BPTR midrange reminder

[Don McDowell]

Just a quick reminder that Dick Hennebry will be holding the BPTR midrange match at the Cheyenne Rifle and Pistol club CMP range on Oct 21.
He would like to have shooters show up about 7 am, so squadding and such can get done in a timely fashion.

[Kevin Alexander]

Just a quick reminder that Dick Hennebry will be holding the BPTR midrange match at the Cheyenne Rifle and Pistol club CMP range on Oct 21.
He would like to have shooters show up about 7 am, so squadding and such can get done in a timely fashion.

Any idea how many shooters showed and if they are scheduling matches for 2019?

[Don McDowell]

There was 9 or 10 shooters for that first match.Which is pretty good considering the time of the year and short notice.
They are planning at least 2 day matches, with an interesting format, 1 day of 22 target rifle, and one day of midrange.
We should know more here shortly as they are working on the schedule now.

[Kevin Alexander]

Thanks Don.
In 2019im gonna try to travel to a few new ranges and also try getting into BPTR. We will see.

Looks like NRA BPTR is going by the wayside on a slow death.
A lot of good questions asked over on the Shiloh forum, none really gets answered and then it spirals into a pissing contest. Just from my observation on the sidelines and looking at the matches with and without the NRA involvement, to me it looks like BPTR would do well without them.
But what do I know, I’m just a redneck peckerwood that’s as country as cornbread.

KA

[Don McDowell]

Kevin I don't know what the answer is, but there has been a lot of internal crap going on for a long time.
Bptr is a lot of work, but it's also the most rewarding, and challenging.
My best advice would be if you get a chance to go to a BPTR match better take it, because they're dieing like flies.

[Fogman01]

Kevin - what Don says!
I really like mid and long range and once you are looking through your sight at that little piece of paper way out there, you don't really care who is sponsoring the match. Don't let the pissing contests or who is sponsoring who get in the way of developing your interest in a very satisfying aspect of the BP sport. Enjoy!

[Kurt]

The Nationals maybe are dying maybe and your right pissing matches that start when a question is asked like on Shiloh is one of the reasons it's dying.

I support the local and regionals and right now I see most growing and some slowing down and when you ask, are you doing ? I hear a lot of no's it's not a $50. or $100. match.

Al Lee did the right thing when the NRA REP asked Al if the NRA could manage the match Al said no I don't want this getting ruined

Kevin make all the local and regionals you can and support them. They are a lot of fun.

[Don McDowell]

I don't for one single minute buy this argument about the pissin post matches on Shiloh having one damn thing to do with the decline in attendance at the nationals.. or any where else for that matter.
Case in point Lodi, look at how that went from 50 or more shooters to 20 or less. What really amazes me is the number of folks that just a couple of years ago argued hard to have the nationals held in Lodi, never even bothered to show up to shoot the regionals..

The nationals have been in decline since 2013 when the NRA match director refused to acknowledge scope class. That turned a number of shooters away that have never returned, some have returned on occasion
2014, the NRA match director made the announcement at the competitors meeting, that would be the last match at the Whittington, the matches would move to Camp Perry the next year, the second week in July... That turned a number of folks away.
2015 the matches did in fact get scheduled back in Raton, but for what ever stupid reason, director of competitions came out with the pronouncement 45 days prior to entries closing, that there weren't enough entries into the match and it was going to be cancelled. Most folks simply had not entered yet, many went ahead and entered. Some said screw it don't trust them to keep the match and don't want to fight to get the 220$ entry fee back.
2016, the year that combining the two matches was supposed to be the savior of the sport, barely eclipsed the numbers of 2015. Then combine that with the awarding of medals at the 2016 match with 2015 dates on them... I know two shooters that said they'll never go back after spending the sort of money in entry fee's and travel to be given a printed piece of paper and left over medals from the year before as awards at a NATIONAL championship..
2018 schedule the match for opening week of hunting season across the country. At least 7 past national champions or contenders didn't go because of the time frame chosen.
Pissing post contests on Shiloh? not hardly.

[Kurt]

Don, I'm one of the shooters that quit Lodi. Lodi is 2 1/2 hrs from me and it's a fine range but it will be a while before I go back.

As far as the Nationals I'm on the fence for that. I haven't shot it because of the negatives I read and hear from shooters that shot it when I'm at the gong shoots but I don't want to get into that over the keyboard. The cost I hear a lot. Lets face it, we that shoot these rifles for competition are in the retired age on a fixed income and that makes the cost for attending these matches taking everything in consideration will run over a $1000. if your living on the east coast and the shooters still raising a family working the time in to take several days off from work is also a consideration especially if you have to schedule the vacation in advance. This is what I hear at the shoots when this conversation comes up and I understand where they're coming from.
I might go this year but like I said I'm on the fence. I spend most of the summer in the Gypsy wagon out west making the gong shoots and east of me shooting silhouette and I put on between 10 and 15,000 miles going to a verity of matches and I think you know that Carolyn and I like doing this but I don't like the negatives I hear and read.

[Don McDowell]

Kurt I shot Lodi last year and thought it was a very good match. This afternoon, I heard that there's only going to be one long range match there this year. Mother's day weekend will be the Creedmoor cup, and long range regional. I suspect if they don't get enough shooters to justify tying up the range for a weekend, there likely won't be anymore..
Outside of the stuff brought on by the NRA there is no negative to shooting the nationals at Raton. If you look at the roster from the nationals over the last several years, you'll only find maybe at most 1/2 dozen shooters that aren't in senior's or super senior.