Double Tap Championship WF, TX

[scorch]

Ladies and Gentlemen: On behalf of the Double Tap Ranch, I am extending to you a personal invitation to compete in the First Annual - USPSA-STI Double Tap Championship. We welcome you to participate in what will become a nationally recognized match. The Double Tap Championship will be a Two Day Match and will be Saturday March 19 & Sunday March 20, 2005. The match will consist of 12 very creative and fun stages of fire which have been in the planning for a year now. The match will require a minimum of 300+ rounds of ammo. We will recognize ALL USPSA divisions at this match, so bring your favorite blaster. The entry fee is a low $85.00 before Feb. 20th, 40.00 for Jrs. and 115.00 / 70.00 after Feb. 20th 2005 This year will have a large “bucket raffle” prize table and some beautiful crystal laser engraved trophies to be given to the winners of each class that has more than 5 competitors. Also first and second in each division will be awarded a special Prize and one of the crystal trophies. (see a photo of the trophies on our web sight at www.doubletapranch.com )

The Town: Wichita Falls is a medium size city of 100,000 friendly folks and has plenty of hotel space (1500 rooms) and the ability to fly directly into and out of the host town, Wichita Falls Just two hours north of Dallas, has most of the major restaurant chains, and a Casino just 15 minute north on the highway. For more information on our match/range, an entry form and Match release, The stage designs, a map to the range, hotels, Match Info and a Photo of the Crystal trophies, go to our web site at www.doubletapranch.com. Get your entry in quickly as we are only excepting 200 entries.

We would also like to Thank the Sponsors of the up coming Double Tap Championship March 19 & 20th that have made a commitment to this match. STI international - Founding Match Sponsor • Shooters Connection & North Texas Shooting Academy - Major Match Sponsor • Dawson Precision / Grams Engineering / Matt Burkett.com / Concealed Carry Systems / X/S Sight Systems / The Target Barn/ Bulletworks/Competitive Edge Dynamics

[trickpony]

WOW! This looks to be a great match - the stages are AWESOME! I'm Looking forward to a great match.

Thanks

[JohnRodriguez]

everything but the raffle prize table sounds good, the first time I shoot at a raffle match, I was the last person drawn (after finishing 2nd in my division), the second time I shoot a raffle match 5th from last drawn. Get rid of the raffle and myself and many others would like to shoot the match, or how about a $30ish match fee if we don't want to be in the raffle.

[kspeer]

Oh come on and shoot John, you know you enjoyed that bottle of gun oil!

Kevin

[sfinney]

From what I was hearing, I think he plans on having some pretty decent prizes for each division winner, and 2nd (the "special" prizes listed below)..... plus the crystal trophies for each division, and each class "placers" that have enough people. On top of the bucket raffle. Robert - some clarification? Could you fill everyone in on the "special" prizes for Divison 1st and 2nd?

(also, imho the match fee is going towards paying for alot more than just the prizes - I'd guess most of the expense of the match will be for the dedicted R.O. expenses, setup, etc, on top of any purchased prizes. $85 sounds pretty reasonable to me for a 2 day, fully R.O.ed, 12 stage match, prizes or no. )

[John Heiter]

I'm all for keeping match fees low but "30ish"? Are you for real?

**Disclaimer: I have no affiliation w/ the Double Tap, no access to their financial records, and am not involved in it at all other than as a potential shooter.**

I'm not saying this to pick on anyone in particular but I hear things like this a lot and it bugs me. For those of you who have never tried to put on a big match while keeping costs down, you just can't expect anyone be able to put on a good match for that kind of money.

Here are some rough numbers to think about:

This is a 300 round match so figure somewhere around 150 targets (-steel/+noshoots) If we say 100 competitors just for a starting point, they'll need to be changed out three or four times during the match so there's $300 in targets right there. Now add in another $150 for a weekends worth of pasters and spray paint. Tack on about $500 for RO shirts, $300 for Porta Potties, $400 for match book printing, $300 for score sheet printing, $500 in USPSA fees if you don't have a classifier, $500 or so for host range fees, etc. and with all of the walls and props in this thing you can count on a couple grand worth of materials and supplies to get all the stages ready. I'm at $4950 right now and I haven't even accounted for a ton of miscelaneous items like website fees, front sight ad fees, and I have NO IDEA what a bunch of "Laser Engraved Crystal Trophys" cost but I'm betting they're not free either.

