What's important in a smallbore rifle silhouette match?

[boats]

Our capacity is 20 morning regulation match 36 afternoon swinger match. 49 was the club report number, half a dozen were shooting both so double reported. Well over 40 individual shooters though. Small bore we are up against capacity often. Pre reg allows regular competitors with Score books sure of a spot. We can steer first timers to the afternoon match.

We promote to first timers through Club Web site & NRA Shooting sports, few flyers posted at local gun shops. Word of mouth gets more than anything else. One thing I learned years ago when on the local YMCA membership committee. New is good, best thing to do is keep what you have. Treat them right they will come back and tell others.

Cross shooters are a good source too. Our club runs a lot of competition 6 kinds of silhouette as well as Rifle Pistol & Cowboy matches, new shooters come from the other disciplines too.

I guess the main thing is consistency. 3rd Sat of every month 9 AM you can shoot a match. Been that way for years no question on match days or time

Boats

[boats]

Sorry missed the blind score part.

Regulation, except November, it's pins and recognition in the match results only.

Cash payout match afternoon we pay 1, 2 & 3rd. Blind is 10th & 15th. Often shoot offs for 10th and 15th place. Gives the guys down the ladder a chance to get some shoot off experience and take home a prize. November, Turkeys, I pick a few numbers random in advance don't reveal until after the match.

Point is the same top shooters are not the only ones winning prizes.

Boats

[MOTO VITA]

Okay, call me dumb, but I have no idea what you mean by "blind scores".
Google didn't really help.
Can someone explain please?[/quote]

Me too.

[boats]

Blind means match place position for prizes is picked in advance at random or by custom. Person placing in that spot wins a prize. It's lottery not skill.

We use 10 &15th for the swinger match. It's practically imposable to tell as the scores build if you are going to place 10th and 15th. So it's a lottery that excludes the top 9 shooters. Our club and another nearby have used 10th and 15th pay out for many years. It's real popular.

True blind number is not revealed until after the scores are turned in. This puts the top shooters back with a chance of winning. I only go true blind when there are a lot of prizes to give out like the November Turkey match.

As a rule prizes are a lot of trouble, have to go buy them or ask for donations. Only time I do it is November which is a traditon. Cash can have it's problems too, Lot of money will change the dynamics. I don't think cash is approprate for Regulaiton Silhouette. Swinger match iron sights almost any gun it works real well, few rules, hit or miss, no way for somebody to skew in their favor.

Boats

[Innocent]

Jason,
I agree with jpsteiger, recognize the shooters....the pins with the 1st place or stuff like that are popular, especially with the younger shooters. I try to see that the kids get something they can wear to school....no guns on them, just animals with 1st or 2nd place on them, something that causes questions and allows the children to talk about their experiences. Certificates that they can put in the front of notebooks, I still use them in college classes, just to get the conversations going. Any opportunity to give good press, show the positivie side of competitons, and shooting. Travel mugs, glasses, pins, certificates and other assorted useful items, maybe even consider thumb drives as prizes. Tote bags are popular for our Ladies day in FL but they could also be done up to pass out as awards.
Food has been bought up, and it certainly encourages people to bring the family out, when there is a meal served. While it is a challenge for a match director to deal with that, organizing it so that it becomes a pot luck type situation can be another way of taking some of the pressure off of you.
A wailing wall (score board) seems to be a drawing point in all the better run matches, even if you can get the results out in paper via the computer at the end of a match there is something about seeing your name on a big board with all the others.
Good luck and most of enjoy the time doing this.

Mary

[DavidABQ]

Cream filled chocolate cupcakes! Yummmmy!

[KidCulpepper]

Run the match for two groups, serious shooters and new comers, Never turn anybody away, allow any safe equipment but it has to meet the rule to place, squad all the new guys together center bank where I can keep my eye on them safety wise . Good shooters like to shoot with good shooters. Squad those guys left and right together. Make all feel welcome. Listen to what they say.

Boats,

While you have some excellent ideas, I think it is important to be careful in this area (and perhaps this is addressed depending on your definition of new shooter). It is critical that less advanced shooters not be treated as second class citizens by making them sit at the kiddie table. They need to shoot with better shooters in order to improve and maintain interest. This doesn't have to mean squad Masters with B shooters (so they spot for one another), in fact, that is generally a bad idea. I am thinking something more along the lines of filling in firing points between groups of good shooters with less experienced shooters.

