Benefits to becoming a USPSA sanctioned club?

[Alaskapopo]

Hey guys run some three gun matches in the summer time. I am blessed to have access to a range that I can use for this and I have had good participation at these matches compared to others in the state. Last year I got more shooters than any other club. Some have suggested that I get the signatures required to become a USPSA club. I have insurance through the gun club. So I am not sure what benefit would come from going USPSA other than supporting the organization which I am not against its a good organization. I just like the freedom to be able to set up divisions and rules that I find easier to score and run. For example all of my matches except the last one I ran a IDPA style of scoring. It was faster and easier to get scores out. When I ran the last one as a USPSA style match it took me a day to get the scores out and it was more difficult due to power factors and un familiarity with the program. I like being able to say open can run as many rounds in their shotgun as they want.

What do you guys think should I become USPSA affiliated or just keep it going as a few summer outlaw matches. Thanks for your input.

Pat

[mpeltier]

Hey guys run some three gun matches in the summer time. I am blessed to have access to a range that I can use for this and I have had good participation at these matches compared to others in the state. Last year I got more shooters than any other club. Some have suggested that I get the signatures required to become a USPSA club. I have insurance through the gun club. So I am not sure what benefit would come from going USPSA other than supporting the organization which I am not against its a good organization. I just like the freedom to be able to set up divisions and rules that I find easier to score and run. For example all of my matches except the last one I ran a IDPA style of scoring. It was faster and easier to get scores out. When I ran the last one as a USPSA style match it took me a day to get the scores out and it was more difficult due to power factors and un familiarity with the program. I like being able to say open can run as many rounds in their shotgun as they want.

What do you guys think should I become USPSA affiliated or just keep it going as a few summer outlaw matches. Thanks for your input.

Pat

After reading your post it seems you may answer your own question.

Edited November 17, 2010 by mpeltier

[Chuck Anderson]

There are Pros and Cons to being a USPSA club for 3 Gun. If scoring is your main issue with it, that's easy. USPSA allows Time Plus scoring, like most IMGA matches, for Multi Gun. Extremely quick to score. As for the Open Division Shotguns, not everyone has a R&R Saiga and you may attract people who don't want to buy one by leaving Open at 10. If you run it as a USPSA match you do HAVE to use USPSA rules, no deviations, except the one allowed by the rules. Otherwise I'll rat you out to your Area Director. That said I'm still hoping over the next year or two that IMGA and USPSA can come together on the Divsions and many of the rules. I think a lot of issues may be resolved by this.

As far as the Pros to USPSA membership: consistency of rules is one that will keep people coming back and drawing folks from further away. I travel all over the country shooting matches. But it's rare when I drive more than an hour for a match that the MD makes his own rules and is willing to change them on a whim. Scores can be posted on the USPSA website. Major matches can be listed on the calender. There is an actual rule book you can point people to rather than saying, because I said so. And the bottom line is it does support the organization.

[Jim Norman]

You also get access to the USPSA database to verify if a shooter is actually a classified shooter. In other words, has he actually shot any action/dynamic type of match or is he just hot-air.

USPSA Member Number A-XXXXX shows as totally unclassified and no recorded matches. Him, you might want to have run through a safety breif and check, A-YYYYY with B limited, C Production and a mix in other divisions, well him you have at least the idea that he has dome something like this before. Not perfect, but better than seat of the pants.

The written rule book is also a nice thing, you can point to a rule and say because the sanctioning body says so. Your customers can look up the rules before they travel out and know what they will face. It makes life a bit simpler.

If you get enough activity, you can purchase a Palm based scoring system that interfaces with the scoring program. That also speeds things up.

Good Luck.

[Sarge]

If you don't want to go by USPSA rules 100% of the time I see no benefit in becoming sanctioned.

[Benelli Chick]

Also, once you're a USPSA sanctioned match, you do have to pay the classification fee for each shooter.

Kind of depends how your budget is.

When I looked into this, you also need to have a classifier stage, I think it's, 3 times a year. The only classifiers are pistol at this time.

