When Open shooters design stages...

[Mistral404]

We have some local course designers that set courses of fire for their style--running gunning and spraying them down. So every once in awhile I set up something that brings accuracy back into play. A semi-circle of 16 paper targets with no shoots and hard cover. The A class shooters really complained about it--losts of penalty points, the C and M class did not mind it so much, because it took the speed out of the equation and put accuracy back in. I like local matches that make it fun for each class not just the upper A and M class.

It has to be enjoyable for the new folks or they will not come back!

I remember I shoot A4 when I was just starting out (L10). Boy was it a rude awakening. I was so discourage by the 40 yd double texas stars and targets with no shoots. I almost stopped shooting. It was no fun to be a beginner and having to deal with that stuff.

[joecichlid]

I try and cover it all, a little something for each of the shooters. Then there are nights when I feel like setting up a stage that cators to us VERY rare 10 round single stack open shooters lol As soon as I get my high cap open gun up and running smoothly that will change I am sure.

Joe W.

[joecichlid]

Flexmoney...

I know what you mean. These days we seem to have a lot of new shooters, at least 2 or 3 new people a month, so I have to make sure they are not so frustrated that they won't come back but at the same time have to make it a bit of a test for the GM, M and A shooters at the same time. Lately I have been presenting targets so that they are viewed from 2 or even 3 times and I am laughing as I RO and watch an A or even M shooter take the same target from 2 or 3 locations. What really stinks is when I do it and I am the one that set that mess up or have a brain fart and forget which ones I have already shot and totally double mike a target. No matter what, I love setting up and enjoy shooting the stages.

For the most part I try and test the skills of the better shooters while at the same time helping the lower class shooters improve their skills without too much frustration. Not an easy task these days.

Joe W.

[gino_aki]

Good to see this topic taken up again after a year hiatus...some random thoughts:

If the same guys do the matches at the club (cuz it's small like ours) the MD's can soon be recognized by the "flavor" of their COF's...this can sometimes not be good if all the MD's are your master blasters.

If the same guys have been doing the matches for a long time, "challenging" and "fun" sometimes give way to "ease of set-up and tear-down."

So far, no one ever complains about an El Prez.

Generally, people like an unusual prop, like a welding helmet, or having to engage targets with a "prop gun" (like my now departed Model 29 with full power loads)...turns a stage afflicted with "ease-of-itis" into something much more interesting.

People get really nervous with sub-5 second partimes until they find out how long that five seconds really is...ever notice how different the feel to a "hoser" standard exercise is when the clock's shooting against you instead of the other way'round?

You show your age when you put in a "Mozambique" drill, and nobody knows what you're talking about when you mention Jim Zubenia and "Miami Vice."

With all the wild new mag pouch and belt combos, having to go prone in a COF can be fairly painful...Revenge of the Production Class....

Limited and Production shooters laugh and slap their knees a lot when Open shooters have to shoot through narrow horizontal ports.

Wanna rattle them dad-gum Open blasters? Make 'em shoot through a barrel halfway through the COF where they can't see the targets unless they're almost IN the barrel.

Wanna rattle everybody? Make the start position on any "Picnic" type stage involve holding onto beverage cans in a full cooler of ice/water.

And there's always the ol' tried and true, "Start with empty gun on table...."

[Ron Ankeny]

Anyone happen to catch Ron Avery's article in the most recent Front Sight?

[ima45dv8]

Anyone happen to catch Ron Avery's article in the most recent Front Sight?

I'm looking forward to it. Haven't caught my FS yet.

[AZ38super]

With all the wild new mag pouch and belt combos, having to go prone in a COF can be fairly painful...Revenge of the Production Class....

Limited and Production shooters laugh and slap their knees a lot when Open shooters have to shoot through narrow horizontal ports.

Wanna rattle them dad-gum Open blasters? Make 'em shoot through a barrel halfway through the COF where they can't see the targets unless they're almost IN the barrel.

Wanna rattle everybody? Make the start position on any "Picnic" type stage involve holding onto beverage cans in a full cooler of ice/water.

And there's always the ol' tried and true, "Start with empty gun on table...."

This is pretty much what our monthly club matches are. We have some great ideas showing up every month that challenge the big guys and still are fun for the little ones as well. Our match directors and helpers do a fantastic job.

Edited February 28, 2006 by AZ38super