Stephen

[KidCulpepper]

In response to the general topic of the thread...

Although I am sure there are some exceptions, in general, I don't think anyone over the age of 12 really wants a plaque. Some of the ideas thrown out about match entry vouchers, cash, ammo, etc. are probably more appealing in general. However, the x in a row pins are a nice thing to give away, especially for less experienced shooters.

A score wall/board is nice but email and/or prompt posting of the results on a web site is more important IMO. Also, when announcing winners at the match, state the scores as a part of the recognition. This way, people both have an idea how they are doing wrt other shooters and who is advancing, etc.

Stephen

P.S. I plan to run and help run some matches soon so I really appreciate the question and all of the feedback from everyone.

[Boyd L.]

Its commendable that shooters will share their opinions about what makes up the quality components of a match (since we share them about everything else ).
I agree with most others about posting after a match. I like the idea about posting online. I also agree with Stephen that plaques for monthly club matches are a bit much. An alternative that I saw in Chattanooga a year or two ago, if I remember correctly , Ed Jones (aka Gator in SteelChickenese) gave away pins of some sort for class or match winners. I personally thought this was a much better choice. Smaller and more "friendly" to the trophy room restrictions I face. Greg over in Asheville gives cash to winners. Nothing like cash for gas money home.

An open, friendly, yet professionally safe range attitude (with obvious expectations we all are expected to share) usually is an indicator about my satisfaction.

[cslcAl]

Jason, I have been involved in running matches since 1984, and am about to start my 13th year as match director. I think the best advice I can give you is to treat every shooter the way you would like to be treated at another match. These matches are attended by many different personality types , ages, genders,and skill levels. It is imperative that you treat everyone the same. You will come across some strange circumstances that will require rules interpretations and you must be fair and consistent. Not everyone keeps up with the rules and more often than not you will have to enlighten a shooter of some rule he will not like, but it should be a learning experience not only for him but for everyone. You don't have to be a tyrant with the rules, but if the match is run accordingly everyone will be the better for it. Shooters who shoot at loosely run matches are lost at a big match. Also try to get as many shooters as possible involved in running the match. I always tell the shooters it is not my match or the clubs match, it is their match. The more participation there is the better the match is. Hope this helps. Good luck. Al Foust

[Pete]

To encourage new shooters have a "production class". What ever they bring let them shoot it (10/22 or 1918. I dont want start an other class so no one with a score book is allowed to shoot in the "production class".
Pete

[cedestech]

Pairing freindly experianced shooters with less experianced shoots helps loads. Experianced shooters generaly have a few seconds each relay to help guild a newbe along. I remember my first
year Pat S and Larry E were VERY helpfull. Everyone needs to remember that everyone started in the same place and especially at club level it's about having fun first, placing well second.

[boats]

Agree less experenced shooters do well paired with experenced.

Distinction I make is classification book. If they have a book and rifle that meets the rules no worries pair them up with no concern. Our club we want to recruit new members and encourage the first timers. They need more attention setting up pointing out the correct bank of animals. Sight adjustments etc. 50 questions. First time need to see if they handle their rifles safe too. I put them all in the center bank where I can help and watch things.

Should comment I don't currently shoot S/B Silhouette used to shoot it and HP a lot. Last dozen years focused on the single shot rifles. It difficult for a match director to shoot his own match well. It can be done with all experienced squads add recruting it's much more difficult. Open to anybody is good for the sport but changes the MD's job considerably. I guess this is why many shooting matches don't encourage new shooters. There are matches you have a hard time even finding.

2013 have some good club shooters that are going to help in the S/B match. And have a new 1712. Few goals I never met, am going to focus on them.

Boats

[ter]

My first thought was a good lunch. I am really happy with a cheesebuger and chips. A crock pot with meatballs is also makes a nice hot sandwich.
I personally prefer a pin to trophies, and I think an award is important. Trophies to me seem over the top for a monthly match. When I drove 70 miles to a Tuesday night summer match the prize was a box of standard ammo or a Hershey bar. I thought that was really nice. So I think most folks are happy with a simple lunch, and a simple award. I think that is the point of maximum return on effort.

[Jerry G]

I think that the B, A, and AA should be given a choice between cash or trophy. That way the shooters just starting out can have something to put over the fireplace if they want to.