Bogey

It was a thread about cheating SOs that facilitated the possibility that SOs should shoot for separate scores. I give you this from the OP: I was a bit tired after the match, so it's possible I somewhat misconstrued some of the things he said. But my recollection is that he used the words, "there's always cheating" - that SOs don't call their buddies on the same infractions for which they'd ding regular shooters, stages may get adjusted on the SO shoot day, etc. ============================================================================================================== The only equitable way to handle this is to not allow the set-up crew to shoot for score. We have 50 SOs at the Carolina Cup working 16 stages every year. Not one of them has any advantage over any other SO. The 3-4 person set up crew doesn't really want to see a gun after 3 weeks of 8-10 hour days doing set up in the June heat here. Some may THINK they have an advantage, but I can assure anyone that asks, they don't. As far as "giving breaks" to their "buddies", they shouldn't be SOs if they do.

Well Bob, if this is all true, I find some of your statements rather shocking. You, better than anyone else, should know the logistics are rather restrictive on a one or two day match to allow shooters to all shoot at the same time. Consistency for the mass of shooters would suffer, and from group to group you would never have all conditions the same. I believe the original jist of this thread concerns SOs cheating, not necessarily advantages/disadvantages of weather related issues. I'm thinking most people understand there are limitations to how a match can run based on time. I'm not questioning your credentials or integrity here. As far as shooting a sanctioned match....I have never had a hand in set ups, so I have never had to recuse myself. If I did, I most certainly would.

After SOing 40 plus matches per year for the past 5 years that's pretty much the only people I hear complain. There might be an exception to the rule laced in there somewhere, but for the most part that is what I observe. Especially from the people that never seem to want to hold the scoreboard or timer in relief when an assigned SO is ready to shoot.

It's an absolute shame that there are people out there that Jane's original post describes. It's even more frightening if that sort of stuff could ever really happen. I have been a Safety Officer since December 2005. Since becoming certified, I have worked an average of three local level matches a month, and the vast majority of those I help set up the morning prior to shooting them in the afternoon. Anyone here can go see my scores to see if it has ever been an advantage to me in being on the set up crew. I have never been on a set up crew for the 20 plus sanctioned matches I have been a SO for. I have never been in a position any different than any other competitor shooting those matches, especially when the only real focus I try to have during the SO portion of the match is how I can run my stage to the maximum benefit of the shooter. Very rarely do I get to concentrate on my game the way some think SOs get to. I have been lucky to bump from Expert twice during State level matches, and come up with a few first place wins to boot. But compare those wins with the number of sanctioned matches I've shot and you get a very small percentage of wins. I have the privilege of shooting at The Range, home of The Carolina Cup, every week. Frank is always working on developing stages for his next Cup, and we (all competitors) get to see slivers of what he's coming up with. We never get to see what anything is really like until "go time" though. Timing always changes, stage elements are combined differently, etc, etc. He has a set up crew of 3-4 guys that work for three weeks solid to set it up. I've never seen ONE of them win first place at the Cup. Frank is of the mindset that he wants NO ONE to have any advantage. When his Safety Officers show up, we are seeing a completely new match. I tend to think this is how it is across the country. At least that's what I believe. The only way I can think that MAYBE any SO would EVER get a break would be someone ignoring a procedural, or scoring a target incorrectly. I would like to think this doesn't happen on purpose. As I said on another board, if I am not allowed to shoot for score with everyone else, I would cease to be a Safety Officer. I'd let some of the complainers step up instead.

So can I have input in all divisions? Well, except the Cop one?

I wouldn't care if the shot hit the ground or not. MY common sense would tell me that striking anything within that 6 foot distance would qualify as "the ground". Is it OK to strike a wall you're using as cover that's two to 3 feet in front of your face? To have one's hand INSIDE a steel file cabinet drawer while letting one rip could have been a MAJOR catastrophe. What if the jacket peeled off the bullet and somehow sliced his hand? Would he continue to shoot just because his round didn't strike the ground within 6 feet of the firing line? Pure and simple...common sense says DQ. If I was the SO on that stage, the guy would be pasting and setting the rest of the match.

SSP, ESP, CDP Master SSR SS ESR UN David Morse A23697