Ap - Production Division

[Allgoodhits]

MJ,

I've never been to the Cup, so I am looking at this from an outside perspective.

I didn't even know the range was called "Chapman". But, if I am guessing right, that is the likely source of the "Chapman Barricade" event/stage that we have been shooting locally for the last couple of matches?

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You know, I was thinking about this the other day.

The NRA is a huge organization. And, it has a huge list of gun owners...shooters...ranges...etc.

It has the know-how in marketing and the wherewithal.

There are AP stages that are easy to setup.

The guns, at the local level at least, don't need to be very specialized. Heck, it could be easily shoot with 22 rimfire.

If the NRA really wanted to grow this sport, wouldn't it be growing ???

Flex,

The facility that the BC has always been is the Green Valley Range on Academy Road in Hallsville, MO, which they acquired from Ray Chapman, the 1977 World Action Shooting Champion. (Google Earth it) It was originally known as the Chapman Academy, and likely still is by some. Ray who was and is a real piece of work started this thing in 1979 known as Bianchi Cup in cooperation with John Bianchi of then Bianchi Leather.

The physical structure of the "Bianchi Cup" portion of the facility is rather rigid, as the mover, the plates the practical and barricade venues are rather permanent and positioned adjacent to each other. Rearranging the barricades (there are 12 permanent in concrete) or rearranging the target lines would be very difficult as they are all permanent turning systems. They have four permanent auto reset plate racks. They have a four motor (4 targets) mover venue which is also permanent. Basically, the facility was built for the 1979 Bianchi Cup and other than expansion and upgrades those 4 main venues have remained the same. Thus I believe we are stuck with the BC 4 events as we know them. Tradition comes into play to. The side events are on the same facility but a distance away.

It is hard to describe the tournament known as the Bianchi Cup. I can tell you this, the week of the tournament is much more than than a COF. It has it's own energy and almost a life of it's own. There have been many a terrific shooter shoot way below their ability and their expectation year after year during the Bianchi Cup.

The Cup doesn't bring the biggest crowd, but it does bring a special crowd. By the way the Bianchi Cup facilty as it is probably is tapped out at about 225-250 shooters. My recall from the early days the invitations were limited such that 225 was the max. Those who continue to come to Bianchi, like me complain a fair amount, and threaten to not come back, however we keep returning to prove something. Certainly most of us don't go there to win it. As that is not very likely when Doug, Bruce and few others are there too.

We go with individual goals. To clean the plates at Bianchi is a big deal, no matter how easy it is at home. To shoot a respectable score at BC is a big deal, yet it doesn't sound like it would be that hard. You would have to experience the energy, the stress, the fun of the Bianchi Cup to really understand. Again to repeat what Leatham, Doug, Bruce and a host of other world class shooters claim, and that is shooting the Bianchi Cup teaches you much about yourself, as it is very different than any other tournament. I have seen shooters famous and otherwise miss more plates during single Plate Match at Bianchi than they had in the previous year combined, perhaps shooting thousands of rounds on plates! The Mover, the barriaced and practical all have their own gremlins too.

Regarding your last comment about the NRA and growth. Many of us have felt for several years now that the NRA wants it to die, because of what appeared to be what they were doing (changing rules, positions etc) or what they were not doing as far as promotions etc. The Bianchi Cup is bigger than a pistol match, it has become an exodus for nearly 30 years for people to gather from all over the world, to tackle that mountain in Missouri we call the Bianchi Cup.

May 26th I swore I would never go back after I missed a plate in my last event which took me from a 1910 to a 1900 immediately, but I am already thinking about the gathering at base camp to attempt the "climb" one more time! I am sure that there are many others who are doing the same thing, even after swearing they would never go back. The Cup is that powerful. I don't know if I love hating it, or if I hate loving it but damn, I want another crack at a 1920 at the Bianchi Cup as a 1920 fired anywhere else doesn't matter as much, I know firsthand!

MJ

[GrantJ]

Well written Martin, like anyone who has competed at the "Cup" you have the atmosphere in your system. This was to have been my last year, but now I am not so sure. I still feel that I have an ax to grind with this thing, and this year the grinder wasn't working the way I had planned. May be next year?

As for the facility, there is much more to it than meets the eye. There is a complete set of ranges behind the upper mover fully capable of duplicating the lower area.

Tomorrow we shoot the Cameron Cup in honor of our friend and Action Pistol competitor John Cameron. We have over 30 competitors for this one day event. John would have been pleased with the turnout, especially as we have managed to fill all of the classes for NRA awards. This is also a "Postal" match. Our friends in New Zealand are also running a competition this weekend and we will be combining the scores for international placing. It should be fun.

GrantJ