2005 USPSA Nationals Location?

[MasterLefty]

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Years ago Tommy Campbell would regulary finish in the top shooting a S&W 745 (I think it was a gun he put together and resembled a 745) ....

Tommy's gun was a full custom gun that pre-dates the 745. In the 80's, Tommy was shooting 45ACP when Smith & Wesson did not have a large bore pistol in their product line. I heard that the estimated cost of his pistol to build was $25,000.

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Kenny

[BDH]

I realize PASA is a good facility and it's centrally located, but it sure would be nice to have the nationals in America (and not Illinois) for a change.

Rhinomeister, this comment has been made before, and will be made again, but have you ever been to Barry/PASA/Quincy?? Especially, during a major match like Nationals??? When you are driving across I-72 thru Illinois, in addition to endless corn, and soybeans, you will see numerous PRO-GUN signs posted by Guns Save Life.com..... when you pull into Quincy, you will see the big WELCOME USPSA banner hanging across the main street downtown.... you will find resturants that that ask you 'if you are a shooter' before they will tell you how long the wait is, and when you say 'yes' they find a way to get you in!! I realize that Cook County is all screwed up, and should be annexed to Kalifornia, but I can not imagine a much more gun friendly environment than West Central Illinois.

Oh ya, and did I mention that PASA is one hell of a facility with one of the best (if not best) set-up crews in the Country? I have NO ties to PASA and am happy to go anywhere in the US, but when it comes to putting on a match like the Nationals, PASA is going to be tough to beat........

(although, the idea of PASA in July again, does not excite me)

[sfinney]

I've got no problem with July, or PASA, or anywhere else - but the "back to back" format just doesn't work for normal working people - I can't arrange that much time off just to go shoot. 3 or 4 days maybe, but not a full week and both weekends.

Missed the Nationals again this year due to not being able/willing/afford to take 9 days to shoot a match (driving, registration, match, shootoff awards, driving) ..... for what I would have spent in $ and vacation time I can shoot 3 - 4 other major matches.

Other shooting sports are able to have huge nationals in a much smaller number of days, why does USPSA always make the Nationals a marathon event, when it could be shot in a much smaller time frame?

Rhetorical question - I know the answer, just don't think its a valid one.

[shred]

Two things that struck me about PASA on my first visit:

Can't PASA get a bulldozer and improve the parking situation? "Your parking space is up the side of this hill here.."

Also, the monotonous white walls got boring.. They do make other colors of paint, ya know, and if you get the 'oops' paint, it's cheeep.

[davidwiz]

How many shooting bays does a club need to host such an event?

USPSA actively solicits ranges to put in bids to host the Nationals. The problem is, as I understand it, not many do.

IIRC, a range would need enought room to host 20 - 25 stages, be relatively close to an major airport and have enough hotel rooms w/in 30-40 miles to house 500+ people for a week.

There a lots of range facilities in the US that meet those characteristics. The problem is (as I hear) the BOD of some of those clubs aren't very action-shooting friendly and/or want too big of a cut of the proceeds. :-(

[mactiger]

You don't want to get into the parking thing, Shred, trust me...

Parking "up the hill", whether it's flat or slanted, is a huge improvement over parking off the main road and hiking to everywhere. I doubt that they'll bulldoze more flat spots anytime soon, but I wouldn't be surprised to see more bays added.

Second, it takes a two man crew all day to paint the walls. If they were changing paint colors, it would take longer. Each CRO has a small ($25) budget to pay for decorating their stage, and this year, almost 2 full days to do it. Some do, some don't. Besides, it's not "House Beautiful", it's a shooting match.

Troy

[MasterLefty]

Besides, it's not "House Beautiful", it's a shooting match. 

Yes, it is a shooting match and when you are the person behind pistol you do not see the little extra that set dressing adds to a stage. (Not everyone has a Kathy Powe at their home range either. )

However, you don't need to decorate every wall, sometimes just a single wall adds a lot of dramatics and turns a good stage into an excellent stage.

The wall on stage 12 with the palm trees and sunset help to make Deb's Yard a fun little stage. That wall without the diamonds scattered about the remainer of the stage would have been sufficent.

Denise's stage was simple, but the addition of flowers added a little some some on the side.

Stage 18 was neat with just simple ZZZ's.

I even liked the checker boarding on Stage 21.

Stage 14 was a ???, I don't know how to describe it.

Your utility kilt even added a little something to a well designed match.

Kenny

If you built it, I will come shoot it. If it has some eye candy (set decorations for those whose minds wonder), I will remember it for years to come.

[rhino]

Rhinomeister, this comment has been made before, and will be made again, but have you ever been to Barry/PASA/Quincy?? Especially, during a major match like Nationals??? When you are driving across I-72 thru Illinois, in addition to endless corn, and soybeans, you will see numerous PRO-GUN signs posted by Guns Save Life.com..... when you pull into Quincy, you will see the big WELCOME USPSA banner hanging across the main street downtown.... you will find resturants that that ask you 'if you are a shooter' before they will tell you how long the wait is, and when you say 'yes' they find a way to get you in!! I realize that Cook County is all screwed up, and should be annexed to Kalifornia, but I can not imagine a much more gun friendly environment than West Central Illinois.

