2018 South Central Steel Matches

[VERT]

I am starting this thread to ask for opinions. South Central Gun Club in Freetown, IN recently discontinued Steel Challenge due to lack of participation. This is an activity that the club officers would like to see continue. It was suggested that an evening steel challenge shoot might attract more participants.

1) I am asking for feedback about what day and time would be best.
2) We would ask for help in setting up these matches.
3) These matches do not have to be all steel. There is a lot of room for creativity.

SCGC has 7 bays, barrels, props and targets.

.......AND GO...................

 

[Bcampbell]

IDEAS
1. Having the event on mondays or wednesdays. "Correlate with HHRP" to alternate weeks
2. Possibly set up SCSA layouts one event, SASP scholastic layouts next event.
Several scholastic team shooters in the area. Their events are only 4 stages all steel.
Contact the scholastic coaches to steer team members to your event for practice.
New scholastic teams starting by Bloomington
Contact 4h teams to promote their firearm training.

3. 4 stages is normally plenty on a week night.

 

[bwframe]

Ooooh, hard to jump too far into committing being an hour (+ construction) out, but this sounds like a nice option. Steel is great and I always need that challenge, but USPSA movement is flat out fun.

 

[VERT]

Ooooh, hard to jump too far into committing being an hour (+ construction) out, but this sounds like a nice option. Steel is great and I always need that challenge, but USPSA movement is flat out fun.

Nobody says there can't be some movement or use of props. Nobody says the stages have to be official steel challenge or Scholastic Shooting stages. Of course those organizing the match can choose those setups as well.

 

[EyeCarry]

Weekday evenings could be tough for me unless I can coordinate any half work days (when I work saturdays). Weekend evenings could work for me and it would be nice to get home with a little daylight left.
I love steel matches. Not so much uspsa yet. I have shot a few movement stages and they are fun as well as others. My track record for getting down to scgc is, at most, twice a year. Maybe we need a shuttle bus for us up here in Bloomington/Monroe Co.

 

[Darwin1973]

For Ben and I, in the spring and summer he shoots Monday Night Steel at HHRP, SPP practice Tuesday's at HHRP and SCTP at Atterbury on Thursdays.

What about a evening match if we could get some lights for the range. Alternate it between the off weeks of Monday night steel and FNS. Maybe Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

 

[sv40sw45]

This will all come down to some one taking on the roll of setting up tearing, down and running the matches.

 

[VERT]

This will all come down to some one taking on the roll of setting up tearing, down and running the matches.

Shhhh.....Don't scare them off. You have to leave the bait out there and let them play with the bobber a bit.

We don't have electricity on the range. But Streamlight and SureFire make products that can help.

 

[Coach]

It is great that folks are wanting to get more matches down there. I hope they are successful. I also hope that it is done properly. One aspect of proper is that they are legitimate matches. Meaning not outlaw matches that use the name of USPSA and Steel Challenge but do not pay the activity fees and advertise as matches. Seems to be that multiple clubs around the state are doing that. Properly would also mean providing the matches according to the rules.

It is one thing to run an outlaw match for a couple of matches to get up and running but another thing to not ever do it right.

 

[gregkl]

That's too bad. I would like to come but I seem to miss the dates. I probably need to have some kind of calendar to help me keep track. A couple things come to mind:
1. Make sure they are noob friendly. I hear a lot talk on forums concerning local matches. There are groups(dare I say cliques?) of shooters who immediately want to be squadded with so and so. "Put me with the tactiturds" "And make the COF's tough!" "Bring out the Texas Star!" etc,

I may be wrong, but for me I look at shooting steel events as a gateway to what I consider more demanding disciplines like IDPA and USPSA where movement and a myriad of rules kick in.

2. Start on time, don't lolly gag. Keep the shooters moving. I am fine with outlaw, in fact like Coach said they may be good to get it up and running. I went to one steel event and they broke people into even squads and there were 4 squads and 5 bays. They should have split it into 5 squads so it would move better.

3. Mostly like number one, reach out to new shooters who may not feel like they are ready for other competitions.

If people help set up, offer them a gratis match that day.

As far as during the week, I doubt I could make it due to work. I could make a weekend day though. And I would come if it would help get it enough numbers to warrant holding a match. I am in the middle of a major home reno and haven't been shooting, but to help, I'd peel away for a day a month.

Plus I broke a rib and can't work on the home right now anyway.

 

[VERT]

It is ultimately up to the match director if a Steel match at SCGC becomes official or remains an outlaw match. It has been brought up before, however to date there have not been enough participants to host official matches.

I might be be wrong but I don't believe Friday night Steel or Steel at HHRP are official Steel Challange matches and those have good attendance.

