Free misses

[Beartrap SASS#57175]

You just attended a Regional Championship that used scenario 1, yet had only 6 clean shooters out of aprox 140 total. Targets were smaller and further and stages a little more complicated than Border Town. That ratio sound about right for you? I think not!

The match I'm refering to had everything else going for it. Nicest facility and facades anywhere, good cheap food, hardest working club members around, great entertainment, etc. yet draws less than half of what the AZ state match does. Why???? I believe it's because it's known for being too big a "challenge". Can't be anything else because except for the "smaller, further, tougher" concept it's a GREAT match!

 

Do you want to fill up a match (ala BT) or provide a "challenge" and struggle to get shooters?

[Blastmaster]

First of all misses that can be made up are NOT free. It takes time to reengage a target. Many times I seen shooters take more than 5 sec. to avoid the miss. So should we also score an ejected round or one that failed to fire as a miss? I dont think so, but were would the majority of the misses fall. Not at the top but at the middle and lower end of the finishers for my money keep the makeups they help a lot of people have fun

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Totally agree, makeups are not free.

 

I would also like to add that some clubs like poppers and fliers and those club shooters are better at them than visitors that are not familiar or good at fliers. A static makeup clay bird for a makeup greatly reduces the anxiety of those shooters that are petrified by fliers and keeps them in the game as far as a clean match award.

 

A Texas Star target is another specialized target that not everyone is familiar or good at, so makeups with shotgun keeps the fun in it.

 

Then, heavy duty plate racks.

 

Yep, keep the makeup.

 

BTW, a very low percentage of shooters have the all around skill to handle all " bullets have a target theory". That means a high percentage of people go into an anxiety attack when faced with shooting scerios that have targets (poppers, fliers, Texas Star, plate racks, itty bitty targets, and so forth) they feel inadequate in engaging. Just a theory.

 

Brother King: I think the Top Gun Shoot Offs, is the place where the MD throws in the skilled shooting targets, scenerios, sequences, KD's, fliers and such to test the skills of the shooters.

 

Blastmaster

[Cowboy Junky]

You're missing the point of being a MD if what you're trying to do is to train the shooters. Many aren't interested in getting better. They want to come out, see their friends, be social, and have a good time. THAT is what a MD should be striving for. After all, an MD is in the entertainment business - not the shooting training business.

 

I recall a stage at Mule Camp 10 years or so back where we had to intentionally miss a large target (18x24) in every string. Difficult and challenging. It's not so easy to break your training in such a way. It was quite a bit of fun too. That stage was a winner. It was fun.

 

I also believe that you and I have had this conversation before!

 

 

That's our attitude and our club is growing very well. Plus if you think about missing small targets that can be made up the people that invest more time and want to win can easily lose a match if they don't take advantage of each bullet. Going to the SG and "cleaning" up a mess will cost you dearly in time. This also lets people that don't print their pistols, have their rifles sighted in too high, etc see their weaknesses will add time to their scores but still make it through the stage without too much disappointment.

 

This makes em' aware of what they need to do to improve but doesn't punish them if they don't. Some will fix the problems and others will wipe the guns down and not pick em' until next month......but IMO that's exactly the choice you want to give them to keep them coming back and having fun.