Good news and bad news

[Kurt]

If the Nationals are going to be ongoing in the future it's going to have to be run by someone other then the NRA.

[Don McDowell]

I think the NRA is the best place to keep the matches, provided they get rid of the incompetence at the highest level of competitions. The last 3 years has seen a precipitous drop in attendance in all venues from BPCR to HighPower...
And there's 1 thing all those have in common, that's the director of competitions..
Without a central reporting agency to have a solid set of rules for each match to follow, keep the records etc, then it all just becomes a pasture bang and clang.

[Kurt]

I like the pasture bang/clang the7 are fun

[Don McDowell]

Yes the bang and clangs can be fun.
But I have to say there is nothing like the thrill of competing in a National Championship, except for doing that competing and having a couple of medals and a handful of certificates to hang on the wall. It's something that really can't be explained it's something that has to be experienced and felt.
Those that are promoting they want to do the two championships so folks don't have to travel so far to compete on a national level, are not only fooling themselves, they are depriving and deceiving those that would compete at that match, which while a grand regional match, is not a national championship.

[Cody Smith]

I think the comment that irritates me most is "I can't afford it." BS, what is actually meant is "I don't want to make it a priority." Granted, it ain't cool to deprive your kids of food so you can go shoot, but most of the folks that say that have the money and time, they just choose to use it on something else. That is fine, but say you don't want to go that bad instead of having a pity party about being broke. This leads to the bigger question, Why do so many folks not want to make going to the nationals a priority? I hate to put anything in print that would discourage someone from going, but I can sum it up real easily. The nationals are ran by people that just don't give a damn. It doesn't matter if you are talking to a contractor, gunsmith, motel personal, or your waitress you can tell within about five seconds whether or not they care about their job and have any desire to try a little. Whether the product is good or not, that whole feeling resonates throughout the company. In my business, I always try to do the best I can and employees that develop a don't care attitude are gone. The "don't care" attitude is all over NRA competetions. The nationals have dwindled to the point that they are just an important shooting match. There are basically no vendors, no parties, no entertainment, no speeches, no fancy awards, no prizes, no nothing except shooting for the title of national champion. So why would people want to drive from thousands of miles for a don't care shooting match? As irritating as Willing and Connors can be, I am most pissed at their testicleless boss that won't fire them!
take care, Cody

[Kurt]

Cody the cost of a match does matter to people especially the younger once that still have kids in school or just starting up in life. They just cant afford to take a week or 10 days off work and take the time away from a family vacation time. I know during the time when I was starting a family I would not made a match that would cost halve the price of a Shiloh to attend. I see this even at our regional long range match where the entry fee increases with every match and as they increase the attendance drops one or two with shooters driving less then 100 miles.
I can understand the "I can't afford it" I was there once also when I was still making a living and kids in school and making mortgage payments and paying school tuitions.

Kurt

[Cody Smith]

Kurt, I have three little kids (2,3, and 6) and can about guarantee that if looked at my IRS returns they would show my income level is in the poverty level. Most of the ones that say they can't afford to go shoot find a way to go to Disney World, have a boat, a harley, go to the lake, ski trips, trips to Vegas, whatever. We don't do that stuff, we go shoot. We take the camper and pack lunches. Several trips we have taken (and we have yet to be gone more than 5 days, usually one or two) we never ate out or bought anything other than fuel. We enjoy the camping trips, getting to see new things, and most of all the people we shoot with. I didn't say everyone can afford it, I just said that there are a lot of folks that could if they would make it a priority. Where I can sympathize with them is that is it really worth the sacrifice? I still think so, but I can see why it would be hard to justify. The folks putting on the matches need to offer more. I appreciate you point Kurt, but it does ruffle my feathers a little as I am sure I am busier and have less money than most of the population. We decided several years ago that we were going to make shooting a priority. Besides the break from work, what better people to raise our kids around? I have met so many wonderful people and made so many memories, it seems like an investment that has paid back a hundred fold.
take care, Cody

[SgtDog0311]

This has been an educational thread. I’ve never attended a BPCR event but hope to this year. Didn’t realize the politics behind it all but I do know motivations about as well as the next guy. I hear Cody loud and clear and applaud him for his choices in family time. I spent most of young fatherhood chasing Wrestling tournaments all the way through the college level competition. And now am back at it as a grandfather. Wouldn’t miss a big tournament my grandson was wrestling in for small tournament I was shooting in! But we’re a wrestling family and while shooting is not a new interest for me, chasing it like I have been the last few years is a ‘new level’. One I couldn’t have pursued like I’m pursuing before now. It’s hard to juggle all of life’s tuggings. I also hear what he’s saying about making it a rewarding experience. If someone or some organization steps up to sponsorship then they have that responsibility to add to that process or they ought to bow out.

