What do YOU want in a Match?

[marchx]

Long range matches are very crowded in Europe. Mostly because there are very few ranges 800m+. Majority of them are military ranges. These ranges are usually located in the middle of nowwhere with limited accomodation base nearby.
Fees- usually it’s around 150-200EUR.
I did not come across any major safety issues, complaints or similar things. Shooters are rather disciplined and aware of rules.
There are like 50 people in continental Europe who come to every long range match. If you look at last 5 years rankings, these people usually mix with each other as far as top 10 ranked places are concerned in every match. Most o these guys went to bisley europeans earlier this year.

 

[Leo_B]

A pretty smile readily given, a pleasant voice, broad knowledge to have any variety of intelligent conversations, shared interests, that's the start of a good match. Oh, you didn't mean that. Or a fire starter. My bad.

 

[distinguished]

Travel distance.
Reasonable cost, this sport is expensive enough as it is.
A well run match but, not rushed to the point that it becomes more like being at work.
E- targets are a big plus.
Since I have lower back pain, the knees are not what they once were and I have been dealing with the big C, long drawn out days are not fun.
Shooting with good people is always a big plus!

 

[BKA]

As a prone shooter, it's almost impossible to "machine gun" shots downrange. I leave that to the F Class shooters. I feel rushed because when I'm on shot 8 and they have completed their 20 shot string of fire, i'm hovered over as if I'm tying up the process and match "wasting their time". (yes I've been told this)

We get maybe 10% prone shooters and 90% F Class at any given match. So, yes we (prone shooters) tend to be much slower and they are watching the clock wondering WTF are we doing (this includes the match director who has never shot prone, palma, iron sights before)

I'm asking any match director to respect the time we have to complete the string and ask whoever is finished beforehand to wait, without judgement, for us to finish. My feeling of being rushed is not self induced but created by others who want to get home for a late breakfast.

Come shoot prone, in a sling with iron sights, and you'll understand then how rushed we are.

Don't blame the E-target, by allowing this behavior, your match director is not running a tight ship. With your entrance fee, you paid for your minutes and are entitled to use every single one of them, right down to the very last second. The "hover" shooters need to understand these facts and also understand their actions and comments are grounds to be disqualified for unsportsman like conduct.

 

[JLittle]

Frank, for what it’s worth, I know a handful of shooters who frequent Bridgeville and it’s on my list now that I have more time. It's 10 to 12 hrs for me. That kind of distance has to be a good match.
Regards, Jack

 

[Evan]

I am assuming a multi-day match that I need to drive a ways to attend: logistical items frequently make a match easier to attend. If I can drive there in 1 day (12hrs or less), that’s a big deal for cost and comfort. I camp in a tent, so a nice comfy flat spot for a tent with some shade is a luxury. I don’t need as much as a camper with AC, but a little electricity to blow up an air mattress and run my scale for reloading are helpful so that I don’t need to worry about batteries. Also a big plus when enough food is offered that I only need to bring my cooler with snacks and 1 or 2 meals.

 

[Rope2horns]

Here is the setup; -Mid-Range and Long-Range prone matches. Local and Regional level matches. E-targets are in place and work very well. NRA sanctioning with all matches Registered. Conventional Sling and F-Class.

What 'stuff' makes a match somewhere you want to go?
Is it (mostly) all about the shooting? Or...

1. Decently run match? Smooth, no fooling around.
2. Multi-distance matches? 300/500/600 and Palma type?
3. FullBore?
4. Tee-shirts for the Regional level matches?
5. Meals provided at Regional level matches?
6. Prize tables?
7. Decent payout?
8. Reasonable match fees?

So, what are the things you like to see in/at matches?

Looking forward to learning.

Frank

The older I get the more I can't stand #2 .....let's just shoot three relays at the farthest distance and call it a day

My ramblings from a fat old basstid!

 

[323]

We are flying to matches from Alaska and life to short to show up to a piss poor ran match. Our club when I first joined it was a lot of standing around missing the hot time to shoot. Then when I made it on the board I made sure and still do we will always make our hit times. We try to have the rule book readily available for shooters. But we also put out in our safety brief it’s the shooters responsibility to know the current f class/highpower rules. I will say with the use of e targets the MD needs to reiterate if a shot does not register the shooter needs to ask for a provisional after it’s been verified there was no crossfire. I heard about things happening in Lodi this year shots not “registering” or shots ending up on other targets and no one fessing up and they shoot again without asking for a provisional. That kind of stuff I would never go back to a place that ran matches like that.

 

[323]

The older I get the more I can't stand #2 .....let's just shoot three relays at the farthest distance and call it a day

My ramblings from a fat old basstid!

The 600yd range we use belongs to Fort Richardson and we stopped doing 300-500-600 because we were running short on time on the weekends, no way we could do this on a week day. So we just do 3x600 now days which now allows us to do it on a week day. We are usually done by 2100 if not sooner.

 

[Scott H]

Be fair, consistent will all rulings that happen during a match and with those that can't be addressed prior to match starting.

A very well known 600 yard match for 3 years in a row now has had the "the good ole boys club get different rulings as compared to out of town shooters.
Electronic targets either having cross fires and no acknowledgement of it or ghost shots happening.

Example

During a rain storm targets were acting up. Good Ole boys club were getting "errant" shots deleted with 2 with free sighters during the match and the out of towners we had to take the shot at value and no sighters, same relay...not fair...not right.. result is multiple out of towners refuse to go back to that match for those reasons .

Fair and even across the board.