the spank
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Very sad indeed!
No Longer Shoot Registered?
- Thread starter the spank
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Very sad indeed!
Cost really is prob the biggest factor ... I used to shoot a lot of registered ... 80's, 90's and into the 00's ... BC, AB, Washington, etc ... PITA and ATA provincials and nationals ... but the cost of everything, not just the targets but loading, travel, etc just started to get excessive when you added it all up.
Used to have some great small shoots just south in Washington back then ... but then the Americans slammed the door shut on taking guns south to events ... that was a sad day, had a lot of good shooting friends south.
Used to have some great small shoots just south in Washington back then ... but then the Americans slammed the door shut on taking guns south to events ... that was a sad day, had a lot of good shooting friends south.
By your standards then trap shooters and skeet shooters don't have "pride in being Canadian" because they belong to the ATA and NSSA?
But thanks though for proving my point. There is no point in registered sporting clays with attitudes like this and it certainly explains why small club shoots in Southern Ontario are regularly outdrawing registered competitions.
the spank
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Really? Based on membership in a shooting organization you think that? I find that odd because I have always felt from your posts that you are more interested in promoting shooting in Europe than Canada and that Canada is just a place for you to reside and earn a living from but not worthy of you?
Agreed. Same out west here. There is still a dedicated following of registered trapshooters that shoot in AB/SK but their numbers pale at even the largest shoots compared to the number of shooters that participate at the largest attended non-registered sporting clays shoot in AB which sees upwards of 300 shooters annually!!
Agreed. Same out west here. There is still a dedicated following of registered trapshooters that shoot in AB/SK but their numbers pale at even the largest shoots compared to the number of shooters that participate at the largest attended non-registered sporting clays shoot in AB which sees upwards of 300 shooters annually!!
You need to be careful about the numbers at non-registered SC events. Seems to me that these "large events" are generally something special like an oilman's event or a DU event. I have heard that the oilman's events have drawn good attendance in the past, but then who was paying the bill. If some association was funding a good chunk of the cost, not surprising that attendance numbers would be good. I certainly didn't hear about 300 person attendance at any events, registered or non-registered, in 2016 with the oil patch being in decline.
You need to be careful about the numbers at non-registered SC events. Seems to me that these "large events" are generally something special like an oilman's event or a DU event. I have heard that the oilman's events have drawn good attendance in the past, but then who was paying the bill. If some association was funding a good chunk of the cost, not surprising that attendance numbers would be good. I certainly didn't hear about 300 person attendance at any events, registered or non-registered, in 2016 with the oil patch being in decline.
There is a small club in Ontario that draws an average of over 100 shooters for monthly clay shoots between May and October. Registered shoots in these parts draw from a much larger area, are not as frequent and don't have the same numbers.
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the spank
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Why do I need to be careful about the numbers? It has no effect on me. Yes the oilmens was down 30% this year from what I heard but that still means it was attended by 150 more than the SK provincial trap championships regardless if some were sponsored or not going by previous attendance numbers.
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i generally shoot registered shoots in the U.S. (NSCA) often because I try to time vacations with big shoots.
At home I tend not to spot registered targets as often because 1: cost, $1/ target registered, or $0.50/target the weekend before or weekend after, and 2: the political BS between CNSCA and NSCA. I just want to shoot clays, and to play by the same rules each time (both written, and unwritten), and in Canada that just doesn't happen.
At home I tend not to spot registered targets as often because 1: cost, $1/ target registered, or $0.50/target the weekend before or weekend after, and 2: the political BS between CNSCA and NSCA. I just want to shoot clays, and to play by the same rules each time (both written, and unwritten), and in Canada that just doesn't happen.
Obviously there is something our club can learn from the fun shoots going on elsewhere. What is the magic formula. How are these events set up. An example would be helpful; ie how many shooters, how many targets, cost, value of prizes paid out, how are prizes paid out (Lewis Class??), was it tied to another organization such as DU, what club hosted it, any other useful tips. Certainly not looking to host 300 shooters but getting a 100 or so consistently would be nice.
The "magic" is a simpler, friendly approach to sporting clays otherwise known as "hunters clays." No crazy ass targets that beginners or casual shooters will struggle with. I've seen too many charity shoots with targets set above the skill level of most shooters and that guy with the full choked 870 who shoots ducks twice a year isn't coming back next year when he shoots 20/100. Set the course so he can hit 60 or more but with a couple of stations that will separate out the better shooters.
Be sensible on price. The most successful local club is charging $45.00 per 100 targets and $5.00 for lunch. Prizes are small but useful shooting accessories, nothing hugely expensive. HOA gets first choice and there are categories for subgauges, seniors, youth, women, pump and sxs. Winners of each are called and pick from the prize table. Prizes left over are drawn at random for the remaining shooters.
