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Where's the train going?


Dusty Devil Dale

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Another thread got me to wondering.  Where do shooters, club officers and SASS folks here on the Wire envision the CAS game going over the next 5, 10, 15 years.  Do you think our Game (not just SASS) will stay as we are now?  Will we see big changes in the game itself, and how?  Will we see broadening or narrowing of categories or allowed equipment?  Do you see us  attracting more shooters and growing? How will we handle the growth?  Or do you see us retracting, ageing out, diminishing,  being overregulated or component starved and fading from the scene?   

 

And finally, how do you think we can guide that future toward what we would like to see.  What options and tools are there?

 

What does YOUR crystal ball show?

Try to stay constructive and share your thoughts and preferences about any of those questions. 

 

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Do you ever just enjoy something without analyzing it to death?

 

The sky is not falling.

 

New members are joining in spite of the ammo/price shortage.

 

Misty and crew are doing a great job, give them some room and trust them.

 

The move to East of the Mississippi will surely help SASS overall as I think this side of the continent has never had a real voice. EOT filled up in an hour this Spring. 

 

Do some things need fixing? Yes, always will. Does complaining and/or 2nd guessing help? NO

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This is a huge scope, that is hard to wrap around, so I'll try to start.  

I am seeing quite a number of young people being keenly attracted to our sport.  By young, I mean in their late 20 or early 30s.   Many of them have some military history.  They like the nostalgia of CAS and they are getting into it with enthusiasm, shooting matches, buying clothing, handling reloading, participating in club work, and even running for club offices, so I think the opportunity is there for a bright CAS  future.  

 

Our sport has some weaknesses, and I think confusing rules and restrictions may be a big one.  Every WTC thread here on the wire is witness to the confusion between readers.  I think rules could be consolidated and indexed more effectively, and be written with less jargon, to enable clearer understanding and faster interpretation.

 

 Spotting/counting, in particular seems to generate some of the hardest feelings at times.  Going into the future, I envision our spotting eventually  being assisted technologically, just as video or other tools have been used elsewhere to resolve human differences in perception.  But until then, I am an advocate of Spotter Training.  We all can recite the "if you think..." rhetoric, but there is much more to careful watching and seeing than that.  

 

Regarding categories, it's a matter of balance between having too few or too many.  Too few pits folks like me against guys like Matt Black, which isn't much fun for either.  Too many becomes a sea of "participation trophies" and gunbelts too short for all the buckles.   Right now, it's about in balance, IMO.  Nothing is particular broken there.  

 

Regarding local clubs, they are the mainstay of our sport.  They are our learning ground, and also the source of most of our personal interaction (speaking for myself here).  They can be the major recruitment sites, as well.  Most of us spend many more days at local matches than at larger State, Regional or World-level ones.  So we need to continue to take those local ranges and clubs seriously, keep them operating,  and not gradually move toward just having bigger matches.  

 

Regarding our participation, I think we have pretty much plateaued in numbers now.  We don't attract people by the thousands in most locales, but we do see enough spectators to maintain interest and bring in new people. Some adjustment is warrantef, given the reduction in western focus in movies and TV programming, but I see our attrition about being replaced by new people.  We also should be considering how big we WANT to become.  It isn't just about money and market share.  Many local clubs have no space or much desire to have to run ten posses at every monthly match.  

 

Those are just some "seed" thoughts.  What are you seeing?

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Tyrel Cody said:

Do you ever just enjoy something without analyzing it to death?

 

The sky is not falling.

 

New members are joining in spite of the ammo/price shortage.

 

Misty and crew are doing a great job, give them some room and trust them.

 

The move to East of the Mississippi will surely help SASS overall as I think this side of the continent has never had a real voice. EOT filled up in an hour this Spring. 

