Top Gun Shootoffs - How are they run?

[Crusty Knees]

I was curious.  Not that I'll ever be in a top gun shootoff 

What are the rules?  

Are the two shooters timed as in a regular match (time+penalties)?

Or time with fewest misses beats the other shooter, no matter the time?

 

Is it always the top 16 (or however many) or do the category winners ever face off?

If the category winners face off, do they have to use the shooting style from the main match?

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

There is no "standard" or official method - match directors are able to conduct their shoot offs however they believe will be most entertaining or within the limits of their range setups.

 

But generally they will fall into two camps...

First (less common)

A given number of shooters - top 10, top 20 etc. engage a single stage for time (scored exactly the same way as a main match stage - time plus penalties)

Fastest shooter at the end is top gun.

 

Second

A given number of shooters - top 10, top 20 etc. (but often broken up as top 10, 20 men AND top 10, 20 women).  Two shooters will shoot a stage at the same time on MIRRORED target arrays.  Usually utilizing a common "stopper" target to determine first shooter complete. 

But misses supercede finishing order.  Shooters will be paired off to compete bracket style (usually sudden death) with winner advancing to next round.

THEN after top man and top woman are determined - they usually will face off to determine top gun.

 

Again there are many variations on this theme that can be used.  

I have shot both of the above - the man vs man version is more exciting to watch and inserts an element of pressure because of the other shooter being present.

 

The single shooter timed stage is probably a better demonstration of each shooters skillset under match conditions.

 

The shooters (just like side matches) are free to utilize whatever shooting style, equipment, propellant that they believe will best benefit them.

Again there could be variations to this as well - but I dont recall ever seeing shooters required to use their main match style.

 

 

 

[Crusty Knees]

2 hours ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

There is no "standard" or official method - match directors are able to conduct their shoot offs however they believe will be most entertaining or within the limits of their range setups.

 

 

Thank you for the detailed reply!!

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

At the Tennessee State Championship we have the Shoot-off at the end of the first day of the main match. We have 3 Categories (plus ladies if we have enough entered), Traditional, Gunfighter and Duelist. Everyone is eligible and you drop you name badge in the bucket for the category you want to shoot. We shoot on mirrored stages and the names are drawn randomly to see who shoots against each other and which side they shoot on. All winners go back and we draw again until we have one winner in each category. Then if they want to we shoot the categories against each other to see an overall winner. We feel like this gives folks who would never be in a shoot-off a chance to participate.

 

 Randy 

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

19 minutes ago, Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 said:

At the Tennessee State Championship we have the Shoot-off at the end of the first day of the main match. We have 3 Categories (plus ladies if we have enough entered), Traditional, Gunfighter and Duelist. Everyone is eligible and you drop you name badge in the bucket for the category you want to shoot. We shoot on mirrored stages and the names are drawn randomly to see who shoots against each other and which side they shoot on. All winners go back and we draw again until we have one winner in each category. Then if they want to we shoot the categories against each other to see an overall winner. We feel like this gives folks who would never be in a shoot-off a chance to participate.

 

 Randy 

Perfect example of variety - I had never seen the category choice buckets in a shoot off.  But the cleverness of the various match directors in SASS never fails to impress me.

And a great example of a match director offering opportunity to as many shooters as possible to enjoy a moment in the spotlight.

I'm going to have to make it to Tennesee sometime.

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

39 minutes ago, Crusty Knees said:

 

Thank you for the detailed reply!!

You are very welcome - if I have anything I am good at - it is being long winded. 

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

I always liked Givhans Ferry SC when they had the SE Regionals. It was all steel plate knock offs with shtogun KDs and the shotgun crossover for the win. They used to have individual stands for each target, This looks like a much easier set up than having 40 stands to have to pound in the ground. Always my favorite match.

 

 

[Ozark Huckleberry]

Are shootoff brackets ever seeded or always based on random draw?

[Captain Bill Burt]

This one could be my favorite but I was beat in the first round. The rascal who did it looks oddly familiar.

 

 

[The Outlaw Travis James]

There isn't anything sanctioned as far as shootoffs go.  

This year at Florida State - Ides of March, I was in charge of the shootff and my format was as follows:

• Top 32 Overall
• Top 8 Ladies
• All Youth - regardless of placement

Each round, the participants drew poker chips with numbers on them corresponding to the number of shooters in the round.  Then the matchups were paired as follows: 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, 5 vs 6, 27 vs 28, 29 vs 30, 31 vs 32, etc.  Even numbers shot on the right array targets and odds on the left.  Our target array was 25 knockdowns, 10 pistol, 10 rifle, and 4 shotgun, with a crossover target in the middle.  Which ever crossover knockdown is on the bottom wins.  If a shooter were to have any safeties they were DQed and if they shot the cross before all other knockdowns were down, they were also DQed.  It is the most fair way to have a shootoff becuase you take the spotters out of the mix and the random draw  usually gave interesting matchups every round.  I have a playlist of the whole thing on my youtube channel incase you would like to see it.  

 

 

[Shamrock Sadie]

I prefer the coordinators throw your name (or badge) into a bucket and draw from there to start the bracket (whether it is the top 16 or everyone). Having shooters draw a numbered chip for the bracket works well too. I really, really, do not care for the coordinator taking the top shooters and pairing them up based on how they finished overall. I can’t speak for everyone, but I believe that is the consensus, based on responses when this started up a number of years ago at a major match.

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

I have been in several types of shoot offs and loved them all regardless of format. 
Some options:

open to all, drop name badges into a hat or bucket, random draw for pairing. Bigger matches limit things to (generally) top 16 men and top 16 women (plus some alternates) for logistical reasons. 

Scoring can vary widely. Some have each participant shoot an additional stage, best time (+penalties and misses) wins. I feel this doesn’t generate the excitement of head to head. Another is two shooters, fastest time, plus misses and penalties wins (spotted like a regular stage) then reseed. My personal favorite is two shooters, first to finish wins if clean, but if both have misses, fewest misses wins regardless of finish. Then reseed. Least favorite is two shooters either or both have misses, either or both are out. This style leads to holes in the brackets and extra “byes” that disrupts the flow of the event. Pick your combination and enjoy 

Regards

    

Gateway Kid

also kd’s make it much easier especially with the faster shooters but good spotters work too.