newbie wash outs

[silhouette13]

hi all,

a few post of late have made me ask a few questions to some folks i tried to get hooked, and the hook did not set.

the #1 reason people do not return in our area is they feel pressured to get expensive gear, or made to feel that their gear is inadaqute . i have had 7 peole try in the last 2 years only 2 are still involved.

one jackass actually said that a guys 10-22 was not even worth shooting and the absolute minimum was a CZ and that they would want to upgrade as soon as possible. this is the view alot of B class shooters get.

let me clarify one thing... i have had excellent support and guidence from many of you as well as some fine people locally.

we seem to be forgetting the beauty of the sport is that you can shoot damn near anything....people who want to progress will, those who dont wont, the just for fun guys want to not have disparaging eyes cast on them or their gear.one poor bugger wanted to build a 10/22 std rifle and was told not to bother. guess what.....never came back.

please try and remeber when you were new, help when asked be nice and supportive and we can maybe grow the sport back to its heyday.

things that should be avoided are...
those henrys dont shoot....get a 39a
you will end up with a 1712 anyways so just get one now(this would equal divorce in my house)


i do say things like .."that guy has a significant investment and is dedicated to having the best, what you shoot is fine and can take you as far as you want to go, shoot what you have until you feel you want to take it up a notch. "
and " shoot what you have and shoot it a lot scores will come " and " trigger time will payoff more than a new trigger"

i dont want to come off as a prat, it just makes me bummed that i have a hard time getting people who say they had a great time and it was fun to come back over some thing like sticker shock.



dave

[silhouette13]

i would like to publicly thank Judd for his support and guidence.

thanks Buddy!
dave

[Jerry G]

I have always thought that many don't return because they don't hit as many targets as they think they should and don't want to look bad amoung other shooters. I worked my way into Hunter AAA with a 10-22 so don't tell me the gun isn't good enough. All you have to do is find ammo the gun likes and keep it clean so it functions with 1080 fps ammo.

[BCloninger]

A normal progression in gear is 10/22, CZ452, and then 1712, and every step is about the shooter. Sure gear matters, but MiniKitty could beat me with a slingshot! Especially if Kitty was spotting for her!

[ajj]

I have always thought that many don't return because they don't hit as many targets as they think they should and don't want to look bad amoung other shooters. I worked my way into Hunter AAA with a 10-22 so don't tell me the gun isn't good enough. All you have to do is find ammo the gun likes and keep it clean so it functions with 1080 fps ammo.

This.

People don't come back because it's too hard. It's not the kind of challenge the average shooter is looking for. No shame in that, but lots of people are reluctant to say it.

I've told people not to waste money on gear that doesn't work but I tell everybody who asks to get started with what they have, or what they can borrow, and see if the sport appeals. Someone who says he quit because he couldn't afford to shoot didn't really want to shoot very badly.

[silhouette13]

ego was the #2 reason i got. that may be even sadder than the sticker shock


it is surprising how many people look at the targets and think it is easy...then shoot.

dave

[Jason]

Frustration is the leader by far in why our new shooters don't come back. As was mentioned, many shooters who consider themselves very good shots come out and hit fewer than half the targets. If they havent been around the game before, they don't realize that it's expected. The ones who do come back are the ones that are surprised by how hard it is and love the challenge.

[Bob259]

Another good example to use is... Some people buy fancy, fast and expensive cars... but it doesn't make them a better driver or Mario Andretti.

[silhouette13]

excellent Bob,

where do you shoot HP? any place in NY?

dave

[Bob259]

excellent Bob,

where do you shoot HP? any place in NY?

dave

By Williamsport PA (Consolidated Sportsmens Lycoming County) and Ridgeway PA for HP are our closest. I hear they may shoot it up above Albany but not positive, I know they do Black Powder there.

[remlilja]

I agree in that many people are discouraged easily. Ive tried to get a few of my friends to a match and they'll come once and then never come back or they say they dont like to compete for x amount of reasons.

The first match I participated in I shot a whopping 16! But, I guess the stubborness in me kept me shooting. Plus it gives me a reason to spend money on guns. Im not a master class shooter yet but Im shooting around 25-27 which is a significant improvement since my first match.

