How much work goes into setting up a monthly match

[Attica Jack #23953]

Not complaining, just explaining. I think some of the shooters don't realize how much work goes into setting up a monthly match. Some shooters go to a monthly match, pay the entrance fee, shoot the match, and some complain that a certain stage was not to their liking. A lot of preparation goes into setting up the stages. The stages have to be fun, not to confusing and safe. I wrote a stage many years ago...and it was a challenge....easy, fun and safe. Volunteer to help set up a shoot, lots of steel to hang...and it is all heavy. To all of the workers and stage designers that set up monthly matches, my hat is off to you. Looking forward to shooting this 2017 season. Attica Jack P.S. I know that the Texas Star is a PITA. to set up...I really like shooting it.

 

[Nota John, SASS #51089L]

Write stages. Hang steel. Make sure cold water available in hot weather. Keep medical equipment handy. Take down and store steel. Compute scores. Email out scores. Yes, quite a bit to be handled. Nota

[Casey Green]

At the club I shoot at everybody (who is physically capable) pitches in after the last stage and helps put away all the steel and clean up the range, so clean up isn't too bad. They schedule time and ask folks to come early to help set up, but they usually set up a day or two before so normally everything is ready the day of. As far as writing, we have a couple people who usually take care of it, so I can't comment on the amount of work involved, but we all definitely appreciate it!!

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

At Tusco, we set up the morning of the shoot. Store fronts & targets. Maybe 8-10 shooters show up early to help. As they say.....Many hands make light work. Each posse takes down the stage it finishes on.

At Firelands First Wednesday Shoots, we don't set up until enough shooters show up to help.

Same Thing with taking down. Everybody helps.

Aside from that, I write the stages, and we have the scoring program/sheets set up.

Just a little bit of extra work.

Not bad at all.

--Dawg

[Warden Callaway]

 

We generally go over a couple of days before a monthly match and get out all the targets and paint them. We do some range cleanup while we are waiting for the paint to dry and then put the targets back in locked storage.

 

Match day, in addition to all the regular stuff, we bring a big box of timers, clipboards, safety supplies, etc. Also, a records box with sign up stuff. We bring bottled water in a big ice chest and stop and get ice on the way.

 

It's a small crew that puts out the targets but generally have enough help putting them away.

 

It takes Mary a good bit of time to work up scores and email out results. Plus she does the treasurer job.

 

We're 20 minutes from the range but it's quicker and easier to drive two and a half hours to another range than it is to shoot at our local club.

[Charlie Whiskers]

We have 2 local clubs. One we own the land and we leave the targets out. It saves a lot of work when it comes to resetting the 6 bays for a monthly shoot. It's still a PITA moving 3/8 inch AR400 20x20 or 18x19 inch targets with some shapes. After about 2 bays they weigh around 300lbs each. At that one we shoot the 1st weekend both days and 4th Saturday.

The other club is part of a complex with pretty much the same size targets and with the same steel used. Usually for our weekend shoot we set the range Friday evening. and put it all away Sunday after the shoot. We have target boxes in the bays that we store the targets in, so that helps. This club shoots the 3rd weekend.

We have storage "barns" at both clubs for added necessities; 1st aid kits, junk buckets, loading and unloading table covers plus carpet pieces for range tables. Pretty much everything we need is stored close to the bays.

Both clubs have dirt berms between each bay about 8ft or a tad more in height. That allows us to have downrange as well as side to side movement. We have trays to place a long gun or long guns in so the muzzle points toward a berm when we do downrange scenarios.

[Bittertrigger]

I have been writing stages for the last 3 or 4 months now for our club and let me tell you

I have the up most respect for all who write stages, so many things to think about

Keep it Gunfighter friendly, keep the Duelies happy

Set them up so the speedster can run fast but easy for the new shooter

Stage needs to move to the left then one that moves to the right then split the stage

and try to think all the little things, can I do this or that . There is so much to keep in mind

Move the targets so we don't shoot the same target each month

We have a great crew at Texas Ten Horns that step in and help

[Rev Lyin Kerrdawg SASS # 57116]

Don't forget to do all the mowing and weed eating, Blow the leaves in the fall. Put up with the board once a month at the big club and listen to the Large Club membership bitch(pistol Shooters) why they cant shoot at the cowboy range. Sorry just got mad reading all of a sudden. Just had our annual elections last night to the board.Need my meds.