 

Do some things need fixing? Yes, always will. Does complaining and/or 2nd guessing help? NO

You seem to have totally misinterpreted my intent here.   We have a lot of divergent ideas in CAS and a lot of them are good.   This was a chance to share them, along with folks varying observations from all across the country and world.  It's nothing more than that. 

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11 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

You seem to have totally misinterpreted my intent here.   We have a lot of divergent ideas in CAS and a lot of them are good.   This was a chance to share them, along with folks varying observations from all across the country and world.  It's nothing more than that. 

I don't think I did.

 

Jump on the train and enjoy the ride. We've got a great Engineer that's working with her staff to make the ride fun and sustainable for all.

 

 

 

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Tyrel Cody said:

I don't think I did.

 

Jump on the train and enjoy the ride. We've got a great Engineer that's working with her staff to make the ride fun and sustainable for all.

 

 

 

 

 

Try to move your mind off of the prior thread.  This one isn't about the SASS organization and the job anybody is doing.   It's about how you see our SPORT --Cowboy Action Shooting---  moving into the future, what you think we should emphasize, keep or change, plus what tools we might have to direct things. 

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How long have you participated in CAS? 

 

To what extent have you contributed to the growth of SASS? You don't seem to understand how much many shooters have done and the effort our current leadership have put into promoting SASS.

 

Your comments here and on another thread seem to be criticism vs productive feedback to help promote and grow the sport. 

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FIRST:  PLUS ONE for Tyrel Cody

 

SECOND:  QUIT calling it a "Sport."  Go cheque your loading table and tell me how many athletes you see there.  It's a GAME.  Nothing more, nothing less.  A really fun Game.  Just like Neighborhood Cowboys and Indians when we were kids.  Only we get to use real guns and live ammo.

 

THIRD:  Taint anybody got a crystal ball to see into the future.  We have what we have.  Sit Back.  Enjoy the Ride.  The Train is running along just fine without a Physic Annalist.  

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2 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said:

Do you ever just enjoy something without analyzing it to death?

 

The sky is not falling.

 

New members are joining in spite of the ammo/price shortage.

 

Misty and crew are doing a great job, give them some room and trust them.

 

The move to East of the Mississippi will surely help SASS overall as I think this side of the continent has never had a real voice. EOT filled up in an hour this Spring. 

 

Do some things need fixing? Yes, always will. Does complaining and/or 2nd guessing help? NO

 

The "Like" button just did not seem to be enough, so I'll ad a big YeeeeeHawwwww.

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My wife took my crystal ball away from me decades ago. I was always worrying about what might be in THE FUTURE. Hard to live in the present (real world) when you're worried about THE FUTURE.

 

Anyhow, I sure would like to see SASS produce a Cowboy Action TV Show. I found CAS that way and I bet that a lot of people came to SASS 10 years ago or so by seeing it on TV. 

 

Waimea

 

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Triple D,  Most of the WTC’s can be answered by reviewing the rule book.  But, we love to antagonize one another on the wire. So, every now and then a WTC thread starts for pure enjoyment.  Spotter training is called RO1 class and OJT during monthlies.  As for the move to Indiana, take a look at a satellite photo of the US at night.  Where do you see a majority of lights? The desert or east of the Mississippi?  Misty will be able to impact more clubs from a home office in the Midwest.  Let’s give her some credit.  She is basically in charge of ~30k shooters that don’t report to her and may not care what she has to say.  That’s a tough job.

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2 hours ago, J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526 said:

How long have you participated in CAS? 

 

To what extent have you contributed to the growth of SASS? You don't seem to understand how much many shooters have done and the effort our current leadership have put into promoting SASS.

 

Your comments here and on another thread seem to be criticism vs productive feedback to help promote and grow the sport. 

Sorry you took it that way.  My SASS number shows my longevity.  105091. (5+ yrs).  That's quite short by most rulers, but I can assure you that I am aware of the long CAS-SASS history, and I do respect all the work put into it.  I actually do quite a lot of work at the local level myself-- I'm at our club range working on maintenance or setting up matches (or milling lumber for props) just about every day.   

