Alliance

[Kurt]

Don,

I just got the match results for Alliance and I see the numbers are down to 43 shooters this year. Has it been declining?

Kurt

[Don McDowell]

That's about where the numbers have been for the last 2 or 3 years.

[Kurt]

I wish Alliance and Lodi weren't scheduled so close. I really like that shoot but I missed both again this year.

[Don McDowell]

Lodi has trouble with the scheduling because of the low turn out numbers, and the heavy use the range sees for other things now. So Cliff is subject to finding an open weekend that will justify tying the place up. So that makes keeping the traditional weekend impossible. I remember traveling to Lodi in 17 after all the fuss and fury about moving the BPTR nationals there and there were only 11 shooters for the cup match and I think it got up to 18? for the long range. Not sure where all those that spent the time trying to get the nationals moved there where that weekend..
Alliance has a match of some kind just about every weekend when the shooting weather starts, but the numbers for the bpcr stuff stays pretty steady so Jim and co can keep the same dates every year.

[Kurt]

Lodi is heavy with F class shooters for sure. But the BPCR matches have fallen off at Lodi and other ranges as well for what ever reason.
The Big Hill at Baker Mt. is growing and the Q is holding tight, but I see a trend of the BPCR falling off.
Silhouette matches close to me are holding well.

[Don McDowell]

Target rifle is a lot of work, and makes for a long day.
Sillhouette and gong match are relatively easy matches to shoot. Which may account for why folks that live relatively close to target rifle matches like Lodi, Harris , Grayling and Camp Atterbury don't show up on those rosters but do show on the gong matches a 1000 miles away.

[Kurt]

When I ask are you going to a particular match the answer is mostly too far for gas prices or too high priced entry fee for that one or two day match, or they say it falls on so and so date match for this match.
Me personally I like them all. The long range as well as the silhouette, midrange and the gongs but I listen to the reports on how the matches are run and I might attend to see for myself.

When Carolyn and I go to a match like the Q that is a three day drive for me we usually go other places to spend time at and it might be 6-8 weeks before we get back home. Or going to Alma Mi. going through what I call that concrete jungle, Chicago and Gary IN if I'm win a hurry to get there, but I usually take the Northern rout back home going through the UP MI and Wis. and stop at the Lake for a few days.

[Don McDowell]

Gas prices and the economy in general are having an affect on some matches
Motels and restraint prices getting horrible spendy
The weather hasn’t done any big favors this spring either

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Actually if you look at last year’s numbers we were not down at all just about the same.

Fuel was the cheapest in 3 years for me on this trip.

We still had more individual shooters than the NRA Nationals had at Raton last year.

Kenny Wasserburger

[Don McDowell]

The numbers have been pretty steady the last few years at Alliance.

Waiting for someone to point out that the numbers for the NRA bpcrs nationals have been below the 50 competitor line since they tried having it at Ridgeway, but they keep on having them unlike the stunt they pulled with Target rifle, and several other competitions that have gone by the wayside.