Marshal Dan Troop 70448 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Over the year, I try in my traveling to go shoot at clubs I've never shot at before. In planning and E-mailing some clubs as to their schedule as listed, some are gone. In asking some neighbor clubs, some who were members of these defunct clubs, seems that attendance wasn't there, and many times the host range no longer wanted to tie up a part of the range for 1/2 dozen shooters. I'm sure some clubs that have absorbed "some" of the shooters are happy to see an increase in theirs. But age, and lost of interest also cuts into their participation over time. Seems the more clubs in a state, will expose SASS, and CAS to more potential future members in our game. But less, maybe even a healthy club, will over time lose shooters. One good reason to try to support as many clubs as possible to strenghten and grow. I've shot at clubs that had 75 to 80 shooters 5 years ago. Over time it has dropped to 2 dozen, and finally folded. Every month we lose members for various reasons, death, age, health,cost, and loss of interest. The dedicated clubs that continue with small numbers each month and put on great matches, and have a trickle of new members, are also the unsung heroes and sometimes the most friendly which draws people to their matches. We are an aged based game, need to recognize it, and figure what we can do to attract new, and younger shooters to participate and stay. A lot of matches are put together, recognizing limitation of shooters based on age theory. One thing I heard from a young (now don't whip me) watcher, and competes in other venues, said we had very little movement, stand and deliver stages, no movement with gun in hand. I explained why, safety! Yes, we are age based, we don't kneel, squat, and there are many stand and deliver stages. So what can be done to make our game more attractive to younger shooters? I also thought Wild Bunch would take off faster, and attract new shooters. Was also surprised when Florida State WB was called off, because of lack of interest from potential wire poll, when there are many that don't come, or use the wire to communicate. Calling it off, will not help grow the game, and will just be a side match for many. MT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Rapid Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Col. Riddles... Thanks for these proactive ideas (and sorry for not responding sooner to your post of July 13). I agree that promoting both CAS and the local organizations, and creating awareness is key to growth. However, I am greatly concerned about "how" and "what" we promote, and more specifically just how we position "cowboy shooting." For folks who regularly go to gun shows (where you suggested promoting CAS), we already have an audience that understands an appreciates gun handling and gun ownership. For this audience, offering a new way of gun competition and expression can work well to glean new members. But bringing ads to the public (newspapers and TV that you mentioned) in a age where the question of gun ownership is a major public issue, is something that has to be tread on very lightly. The message to the general public needs to carefully crafted, and must be soft on "guns" and "shooting" and strong on things like: the safe and sane nature of our sport, how it develops healthy competition, a place of warm camaraderie, wonderful father-and-son opportunity, and so on. Most importantly, I think the content and direction of our marketing messages should come from SASS so that the "brand" (how the sport is perceived, and "what" CAS is) and the message content is the same wherever CAS is promoted. SASS needs to think deep and hard about these messages and provide us with marketing tools that have a consistent message. And, the message has to be carefully crafted; while I love the SASS T-shirts with cowboys holding six-guns, the image this portrays would be a very unsuccessful approach to the general public who are bombarded with today's gun-owning issues. I live in a college town and as much as I love the shirt, I wouldn't wear one around town, and I probably would not be welcomed wearing one in those states suffering from recent gun trauma. So, this leads me to two questions: 1) Should we only promote CAS to the current gun-owning community? or 2) Should we reach out to find new shooters in the general public - and if we do, what's the message and how do we promote CAS as a viable and acceptable alternative to similar non-gun sports and activities? We definitely need to be the ambassadors, but SASS needs to provide us with the tools. And, just FYI, here's a link to a video I prepared to promote our local club: RR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StirrupTrouble Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Col. Riddles... Thanks for these proactive ideas (and sorry for not responding sooner to your post of July 13). I agree that promoting both CAS and the local organizations, and creating awareness is key to growth. However, I am greatly concerned about "how" and "what" we promote, and more specifically just how we position "cowboy shooting." For folks who regularly go to gun shows (where you suggested promoting CAS), we already have an audience that understands an appreciates gun handling and gun ownership. For this audience, offering a new way of gun competition and expression can work well to glean new members. But bringing ads to the public (newspapers and TV that you mentioned) in a age where the question of gun ownership is a major public issue, is something that has to be tread on very lightly. The message to the general public needs to carefully crafted, and must be soft on "guns" and "shooting" and strong on things like: the safe and sane nature of our sport, how it develops healthy competition, a place of warm camaraderie, wonderful father-and-son opportunity, and so on. Most importantly, I think the content and direction of our marketing messages should come from SASS so that the "brand" (how the sport is perceived, and "what" CAS is) and the message content is the same wherever CAS is promoted. SASS needs to think deep and hard about these messages and provide us with marketing tools that have a consistent message. And, the message has to be carefully crafted; while I love the SASS T-shirts with cowboys holding six-guns, the image this portrays would be a very unsuccessful approach to the general public who are bombarded with today's gun-owning issues. I live in a college town and as much as I love the shirt, I wouldn't wear one around town, and I probably would not be welcomed wearing one in those states suffering from recent gun trauma. So, this leads me to two questions: 1) Should we only promote CAS to the current gun-owning community? or 2) Should we reach out to find new shooters in the general public - and if we do, what's the message and how do we promote CAS as a viable and acceptable alternative to similar non-gun sports and activities? We definitely need to be the ambassadors, but SASS needs to provide us with the tools. And, just FYI, here's a link to a video I prepared to promote our local club: RR Great video! I passed it on to a few friends that were on the fence about starting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creek Johnson Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 It's sad to hear that clubs are declining or people losing interest. Everywhere I move, i find the nearest club so I can support it as I love this game. Of course, I love shooting in general, but that's beside the point. As a young(er) shooter, i do think movement