chase864 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Even though being fairly new to 3 gun and competitive shooting in general, I've started to notice how the outside shooting world perceives 3 gun as some inferior shooting sport. It may just be the area of the country I'm located but local ranges seem reluctant to accept or offer match opportunities for multi gun shooting. I would go so far as saying, as I am at my local club practicing, I feel like I get the "stink eye" from more traditional shooting members who see me running more than a pistol down a practice stage I've set up. Is it just me or are there others who see this epidemic occuring on the local level. I know I could soly travel to all of the large 3 gun matches and feel welcome but want that same passion accross the board. I'm really excited to see the sport advance the way it has in the short year I have been following it and hope that other shooters embrace and welcome it as well. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I'm curious where you are located. Here in Texas 3 Gun is alive and well. Even the clubs that do not put on 3 gun matches will occasionally include a rifle or shotgun sidematch. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Even though being fairly new to 3 gun and competitive shooting in general, I've started to notice how the outside shooting world perceives 3 gun as some inferior shooting sport. It may just be the area of the country I'm located but local ranges seem reluctant to accept or offer match opportunities for multi gun shooting. I would go so far as saying, as I am at my local club practicing, I feel like I get the "stink eye" from more traditional shooting members who see me running more than a pistol down a practice stage I've set up. Is it just me or are there others who see this epidemic occuring on the local level. I know I could soly travel to all of the large 3 gun matches and feel welcome but want that same passion accross the board. I'm really excited to see the sport advance the way it has in the short year I have been following it and hope that other shooters embrace and welcome it as well. Thoughts? It has to do with perceptions. We have had local clubs kick (or want to) 3Gun out. However, last year, one of the oldest gun clubs in the Nation, and the oldest in Colorad, invited us IN. They see where the future is headed and realize that without new members, the old guard clubs will (are) die out. All I can say is keep working on it. Find some people to help push the agenda... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Bond Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 On the subject of how other shooter perceive 3g, I do not think other types of shooters share the view you suspect. Most shooters have a specific type they prefer but I do not see that we are looked at as inferior. There are always some blowhards around that think USPSA is better than IDPA or we should toss modern guns and only dress up and shoot cowboy but they are the small minority. The shooters I know would show up for a bb gun match if that was all that was offered. When your talking about local ranges my sense is that they think about it in terms of return. For the same effort that it takes to set up a 3 gun match a range can set up a pistol match and run twice the number of shooters in roughly half the time so the question is then why bother with anything else? Even the better local 3g matches do not hold one every month but will do it on the 5th Saturday or Sunday meaning they run one only 4x per year since the volunteer pool is only so deep. And at least under IDPA and USPSA rules, there is really no incentive to doing one since no one gets any extra credit from the national organizations. I suspect that this in many ways explains why most 3g matches have grown up independently of the traditional organized shooting sports and while there is some overlap with other shooting styles, it is a game unto itself. My two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actionshooter Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I think there are still a lot of old school clubs that have not been introduced to action shooting. They are into benchrest,bullseye,DCM and all of the other more mainstream, older, shooting sports. This is still a relatively young sport. I'm going through something like this right now. I have been trying to start a tac-shotgun match that I plan to morph into 2-3 gun and wouldn't call the response resistance, but more of saftey concerns. I have been working with everyone on this clubs board and they are interested in hearing about new opportunities. The clubs are always looking to increase the bank account. So not the red headed step child, just "misunderstood" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tuley Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 A guy at work (who doesn't even seem to be involved in action pistol sports) told me that he and his son are trying to acquire the gear to start 3-gun. Random guy at the range last week, who shoots IDPA and Steel Challenge mostly, said the same thing (for himself and his wife). So there's a nonzero portion of the population that's, shall we say, "3-gun curious." -- John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan550 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 In our area, there is some interest in having 3G matches, but no one wants to step up and organize & run them! Some at our club have asked me why we don't have them, and my response has always been, "You set 'em up and run them, and we'll have them!" It's like the mice voting to put the bell on the cat......everyone's in favor, but now who's gonna do it? Recently, a couple or 3 guys have said they'll run 3G, so it will happen, but they're finding out that there's WORK involved in doing that. I'll have to say though, that we're a pretty open-minded bunch when it comes to new stuff. If there's an interest, we'll do it! So far, there aren't the usual splits that happen with most shooting clubs that I've encountered. You know what I mean......the shotgunners hate the pistol shooters who hate the rifle......well you get the idea. So maybe you can talk around a bit, and be pleasantly surprised to find that others are as interested in 3G as you are, but just are afraid to speak up for fear of offending the "old school" bunch. I figure that as long as it's safe, you're having fun, pulling triggers and burning powder it can't be all bad!! Alan~^~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benelli Chick Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 We were one of those groups that was..."unloved" at the local range. Perception of the board (seemed to us) was that action shooting was scary, bad, a waste of time and generally disliked,,,and perhaps even evil. Since we've left, a number of people from the club have asked when we're coming back and what they could do to get us back there... AND every club we talked to looking for another place to shoot, invited us to come and do 3-gun there! I think misunderstood is a good explanation! Some folks see the fun, some folks just see something WAY different from what they're used to and are uncomfortable and a little scared by it!!! Just my take on things! I could be all wet!!!! Senility is a scary thing! Denise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Bond Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 In our area, there is some interest in having 3G matches, but no one wants to step up and organize & run them! Some at our