Twangbanger
Grandmaster
- Oct 9, 2010
- 7,086
- 113
Something pretty cool has happened around Central IN recently (specifically Riley CC), which I think deserves mention. A couple match directors in different disciplines have innovated new match formats derived from existing ones, that I think show great promise and ingenuity. Rich Hawkins and Aron Bright (aka Coach) have started up long-range rimfire silhouette and "Carry Gun" matches, respectively, that are different from anything previously existing.
The rimfire silhouette events are basically like an "F-class" rimfire event, but shot on metallic silhouettes from 50 to 200 yards across-the-course, and requiring the shooter to "run the knobs" on their scopes and work sight marks across different distances. Due to the rainbow trajectory of rimfire guns, it uses a substantial portion of the elevation range of your scope, and is therefore somewhat like an Appleseed highpower KD event squeezed into a 50-shot box of rimfire ammo, with targets that clank and don't need to be reset or walked-down and scored.
For his part, Coach started up Carry Gun matches shot on a HOT (by God!) RANGE! No, lightning bolts didn't rain down out of the sky, and the insurance company hasn't canceled the policy of the club (that I've heard of). Again this is derived from current USPSA formats, with standard targets and timing/scoring method, nothing new there, but with stage round counts more tailored toward the IDPA end of the spectrum, and you show up hot, run hot, and leave hot. Best of all, it's done in a way that doesn't kill an entire day for the competitor (if the prospect of 5 hours - for 3 minutes of trigger time - is keeping you away from USPSA matches, for example).
Neither of these require specialized equipment, anybody can stomach the round counts, they are derived from proven, existing formats (no earth-shattering new skillsets or administrative procedures to be learned), and neither of them requires more than 3 hours (at most) of the participants' time. In the case of the Carry Gun match, you walk away with increased hands-on time with your primary carry weapon, gained under a fun atmosphere with a small amount of pressure added to make it real. In the case of the silhouette matches, you walk away (* after putting in a little work) with a worked-out rimfire rifle that can kill any (small) varmint from 25 to 200 yards on the first shot (with reasonable range estimation and decent-quality subsonic ammo, of course). Both these matches are win-win events from a practical perspective. Both started with an idea.
It strikes me this is exactly the kind of thing the shooting sports need, to get more people off the couch. Indiana is a pretty good place to be a shooter. A sincere thank-you to both of these "switched-on" match directors for using their heads and following up on an idea!
So how about it INGO...what are your ideas for new, accessible event formats that could be started up at existing ranges, which meet a need not currently being met? Thinking about something new, as opposed to just adding different firearm divisions to already-existing matches?
The rimfire silhouette events are basically like an "F-class" rimfire event, but shot on metallic silhouettes from 50 to 200 yards across-the-course, and requiring the shooter to "run the knobs" on their scopes and work sight marks across different distances. Due to the rainbow trajectory of rimfire guns, it uses a substantial portion of the elevation range of your scope, and is therefore somewhat like an Appleseed highpower KD event squeezed into a 50-shot box of rimfire ammo, with targets that clank and don't need to be reset or walked-down and scored.
For his part, Coach started up Carry Gun matches shot on a HOT (by God!) RANGE! No, lightning bolts didn't rain down out of the sky, and the insurance company hasn't canceled the policy of the club (that I've heard of). Again this is derived from current USPSA formats, with standard targets and timing/scoring method, nothing new there, but with stage round counts more tailored toward the IDPA end of the spectrum, and you show up hot, run hot, and leave hot. Best of all, it's done in a way that doesn't kill an entire day for the competitor (if the prospect of 5 hours - for 3 minutes of trigger time - is keeping you away from USPSA matches, for example).
Neither of these require specialized equipment, anybody can stomach the round counts, they are derived from proven, existing formats (no earth-shattering new skillsets or administrative procedures to be learned), and neither of them requires more than 3 hours (at most) of the participants' time. In the case of the Carry Gun match, you walk away with increased hands-on time with your primary carry weapon, gained under a fun atmosphere with a small amount of pressure added to make it real. In the case of the silhouette matches, you walk away (* after putting in a little work) with a worked-out rimfire rifle that can kill any (small) varmint from 25 to 200 yards on the first shot (with reasonable range estimation and decent-quality subsonic ammo, of course). Both these matches are win-win events from a practical perspective. Both started with an idea.
It strikes me this is exactly the kind of thing the shooting sports need, to get more people off the couch. Indiana is a pretty good place to be a shooter. A sincere thank-you to both of these "switched-on" match directors for using their heads and following up on an idea!
So how about it INGO...what are your ideas for new, accessible event formats that could be started up at existing ranges, which meet a need not currently being met? Thinking about something new, as opposed to just adding different firearm divisions to already-existing matches?
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