I will say that a good number of my close friends are folks with four-digit SASS numbers, and were among the cadre of people who contributed much in the long past.  They've shared a lot of that background.  I never sought to discount any of that in the earlier thread.   

 

  But again, this thread was NOT intended to be about SASS.  Try to think about the sport itself and not just the organization.   Where do you see the CAS Game itself heading 10 yrs from now?  For example, Do you see us surviving the regulatory push against firearms? What can we be doing now to improve those chances? (How can we keep the general public and media liking CAS and wanting to see us kept around (unlike their attitudes about so many other shooting sports)?  Do we have any media people in our group?  What do they recommend?

 

Do you envision us eventually  shooting with Airsoft or guns due to lead or other restrictions?  Is your range under EPA scrutiny (yet)?  Do we have any of those Regulators or scientists in our group and again, what do they recommend?  What do they see on the horizon that the rest of us might not yet be seeing -- and need to see?

 

This thread is about where we want to be as a sport, and how to get there.  

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Sorry you took it that way.  My SASS number shows my longevity.  105091. (5+ yrs).  That's quite short by most rulers, but I can assure you that I am aware of the long CAS-SASS history, and I do respect all the work put into it.  I actually do quite a lot of work at the local level myself-- I'm at our club range working on maintenance or setting up matches (or milling lumber for props) just about every day.   

I will say that a good number of my close friends are folks with four-digit SASS numbers, and were among the cadre of people who contributed much in the long past.  They've shared a lot of that background.  I never sought to discount any of that in the earlier thread.   

 

  But again, this thread was NOT intended to be about SASS.  Try to think about the sport itself and not just the organization.   Where do you see the CAS Game itself heading 10 yrs from now?  For example, Do you see us surviving the regulatory push against firearms? What can we be doing now to improve those chances? (How can we keep the general public and media liking CAS and wanting to see us kept around (unlike their attitudes about so many other shooting sports)?  Do we have any media people in our group?  What do they recommend?

 

Do you envision us eventually  shooting with Airsoft or guns due to lead or other restrictions?  Is your range under EPA scrutiny (yet)?  Do we have any of those Regulators or scientists in our group and again, what do they recommend?  What do they see on the horizon that the rest of us might not yet be seeing -- and need to see?

 

This thread is about where we want to be as a sport, and how to get there.  

 

 

I sure wish Phantom would chime in and de-rail this DDD line of contradictory, overly analytical bullshi!.......

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9 minutes ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I like where we are now, so I don’t see a need to ‘get there.’

 

More members would be nice, as long as we don’t ‘destroy the village in order to save it.

 

What does the future hold? I don’t have a clue. 

I agree.  I like it "as-is" too.  The challenge is keeping it. 

 

I guess in California we are close to the head of the spear, regarding environmental pressures like lead restrictions and EPA clean-up orders, ammunition and loading component regulation, gun availability and purchasing barriers. and other things.  It makes many of us worry about the future of our Game (I hear you CC).   Maybe we worry too much, but we've had to learn to anticipate out here.   

  

 

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26 minutes ago, Red Knee said:

I sure wish Phantom would chime in and de-rail this DDD line of contradictory, overly analytical bullshi!.......

Where is Phantom, BTW?  I'm missing his fun quips and candor.  Hoping he's OK (seriously).  

 

Sorry you feel so offended and defensive about this thread.  (But It would be good to try to keep things respectful, if you can. ) 

 

I really meant nobody any harm or insult in posting this.   I thought we might see some intuitive and constructive thoughts and maybe some guidance from folks with prior experience.   

I guess I expected a lot. 

You really don't have to read it if you find it offensive.    

 

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Our game is fluid - always has been - always will be.

Subject to the whims of regulation, participation and incomes.

 

To use your analogy - in the late 90's and early 00's everyone was jumping on the CAS train.  And then some jumped off.