 

Rev

[WOODFOX , sass#34179]

Don't forget to do all the mowing and weed eating, Blow the leaves in the fall. Put up with the board once a month at the big club and listen to the Large Club membership bitch(pistol Shooters) why they cant shoot at the cowboy range. Sorry just got mad reading all of a sudden. Just had our annual elections last night to the board.Need my meds.

 

Rev

​same problem at our host club ,some of the board members don't like us making them money ,they want to bankrupt the club.

Woodfox

[Trailboss (Santa) Dave]

I had about 4 to help each month.

 

We setup on Saturday, them I wrote the stages to fit the setup, The only reward was the setup crew (up to 4) got to shoot free

 

Setup became easier when we got permanent false fronts, and don't have to set them up and remove after each shoot

 

As Warden Callaway said it was easier to spent the time on the road to go to a shoot put on by somebody else

[Cowboy Junky]

A lot more than people think.........lol

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

We (Ottawa Valley Marauders and the The Wild Turkey Posses) do set up the day before, based on the previously printed match booklet.

It's a big job for the Wranglers rustling props, steel, stands, heavy wood shrouding we are mandated to put around the steel plates to prevent splatter. (A requirement of the Ontario Chief Firearms Officer)

[Rum Crook, SASS #55339]

First, the "Core" setup group is usually 7 people, of which, 4 are age 75 or over, 1 is 70 or over, and 2 young whippersnappers are 60 or over. We set up 5 stages in 5 bays, and targets are stored in one building. The pistol targets are the heaviest at about 60 lbs each, and of course, the knockdown shotgun targets are the ones that try to eat your fingers. We've lost the full service of one due to injury, and he continues to help by painting the targets. Another is sidelined right now with health problems.

 

As match day approaches, one guy writes the stages and sends them out via email to the shooters.

On the Friday before the Sunday match, we meet at the range to set up the 5 stages, paint the targets and nail down the shotgun targets. We usually swap lies, uh tales, after the setup.

On Saturday, the scoring ipads and router are charged, liability signature documents are printed, and the match is set up on the master ipad.

On Sunday, one guy brings drinks and cookies, the carpet table covers are set up, and 2 guys handle registration.

One guy conducts the safety meeting and we begin shooting.

After the match, we prepare the scoring results with the ipads and announce the results.

In the winter months, we may tear down and store targets after the match. We get some help from the shooters.

About 8 months of the year we will go back to the range on Monday morning to tear down and store targets.

 

The setup crew does not pay the $10 match fee. Most of the setup crew does the same chores for another match shot on a Saturday earlier in the month.

 

I'm hopeful that as some of us transition to shooting only, no setup, there will be younger retirees that step up and do the setup. If not, we may start losing some club shoots.

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

We are lucky in that we have a large enough membership that we can usually set up a six stage match in about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. the day before the shoot. Never any trouble getting the work done. While not actually assigned, everyone seems to have a task and they jump to it. The stronger, younger ones grab steel or KD shotgun targets, some grab the stands, ladies grab carpet pads for loading and unloading tables, ropes to reset shotgun targets. Some work on setting out trash barrels and coolers with water and the hand washing station. Once the heavy stuff is done, people look around to see what else needs to be done or who needs help. After the match, your posse tears down a stage or two and a work crew (mostly retirees) puts things away the next day.

 

Speaking for me only, the month I'm MD is the toughest. I am MD for the last shoot of the year. Because it is the last shoot at our club for 6 months, I have been known to set up a stage or two that is a little "labor intensive." Work crew never complains, they just get to work. I set up what I call an "Open Range" shoot. You can shoot any stage any style you wish. Stages are set up be style friendly. Big and close for Outlaw, smooth flow for Gunfighter, etc. Writing the stages with this in mind and "shadow" shooting them takes time. Not complaining mind you, just stating, as the OP pointed out, that there is more to a match than just simply showing up and shooting.