Hi Bill
Thanks for the honest answers :wink: Fortunately I never did invest in the specialty pistols so it isn't an issue for me, I saw (and still do) lots of old specialty guns at gun shows that are worth very little in calibers that most folks have never heard of like a 300 IHMSA or a 7IHMSA rimmed, & Super Mag, etc. They can't hardly give them away.
On ease of the game freestyle again we are in agreement for the most part. I have never missed a BB target UAS and that is why I only shot it 5 times. Heck I knew my score would be a 40x40 before I ever pulled the trigger. I have finally got to 30x40 in plain old Standing (iron sights) in practice and that is plenty challanging for sure. Good thing is that it doesn't require a specialty set up just lots of practice and attention to sight alignment and trigger control.
I also agree that location has a lot to do with turn out. Put a match in the middle of the most shooters and your turn out will be higher than if you hold the match in Outer Mongolia. The match should rotate so all have an opertunity to participate but the turn out will rise and fall depending on the distance from the shooters homes.
I like to shoot jsut about anything (even sling shots and archery) so will never be at a loss for things to do. I am working on carving out a beginners and low budget game for families who will enjoy silhouette cause that is where my heart is at. This will be a good feeder organization for the serious games. If it works then maybe in a few years you will see 300 guns in your games and that would be a good thing
Our club is doing the same with Biathlon. (skiing and shooting) by having snowshoe biathlon using plinker autoloaders, offering a way into the game for very little $. Not many will stick with it of course but if it gets one of two a year that would never have given biathlon a look it will be a good thing. This is just another reactive steel game and like all of them it is fun. All sports are getting to pricey for many families to be involved in even little league baseball and football are expensive for someone to just try out.
No more controversy for me, just shootin to enjoy it, and I do :-D
Again good luck to you and may all those Rams fall!
Akihmsa, I think the participation level is higher in rifle at every level, Monthly, State, Regional, and National Matches. This years Small Bore match they fired I believe 182 Heavy guns and a few less Hunters. Last year there was 236 Heavy guns fired in Small Bore. That match was held in Ridgway ,PA. Location is everything. But to be fair the match should be moved east and west to allow shooters to make it to the matches when ranges are available to handle it properly.
The NRA has 3 junior divisions Sub Junior, Intermediate Junior, and Junior and they are awarded besides what they win with in the open categories, They also have a womens , a Senior and a super Senior awards. all of these are awarded within each gun. NRA Rifle silh really is a family oriented sport they keep all age groups involved.
Truthfully to many of IHMSA's categories are far to easy to shoot 40x40's in. so where is the challenge. I mean hell I was a standing shooter and I put together a couple of freestyle guns just to go to the internationals, and I shot 2 freestyle 80x80's and even won a reg 3 UAS BB in my last year. So how hard can it be if a standing shooter can ie down and start punching out 40's and 80's in the UAS categories. Hell I even had the first UAS 1/2 size 40 in PA. DO ya see what I am trying to show you. The problem is how are you ever going to get rid of or make the categories harder now that the shooters you have left are used to it. You won't the few you have left will walk away. 11 years ago when I started in IHMSA PA had 17 active clubs. No you have 4 or 5. You want my honest answer ...sell your pistols and switch to rifle silhouette before you get stuck with specialty guns that nobody wants. Sorry
