Organized shooting matches

[smylee grouch]

So as not to hijack Kermits post on friendship cheater I start this new post on organized shooting because there were some interesting coments about shooting matches and people who do or dont partake in them. I personaly love going to these events and dont feel bad when I get outshot for the prizes. I dont think there should be any shame in not coming in first. You can learn alot about shooting from your fellow competors and make some life friends too. I think if you realy like to shoot but dont compete because you dont think you will be competitive you will be short changing yourself. Thanks for reading this far.   Smylee

[Candle Snuffer]

You do meet folks and make friends that last a lifetime, that's for sure Smylee.

The one thing that stands out in my 35+ years of going to local and state level shooting matches is the bond of friendship made between the competitors.  There's nothing quite like setting around the ol' campfire in the evening, or standing around the club house or in the parking lot re'hashing the day's events on the firing line after the day's shooting is done.  It's something everyone should experience to appreciate. 

To be honest, in all my years of competitve shooting I've not seen the "win at all cost" attitude that has been mentioned.  I don't doubt it exist in some circles, but personally I think it's pretty rare in our muzzle loading sport.

[Don Getz]

Something that a lot of competitors never learned......you should only be shooting against yourself, doing the best you
can, and trying to beat your last scores.  If you do that, prizes will come.   If you base your choices of matches by the
prizes that are up for awards, you have lost sight of the game, and have taken the fun out of shooting...........Don

[greybeard]

Pay attention guys.  Mr Getz is a wise old owl.   Bob

[Roger Fisher]

It's the competition that drives me.  Some folks are lone wolves that like to plink and doesn't matter a hoot if they hit what their aiming at or not. And thats just fine since we all love the game.  The building, the experimentation, the friends and the competition all important.  Oh and the history, the history. and some love the collecting.   

[Walker Mountain]

Something that a lot of competitors never learned......you should only be shooting against yourself, doing the best you
can, and trying to beat your last scores.  If you do that, prizes will come.   If you base your choices of matches by the
prizes that are up for awards, you have lost sight of the game, and have taken the fun out of shooting...........Don

In are club matches we give a prize for most improved shooter for that day shoot as we keep a running average scores for each members. At first we got a little crying from are top shooters when as a club implemented the idea until one of are top-shooters won most improved. Were in our second year now doing a prize for “Most Improved” and the prizes has been spread around pretty even from top to bottom. I have noticed improved shooting from all members in our club as I keep making targets harder to hit.
  Free Trapper

[Militant_Hillbilly]

You can learn alot about shooting from your fellow competors and make some life friends too.

Amen!

[zimmerstutzen]

the friendliness at matches seems to vary slightly as do the rules of the matches.  I have been to a few that seemed like it was more cut throat than most.  I also remember when a national champion shooter showed at a regional match and other folks kept cross shooting onto his target so he would have six or seven holes in a five shot target and his targets were always disqualified.  The best thing I ever did as a greenhorn was to offer to put his target at my spot on the back stop and he put up mine at his.  He won that particular match, and he took a break and gave me some incredible target shooting lessons.  he pointed out where I needed to concentrate more effort and work.

A few clubs ran squadded matches in which every one had to shoot the same target at the same time.  Other matches were not so regimented.  My favorite was the way the Daniel Morgan guys ran their shoots.    Best 5 of 7 shots, which I think give good shooters a chance to compete agsinst the best shooters.  Also the match winners got plaques and trophies.  The merchandise prizes were then awarded by raffle according to what ticket the shooter drew when he picked up his plaque.  One year the kid that came in third in the junior match, got ticket number one and was able to take away a rifle.  One strange match I attended, gave prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 10th place.  Sort of like the winners and one for effort.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I sponsor the primitive archery competition at Heffley Creek every summer.  I make a dozen primitive arrows for the prizes, and give a first second and third to the best in men's, women's and juniors.  I also give one to the worst score, and one to the median score.  The last one goes in the antler draw which is a lottery of donated prizes to raise money for the next rendezvous.

[Pete G.]

I used to shoot competitively once each month, but after a while sort of burned out. I got tired of hearing the same people (who never practiced) complain about the same people winning every month (those who DID practice). Don Getz is 100% correct in that you compete against yourself, you just happen to be doing it while a bunch of other guys are shooting at the same time. Still it gets tiresome to have some come up to you at the end of a match and claim that you beat them by having better equipment. After I quit competing and just ran the monthly matches I had to call a couple of these fellows for trying to lean against a bench to help support their offhand position. You would have thought that I had questioned the circumstances of their birth from the howls of protest. Incidentally, I did begin to question the circumstances of their birth after this incident, and resigned from the position rather than subject myself to that kind of junk.

Now I shoot at my private range on a section of land that I lease for hunting, seeing nobody else unless I choose to invite them along, and yes, it does make a hoot if I hit what I am shooting at. Yesterday I shot 3 nines out of forty shots on a B-8 target and it took me four shots to hit an empty powder can @ 100 yards and it still bugs me to miss after spending all the time and effort to load. As most of you well know, the old gray eyes just ain't what they used to be.
Like my Daddy used to say, "Growing old ain't for sissies."