has it's advantages and disadvantages, but if we can do it safely, we should try to incorporate it as much as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 I am still not convinced we are in decline. Powder Creek had several young guys shoot at our work shirkers match yesterday. Our attendance was very good for a weekday. The new young shooters are all very interested in our sport. One young man, who has shot cowboy in two matches told me he thinks he has found his hobby. I come back to this again. We need to play to our strengths. One of our greatest strengths is the active participation of a lot of women in CAS. Ours is a very couple oriented game. We need to make sure that is prominent in all of our promotional activities. I have long been a proponent of promoting the shooting sports to the general public. Newspaper and television ads done right can only help. Emphasize the old west. Talk about fun for the whole family. Don't forget gun safety. CAS is a way for people not involved with guns (especially young people) to learn about them in a safe and socially acceptable way. ON the other hand, advertising costs money. Most clubs don't have much money to advertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. John Campbell, SASS #58165 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 One thing that I think would help would be for SASS HQ to contact several of the mainstream firearms publications, and see if they would do a feature article on the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting. A lot of shooters read these magazines every month, and there's always articles about IPSC, USPSA, 3-Gun and the likes, but never anything about CAS. Several years ago, the American Rifleman had a great article about CAS, and this is the type of marketing we need, in the venues that cater to firearms enthusiasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Rapid Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Sgt. John - EXCELLENT idea!!! Yes, SASS should, but if SASS won't, then someone should write an article and submit it to the pubs (along with pix) for publication.....R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Roger, I respect your opinion but I don't completely agree with you. Part of the problem with all shooting sports today is that to a certain extent we have become Milton Milktoast. We've been playing second fiddle too long. We don't need to knuckle under to the antis. We need not apologies to anyone for our love of shooting and guns. We do need more videos like the one you posted here. Great job btw. We need to educate people about guns, history & the shooting sports. We need to explain to them that guns are not inherently good or evil. They are merely a hunk of steel and wood or plastic that is designed to do a job, such as a hammer, screwdriver, or automobile. It can be used for good or evil. It can be used to put food on one's table or to play a game or to defend a life. Cars kill more folks every day than do guns. We don't need to be overly agressive in educating folks but we also don't need to take a back seat to the antis either. We used to have a lady in our club that at one time was terrified of guns. She came out to watch a few matches with her husband and he, along with a few members, got her to shoot a pistol. Her husband had a small range behind their house and got her to shoot more. She started shooting matches and practicing at home. And she got to be pretty good and started helping other shooters improve themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Rapid Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Col. Nathan. Thanks, and I don't think we're in disagreement. I support your idea that we should not turn tails and run, or hide our head in the sand. And, I absolutely support that we need to be proactive. All I am suggesting is that we're careful how we present the idea of CAS in today's climate, and that we do it with care, diplomacy, education (as you suggest), and sensitivity. Clearly, you and I are in total agreement that we need to do something proactive. The key is finding what that "secret sauce" is to tell our story. ... RR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madd Mike #8595 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 that ace feller said it well clubs are run by volentters and not all clubs are intenet savy with the latest and greatest equipment and knowlege dont stop searching, as when you finially get a hit on a club, CAS rocks mann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 I totally agree with Madd MIke. CAS rocks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korupt Karl Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 We have been fortunate to maintain our numbers and in fact grow. We have strived to listen to the shooters with fun scenaios, big targets, good target placement and a good positive attitude. We are growing and have visitors coming to every shoot who eventually join the fun. We have cabins on site and many leave their campers or show up the night before and we play poker, sit around the campfire and BS. We have a good core of shooters and a healthy attitude. We are constantly trying to improve our range. Currently we are enlarging the lake and using the sand and dirt to build berms for two more stages to take us up to 12 stages. Our current group realizes its an entertainment sport and people want to smile. When we recently went to bigger targets and different scenario writers and we had a shooter of over 12 year experience remark that the shoots were some of the most fun shoots he had had.We continue to build on that. I know times are tough, but people will continue to go where they are having fun....at least that's what we are striving to do. KK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Jackson Turner Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 I am a firearms instructor, and I am seeing a regular stream of shooters who are interested in moving in to Cowboy Action Shooting. (No matter what their interest level is, I always give them a chance to fire my cowboy guns at steel... one stage usually does the trick!) One robin does not make a spring, but I see steady and growing interest, here in SoCal. I sure wish some vendor would put together a solid starter kit of workable firearms and leather, to which I could steer new shooters... Cheers, FJT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ T. Sites Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I am a firearms instructor, and I am seeing a regular stream of shooters who are interested in moving in to Cowboy Action Shooting. (No matter what their interest level is, I always give them a chance to fire my cowboy guns at steel... one stage usually does the trick!) One robin does not make a spring, but I see steady and growing interest, here in SoCal. I sure wish some vendor would put together a solid starter kit of workable firearms and leather, to which I could steer new shooters... Cheers, FJT I'm amazed that no one has would you rather make 10% on 1 rifle or sell pistols , rifle ,shotgun and throw in a starter gunbelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Rapid Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 FJT - Great idea on bundling some shooting gear to make entry to the sport easier and more attractive. There are a lot of great marketing ideas on this thread to promote CAS. I wish someone at SASS had their ears on to pull together these ideas and use them proactively to promote the sport!!!! RR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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