club have asked me why we don't have them, and my response has always been, "You set 'em up and run them, and we'll have them!" It's like the mice voting to put the bell on the cat......everyone's in favor, but now who's gonna do it? Recently, a couple or 3 guys have said they'll run 3G, so it will happen, but they're finding out that there's WORK involved in doing that. I'll have to say though, that we're a pretty open-minded bunch when it comes to new stuff. If there's an interest, we'll do it! So far, there aren't the usual splits that happen with most shooting clubs that I've encountered. You know what I mean......the shotgunners hate the pistol shooters who hate the rifle......well you get the idea. So maybe you can talk around a bit, and be pleasantly surprised to find that others are as interested in 3G as you are, but just are afraid to speak up for fear of offending the "old school" bunch. I figure that as long as it's safe, you're having fun, pulling triggers and burning powder it can't be all bad!! Alan~^~ We have a club in Georgia that deals with this in a very positive way. All members of the club pay dues AND have to put in 40 hours of service to the club over the course of a year. "Service" can mean mowing grass, doing clean up, helping run matches or setting up and tearing down matches. At the end of the year those who did not do their service hours have to pay for the hours they did not work at the rate of $10 per hour. There are folks who just pay the money but there are also enough folks who had rather work it off that as a match director they will be calling you asking what they can do and when to avoid this so the net result is that some of the cowboys and skeet shooters are helping you and vice versa. And of course if they are there helping they get exposed and interested in what your doing. Keep in mind this is not just a solution to how to get 3gun help. It works with all the shooting sports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadleyOwens Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 That's a damn good idea!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biga9999 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Did not realize how spoiled I am. We have 3 gun every 3rd Saturday, 2 or 3 gun 4th or 5th Saturday, and pistol matches thrown in other weekends. And there are 2 other ranges close by that run a similar # of matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langenator Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Did not realize how spoiled I am. We have 3 gun every 3rd Saturday, 2 or 3 gun 4th or 5th Saturday, and pistol matches thrown in other weekends. And there are 2 other ranges close by that run a similar # of matches. And I'm guessing you're not even considering driving out to College Station, which has a HM/Tac-Iron match 3rd Sunday and poodle-shooter 3gun on the 4th weekend. Only a 2 hour drive, which seems like what some folks on this board do to get to any match at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biga9999 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Did not realize how spoiled I am. We have 3 gun every 3rd Saturday, 2 or 3 gun 4th or 5th Saturday, and pistol matches thrown in other weekends. And there are 2 other ranges close by that run a similar # of matches. And I'm guessing you're not even considering driving out to College Station, which has a HM/Tac-Iron match 3rd Sunday and poodle-shooter 3gun on the 4th weekend. Only a 2 hour drive, which seems like what some folks on this board do to get to any match at all. I have thought about it, just hard to find time with 2 kids. I loved my time in College Station, and need to find more reasons to get back down there. I only get to shoot about once a month, but I like having the "opportunity" to shoot more often locally. Edited March 7, 2012 by biga9999 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Tischauser Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I feel that heat at our club. Lots of old school stand and shoot types don't think us young 30 something's can run and gun safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langenator Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Did not realize how spoiled I am. We have 3 gun every 3rd Saturday, 2 or 3 gun 4th or 5th Saturday, and pistol matches thrown in other weekends. And there are 2 other ranges close by that run a similar # of matches. And I'm guessing you're not even considering driving out to College Station, which has a HM/Tac-Iron match 3rd Sunday and poodle-shooter 3gun on the 4th weekend. Only a 2 hour drive, which seems like what some folks on this board do to get to any match at all. I have thought about it, just hard to find time with 2 kids. I loved my time in College Station, and need to find more reasons to get back down there. I only get to shoot about once a month, but I like having the "opportunity" to shoot more often locally. I've never shot BOTW (yet), but from what I've seen in videos for there (mostly the LaRue match), CCC here is a good bit different experience. Lots more long range steel for the rifles, vs shorter range shooting at cardboard IPSC targets. For those folks who live a reasonable distance from both, you can get a great variety in your 3-gun shooting experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Texas Granny Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) I'm curious where you are located. Here in Texas 3 Gun is alive and well. Even the clubs that do not put on 3 gun matches will occasionally include a rifle or shotgun sidematch. Bill That's true. I'm seeing more and more interest for 3gun in my area. The interest is there for putting on a monthly 3 gun match. There is also interest from the LEO side for such a match. Quite sure we will have one soon it's just working out the logistics of such a match that's the main holdup. It's going to happen regardless of how others feel. It's the new wave of "action shooting " and I predict it will redifine that very term. It's doing so now. Need a new trigger for the AR now that's for sure. Edited March 8, 2012 by West Texas Granny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueOvalBruin Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 We have a club in Georgia that deals with this in a very positive way. All members of the club pay dues AND have to put in 40 hours of service to the club over the course of a year. "Service" can mean mowing grass, doing clean up, helping run matches or setting up and tearing down matches. At the end of the year those who did not do their service hours have to pay for the hours they did not work at the rate of $10 per hour. There are folks who just pay the money but there are also enough folks who had rather work it off that as a match director they will be calling you asking what they can do and when to avoid this so the net result is that some of the cowboys and skeet shooters are helping you and vice versa. And of course if they are there helping they get exposed and interested in what your doing. Keep in mind this is not just a solution to how to get 3gun help. It works with all the shooting sports. I would be careful about implementing this sort of policy. My club tried this out for 1 year and it almost destroyed the club. And they only really needed to give ~12 hours a year. The next year club membership renewal was almost halved so the policy was reversed. It’s taken a while for the club to recover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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