Aint No Rest 4 The Wicked Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 While shooting a steel match this weekend many the people in our squad began to have a conversation about the eight stages of steel that we were shooting. The match consisted of the same eight stages that are found in the Steel Challenge and the US Steel National. A large consensus of the shooters stated they would like to see more variety of stage available to shoot. For example, if there were 24 or so sanctioned stages, a match could at random choose eight different stages for that match. This would add some variety and attract more shooters to a great sport. I am sure that we are not the first, nor the last, who would suggested something like this. I would hope the SCSA would check with their members to see if this would be a desired change. Steel matches is a fantastic way to introduce new and young shooters to the competitive shootings sports. I believe greater variety would translate to greater interest and participation. What do you think?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I used to have a whole 3-ring binder full of Steel Challenge stages. I handed it off to the next Match Director when they took the match off my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmca Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'm not sure how it would work with the classifying system? Do we have a classifying system yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I think you'd keep the 8 stages (whatever they may be from the World Championship match) as the classifier stages. They will get shot. Perhaps a mid-level match could run a mix? Half the stages from the big match and the other half from the Match Director's stable of creativity. ?? stable of creativity? WTH is that? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoleroJesse Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Our club has been on the fence about Steel Challenge for about a year now. The perceived lack of variety pushes half of our shooters away. We'd like to have a week night match and Steel Challenge seems like the perfect solution to 'get our kicks.' And it's a good way to bring in new shooters with rim-fire. I think using the standard 8 as classifiers is a perfect solution. I think a good balance would be L1 matches can shoot 1/4 to 1/3 classifiers. Or something like that. I'm spit-balling on that but anywho.... Great Idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I know of an unaffiliated steel match that designs their own stages regularly, and only occasionally shoots the official stages..... They put on a quality match. If I were to be serious about running a club, I'd want to shoot the "whole match" maybe 3-6 times a year, and mix it up the rest of the time. If local competitors were heading to the big match, maybe run those stages for 2-3 matches in a row, preceding the event..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmca Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Our club runs the full 8 stages once a month. We used to have it 2 or 3 times a month June thru August, when the challenge was in Piru. I think variety is nice, but I also think that running the "standard" stages gives you a gauge against all other challenge shooters no matter where they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ming the Merciless Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Our club runs the full 8 stages once a month. We used to have it 2 or 3 times a month June thru August, when the challenge was in Piru. I think variety is nice, but I also think that running the "standard" stages gives you a gauge against all other challenge shooters no matter where they are. Which club? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmca Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Our club runs the full 8 stages once a month. We used to have it 2 or 3 times a month June thru August, when the challenge was in Piru. I think variety is nice, but I also think that running the "standard" stages gives you a gauge against all other challenge shooters no matter where they are. Which club? Motherload Pistol Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 As a SC Match Director, I run four of the eight stages along with one custom stage every month. Sometimes I will throw in a sixth stage if there is time and space. I get a lot of feedback from the monthly "custom" stage and that has helped me keep the interest of the shooters so they keep them coming back. So, yes, I am in favor of more variety but keeping the standard eight as the classifiers and to gauge against other shooters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amish_rabbi Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I run a full match monthly in the summer of all 8 stages and then in the winter i do more varied stuff that is shorter (this year its pistol and shotgun 2 gun steel) There are 3 clubs within an hour of mine that shoot their own steel matches without the sanctioned stages and while this is fun to shoot I have quite a few shooters come to my matches specifically because it is the 8 set stages and they can see their progress very easily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aint No Rest 4 The Wicked Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 I would like to see the major matches like the steel challenge and US steel national also have more variety not just the local match. Shoot eight stages but out say 25 or so sanctioned stages. The stages can be picked at random. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aint No Rest 4 The Wicked Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 If they add more sanctioned stages people can still gauge their performance against any one else that has shot the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drysideshooter Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Our club runs the full 8 stages once a month. We used to have it 2 or 3 times a month June thru August, when the challenge was in Piru. I think variety is nice, but I also think that running the "standard" stages gives you a gauge against all other challenge shooters no matter where they are. That's how I feel. Most of our local matches shoot 5 stages most of the time, with special events being all 8. I think maybe having 5 of the standards and then a fun stage or two might make things a bit more interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoleroJesse Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Our club runs the full 8 stages once a month. We used to have it 2 or 3 times a month June thru August, when the challenge was in Piru. I think variety is nice, but I also think that running the "standard" stages gives you a gauge against all other challenge shooters no matter where they are. That's how I feel. Most of our local matches shoot 5 stages most of the time, with special events being all 8. I think maybe having 5 of the standards and then a fun stage or two might make things a bit more interesting. Our club would much rather prefer 2 standard and 3 made up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Mixing up the stages, instead of running the same things over and over and over, would be a much better test of real shooting skill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooting for M Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 When I was running the steel match here I would do 2 sanctioned and two from a huge list of stages I found on a link from here. We now have 5 bays and the guy that took over for me has been doing 2 or 3 sanctioned and the rest from that same list. The 8 satges are a pretty good mix, but I never want to shoot the same thing every month. With 5 stages I try to run at least 2 "fast" stages and at least two "accuracy" stages. I did do a "fast" match once and got lots of good feedback though, hardest target was a 12" plate at about 15 yards and used all of the 18X24s I had. Listen to the guys that shoot at your club, if they want to try something different, try it. One issue you will have is your steel running 8 stages, if you bought a kit. If you have extra of everything it won't really be an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzYooper Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 We have two steel Challenge matched every month that use all 8 stages. One of them submits scores so I can gauge my progress. There is a certain pursuit of perfectness when you try to improve on such simple 5 shot runs. If the format changed every month it would just be another steel match. We have two steel matches every week, so I can get enough of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantg Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Recently we started running 4 official stages and 1 or 2 "fun stages'. In July and August we set up 5 stages that I called fun and fast to beat the heat. We got such great feedback on the stages that we decided to incorporate them into the monthly shoots. We will probably do something similar for the winter months to avoid spending too many hours standing in the sub-zero temps. This allows everyone to have a "measuring stick" of standard stages and to experience some variety each month as well. I see it as the best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 We reguarly run a steel match at club level every week. At times we have a couple of the standard 8. At other times it is what ever we throw together. The other week we had one stage that only had 4 targets. We started it on one plate that was actually the stop plate also. It made the competitor have to come back to the same plate at the end of the stage. Mix it up is what I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
de03x7 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Our monthly match is four stages and rarely uses any of the 8 standard stages. There are stages set up with poppers set not to fall and sometimes will have a split popper set in front of a couple as a no shoot. Our yearly state championship this past summer was 10 stages and 3 were of the standard 8. There is usually a stage with a barricade to shoot around and our last match this summer had a stage with 7 plates and the shooter had to decide which 4 of the six to shoot before the stop plate. You could shoot 3 easy 18x24 plates on one side of the barricade then go to the other side for a couple of fairly easy twelve inch plates or you had the option of 3 long shots on eight inch plates but no movement across the barricade. I enjoy having the nonstandard stages because it keeps the matchs fresh. If there were a classifier system we would probably use the standard stages more often but until there is a national system I just watch how I stack up to the local shooters anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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