Bob259 wrote: I thought if you were an unclassified shooter you shot in the 'Master' class till you were classified? That seems to be the better of the two ways to handle it.

Bob,

Your right the rules say you shoot in Master. But look at from a first timers perspective he shows up with his rifle and he has to shoot against the masters. Not a good why to insure he comes back. I have an unclassified category at my match to put the new shooters up against someone in the same circumstance. But I try and keep my score sheets and check classification books to make sure they are classified after there first match. Again this is what I do and I think a lot of this is up to the match directors to decide and should not be dictated by the rest of the shooters at the match. I have always said if any of my shooters at the local match do not like the way I run the match I would be glad to let them take over. As of today no one has taken me up on that offer.

Paul

Bob259 wrote: I thought if you were an unclassified shooter you shot in the 'Master' class till you were classified? That seems to be the better of the two ways to handle it.

I think the rule reads the highest classification in the match, therefore if no masters are there, you default to AAA or whatever. I do understand Paul's reasoning also and have applied it to our matches.

Paul,

You say "I have always said if any of my shooters at the local match do not like the way I run the match I would be glad to let them take over. As of today no one has taken me up on that offer."

Thinks that make you go "Huh."

But if NO Masters are there I would want to be forced to shoot Master Class that way I could assure myself of at least one 1st place finish in Master in my life

Dee

Dee wrote:But if NO Masters are there I would want to be forced to shoot Master Class that way I could assure myself of at least one 1st place finish in Master in my life

Dee

Good point

Dee wrote:But if NO Masters are there I would want to be forced to shoot Master Class that way I could assure myself of at least one 1st place finish in Master in my life

Dee

You my friend have no confidence issues.

Dawg, known ability rule should be used by the people running the match at their discretion and not by individuals. If a well know shooter shows up at a large match without classification he shoots in the highest class offered. But if that person has been participating at other local or lets say not as important matches and his current classification has been earned and accepted by all then there is no reason if he wins his class at a large match that his classification may be questioned. These issues should they arise should be solved by the people running the matches or by a jury if one is appointed by them before the match. Should there be a question regarding someones classification a protest should be filled in a timely manner and not after the match is over.

Another thing that I am going to include here is that anybody is allowed to shoot in a higher class than they belong to. They can't request to shoot Master class if AAA is the highest class offered at that particular match but if Master is offered and they want to participate on that class they are within their rights to do so. On the other hand Master or AAA shooters obviously can't request to be downgraded unless they shoot 12 consecutive times with scores below their class and they have to do so officially to the NRA.

lone ringer,

I concur with what you have said but this so called "well know shooter" who maybe in Master class in air gun silhouette does not in anyway reflect his classification in either small bore or high power, therefore to use his ability in other disciplines to justify saying he should be reclassified due to known ability is completely without merit. My high power classification in no way reflects my small bore or air gun classifications, due partly to lack of facilities to shoot at and having only shot high power twice. Therefore given this premise I should be classified in Master class without firing a shot in high power.

I realize that there is a place and need for this rule in our sport to address certain circumstances that are not of a normal nature. I sincerely believe that some people have knowingly misinterpreted this rule to not only abuse it but to also use it as a bullying tactic. To wantonly misuse it and bend it to conform too their agenda is not only grotesquely perverse but reflects underlying psychological problems.

Dawg, I have never seen anybody reclassified by known ability. Basically is an obscure rule that is used to keep sand baggers from taking advantage of certain situations as when there is a chance of winning a valuable price at a match. Besides since shooters without classification are by NRA rules placed in the highest class offered then the known ability rule is practically useless because once that person fires his first match he is classified from then on and whether or not others agree that particular classification has to be accepted until he/she earns his way to higher classifications.

Back in 1987 at Salem Oregon during the NRA SB sil Nats a well known shooter (past HP and SB Sil National Champion) entered the Light Rifle class as an A shooter and was reclassified to AA do to a score she fired the first day of competition, she won AA class by one point. Nobody that knew her liked it but she was not reclassified by known ability because it was a different discipline than she was used to shooting and in my opinion that is the way it should be.

In your case where you have a lower HP classification than your SB or AR I do not have a problem with that and even if you were to shoot up to your SB or AR ability at a large match there are rules in place that would make you go up one class if you shot a score that was two classifications above the current one.

I agree with Tony and Dawg on this issue. Sandbagging sucks but:

Highpower is Highpower, Smallbore is Smallbore and Air is Air. These are separate disciplines and I feel the

Dawg, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THE CLASSIFACTIONS, be it smallbore, air rifle, or high power. What you shoot is what your classifaction is, that cannot be changed unless you request it. This known ability rule to me is nothing more than BS. How do you know what his known ability is, evryone shoots different in all disciplines. Everytime I ever started shooting something different you started off unclassified, what you shot on your 1st match then gave you your new classification, I do not think that that rule has been changed. If you want to go by known ability, then let's just assign shooters a class, just look at the shooter and go I don't know you but you look like a AAA shooter to me, so we will just place you in that class. Is that not why the rules are made????
In monthly matches, I have a unclassified class just for new shooters, I do not see the reason taking a new shooter and placing them in Master, AAA in a monthly match for their very 1st time.
I do agree with no matter who you are, you come to a registared match YOU WILL HAVE YOUR BOOK, OR YOU WILL SHOOT IN THE HIGHEST CLASS AT THE MATCH. Thats my 2 cents, so tke it for what it is worth.
Thanks for the info on the trigger, WORKS GREAT!!!!

lone ringer,

This as you put it "obscure rule" should be used in a proper context and application as I truely believe a majority of the community do. Individuals who would distort and misalign the intended purpose of this rule to not only cause discord at a match, but to also use it as a leverage device to impose their twisted sense of power over others are pathetic at best. This in and among it

Thanks to all for you thoughts, guidance and support and in no way am I making light of this situation but to add a little levity to this topic. The next time I am approached on this subject I will advise the said offender that since we a imposing the

Dawg, next time somebody approaches you regarding the "known ability" rule ask them to show you where in the NRA Rifle Silhouette Rules book is covered because I looked it over and could not find it. Maybe it was at one time since a lot of people including me seem to remember or know what it means. In essence if it is not in the current rules book then it does not apply because it is not part of the rules.

Lone Ringer, I don't feel so bad now. I looked for it and could not find it either. So it must not be in there or we are both blind. Take it easy.

lone ringer wrote:Dawg, next time somebody approaches you regarding the "known ability" rule ask them to show you where in the NRA Rifle Silhouette Rules book is covered because I looked it over and could not find it. Maybe it was at one time since a lot of people including me seem to remember or know what it means. In essence if it is not in the current rules book then it does not apply because it is not part of the rules.

Thank you sir, this information now puts a whole new light on this subject.

As Ron White would say "That there is a handy piece of information"