You will teach them what they need to know. you'll show them the equipment that they need. You'll teach them how to play the game. You can let them shoot, esp club and non sanctioned matches.. what they have.. you don't have to let them be in the hunt for anything.. new shooters are students.. and as such.. they are there to learn! how about doing that instead of being a stiff board.. and as for what we do.. we let them play with what they bring.. eventually one of two things are going to happen,, they are going to either walk away.. or they will want to get in the hunt with everyone else.. it is the job of the experienced to show them the way.. nurture the new shooters.. i have seen a lot of new shooters get turned away by the old hands..
Here's the deal Doc, our informal has exactly 2 rules. No barrel tuners and no flat bottom BR stocks/bag rider. That's it. No weight, or scope, or ammo restrictions. No rules against modifying anything else. Aftermarket barrels, triggers, stocks, any rest, and no excluded rifle models. 52's, 40X, all Euro models, Vudo, etc. all can play as long as it has no BR stock/bag rider, or barrel tuner. Organized BR matches (not sanctioned) that I am aware of have rules. Sanctioned matches have rules as well. BTW: all of our new shooters are grown men with expendable income to pursue a hobby that involves competition. Most everyone I know who competes at anything expects rules that govern the competition. Rules that help level the playing field.
I do teach and give advice to anyone, new or experienced. I am not a babysitter though, I am a MD. While I do give back to the game by helping others, there is only so much I can do on match day. Also, as MD I owe as much concern for my regular shooters as I owe new shooters. So, tell me Doc, if you were to go to your next F-class match and there were new guys that show up with illegal equipment is the MD supposed to fudge rules for them, possibly allowing them a competitive advantage over the rest of the field? I know you work hard at your hobby. Is that fair to you and the others that did follow the rules? NO. The day I let the 30-something new guy shoot his tuner, after the shooters along with two MD's voted for 'shoot but no score' it opened up all kinds of 'discussion' by the other shooters wanting to change the rules!! Two rules and they thought we needed change! That's how things go when you don't follow simple rules, which everyone was perfectly happy with before. The ongoing discussion lasted long enough to cause a late start time. I finally stopped it, and we got going, but this goes to show that stirring the pot about this kind of stuff is not going to be productive or needed.
Part of organized RFBR, sanctioned or not, is following the rules. Younger (under 18) new shooters have someone who brings them along. Our youngest shooter (high school age) has his grandfather, who is our MD for the sanctioned CFBR matches. That boy was taught the right way in the right order. First learning is safety and range etiquette. Second teaching is the rules that govern the competition. Third teaching is showing them how to do it. The MD does not have time for all that on match day.
I will say this, if everyone on these forums that give their all-knowing knowledge and advice about how matches are supposed to be run according to whatever rules are in place were actual seasoned MD's, there would probably be a lot less to read! I run two clubs that are both 72 miles from my house. Until this season, one was ARA UL and informal, and the other IR50/50 3-Gun. The IR club is a double match and the ARA club is essentially a double as well with both informal and sanctioned. This year the ARA matches have been replaced by IR 3-Gun. So, 2 full days in every month are taken up with travel to and from the club, getting the club setup and torn down, and shooting and administrating the matches. Then there is all the time spent that others who do not MD have little clue about. Club finance reports for the disciple you direct. Sending out emails to promote the matches and give match results for the informal. Getting targets and awards for the season. At one club, I have to procure backer material and do some ground maintenance and maintain the target frames, 72 miles from my home. The other club, some of those activities are handled by the club. Now, with all I do for the game, is it someone's opinion I have to help raise other people's children into the shooting games as well? Bull crap! If everyone raised their children to follow rules, we would have a lot less issues in the world right now. This 'fudge' to make them 'feel good' nonsense is not setting a clear ground to the way things should be, instead of the way things are. Bending rules leads to liberal thought for those that benefit from the 'bending', especially young people. And what does liberal thought lead to?
Bottom line, there are basic rules that apply to any hobby that involves firearms, whether you are competing or not. If a competitor has not done due diligence on the match rules, what makes me think they follow the rules that are far more important as far as safely handling their gun? Enforcing all rules set's a precedence that there are no free passes. That's the difference between organized match shooting and getting together behind Billy Bob's barn Sunday afternoon and plinking. I'll step away from this conversation now and just watch.
Scott
