There should be a balance and on that we can agree. Currently the interests of the people that want an over the counter gun category has been tossed out in favor of those who want any advantage real or percieved that equipment can give them. This is the trend that is slowly killing off the small local matches.
I know you disagree but the historical trend is very clear, we are growing smaller at the same time the equipment has gotten to the point of bench rest accuracy.
The IHMSA put nearly all of its capital into building and promoting the one big show the International, and failed to build a strong match director program or a youth development program. The result is a much smaller group of shooters.
The winners of all the categories at this years International with the posible exception of Standing will be using Freedom Arms, BF's and MOA's for the all production categories. These all all great guns but lets face it they are very rare guns in the general shooting public.
I doubt you see it yet but your desire to gain any "legal" advantage will start the slow and steady decline of the AIR game. The $ cap will be the next sacrifice on the alter of more shoot off targets at the International.
Our small group that wants to grow the sport the only way possible with some over the counter only gun categories are convinced that the light will not go on until it is too late with the current Board. The reason is simple for these fellows the International and doing well there is more important than the local matches survival so they simply do not see the trend of the little matches folding up all over the country. The best efforts of the local MD's cannot undo the cost of "Win at any cost" thinking. One can build an Edsel in 2004 but it still won't sell. The only way to save the small local matches is to create a sport where the guns that people actually own can be competitive at the highest levels not just in A,B,or C class. IF perfect scores are rare with this level of equipment that is a good thing.
Due to never having developed interest in the next generation (youth program) we continue to see the average age of the competitor go up. When it hits 60 we are finished, because it is essential to have a wider age range to keep the cost down and to have shooters that can continue the sport when others "leave the range" as we all will do one day. Motorized wheelchairs might help for awhile but even that won't replace the need for youth.
Time to move on to positive territory :wink:
There has to be a balance. Many of the top shooters that attend the large matches are also your most active match directors. Take away (or belittle) their annual competition and they will lose much of their enthusiasm for the promotion of the sport. Also the big competitions are the only ones that make the media. Do you think that Guns and Ammo will ever cover a local match with 5 shooters?? If we can get our Internationals up to a 2000-3000+ competitor level, we have a much better chance of getting national attention. National awareness of the sport will bring new shooters to our local matches.
That being said, more can also be done on the local level. Free new shooter clinics, booths at local gun shows, posters at local gun shops and ranges. These are some low cost options to promote silhouette on the local level. It requires local people to make it work. IHMSA can not send out people from headquarters to do the work, we the shooters have to do it. Are there ways IHMSA can make our job easier? Yes, and we should to look into it.