To us, silhouette shooting is something we look forward to and like talking about. My brothers and I. we have our guns (all ranging from custom 10/22 to custom 40x to 54 MS) and not only do we compete in the monthly club matches but we also compete against each other during practice sessions and its a lot of fun. We also spot for each other during the club matches so were like a team!

[silhouette13]

thanks for the insights gents, i will endevor to keep throwing new folks at the wall and perhaps some will stick.

[Jason]

I've found that the thing that takes away the embarassment of missing most is setting their expectations correctly. When I explain that I've been shooting this game for five years and it's still not easy for me, they relax a bit. I try to spot for new shooters and celebrate every single hit they get and even the ones they get close to. After the match, I talk up how well they did so they concentrate on how many they hit instead of how many they missed. I've found that is also helps to show them the classifications and point out that it's expected that shooters new to silhouette, even if they are good shots in general, shoot a B class score and tell them how many that is. This is usually the point at which the challenge of the game actually starts to sink in. That accomplished, then it's time to get their heads out of the numbers and into the fun. This usually gets them in the right mindset to shoot well and enjoy the match, enough that soon enough they are hooked and start asking me questions on how to tweak their gear for the game or what new gear to get.

Like it has been mentioned, I shot my first match with a tweaked 10/22 and had a ball. Then I sold the 10/22 and got a CZ 452 Varmint that was supposedly better for the game. It was many months with the CZ before I reached the score from that first match with the 10/22, mostly because when I shot the match with the 10/22 I was just out having a day of shooting and didn't care at all about the score. That's what got me hooked and what I try to pass on to new shooters.

[ShooterP14]

My monthly matches are usually small (3-4 shooters). I tell everyone who is interested that it's a "run what you brung" match. I have juniors come out and shoot off the bench. I've have a couple of women shoot from the bench also. Mary usually gets them to at least try to shoot off-hand. Last week we even had a guy shoot from a chair.

Mary and I both bring extra rifles. If someone brings an unscoped rifle, during the practice period we'll let them try one with a scope and give them the option of using it in the match. I don't care how they start out, I just want them to come back. I will tell them the different cost levels for equipment, but we have enough gear so that I can get them hooked first and they don't have to spend a dime (except match fees).

[atomicbrh]

I have tried everything imaginable for the past three years in the Jackson, MS. area to promote Rifle Silhouette and form a dedicated core of people to help me drive the program and make it flourish. Anything you can come up with I have tried. Who do I have come to the Local matches? The same cadre of dedicated shooters that have been shooting Silhouette for years. Many of these seasoned competitors have driven 3 hours one way to shoot with us when locals would not drive three minutes.

It is really discouraging to set up the range and have not a single person show up to shoot a Match. It got so bad that in 2010 I had to RSVP with at least 5 shooters promising to attend to hold the Match.

Our matches were well run and organized. My wife filled out all of the scorebooks and paperwork so the shooters could concentrate on just shooting well. Even at some of the well-attended matches some of our club members were so clueless that they would drive up to the firing line during a bank of targets and start putting rests, sandbags and equipment on a bench to "sight in" their deer rifle. I eventually had to put up a rope barrier with "Do Not Enter" to shock them into the reality that there was a match going on. All the banks of animals and people shooting in the standing postition were not enough to make them realize what was going on.

Our board of Directors even bought a loaner CZ outfit and ammo to loan to people who did not have equipment. If a person contacted me interested in the sport I would meet them at the range, shoot, score and spot a whole practice match with them. I stopped doing that because it was a waste of time. None of those people ever showed up to shoot a Match.

Unlike other sports I have been involved in the equipment has been sorted out in Silhouette. The progression from 1022 to CZ452 to 1712 to 1712 in better stock to possibly 5418MSR Custom Hunter is already logically figured out. A newbie does not have to reinvent the wheel. The purchase of a Silhouette Rifle is a no brainer. Often you can shoot one for years and turn around and sell it for just about what you have invested in it. Unlike a race car that can go from tens of thousands of dollars to scrap metal in just a few seconds on a old dirt track. I have never regretted any of my Silhouette Rifle purchases.

I personally shoot Silhouette for so many reasons that they cannot be listed here. Its fun and I like everything about it. It just puzzles me why there are not more people involved in Silhouette.

The second Saturday in February 2011 will be the last Match I attempt to hold in Jackson, MS. I may try again in 2012. The wash out of local newbies concerns me also.

Bobby R. Huddleston