There will probably be more than 100 competitors at the Double Tap but that means expenses go up as well. More targets, pasters, printing, etc. Sponsors are great but, in my experience, most of them want to be "prize table" sponsors, not cash sponsors, and they want their products going to Joe Shooter and not Super GM. Super GM will just sell their product if it's not what he or she already uses but Joe Shooter will proudly carry around his winnings all year round. It's advertisement.

Anyway, my point is this...ask for a good match, but please don't ask for the impossible from people that are already working their butts off for no money so that you can go shoot a match and have fun.

John

[Lee Dimaculangan]

Is there a squadding list or competitor list out yet?

[markm]

South Louisiana Open Shooters on the way, 5 for sure. Hope to see alll our old friends and make some new ones, either at the range or the BAR!

Mark

[JohnRodriguez]

hey Kevin, how are you doing?

I heard your a internet movie star now, I'll have to look up the site and see you in action. I am thinking about going and shooting the DDT. How about seeing if they get rid of the the 5 chances and going to one ticket per person (other wise you'll be waiting for ever at the end of the day to go tru at least 500 tickets if you have 100 people, 750 if you have 150 shooters. etc,etc) By the way, I got a S&W hat off that match not a bottle of oil, to bad that match fell apart this last year. Is that match in Texas going to have more noshoots that shoot targets? Just in case I need to practice aiming

John

[JFD]

I'd be thrilled to be 5th from last picked in the raffle. I've never done better than 2nd from last.

My last raffle match had me finish 2nd in L-10 (so much for experimenting in a match) and getting a certificate. By the time I waited forever for my ticket to be pulled (2nd from last), I ended up leaving the match feeling like a total loser with everyone I beat getting a better prize than me. I'm simply not a lucky person which is why I prefer shooting matches that award prizes based on performance.

I've decided that in the future I'm going to simply skip the raffle and go home.

[scorch]

Thanks Patches your right this match will cost a bunch we will be lucky to break even on it (profit we don't need no stinking Profit) We are here to put on a GREAT match, thats the point. You can not do that for 30ish dollars sponsors or no sponsors. (This is the lowest Match fee for 12 stages 300+ rounds, anywhere I have seen) Patches is right, All the sponsors but one give us stuff in retail merchandise and we BUY ALOT of it also.

The reason for the bucket raffle is that other wise the GM's run off with all the good stuff (not knocking the GM's, they worked hard to get to that skill level) and I see it on the web the next day for sale. I want to give EVERYONE the same chance at winning something. (at Trophy only matches, the top three get something and all the rest go home with nothing) With the bucket raffle you at least get a choice of what you might win instead of just a random thing. I Don't expect to make everyone happy, I know some like order of finish and some like raffles. We think this is the best compromise between the two. Doesn't mean it won't be different next year. But the bucket raffle worked good at our section championship. About the tickets, It does not matter how many tickets you give out. 100 prizes - 100 tickets drawn, even if there is 1000 tickets in all the buckets.

This is the plan for the awards.

The Awards

The prize table will be conducted as a "bucket raffle" and each competitor will get ten tickets when he signs up for the match, to place in the "bucket" in front of each prize on the table. We will draw a ticket from each bucket and you will win that prize if your name is drawn. YOU MAY ONLY WIN ONCE. When you have won, you are done.

You must be present to win or have a signed form for another person to receive your prize ( the forms are at shooters services at the concessions area.)

Top Division Winners

We believe in rewarding the top finishers in each DIVISION with something special, when according to the rules there is more than five competitors in that division. Top division finishers will NOT be eligible for any further prize winnings from the bucket raffle. ( We are in the process of working out the details on 1st & 2nd getting an STI frame and 3rd an STI slide, Production will get an Springfield X/D gun and may be a Glock for second.) also we are planning on having a gun and a frame on the raffle prize table and a couple of slides) We are looking for prizes all can use.

Top Class winners

Also we will be award laser engraved crystal trophies to first in each class when there is more than 5 in a class. 2nd place trophies when more than 8 in a class and third place when more than 10 in a class. All class winners WILL also be eligible for prizes from the bucket raffle. Hope this clears things up. We definitely will take all realistic suggestions, thanks for listening.

Robert

P.S. Squadding list is on my computer. we try to do all squadding request.

