DCRA Fullbore championship - F'ers, why didn't you go?

I shot in Nokomis one year, 4 or 5 matches. It was great. I've since moved another 6 hours further away, so it would be a 12 hour trip for a weekend shoot.

The thing I have found is we need to keep an influx of new people, through clinics, intro days or whatever. I know from setting up my own shoots its a lot of work. Peoples interests change and we need to keep introducing new people to this sport be it F-Class, F-Tr, or mile long shoots. Cost you can budget for. Time off is an issue. I've never been to a shoot that lasted longer than 2 days.

I hope whatever you do works.
 
rnbra-shooter said:

Those who have said that the national match needs to be better promoted and more visible - these are good comments but if you have any suggestions are to where/how that would be most helpful.
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These are just thoughts that come into my head:

Because of the commitment involved and the need for budgeting/booking holidays/travel promotion has to start as early as possible without becoming so early that people forget about it. My first instinct is January of that year. It then needs multiple reminders through a variety of channels without becoming robo-call annoying.

Simple shotgunning it: Post it on here. I did a search for CFRC and Canadian Fullbore Rifle Competition and didn't come up with much. As good/sad as it is, I get most of my out of province match information from here (and Les).

The DCRA site itself could probably be re-jigged to promote/sell the event as well as its a little buried currently (the whole site could probably use a freshening up).

The blog spot is a good start but what is driving people to that spot to read it.

Narrowing the focus: Cross promotion with the provincial rifle associations. Make arrangements to have it posted on their sites. Have a promotion collateral piece that could be inserted with their annual memberships.

Money is no object option: direct mail promotion to current and past DCRA members.

Promotions:
- Discounted fee (or some sort of tangible benefit) for first timers (hook 'em once for a lifetime of returns).
- Discounted fee (or some sort of tangible reward) for a returning member who brings a new shooter with them (referral system)
- Some sort of scoring/ranking system where you combine the results from your provincial shoot, one regional shoot, and the CFRC to achieve some sort of "level up" or distinction. You'd be disturbed how many hundreds of hours I logged playing BF2 online just to get my virtual medals/badges/ribbons. A lot less than what it would take to shoot he CFRC I'll tell you.

Idea: I'd love for there to be a website (again I apologize if there is one and I don't know it) where I can look at monthly and annual calendar and see all the f-class competitions available to shoot in. This would allow for planning and to go check new shoots out. If, for example, the DCRA set one up, that would be something that would drive people to its site (to post and to check for opportunities) and it would also allow the DCRA to promote the snot out of its own shoot.

Again these are just off the top of the head. There's a slew of options, but they should all be considered within a properly mapped out communications/marketing strategy.

I would propose that the event, like all such events, and the sport in general suffers from a couple of systemic problems.

a) The current pool is shallow, it is wide and it freezes fast. People will only be able to realistically shoot so much in a given season. This means inevitable cannibalization and prioritizing of shooters and events. A coordinated schedule between all hosts may eventually help. But until then, those events that promote/sell the best will win the asses on the mounds game. And thus far, IMO, the CFRC is losing when compared to the Regionals and many provincial shoots. The bigger the commitment - the more aggressive the sell necessarily has to be.

b) IMO, there seems to be the general sense (not of all people, and almost everyone intends well and works hard) of "if people are interested, they'll come out and figure it out and if not then not." But I think if we're asking people, who have less and less time, more pressure on that time and more leisure options (ones that are potentially cheaper, easier to enter, and less obscure) to give up the rarest of all things, Canadian Summer, you have to sell hard.

Host it and they will come will not work. Beating the bushes for shooters will work for a while, but will top out, eventually exhaust your resources (especially your human resources) and likely fail after those human resources inevitably tap out.

We, the sport and the events themselves, have to begin to structure, plan and execute to sell it like anything else to create the demand.

I understand the limitations imposed by trying to get various associations (divided internal politics within some and competing interests between some) to coordinate together, general apathy/overload, limited funding, volunteers etc. But it should be just another piece of the overall strategy, not a barrier to one.
 