Age, health or simple loss of interest.   

And there will always be another something shiny that comes along and attracts the casual participants attention.

 

CAS is not under a ton of risk of equipment regulatory issues (obviously we must still remain vigilant always) - because; our equipment, attitudes and participants are viewed as non threatening to the casual observer.   

Sometimes being a bunch of old guys with pot bellies is a benefit?

 

Lead continues to be an issue of contention and I could see a movement within 10 years to phasing in more environmentally friendly ammo.

 

Our game will continue as it is - a core of shooters that slowly deplete and replenish.

There are opportunities for replenishment but they require finances and bold decisions that currently - no one seems to have interest in pursuing.

 

Other opportunities include outreach to persons of color (I have a personal project that I am working on as we speak - but I'm not ready to broadcast it)

And opportunities in Media - via targeted advertising. 

MeTV runs westerns all day on the weekends.  If they are watching Maverick and the Rifleman - they might think CAS is fun.

 

There are at minimum THREE westerns/ or western genre motion pictures coming out this year.

Old Henry with Tim Blake Nelson

The Power of the Dog with Benedict Cumberbatch

Cry Macho with Clint Eastwood

 

People are returning to theaters - because it is still better than my living room - in addition to the ads for popcorn, turn off your cell and trivia quizs - a slickly produced video for SASS as an organization with personalized information for local clubs in your area might attract some eyeballs.

(and in a movie theater - you are a captive audience - they will see it) 

 

A SASS Youtube channel (there are a lot of fantastic folks doing You Tube) but one channel that can compile, organize or at minimum direct to other resources is required in this day and age.  

 

I am hoping the divesting of Founders Ranch and the fresh start for our leadership in Indiana will excite some ideas from above - or at least lead to them reaching out to ask how they can help.

 

But a crystal ball?

No one knows what tomorrow holds.

Much less what 10 years holds for a train they aint in control of.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

Our game is fluid - always has been - always will be.

Subject to the whims of regulation, participation and incomes.

 

To use your analogy - in the late 90's and early 00's everyone was jumping on the CAS train.  And then some jumped off.

Age, health or simple loss of interest.   

And there will always be another something shiny that comes along and attracts the casual participants attention.

 

CAS is not under a ton of risk of equipment regulatory issues (obviously we must still remain vigilant always) - because; our equipment, attitudes and participants are viewed as non threatening to the casual observer.   

Sometimes being a bunch of old guys with pot bellies is a benefit?

 

Lead continues to be an issue of contention and I could see a movement within 10 years to phasing in more environmentally friendly ammo.

 

Our game will continue as it is - a core of shooters that slowly deplete and replenish.

There are opportunities for replenishment but they require finances and bold decisions that currently - no one seems to have interest in pursuing.

 

Other opportunities include outreach to persons of color (I have a personal project that I am working on as we speak - but I'm not ready to broadcast it)

And opportunities in Media - via targeted advertising. 

MeTV runs westerns all day on the weekends.  If they are watching Maverick and the Rifleman - they might think CAS is fun.

 

There are at minimum THREE westerns/ or western genre motion pictures coming out this year.

Old Henry with Tim Blake Nelson

The Power of the Dog with Benedict Cumberbatch

Cry Macho with Clint Eastwood

 

People are returning to theaters - because it is still better than my living room - in addition to the ads for popcorn, turn off your cell and trivia quizs - a slickly produced video for SASS as an organization with personalized information for local clubs in your area might attract some eyeballs.

(and in a movie theater - you are a captive audience - they will see it) 

 

A SASS Youtube channel (there are a lot of fantastic folks doing You Tube) but one channel that can compile, organize or at minimum direct to other resources is required in this day and age.  

 

I am hoping the divesting of Founders Ranch and the fresh start for our leadership in Indiana will excite some ideas from above - or at least lead to them reaching out to ask how they can help.

