Nationals Suggestion Box 2

[Barrettone]

OK Guys and Gals,

I think we are onto something up here in Michigan. We are hosting a 14 stage match (Area 5 3 Gun) with only 7 bays. How you say? We have a changeover. We have a four day format. Thursday, Staff shoots handgun. We have a changeover that afternoon. The stages are designed in such a way as to modify a few walls, possibly reverse the flow of travel, and modify the target arrays so the shooter does not even feel the remotest sense of Deja Vu. We simply stake the stands in place (add witness paint marks also), video the stage, and have a stage crew standing by, so an hour after the last shot goes off, we can change over to long gun. Then Friday staff shoots long gun, and Saturday competitors shoot long gun. We then do the change-back to get the handgun stages for the competitors to shoot on Sunday. See where I'm going? Everybody thinks they have to have 18 bays to have 18 good stages. That isn't necessarily true. You have to think outside the box here. Say you do this with the nationals. You could have a crack unit who handles the change over. You run the first day with stages 1-9. You then do a change over and shoot stages 10-18 on days 2 and 3. Finally, you change back for day 4 to 1-9. You would shoot the match staff prior to iron out any potential problems or pitfalls before the match starts for competitors (they are afterall a SEPERATE MATCH). You can squad people to shoot day 1 and 2 or day 3 and four with only two changeovers. You could also add days and expand as necessary. Could you IMAGINE how many clubs would be instantly capable of hosting a Nats??? They simply need the parking to accommodate the match. I'm telling you...this can be done, and we plan to prove it in July. All you need is a 10 man change over team, and it can be done while still maintaining a level playing field for competitors 1 to 1001. Staff... you just have to bring your "A" game. OK folks fire away. This is gonna get good!!!

Jeff

[Barrettone]

BTW...A second thought would be to entertain an effort that involves two clubs in close proximity to one another going in together so they have the facilities required. We looked at it from that angle too. You could run shuttle buses if they were, say, within five miles of each other. It doesn't necessarrily have to be two IPSC clubs. Look into IDPA ranges that are close also. They will often rent their ranges. We were close to brokering a deal with a nearby IDPA club until we came up with our change over idea. Combining resources can be an effective way to meet the Nats criteria for hosting the match. Remember...outside the box.

Jeff

[mactiger]

Jeff, both good ideas. We did something similar with the 3Gun/Factory Gun last year--many of the long gun stages were converted to pistol stages without too much trouble. Similar to your idea, but not identical--we didn't go back once they were turned around, and had bays for everything. I like the video "witnessing" idea as well. You certainly could double the number of stages with your plan, though. I think someone last year did a match at two separate ranges, but I'm not sure. I think I heard that, though, and that it worked well.

As you say, the staff has to bring their "A" game, but that's the sort of staff you want, right?

With careful planning and attention to detail, this is a system that could work, and work well.

Nice thinking.

Troy