I have no doubt that everything you say is true. That does not change the fact that on my side of an arbitrary geo-political division (the state line), I am a law abiding citizen, but on the other side of that tiny line, I (would be) committing a felony. Nor will the pro-gun attitude of the locals near Barry/PASA help me much if (when) some overzealous Illinois state cop decides to go on a fishing expedition and I end up with a felony conviction for breaking an immoral law.

To answer you question, no. I have never been to PASA. It is unlikely I will ever go there either. If the laws changed (which won't happen), I would not hesitate to visit there. As it stands now, it's not going to happen.

Now, I know I sound like a broken record and probably more than one person reading this is tired of reading me repeat myself on this topic, but ... carry laws are always ... ALWAYS ... going to be a prime factor in my decision to attend a match. In this topic about where the nationals might be held, I choose to advocate having the match somewhere other than Illinois and states like it.

You can probably imagine how happy I was that Area 5 moved back to America from Illinois this year. You saw me there. I suck and probably I'm obviously just throwing my money away at a match that big, but it's being held in a place where I am willing to go and I practice what I preach.

I'll be visiting Ohio in the near future, thanks to some semi-rational behavior by your law makers and my handy FLORIDA CWP.

[Flexmoney]

I'll be visiting Ohio in the near future, thanks to some semi-rational behavior by your law makers and my handy FLORIDA CWP.

We shoot at Circleville this weekend...see you Saturday!!!

[fullautodave]

To answer you question, no. I have never been to PASA. It is unlikely I will ever go there either. If the laws changed (which won't happen), I would not hesitate to visit there. As it stands now, it's not going to happen.

Everyone has their reasons, but why don't you do what we all did or even still do before there was a concealed carry law?

[rhino]

We shoot at Circleville this weekend...see you Saturday!!!

I can't make it this time ... I have to play taxi driver for my nephew in Indianapolis on Saturday. Next month is possible ... where is Circleville located?

Everyone has their reasons, but why don't you do what we all did or even still do before there was a concealed carry law?

I'd have to know what it is that you all did or even still do before I can answer why I don't do it!

[Flexmoney]

Circleville is about 35min. due south of Columbus (on RT. 23). The club is called Pickaway County Sportsman...located about 2.5 miles east of town...straight past the fairgrounds.

I don't think they have enough bays to hold the Nationals though (see how I brought that drift back on topic. )

[Chriss Grube]

I've heard all the bitchin', pissing and moaning and a lot of it is from people who have never been there. I'll be the first to say that Quincy and the surrounding area sucks when you have down time. This years format you had a bunch. You can't really go do a whole lot if you want to concentrate on the match anyway. I spent most of the down time gaming stages and watching others shoot. PASA has a great facility which allows USPSA to put on a hell of a match. Not many ranges have the facilities to be used for this size match. This year they let you park up the hill which saved a lot of humping gear up that damn hill. You want to go shoot a match PASA is good. You want to go on vacation then go on vacation. I just don't see being able to really do both without the shooting performance suffering. The weather can suck in any part of the country so get over it already. I shot the A8 in a constant downpour and mud, the MASC was hot and humid. Until some genius can come up with an AC system for an outdoor range then I guess we all get to shoot in some less than perfect weather.

[Sam]

Quincy is OK. I ain't going there to dance all night. PASA Park is kinda cool too. Got sort of a "Green Acres" thing going on.

If I had my druthers, I'd pick Bend over Barry just because there's nothing but open country between here and there. Driving east there's actually traffic!

[GeorgeInNePa]

I've heard all the bitchin', pissing and moaning and a lot of it is from people who have never been there. I'll be the first to say that Quincy and the surrounding area sucks when you have down time. This years format you had a bunch. You can't really go do a whole lot if you want to concentrate on the match anyway. I spent most of the down time gaming stages and watching others shoot. PASA has a great facility which allows USPSA to put on a hell of a match. Not many ranges have the facilities to be used for this size match. This year they let you park up the hill which saved a lot of humping gear up that damn hill. You want to go shoot a match PASA is good. You want to go on vacation then go on vacation. I just don't see being able to really do both without the shooting performance suffering. The weather can suck in any part of the country so get over it already. I shot the A8 in a constant downpour and mud, the MASC was hot and humid. Until some genius can come up with an AC system for an outdoor range then I guess we all get to shoot in some less than perfect weather.

I prefer to spend my down time drinking, which of course is why I suck when I go to a big match!