 

But a crystal ball?

No one knows what tomorrow holds.

Much less what 10 years holds for a train they aint in control of.

 

 

THANK YOU for some great thoughts and ideas to pursue.  You've obviously given it some serious thought. 

 I would love to see the kinds of promo that you described actually taking place.   Nothing would do a better job, IMO, of keeping us in sinc with the population around us.  I don't think it takes much of a crystal ball to discover that advertising pays off.

Thanks v. much.

DDD 

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As Creeker has stated, a SASS You Tube channel. The message to the next generation is not on billboards, radio, or television.

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Seems like this topic comes up every other year or so. I think it was last brought up when the announcement was made that the Wild Bunch as stepping down. Sun still comes up in the East and sets in the West. We some clubs that are lucky to have one posse, but still play the game. Grow or shrink, SASS or no SASS, I believe CAS will be around in some form or another long after all of us who shoot today are long gone. I say enjoy it while you can.

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33 minutes ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

As Creeker has stated, a SASS You Tube channel. The message to the next generation is not on billboards, radio, or television.

 

Believe it or not, SASS promote self is being on all of these social media platforms.

 

Many may argue whether or not they are doing it effectively, however.

 

https://www.sassnet.com/getsocial.php

 

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27 minutes ago, Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 said:

 

Believe it or not, SASS promote self is being on all of these social media platforms.

 

Many may argue whether or not they are doing it effectively, however.

 

https://www.sassnet.com/getsocial.php

 

I think they should get YOU to do their video work --I am serious.  TFL is both entertaining and really informative.  Great work.  

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1 minute ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

I think they should get YOU to do their video work --I am serious.  TFL is both entertaining and really informative.  Great work.  

Only if he's BEHIND the camera, let his lovely wife or pretty much any of LOCAS be in FRONT of the camera...

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1 minute ago, Tyrel Cody said:

Only if he's BEHIND the camera, let his lovely wife or pretty much any of LOCAS be in FRONT of the camera...

Either way, I do like his products!  (His wife obviously sees something attractive there).  Bring on the promo videos!

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1 minute ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Either way, I do like his products!  (His wife obviously sees something attractive there).  Bring on the promo videos!

He does make good videos, I hate to let an opportunity to pick at Branchwater go by...

 

 

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@Tyrel Cody and @Dusty Devil Dale

 

Full disclosure, I am just the writer of the scripts, face on screen, and the guitar picker for the intro and outro music. It is my wife

@Alchemist Belle 93666 who handles everything from filming, to editing, promotion, and everything in between.

 

I could not do any of it without her.

 

If someone wanted to look for ideas in promotion of SASS, I would go to her, @The Outlaw Travis James or several others who know it and do it a lot better than I.

 

 

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Just now, Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 said:

@Tyrel Cody and @Dusty Devil Dale

 

Full disclosure, I am just the writer of the scripts, face on screen, and the guitar picker for the intro and outro music. It is my wife

@Alchemist Belle 93666 who handles everything from filming, to editing, promotion, and everything in between.

 

I could not do any of it without her.

 

If someone wanted to look for ideas in promotion of SASS, I would go to her, @The Outlaw Travis JamesJesJamJamesJamesJamJamesJamesJamesJamJamesJamesJ or several others who know it and do it a lot better than I.

 

 

Guitar picker you say? Interesting,  I've been learning clawhammer banjo for a while. We need to make music and smoke together sometime.

 

Where would any of us be without our wives?

 

Agree The OTJ is a cool dude.

 

 

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18 minutes ago, Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 said:

@Tyrel Cody and @Dusty Devil Dale

 

Full disclosure, I am just the writer of the scripts, face on screen, and the guitar picker for the intro and outro music. It is my wife

@Alchemist Belle 93666 who handles everything from filming, to editing, promotion, and everything in between.

 

I could not do any of it without her.