Very good reply Sean, did you do any work today. LOL (I have to put that in because people at work just don't have a sense of humor and it is now S.O.P.)
 
Les, like others cost is a major player for me, and I am just now getting comfortable with the regional and provincial shoots.
Next year? Probably not , but I am throwing my pennies into the bank so maybe the year after.
 
Sean, even with a once yearly email sent out in Feb (here in BC) it is not enough. Come March, I have spotted many other bright shiny objects that have caught my attention.

Promotion is the key to getting shooters to an event. I do not wish to have daily emails on the event but jamming down the throats of people in the form of posters at various ranges where F-class shooters congregate is one way. I believe the poster for the WCFCC is STILL up at our range.

Internet promotion is huge bang for the buck. Here and on other shooting sport specific forums and websites. Monthly/Weekly updates can do wonders for bringing people in who wouldn't otherwise know the event is even being held.
 
(Reposted)

If the DCRA were simply to gather members email addresses and send out an announcement now and then, I suspect we'd see a nice resurgence in attendance.

I'm a member of DCRA. Connaught is my home range. This thread (and the other) is the first I've heard that the matches are on.

Yeah, I know (after the fact) that the announcement was in the magazine but, well, the twice-yearly magazine can get kinda lost in the other periodicals that enter the house. And I don't always read it. I'm not abdicating my responsibility to inform myself or read the magazine, but in the flow of day-to-day life, things get pretty busy and an email reminder or two would have fixed that for me.

I think that using modern means of communication with members would probably be quite beneficial and produce a marked increase in attendance. I'm just sayin'...
 
Why I didn't shoot this year

One big question I have to ask, there are a lot of eastern shooters that do not go to the CFRC and they live right there. Why don't they go??? Those are the ones you have to ask why they do not come out. If you can not attact the ones close by, do not cry if those thousands of miles away do not come too.
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I am a member at NCRRA, and I would say that a good many of the reasons why I didn't shoot this year have been addressed.

- Time: With a young family (2 kids under 2), and a limited amount of vacation time I simply can't justify taking 6 days off to shoot enough events to be eligible for the grand agg.

- Cost: I also couldn't justify the high cost of participating in all of the events required to be eligible for the grand agg. I had hoped to do a couple of the shoots, but ended up having to go out of town for work.

- Intimidation: This is my first year shooting, and I didn't feel I was ready to compete at such a high profile shoot (although I should certainly recognize Alex's very impressive achievement winning the F-F grand agg in his first year shooting; well done!).

I agree with the notion of a 3-4 day competition at the end of the week and would absolutely participate if that was the case. Being from Ottawa, I may even be able to justify doing the full 9 days if the weekday events were either AM or PM only.

I personally enjoy the shorter distances as well, but understand why others would want to see them eliminated. With that said I don't think it would be inappropriate to shoot 2+15 at each distance (3,5,6,7,8,9) that counted towards the GA, so 6 of potentially 12 matches, and fill up another 6 matches at 700+. 12 matches in 3 days is absolutely doable, and I think there'd be a much higher turnout.

That's my $0.02

Scott
 
FTRRookie said:
I am a member at NCRRA, and I would say that a good many of the reasons why I didn't shoot this year have been addressed.

- Time: With a young family (2 kids under 2), and a limited amount of vacation time I simply can't justify taking 6 days off to shoot enough events to be eligible for the grand agg.

- Cost: I also couldn't justify the high cost of participating in all of the events required to be eligible for the grand agg. I had hoped to do a couple of the shoots, but ended up having to go out of town for work.

- Intimidation: This is my first year shooting, and I didn't feel I was ready to compete at such a high profile shoot (although I should certainly recognize Alex's very impressive achievement winning the F-F grand agg in his first year shooting; well done!).

I agree with the notion of a 3-4 day competition at the end of the week and would absolutely participate if that was the case. Being from Ottawa, I may even be able to justify doing the full 9 days if the weekday events were either AM or PM only.