I did look into this a couple years ago myself. So, this info is a couple years old!

Denise

[KentG]

For 3 gun I see no benefit. I dont care for the way the rules are in USPSA when it comes to shotgun round counts for open and they seem to have a do it our way or we wont play mentality. IMG style rules are more fun and still fair. IMO the USPSA has the Bill Wilson IDPA disease of do it our way or we take our ball home. Personaly Id much rather shoot a match under IMG style rules and our club and the other area club that does 3 gun use IMG rules.

USPSA is great for the pistol rules but they need to wake up and come around on multigun.

[twodownzero]

I'm on the fence when it comes to multigun. I don't think USPSA's rules are ideal, but I do prefer having an objective and well-defined set of rules that we all can understand.

Multigun is the future of our sport and there's a real vacuum in this area, but I don't know how to fix the problem. The fact that the biggest multigun matches in the US are nearly all outlaw should send a message to the USPSA.

[KentG]

I'm on the fence when it comes to multigun. I don't think USPSA's rules are ideal, but I do prefer having an objective and well-defined set of rules that we all can understand.

Multigun is the future of our sport and there's a real vacuum in this area, but I don't know how to fix the problem. The fact that the biggest multigun matches in the US are nearly all outlaw should send a message to the USPSA.

Outlaw is the wrong term. They are just not willing to conform to the USPSA rules which personally I dont like for multigun.

Its similar to how IDPA suffers from what lots of shooters think are silly and restrictive rules aimed at making one platform the dominant one to help sell guns.

This has the earmarks of a IndyCar vs Cart type conflict. The IMG is on the popular and most supported side in this and the USPSA needs to take notice. A unified sport is much more viable than a divided one.

Thats my opinion and it will get you a beer at a bar along with a few dollars.

[DrawandDuck]

Also, once you're a USPSA sanctioned match, you do have to pay the classification fee for each shooter.

Kind of depends how your budget is.

When I looked into this, you also need to have a classifier stage, I think it's, 3 times a year. The only classifiers are pistol at this time.

I did look into this a couple years ago myself. So, this info is a couple years old!

Denise

And you have to hold at least 7 events per year with 4 being classifiers AND if you do not have 7 matches per year USPSA will not provide your club with reaffiliation next year unless you provide in writing the reasons preventing your club from holding 7 events.....You have to submit your clubs reaffiliation papers EVERY year along with a fee ($50 per year I believe).

Edited November 17, 2010 by DrawandDuck

[ShooterSteve]

Or, you could join the USPSA and shoot pistol matches, and run your three gun how ever you want to....

[Bill Filiaga]

Hey guys run some three gun matches in the summer time. I am blessed to have access to a range that I can use for this and I have had good participation at these matches compared to others in the state. Last year I got more shooters than any other club. Some have suggested that I get the signatures required to become a USPSA club. I have insurance through the gun club. So I am not sure what benefit would come from going USPSA other than supporting the organization which I am not against its a good organization. I just like the freedom to be able to set up divisions and rules that I find easier to score and run. For example all of my matches except the last one I ran a IDPA style of scoring. It was faster and easier to get scores out. When I ran the last one as a USPSA style match it took me a day to get the scores out and it was more difficult due to power factors and un familiarity with the program. I like being able to say open can run as many rounds in their shotgun as they want.

What do you guys think should I become USPSA affiliated or just keep it going as a few summer outlaw matches. Thanks for your input.

Pat

Hey Pat,

The one you ran with the most shooters, it was the USPSA rules run.....I think.

USPSA time plus scoring is also appealing as I will be running some of my multi gun matches this way.....

Plus you can run a pistol classifier....

Plus hey, you'll have a really cool Section Coordinator....not to mention a almost as cool Area Director!!!

[Chuck Anderson]

Plus hey, you'll have a really cool Section Coordinator....not to mention a almost as cool Area Director!!!

Almost as cool...ssssuuuurrreeee. The only reason I'm not as cool as you guys is because it's a balmy 20 degrees here, not -110 like it probably is in your neck of the woods.