[Nik Habicht]

I've heard all the bitchin', pissing and moaning and a lot of it is from people who have never been there. I'll be the first to say that Quincy and the surrounding area sucks when you have down time. This years format you had a bunch. You can't really go do a whole lot if you want to concentrate on the match anyway. I spent most of the down time gaming stages and watching others shoot. PASA has a great facility which allows USPSA to put on a hell of a match. Not many ranges have the facilities to be used for this size match. This year they let you park up the hill which saved a lot of humping gear up that damn hill. You want to go shoot a match PASA is good. You want to go on vacation then go on vacation. I just don't see being able to really do both without the shooting performance suffering. The weather can suck in any part of the country so get over it already. I shot the A8 in a constant downpour and mud, the MASC was hot and humid. Until some genius can come up with an AC system for an outdoor range then I guess we all get to shoot in some less than perfect weather.

I prefer to spend my down time drinking, which of course is why I suck when I go to a big match!

George,

Ask Chriss sometime what effect closing down a Hooters has on big match performance.....

[Nik Habicht]

If I had my druthers, I'd pick Bend over Barry just because there's nothing but open country between here and there. Driving east there's actually traffic!

I love getting past Indianapolis ---- cause traffic just disappears for the rest of the trip. Are you trying to tell me that traffic will decrease more if I keep on truckin' west?

[Jim Norman]

But the number one question for the 2005 nationals is.......

Will Vince Pinto show up and actually shoot a match in the US?

[Patrick Sweeney]

Between shooting a match, gaming the next days stages, taking photos, and interviewing shooters, I don't have time or energy to go to Disneyland. Quincy may be boring, but Hannibal has a bunch of tourist-y things related to Mark Twain. You could spend a day there before getting bored.

As for the white walls, I object due to photographic reasons. Too much light! If I expose to keep the wall from "blowing out" the shooters face disappears into shadow. If I expose for the face or shirt, the wall ceases to exist, becoming blown-out highlights. Big deal, you say? Well, the sponsor's banner also enters the problem: expose for wall, the banner becomes black blob. Expose for banner, and wall gets blown out.

How about a nice, restful beige?

[Vince Pinto]

But the number one question for the 2005 nationals is....... will Vince Pinto show up and actually shoot a match in the US?

I don't know why, but the song "Me And My Shadow" keeps playing over and over in my head. Moreover, I have this irresistible urge to watch "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and "Groundhog Day" again. Maybe I shouldn't eat cookies beyond their "Use By" date?

Anyway, no, I flatly refuse to attend the US Nationals until they have at least one stage with static Metric Targets hung upside down in a "Hanging Ninja" configuration. I mean, seriously folks, how can anybody hold a major match without them? I also demand cotton candy at the vendor's tent, and that RO's be required to wear big red noses and floppy shoes.

I also think we should get the crew from "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" to decorate the stages, because having white walls is soooooo 1990.

(Are we having fun yet?)

[mactiger]

Between shooting a match, gaming the next days stages, taking photos, and interviewing shooters, I don't have time or energy to go to Disneyland. Quincy may be boring, but Hannibal has a bunch of tourist-y things related to Mark Twain. You could spend a day there before getting bored.

As for the white walls, I object due to photographic reasons. Too much light! If I expose to keep the wall from "blowing out" the shooters face disappears into shadow. If I expose for the face or shirt, the wall ceases to exist, becoming blown-out highlights. Big deal, you say? Well, the sponsor's banner also enters the problem: expose for wall, the banner becomes black blob. Expose for banner, and wall gets blown out.

How about a nice, restful beige?

Now, that's one of the best arguments/requests for different color walls that I've seen. Any particular shade of beige?

Troy

[mactiger]

Anyway, no, I flatly refuse to attend the US Nationals until they have at least one stage with static Metric Targets hung upside down in a "Hanging Ninja" configuration. I mean, seriously folks, how can anybody hold a major match without them? I also demand cotton candy at the vendor's tent, and that RO's be required to wear big red noses and floppy shoes.

I also think we should get the crew from "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" to decorate the stages, because having white walls is soooooo 1990.

(Are we having fun yet?)

After a night at The Ritz, the big red noses aren't hard to come by.

We'll be sure to build a couple of special stages just for you, Uncle Vinny.

But, I'd rather have eye candy than cotton candy, wouldn't you?

Troy

[Patrick Sweeney]

I only want eye candy on hand if you select the, er, ah, "talent" so as to maximize the distraction factor for Jerry Miculek.

Something a shade darker than Taupe, more brown than Putty, and not so yellow as Ivory, and you've got it. And Mauve trim. (I used to manage a paper warehouse, supplying paper and ink to commercial printers. The color names for the hundreds of shades of white and cream/biege alone were a scream.)

[rhino]

Sounds like you've moved past "paint" to "wall treatments." I'm keepin' an eye on you, Sweeney.

[shred]

Something a shade darker than Taupe, more brown than Putty, and not so yellow as Ivory, and you've got it. And Mauve trim. (I used to manage a paper warehouse, supplying paper and ink to commercial printers. The color names for the hundreds of shades of white and cream/biege alone were a scream.)

Ick. Non-stop beige? Area 4 was almost all beige.

With a portable painting set, the painters can drive around the stages and paint a bunch of walls one color, then switch colors, make another lap around the stages painting more walls, and so on. That would only add drive-time to the equation.

Otherwise, having a selection of paint 'spot colors' available for the RO's might be good too.