I personally enjoy the shorter distances as well, but understand why others would want to see them eliminated. With that said I don't think it would be inappropriate to shoot 2+15 at each distance (3,5,6,7,8,9) that counted towards the GA, so 6 of potentially 12 matches, and fill up another 6 matches at 700+. 12 matches in 3 days is absolutely doable, and I think there'd be a much higher turnout.

That's my $0.02

Scott
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FTR
I agree a 100% with you on the shorts combined in grand agg it will bring more shooters from Atlantic Provinces as well Quebec that only has 600y ranges and many western Provinces like BC with many 600 y ranges.
The FTR class posted higher scores than Open class at shorts and Alex won near all shorts with his 223 and Kenny won most the LR 7,8 & 900y and Alex won by 1 point to win the Grand Agg and Kenny winning the Governor Generals today
manitou
 
last year i shot the nationals the hole thing plus the americas match,i had a very good time and it was a great experiens.this year it was out of the question and i dont know if i would do it again in full.

time is one reason to long to take off work,cost as always is another.for me shooting the short ranges is not my cup off tea,dont get me wrong it always posses a challenge with the small targets we are shooting but if we have the use of a 900mm range why not make the most of it?this is were you will learn the most in my opinion and this is were matches are won and lost,so the more we shoot here the more that we will learn.

if it was up to me i would have a 3 or 4 day match at the most at 800 and 900mm only,2 800 in the morning and 2 900m in the afternoon.this would make things go faster and smoother for the older shoooters who shoot f open and ftr not having to move all their belongings around pack the van unpack the van and so on,symply put their stuff on the line shot their relay move it back of the line abit and back up for the second relay shoot pack the van go for lunch start it al over at 900m and call it a day.

i would open up a 300m and a 500m practice range for those who want to check their zero.as far as advertising its true we dont here much about it other then our own little circle,this is some thing we would have to work on maybe do some posting at the local gun shows acrossed the countrie and maybe some news papers to let people know we exist??just my 2 cents
 
I went to the last weekend of Nationals as well and it seems like the DCRA is truly interested in developing F class. Now this is just a RUMOUR but I heard that for 2012 there will be a F Class championship 4 days at distances from 700 to 900 metres. That is all the details i have. anyone with more info is free to correct me if i am wrong, but i am excited to see were this goes and will be participating if this thing comes together.

Ok Ok I will think of participating but only if Kenny is working and Bulldog284 lends me one of his rifles... LOL

Trevor

P.S. there is a correction match fee I found out that the cost for the Grand agg is closer to $700 then $900 that is $100 a day and you get paid markers..
 
WHY I WAS THERE??

Like FTRRookie,
i got 3 kids under 5, and my wife is not as passionate about rifle i would like! So yes i had the same problem bringing a whole family out there for a week than you guy's, but i did.

If your family can understand your passion enough to let you go and make this part of your family summer schedule, like my family did (and like all TR shooter's family), make them taste it and it will become less and less difficult. In fact Winnings help :)

For the intimidation part;

it's my first year too, it's Oleg first year too, and we've been up in the scores most of the week. Yes there was Francis Bezeau (a new comer) who did have hard time at first and finally decided to go throught the week but he will be back next year....he tasted it!

If i had choice between a sun-beach destination for vacation or go shoot a week long....i'd take the shooting for sure, but i have to be honest, i have vacation time left with the family, so taking a week off wasn't a problem this year.

Next year schedule will change for sure, so prepare yourselfs, the organization work hard to bring international team here, so we need to be present and strong.

PS. I would like to thanks Darin for selling me his Barrel and action :) and Robertson Composite who did build me a superb rifle with it!

Kenny
 
Trevor - the rumour you heard is true; this idea is being worked on now, and over the next few weeks we ought to be able to firm up a proposal. Don't be surprised if you see further threads or emails asking F'ers for their input on this.

The entry fee for the Grand Agg is $700. This five full days of shooting (Grand Agg) plus the half day (2nd-Saturday) of the F-Class Final match (2ss15 @ 800m and 2ss15@900m).

Kenny - thanks for the post, and congrats on some wonderful shooting this year. Wish I had a chance to properly meet you and speak to you. I am impressed that you brought your family with you and managed to have a good time of it, that is great.
 