People who help with setup have always shot free at SCGC. For steel that usually means people setup, shoot, tear down and little to no money is collected. But it is an opportunity to open the range to the public.

 

[gregkl]

It is ultimately up to the match director if a Steel match at SCGC becomes official or remains an outlaw match. It has been brought up before, however to date there have not been enough participants to host official matches.

I might be be wrong but I don't believe Friday night Steel or Steel at HHRP are official Steel Challange matches and those have good attendance.

People who help with setup have always shot free at SCGC. For steel that usually means people setup, shoot, tear down and little to no money is collected. But it is an opportunity to open the range to the public.

Vert if most of the attendees help and you don't collect money from them, that is not a great setup either. You need to collect some money to buy paint, targets,etc. I think most would be willing to donate something to get it up and running. I would.

 

[mongo404]

Evening matches during the summer could work due to sunset time since there are no lights.
May. June, July August possible depends on numbers
March, April, Sept Oct, Unlikely
I would think it would come down to number of guns and how many stages there are.
Maybe do 3 or 4 stages.

My biggest turn off about steel challenge is a shooter shooting 3 or 4 guns at a local. I'm sure some agree and some wont.

 

[GNRPowdeR]

When HHRP Steel Valley started, I was the match director. The initial concept was to open the range for a family to come see "something like what dad did" and to help introduce "newer shooters" to the stress of multiple targets under a time limit... Basically what MCF&G does with FNS. I had taken time to talk with their current and past directors to get a better feel for things and pitched the idea to the HHRP Board and membership. I had to leave that position two years ago due to changes at work.

In the time that I ran things, the RO would shoot free and members would shoot for half price. ($10 / $5 / and three free)

We would hold off on registering a second firearm until five minutes before we started the safety brief and I'd try to limit things to two firearms to keep the flow going.

As several can attest, the matches have an ebb and flow to their attendance and I know that there were several families that would attend our matches to help instill firearm safe handling with their children (using others as examples of how to do things)...

 

[Coach]

It is ultimately up to the match director if a Steel match at SCGC becomes official or remains an outlaw match. It has been brought up before, however to date there have not been enough participants to host official matches.

I might be be wrong but I don't believe Friday night Steel or Steel at HHRP are official Steel Challange matches and those have good attendance.

People who help with setup have always shot free at SCGC. For steel that usually means people setup, shoot, tear down and little to no money is collected. But it is an opportunity to open the range to the public.

Matches that utilize the names and the rules of the organizations that do not belong and pay their fees are a problem. If it is going to be Steel Challenge then it should be official so that the members get their classification and the organization gets the credit. We have an on going issue with that in this state in a number of places.

Running good matches, following the rules and delivering a good match that people expect and it should grow. I hope it does. Classifiers and classifications are a big deal to a lot of people. That is another reason for being official.

 

[singlesix]

As with anything you need a group of committed people that will help the match director, I don't care if it is shooting sports or a church basketball league. One person can't do it alone.

 

[cakelly1962]

I now run the HHRP Steel on Monday nights twice a month from May till September. Reason, the range doesn't have power. As Powder stated it is a familiarization match to try and get new shooters out and to allow seasoned shooters to practice. We only do 4 stages with 3 strings in May and June and 4 strings in July and August.

 

[GNRPowdeR]

As with anything you need a group of committed people that will help the match director, I don't care if it is shooting sports or a church basketball league. One person can't do it alone.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

I am starting this thread to ask for opinions. South Central Gun Club in Freetown, IN recently discontinued Steel Challenge due to lack of participation. This is an activity that the club officers would like to see continue. It was suggested that an evening steel challenge shoot might attract more participants.

1) I am asking for feedback about what day and time would be best.
2) We would ask for help in setting up these matches.
3) These matches do not have to be all steel. There is a lot of room for creativity.

SCGC has 7 bays, barrels, props and targets.

.......AND GO...................

1. Thursday evening: not a busy weekend, not too early in week when all are busy, no church wednesday
2. helping setup could almost be a prerequisite. Also helps get to know fellow members.
3.Cheap and fun way to add flair: balloons. Aside from picking up pieces of them all over. lol

For my fellow SCGC members..this is the new guy Dave

 

[VERT]

1. Thursday evening: not a busy weekend, not too early in week when all are busy, no church wednesday
2. helping setup could almost be a prerequisite. Also helps get to know fellow members.
3.Cheap and fun way to add flair: balloons. Aside from picking up pieces of them all over. lol

For my fellow SCGC members..this is the new guy Dave

Yep saw your intro post. We have our eye on you.