F-Class participation?

[TerryH]

Not winning is obviously not a serious issue. I don't know why people even put it in those terms.

Being last by a big gap or last several times in a row makes you feel like maybe you shouldn't be bothering to show up.

Scores are posted. I was last by a big gap. I'm not disappointed. My score from the first 2 matches were on par with quite a few other shooters. Helps to have a space of time to process what happened.

Just serves to motivate me to do all I can to be ready for spring.

 

[dolek]

Scores are posted. I was last by a big gap. I'm not disappointed. My score from the first 2 matches were on par with quite a few other shooters. Helps to have a space of time to process what happened.

Just serves to motivate me to do all I can to be ready for spring.

You have the right attitude,I admire that. You will get better as time goes by,enjoying yourself is what it's all about.

 

[TerryH]

You have the right attitude,I admire that. You will get better as time goes by,enjoying yourself is what it's all about.

Thanks. I really helped me to see all the scores together. I realized if I had just shot the 3rd match the same as I did the first ones I would have had a respectable score. I compare the experience to a college football team losing a bowl game late in the 4th quarter and using that as motivation to work hard to improve for the following season.

 

[vahena]

That's a great attitude! you will be High Master in no time.
Rob

 

[TerryH]

That's a great attitude! you will be High Master in no time.
Rob

Thanks Rob!

 

[Immike]

Just serves to motivate me to do all I can to be ready for spring.

We call it being bitten by the bug. Lol see you on the line...

 

[DougD308]

Hi Terry.

I think you did great. You have the right attitude. Russell is right, the conditions were not very good. That changing wind catch several of us off guard.

I enjoyed shooting with you last Saturday and look forward to shooting with you next year.

Thanks,
Doug Denton

 

[kzin]

Scores are posted. I was last by a big gap. I'm not disappointed. My score from the first 2 matches were on par with quite a few other shooters. Helps to have a space of time to process what happened.

Just serves to motivate me to do all I can to be ready for spring.

I was commiserating about how it can feel, definitely not suggesting you(or I) should seriously feel like quitting.
I think you know that, I just want to be very certain in this case.

I had a relative disaster even by my own lowly standards last Saturday but I have ideas of what I most need to improve and can't wait for next month!

 

[DirtySteve]

Scores are posted. I was last by a big gap. I'm not disappointed. My score from the first 2 matches were on par with quite a few other shooters. Helps to have a space of time to process what happened.

Just serves to motivate me to do all I can to be ready for spring.

Just improve your scores with each match and you will be giving the others a run for their money in no time. Reflect on the match after the match and reflect on what you could have done better. While you are on the line the shot that was just fired can not be changed and don't worry about it focus on the round in the gun. You have the the right attitude and will do well. That being said I have been looking forward to my next match since I fired the last shot in the last one. I loaded my ammo the day after the last match for the next one. I love this stuff....

 

[TerryH]

Hi Terry.

I think you did great. You have the right attitude. Russell is right, the conditions were not very good. That changing wind catch several of us off guard.

I enjoyed shooting with you last Saturday and look forward to shooting with you next year.

Thanks,
Doug Denton

Thank you Doug. I was just hoping that I didn't mess you guys up. See you next year!

 

[DougD308]

Thank you Doug. I was just hoping that I didn't mess you guys up. See you next year!

Hi Terry,

You did not mess me up at all. My problem was me and the wind not agreeing with what it was doing when I pulled the trigger. My bottom line is to show up, shoot what you got, stay positive, and have fun.

See you next year,
Doug

 

[mdlandolfi]

i shoot at Scarborough, ME and Reading, MA and Nashua, NH

 

[Bill Clifton]

(F)arquarson? I would argue there's no sport in the world that hasn't become an equipment race to one degree or another. Complaining about it has never changed the fact. "Limiting" the equipment hasn't made Nascar or FTR any less of a race. Nothing wrong with it though, IMO. Personally, I think the only real equipment advantage are the guys who have the time and can afford to buy and chamber enough barrels to find the "hummers". The rest of it is mostly for show or comfort. PRS is a terrible example though, if you want to talk about equipment races...

Anyhow, that's not really the topic at hand I guess.