Ganderite said:
The DCRA has been holding a Target Rifle shoot every year since around Confederation. it started with military person going there on paid duty to shoot. So there was no issue of "time off" "$", distance, etc.

It morphed into civilan TR shooting, and the TR shooters grew up in a culture where we all got together for a week in early August to shoot. Just like the TR shooters at Perry and Bisley do each year.
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100 years ago the focus of the DCRA was Service Rifle marksmanship. That was the point of creating the DCRA.

Everyone owned or had access to a military pattern rifle capable of competing at the DCRA and PRA matches. These were the same rifles that the Canadian Milita freely issued to soldiers complete with ammo and hunters carried in the field. After both world wars there was such a surplus of ammo and rifles that it was amost free to get into the sport. This created a huge pool of shooters many of whom converted to what is now known as TR.

People must not forget that TR was built on the back of Service Rifle. F class does not and will not enjoy the military support TR was able to re/misdirect from Service Rifle. The long and short of it is that F class will never be able to lure members with free rifles, free ammunition, free travel and free international trips as TR was able to.
 
Let's not forget that F-Class was born as a handicap to TR shooting. Failing eyes and age brought it in. TR has not morphed into F-Class.
The only real support it has is each members need to compete in it amongst his own.

Ganderite's points are most valid in that SR to TR shooting is an old tradition in where once you were paid for it to now you pay everything. The bulk of TR shooters left when the free ammo dried up.
To me a weekend or 3 day shoot was all I needed for an F-Class match. I never once shot the whole DCRA match, just the Long Range events. I always believed that was TR tradition and F-Class was allowed to tag along so to speak.

The Eastern Championship we had recently made me realize what I always thought. The best turnout for F-Class yet. I do believe that is the recipe for F-Class future. Ganderite is correct in saying we don't have generations of shooters in F-Class to support any tradition. Mostly just a bunch of guys who prefer to shoot rifles that way with minimal to no connection to TR or military and have a range to shoot at.
IMO, it will be very difficult to attract new shooters starting F-Class to shoot alongside TR competitions for a week or more and have the same zeal of generations of TR shooters.
The political and economic landscape has changed far too much since the Confederation to even resemble today's thinking.
 
Cost, cost, and cost.

I'm new to F class. Only been shooting for a year or two. Equipment is expensive, and its been a slow process getting my gun and loads tuned.

I attended the Victoria day shoot this year, and the F Class Eastern Champs, mostly because there were alot of people at the club pumping it up, making it sound like a good go. The format was straight forward, registration was simple, time commitment called for a busy weekend, but no time off work.
Fees were reasonable for what you got, and round count wasn't excessive.

I'm youngish, and decades away from my best five years of pay and vacation time.

A week off from work, is prohibitive. $700+ registration/warm up fees are prohibitive.

The 500 or so rds, plus reloading time, would be prohibitive.

I like the idea of seasonal standings where performance in competitions carries over with an annual total.

I shoot the LSBA Small bore matches throughout the winter, 5 matches, plus a provincial championships. With cumulative points scored. Always on weekends, no time off. Round count on a match by match basis is reasonable. I'd like to see something like this for F Class at the provincial level. With that kind of build up, leading towards the nationals, I think there would be alot more interest.

Unless I had to travel, because at my age, that would be prohibitive.
 
Gunnerlove said:
The long and short of it is that F class will never be able to lure members with free rifles, free ammunition, free travel and free international trips as TR was able to.
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"Was" is the big word there. Ammo is no longer supplied, so it cost me just as much to reload ammo as is costs someone shooting F Class. I still have to get to Ottawa to shoot the DCRA Matches. For me it is only an little over 8 hours drive each way. If I want to practice shooting more than 300m, I have to drive 4 hours to Borden. Ammo, gas, marker fees and a couple meals on the road for a one day trip is over $100.

My last "free trip" to Bisley in 2010 cost me a little over 4K.

The whole point is no one is getting the free ride anymore, those days are long gone.
 
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