be a lot. But even just a few steps in nice.

 

Like moving between SG targets. Shoot 2, move shoot. Of course not on every stage but at least a few.

 

No mind binders scenarios. Rifle and pistol the same so the stage flows.

 

Having a starting position with your hands.

 

Choice to shoot left to right, or right to left. Let me have some options. Shoot from window of choice.

Things like that.

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I like for stages to be neutral oriented, that is equally set up for both right and left handed shooters. If that is not possible, (and you can't do it on every stage) then there should be a stage that is just as unequal for those who are at a disadvantage on the first one. Over a ten or twelve stage match you can even it up.

 

Other than that I like some of everything. Big 'n' close, big 'n' far, little 'n' close, K.D.s, active and reactive, and solve it yourself all work for me, as well as stand and deliver and run 'n' gun.

 

Black or blue targets are best, but so long as they don't blend in with the background we darksiders can cope. White or silver/grey are the woist!! :lol:

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I prefer lots of movement, various sweeps, no more than two SG from one position, occasional flyers, options on where to start and which gun to shoot first, and more movement. Occasional reloads are OK, flyers, KD's, more movement, hawk throwing, knife throwing, bow shooting, shooting at dusk or dark, rolling a wagon wheel, swinging across a ditch with a rope, more movement, adding a pocket pistol or derringer, carrying a 100 pound dummy, shooting from on top of the stagecoach, more movement, etc.

 

Now for the next scenerio!

 

 

LL'

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Im glad to see this post. I am currently writing/finalizing the stages for our annual match and like reading what everyone enjoys. Hopefully I will have enough of these ideas incorporated into our stages. Most of the things are already in there.

 

Thanks and keep the ideas coming

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It is a great stage if they let me shoot it. I do like the swingers and the sliders, anything that moves and the knock downs.I like the movement.I like the lines and the props.We had a great shoot at orange sunday,lots of great lines and lots of movement,and most of all they let me shoot.

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Varied targets and some effort into the build of the range (I know, that takes money), but I've been to some ranges that were only steel targets, that's it. They shuffled up the order of shooting said targets but all one was to see was steel and dirt, that's it. Kind of plain if you ask me. There was really no need for any more than just the one stage since all stages were the same, steel and dirt. Smithy.

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I've not run in to many knock downs for pistol and rifle so don't know for sure how I like them.

 

I suck at flyers and Texas stars but I'm game for them now and then. Now if a match had some on every stage consistently, I don't think I'd like that as well, at least not until or if I could master them.

 

As I said, I enjoy the props, but understand that some cowboy clubs share ranges and hauling steel and props for every match gets old in a hurry.

 

I enjoy shooting on a posse with a mixture of folks from all categories. Folks that like to laugh and have a good time and do their share of the chores. And I love shooting with the ladies even though they outshoot me most of the time.

 

One thing that we talked about in the RO II class I took was stage design, not only how to make them safe and flow well, but ways to make them different, yet take about the same amount of time. Things like when you have 6 shotgun targets, maybe have less movement and a pistol dump target, things like that.

 

Having stages where the shotgun targets and split is fun too. Something like shoot pistols, then 2 shotgun, take the shotgun with you, pick up staged rifle shoot rifle targets, pick up shotgun and move and then shoot 2 more shotgun.

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I'm lucky to shoot at clubs that have what I like.

 

I like variety, different sweeps, varying target size, height, and distance.

 

I like some movement, but not alot.

 

I like down range movement.

 

I like reloads on the clock, maybe one every match or two.

 

I like varied number of targets, not just the stereo typical 10-10-4

 

I like stages that offer a choice to the shooter in either target order or gun order, or movement - left to right or right to left.

 

I like interesting props to shoot around / over / whatever.

 

What do you like in a stage?

 

Grizz

That all works for me.

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I Like:

Split Pistol Targets

Close Targets

Any Movement

Split Shotgun Targets

Saying a Line

Choice of starting direction

If targets not close, make 'em BIG

Spotters that call misses only on misses they SEE!

I Don't Like:

KD Pistol or Rifle Targets

Reloads

Poppers/Flyers

Spotters that "hear" misses

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I Like:

Split Pistol Targets

Close Targets

Any Movement

Split Shotgun Targets

Saying a Line

Choice of starting direction

If targets not close, make 'em BIG

Spotters that call misses only on misses they SEE!

I Don't Like:

KD Pistol or Rifle Targets

Reloads

Poppers/Flyers

Spotters that "hear" misses

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Props!

 

At the Miakka Misfits annual match last weekend there was a stage where you had to dynamite a safe open to get the money bags. Another stage had you shooting two poker cheating cowboys at point blank range across the poker table. There was also a knockdown plate rack and a spinning star. These kind of things add a lot of fun to the stage for me.

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I usually let my favorite cowboy, Philly Slim, do all the Wire posting for our family, but I really like this one.

It's reallly interesting to see what the rest of the cowpokes like to see in our sport.

 

Likes

Movement on the stage that is reasonable for all age groups

Choices in shooting sequence, both with guns and targets

Creative sweeps

Differing target sizes

Max 6 shotgun per stage

"Fun" moving targets, i.e. Texas Star, Swingers, etc

A posse that works well together

A flyer every now and then, no more than 1 or 2 per match

 

Dislikes

Pistol reloads on the clock

Cowboys/Cowgirls that want to hurry everyone but won't do any of the chores

P-traps

TOs that think they're also spotters

 

Overall, I just like being able to shoot, the more lead downrange, the better.

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As a writer, there's always going to be criticisms. I thought offering more shooter choices would be widely accepted. Not necessarily.

 

There's a great annual starting today that I am missing. Work. Baby. Taxes. All contributed to my absence this year. Arroyo Cantua in Sacramento. Sutter Lawman does a great job running that annual. They're also running the first ever state Wild Bunch match in CA B).

 

Anyway, I like choices that consider left and right handers, GF and single handers. Choice in sweep directions as well as shooting positions, and I like to decide where to *safely* stage and re-stage my guns, whenever possible.

 

That's about it. If the targets are at reasonable distances, I am cool with it. I like em big and close, but I'll take what I git and not pitch a fit.

 

10-10-4 doesn't bother me. I'd rather shoot more, with reloads etc, not less. Not a fan of less.

 

-Nate

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Just be aware that we do want variety and many times when you ask for what folks like, they will list those things that make for variety.

 

That does not mean that we want a lot of those things, nor does everyone like the same things.

 

Be sure to read over the SASS Range Management hand book as that has some good guidance, even though I think one of their examples may contain a little too much luck.

 

So it is always good to talk over the stages with as many experience folks as possible.

 

Have them review them for possible safety issues, a good mix of variety with out going too far.

 

Here are some hints on stage design:

Stage Design Hints

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What I like?

 

Clanggin', banggin', droppin', floppin', spinnin', whirllin', flyyin', sittin', rollin", wigglin', jigglin', shakkin, bakkin', git down, sit down, picka bale-O-cotton! Mo shotgun! Other than that, keep it simple...

 

Olen :P

 

 

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I for one

have become very tired of rythym shootin

& 10-10-4 , once in a blue moon 10-9-4

 


  1.  
  2. all targets spaced evenly apart
  3. all targets the same distance away (in rows)
  4. all targets the same size / shape
  5. all targets the same height
    pistol and rifle shooting sea-quench the same, with-in each stage

 

I am not the little girl in the three bears story

I dont need kids porage,

kids chair and

kids bed

..................................shoot after shoot after shoot

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS3nN6PH96Y

 

bring back some creativity, mix up the stages and target setups a tadd bit

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