In my past experiences more so sometimes. I used to compete in motorsports and started in the more limited stock class and then moved to pro stock but in actuality we had more time and money in the pro stock engines than the open classes did because it required so much custom modifying and work to the more stock parts as part of the equipment race so in reality just being able to go out and buy the latest greatest thing in open class was easier. That's why you will see the open categories more popular because it's perceived to be easier to at least have the best equipment for those that can afford it. Now making the best use of that equipment and winning with it is a whole other thing. Now I'm into this more or so for the fun of it, don't expect to win because I've played those games, went to the top and know how much work it took and don't plan on doing that again in this sport.

 

[searcher]

From my perspective, the ratio of new shooters going to F-Class is still far higher. Local participation here still generally favors F-Class over sling. But, with respect to local matches, I think you are seeing F-Class guys "aging out". Meaning, it takes a lot of time and effort to travel to large matches. Most guys can probably only manage 2 or 3 a year (speaking from my own experience). There's almost zero recognition (i.e., incentive) for F-Class shooters in local matches - for example, our own WA State Mid-Range championship hands out a perpetual trophy, plaques, etc... for the sling shooters. In F-Class, only the top F-Open shooter even got a mention.

I bring this up not as a knock per se, but as a segue into my point - which is, once you start traveling and going to the time and effort to work up a load and barrel capable of competing at national quality matches, local mid-range matches (which I think might make up the bulk of matches for F-Class shooters) are mostly useful for load development. And of those, why not go to the ones that actually recognize you as a shooter?

So yeah, I think you see the more experienced F-Class shooters show up to fewer local matches as they cherry-pick the ones where they are:

A. competing against other shooters at their level and not just discouraging newer shooters
B. being recognized, even just by mention, for accomplishing something (winning or placing)
C. able to fit in with the time demands for working up to traveling to national quality matches

I think you see periods where a lot of new shooters jump into F-Class. They're super active at local matches for a couple years and then start to taper off as they build to larger matches and traveling and all the demands that go with that. I think if you were to graph it, it would look a lot like a series of peaks and valleys (java garbage collection anyone?) over time.

Personally, I think sling shooting is a lot more demanding physically and requires far more muscle memory and so requires more consistent time at local matches and practice to build and maintain.

That is no joke about the physically demanding element of shooting sling. I had long thought I'd want to do the military sling matches and had a beautiful rifle made just for the purpose. Seemed like months later, before I even got through load development and a bit of practice, I incurred a back injury, resulting in sciatica that made it downright painful to even get into a good kneeling or sitting position. I'm guessing that is why it is tough to beat the "old timers" in bench rest. They can pretty much do it till they can't walk to the bench.

 

[Vin81]

i shoot at Scarborough, ME and Reading, MA and Nashua, NH

I’m aT the reading club. What do you shoot?

 

[mdlandolfi]

I’m aT the reading club. What do you shoot?

I shoot F-class, FTR and F-Open. My open gun is a 284.

 

[mdlandolfi]

Currently, I shoot at Scarbough Fish and Game in Maine. I, also, belong to Reading Rifle and Revolver in Mass. I have shot, but not lately, at Nashua in NH.

Mike

 

[diego-ted]

These last post bring up another factor that may entice new shooters to stick around. That is the awarding of class winners if the shooter count in any particular classification is high enough. At Palo Alto we give out medal for overall winner and first in each classification if we have enough shooters in that class....so a 570-xx may get a medal if he/she beats two or three others in their classification. An under attended match may not allow but many times we have enough participation to give out such awards.

For me that was a great incentive to continue to practice and refine my skills. Now that I am a High Master, it's back to the ladder to start climbing the rungs and boy is the competition steep and gives one something to shoot for!!! Get it Shoot for LOL LOL, I crack myself up sometimes.
Keep them in the X ring.
Hasta

 

[diego-ted]

Scores are posted. I was last by a big gap. I'm not disappointed. My score from the first 2 matches were on par with quite a few other shooters. Helps to have a space of time to process what happened.

Just serves to motivate me to do all I can to be ready for spring.

refine, practice, refine practice, Repeat, Repeat Repeat! Good Luck