Got about 65 signed up already. Lee you on the super squad. Stages are poste on our web page at www.doubletapranch.com ....very little no shoots, but you still need to aim

[Precision40]

$85 sounds pretty reasonable to me for a 2 day, fully R.O.ed, 12 stage match, prizes or no. )

It's VERY reasonable considering what all your getting. If it's anything like his last match, your in for a good time. A couple guns, a couple frames, TONS of other stuff, and 12 high round count stages to boot. I'd shoot this match if it were a "thanks for coming" no prizes or awards match. The stages look awesome!!!

And yes, you can shoot the match for $35 IF you RO

[kspeer]

If its the video I am thinking of, you need not look at it! I believe I ran the gun dry.

It is a shame about that Az match. Talk about fun.

Robert puts on a good match, I shoot there at least once if not twice a month.

Using your sights is way over rated anyway.

Hop in that car of yours and come over, I promise you will have a nice hangover!

You forget that I won a pink Smith and Wesson shirt that day!

Kevin

[scorch]

I was talking with a friend tonight about the bucket raffle and realized that some do not know how a "BUCKET RAFFLE" Works, Heres the low down.

We will put all the prizes out on the tables with a cardboard "Bucket" in front of each prize. The shooters will look the table over and deposit a ticket in each of the prizes they are interested in winning.

The shooter can pick as many buckets to put his or her tickets in or he can put three or four of the ten tickets he will get for signing up in a few buckets or if he sees something he really wants he might put all his tickets in one ( This worked for me at last bucket raffle I won what I put all my tickets in) When all tickets are placed. Then we will start with a prize and pull a ticket out of that prizes bucket and and call out a winner and give that prize away, then so on and so forth, till all is given away. As I said earlier This gives the shooter a chance to pick something he might want rather than getting just anything old thing. Any questions?

[Carmoney]

Scorch--you mentioned in the other string that they changed the rules for the point series and this match is not eligible. I'm familiar with how the 2005 point series works from the shooter's perspective, but what does it take for the match to be eligible, other than getting approval from the area director and submitting the scores to HQ using the proper software? Why is your match not eligible?

Thanks,

Mike

[Gwhiz]

This should be a great match no mater how the prizes are handed out. Robert always puts on a great match. At least one of the KS group is coming, sorry but Brian is in jail so he's not comming.

[Jeeper]

We sent our stuff in this week. It should be a hell of a lot of fun and a good match before Space CIty. I am really looking forward to it.

$85 is DIRT CHEAP for 12 stages in 2 days with any round count much less 300.

[scorch]

Well, I talked to the area director and they have changed the rules for 2005.

First only one "other" match in the area can be points series.

Second thing is that the match MUST be a touranment level match or higher, which runs up the cost of putting on a match like this.

Then there was some other stuff... but I had already lost intrest in the point series conversation by that point.

The Texas State Limited was a point series last year and they had ONE guy sign up for itout of 150 people or so. I guess its not a big draw in this part of the country.

[Lee Dimaculangan]

cool - looks like wichita falls is gonna have a lot of houston visitors

[Gun Phan]

I'm in! Limited-10 with G-35. Man, that's alot of reloads. Looking forward to seeing the range. I heard it was planned and built by shooters.

Is this going to be the new location for Area IV Match? (heard rumors).

[BigLucky]

This looks like it is going to be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to it.

I thought that the floppy bed start at California State Championships was bad for us "LARGER" shooters, but the Bathtub start might overtake it.

See y'all there.

[Sgtsvi]

If you guys get a chance, you should really make an effort to shoot at this range. Robert is a shooter and likes making high round count stages. Every shooter I have met at his range is friendly and serious about their shooting. I will look forward to meeting some of you guys that I talk to on this forum.

Just dont interrupt kspeer when he is telling a story. He will get upset and pout

Dave

[scorch]

Hey Glock Phan. At this time there is no intentions, that I know of, to move the Area 4 Match to our range. I had talked to the area four director in the past (before I actually built the range) about MAYBE hosting area 4 there and he was open to the idea and told me to give him a proposal. Which we have not done at this time. We have the facilities and the number of bays (14 bays present plan is to increase to 18) to host an area Match. We are still debating weather we want to host another really large match here in the same year. The Double Tap Championship is about 35% full at this time (we get 4-10 Entries everyday) and looks to sell out.

Thanks for Listening

P.S. and god knows Kspeers has plenty of stories :-)

Great guy and coming on strong as a shooter in B limited

[Sgtsvi]

Mine goes in the mail today. Looking forward to the match.

Dave

[kspeer]

I know of two people who arent on my "What do I do if I win the lottery?" list!

Kevin