 

If someone wanted to look for ideas in promotion of SASS, I would go to her, @The Outlaw Travis James or several others who know it and do it a lot better than I.

 

 

Tell her "Thank you" for some very nice work.  

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IMHO, until we come up with a way to make this not such an old white mens sport we’re wasting our time on most marketing campaigns. At the Western Regional before I drew the winning raffle ticket I gave a short speech about what I thought could be done to grow the game. The LOCAS (Ladies Of Cowboy Action Shooting) does an excellent job of promoting the sport to potential lady shooters and I believe has attributed to some of the growth in the game over the last few years. I live in Southern California where the minorities probably out number whites but the numbers of minorities at matches is minuscule.

 

I haven’t seen an African American participant since Johnny Longshot moved up to the central coast. I can count Hispanic participants on 2 hands and the same with Asians. Think of the growth CAS would have if those groups could be brought into our game. Every time I bring it up here on the Wire or at the Western Regional a couple of weeks ago it gets absolutely no comments or ideas how to pitch CAS to those ethnic groups.

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I just got one of my best pards who is a black American going in this great game we play and another black gentleman in our club who  is very interested in CAS and has started buying his guns, this being an “old white mans sport” doesn’t seem to bother them at all. 
 

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1 hour ago, Yul Lose said:

I live in Southern California where the minorities probably out number whites but the numbers of minorities at matches is minuscule.

That's pretty much the norm, sadly.  When you look at other shooting sports, they are dominated by minorities; Asians and Hispanic folks in particular.   But we in CAS make no serious outreach to those groups.   Each year, the Central California Pistol League holds its championship match in our Fort Miller cowboy town.   They're a great bunch of folks to visit with, except they're focused on winning big prises, like last year's Jeep and 16 Dillon 750 loaders.  They do love our props, and a few have come around to watch our matches.  But I think we're a bit slow moving for their taste.  

But watch out if we ever start attracting them.  Those men and women can shoot VERY fast and accurately.  They're used to shooting on the run at targets with scoring rings.   

2 hours ago, Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 said:

@Tyrel Cody and @Dusty Devil Dale

 

Full disclosure, I am just the writer of the scripts, face on screen, and the guitar picker for the intro and outro music. It is my wife

@Alchemist Belle 93666 who handles everything from filming, to editing, promotion, and everything in between.

 

I could not do any of it without her.

 

If someone wanted to look for ideas in promotion of SASS, I would go to her, @The Outlaw Travis James or several others who know it and do it a lot better than I.

 

 

Tell her "Thank you" for some very nice work.  

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8 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

That's pretty much the norm, sadly.  When you look at other shooting sports, they are dominated by minorities; Asians and Hispanic folks in particular.   But we in CAS make no serious outreach to those groups.   Each year, the Central California Pistol League holds its championship match in our Fort Miller cowboy town.   They're a great bunch of folks to visit with, except they're focused on winning big prises, like last year's Jeep and 16 Dillon 750 loaders.  They do love our props, and a few have come around to watch our matches.  But I think we're a bit slow moving for their taste.  

But watch out if we ever start attracting them.  Those men and women can shoot VERY fast and accurately.  They're used to shooting on the run at targets with scoring rings.   

Tell her "Thank you" for some very nice work.  

 

There are possibly some issues with some of the rules we contend with.  For example, I've never come to terms with the "no shooting on the move" rule.  It's illogical.  Yes, I know the history of it.  And it's still illogical.  It prevents a lot of really interesting stage ideas.  We end up with a game that's stand and deliver, move over there, stand and deliver, maybe move again and stand and deliver.  It gets old, and boring.  This rule really ought to be revisited.

 

In my conversations with shooters of other disciplines, this is one thing that repeatedly comes up.

 

But that's neither here nor there.  What's needed is marketing.  What market should SASS go after?  What mediums do they digest?  Age groups?  What attracts them?  Not easy questions to answer, but needed to craft a solid and attractive message.

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