I’m just glad to know OKC has a venue. If I get a rifle ready by March I’ll get to experience a bit of what all you guys are so familiar with. But come May I drag out for the Panhandle of Idaho, and my retirement budget wouldn’t support too many trips to Spokane where I believe they have a schedule. Right now I try hard to make a couple events hosted by good gentlemen who offer their places and facilities, which they’ve built themselves, in order to expose people to long range shooting with vintage guns. One of them is a member here and I’m grateful as I can be for his efforts and hospitality. Most of the attendees at both places work hard to make the whole experience a good one all the way around. And again like Cody, we all enjoy the time together and the ethics and values of the shooting crowd. Guess I’ll take what I can get.

You could say the same thing about some of the forums aimed at this sport. Some folks are nearly hostile to new participants and a little snooty, while others are welcoming and make the introduction a welcoming one. I’m grateful those forums and those who run them, and to those individuals there who put a hand out and offer their experience in a way that throws the welcome mat out.

[rooster]

Lot of misconceptions you folks back east have about shooting Raton. You state that it's good to shoot a different range.. Well yes it is, but you guys seem to be totally oblivious to the simple fact that with the exception of less than a dozen shooters, nobody lives any closer to Raton than a couple hundred miles. Very few shooters shoot at Raton other than the once a year when they go to the nationals.
To hold 2 national championship matches means there is NO national championship. There can only be 1 national match and if the NRA doesn't want to have it at Raton, at the facility the NRA built so it "will always have a world class facility , to have championship matches", then they need to pick another range and have a National Championship.
They say there MIGHT be a POSSIBLE East/West invitational match somewhere sometime. What will the qualifications be to get into this match. Will someone who "qualifies" spotter be able to attend and shoot? Like it or not, any of these matches is a team effort, and that's why folks shoot together at the same match every chance they get. What about the timing of this possible invitational match? As it stands now the Ridgeway regional match is late in September, that means this fictional invitational match would be sometime in October. A time of the year that if folks aren't gone hunting, they're not to likely to want to take off on a cross country trip due the very good chance of getting caught in a fall blizzard someplace.
If the national match is moved to the east coast, you can just about forget about any shooters from the mountain and pacific time zones. Most are already traveling 500+ miles to get to Raton, and if you tack another 1700 on top of that... don't look for a very good turn out.
The way they have things configured now, is almost a guaranteed death of the bpcr matches as a national event.
Once again if the NRA competitions doesn't want to be bothered with having the National Matches at Raton then they need to find a centrally located club to host the match and be done with it.
And those of you who want to compete on a national level, need to take the initiative to attend that national match.

Hello Don: I agree with the fact that Raton is a great place to shoot. I started in BPTR about 6 years ago. I have shot smokeless long range in the past. I have found a new passion in the black powder cartridge competition. I have finally convinced a couple of my friends to compete also. The complaint that I have is that the dates are decided too late for the Nationals. This year I sent off an email to the NRA, to find out when the Target rifle dates would be? The reply was that it would be the week of July 25 thru the 30th. Had two emails confirming the dates. We as in 3 of us put in for vacations. Now I just recently found out that it is a week earlier??? I understand that there will be a meeting at the 16 Nationals. Would someone please speak in my behalf to try to set a 2 plus years schedule? It would really benefit people who have to schedule time off to compete?
I am sure we will get in some long range this year as in Byers and the Gong match at Forsythe, but I sure will miss going to Raton.
Thanks
Rooster

[Don McDowell]

Rooster it sounds like there will be a minimum 5 year schedule. So that part is good, hopefully we can get the matches moved back into August. Going into the second week of September would really make me happy,,,
The folks that have taken charge of the matches had decided for whatever the reason to stack silhouette and target rifle in the same week for this year. Hopefully next year when can get them to spread out a bit more so that folks actually can shoot the silhouette nationals and the Iron Man in target rifle...
Hopefully the competitors meeting this year will be productive.
You might email Jim Kidwell and let him know what you would like to see happen.