Kids and women are encouraged and given special recognition. Prima donna shooters who are whine about "skeet in the woods" or that the squads are moving too slowly are ignored. Those who are more comfortable swilling pinot grigio with the FITASC dilettantes and boasting about what a wonderful time they had with Digweed in Hungary would certainly find the shoots far too pedestrian for their lofty tastes.
The interesting thing about the targets is that no matter the degree of difficulty the top shooters usually win but it's the lower half who aren't getting humiliated by hard targets who enjoy themselves and still might win a prize. They come back because they had fun.
Great post. That sounds like a really fun day for those of us who are quite happy when we shoot a 20 on the skeet field. We get to break some clays, watch some good shooters in action and spend a day with like minded enthusiasts.
I was and always a proponent of this type of shoots. The average should be above 65% for a well set course. The top prizes should never been given to the top shooters and only by draw. I had one shoot that the lowest score won a Beretta shotgun. Sales of Beretta in the region increased. I have also promoted the FITASC classification of targets and the use in doubles. JF Palinkas clearly understands the problem of over the top targets. This year at the World in Italy, there was only one super tough target on one of the four parcours per field. You hit it and got a "Extreme Target Best Shooter" ticket. Get 8 and you had a chance for some good prizes. I got one. It is not about extreme targets but interesting ones. If you go to Europe you would understand. BTW, there is no pinot grigio in Hungary! But Hungary does have some nice wines. You can experience it next year at the World FITASC. A good lunch with 1/2 liter of beer is $5 at the range.
The ATA is "Amateur Trap Association" ... not American Trap Association. It is an association that was designed to service countries outside of the US. The NSCA charter explicitly states it governs the sport in the US. It takes membership and target fees and uses the money to support the sport in the US, to subsidize the sport in the US, to fund a US team, to host a US National championship, to provide scholarships to American citizens. If the NSCA would allow Canadian money to be spent on Canadian shooters, then I could get behind it.
Yawn. A "proponent of this type of shoots" who never mentions them but is constantly droning on about whatever Euro-dump he's dropped into. BTW, I've been to Hungary and most of Europe and frequently see sad little North Americans burying their faces into the lap of whatever second-rate aristocrat they can find just so they can brag about it back home.
Thanks for coming out. This is a continuation of the same pissing match I've heard for years. No wonder registered shooting is withering in Canada. Too many small-minds on all sides of the equation.
I'd rather spend my time at the small shoots where new people are brought into the sport and we actually enjoy breaking targets. Better class of people. No prima donnas. YMMV.
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Not sure this is the case for registered SC in Western Canada. Just looking at the CNSCA shoot book. 260,000 registered target thrown in 2012 which has grown each year and will hit about 480,000 this year. About 20% increase per year which isn't too bad considering our economy is mostly resource driven and is in the tank.
Been doing basically that for the last 6 years or more. Generally we have the same core group of people that attend and these are mostly people who regularly shoot registered targets. We do sometimes get new shooters out. They are all smiles, seem to have a good time, but you might see them once every 2 years. There is the odd person who gets really hooked and then starts shooting registered targets as well.
We started at $40 per 100 targets and at that time had surplus merchandise to give away as prizes. Costs have gone up, the merchandise is no longer given out by merchants so we now give out cash prizes on basically a random basis. While the regulars all have a good time, it doesn't make any money for the club. At one of our recent shoots, we charged $60 for 110 targets. Prizes averaged $18 per shooter, food and beverage was $13 per shooter (we provide free beer) and targets were about $20. So $9 per shooter goes to the club if we are lucky. Since it was a small shoot, if we reimbursed the volunteers who set up the course for fuel, we would be doing it for nothing. Other overhead costs such as insurance, electricity, etc aren't counted yet either. Our registered shoots on the other hand are growing and at the end of the day it is the registered shoots which subsidize our fun shoots.
Have done that as well. In our case it doesn't affect attendance.
Uncalled for remark!! Didn't give me any useful information.
"Prima donna shooters who are whine about "skeet in the woods" or that the squads are moving too slowly are ignored. Those who are more comfortable swilling pinot grigio with the FITASC dilettantes and boasting about what a wonderful time they had with Digweed in Hungary would certainly find the shoots far too pedestrian for their lofty tastes. "
"Uncalled for remark!! Didn't give me any useful information."
Pretty sure it had plenty of useful information for the person it was directed at !!!
"Uncalled for remark!! Didn't give me any useful information."
Pretty sure it had plenty of useful information for the person it was directed at !!!
