Shooting Class Categories

[Lol Moore]

Sooo, if it's cost, and the springer and 0.22" chaps want more trophies then simply charge them more to enter those classes


As for the the leading bunch who want ALL the glory to themselves either shoot FT where you can compete in the elite AA class and not have to associate with the hoi polloy or go and contribute on the Breeze...designed for prima donna's that one is


Andy is right....my observation from the outside is its flucking hard to get to the top, a large dose of hard work and a modicum of natural ability - I have reached my peak and until last week was quite happy with that


Several mentions of the cost of gear, I am living proof you cannot buy points....although I do have some lovely shiny things


...won nowt, probably never will

[scutter]

This sport is about encoraging people into it, the problem is however, if you want to compete in the Open class, then you need to spend big money.

Lets look at Cambridge.

Winner Open Steyr HFT £2200 + Scope
Runner up HFT-500 £1000+ + Scope
3rd Steyr £2000 + Scope
4th Steyr £2000 + Scope
5th Steyr £2000 + Scope

Springer TX200 £400 + Scope
.22 Theoben £500 +scope

I fully understand that those people who need to win a pot have to spend big money to do so (as I can't remember the last time I saw a so called top shot with a S400) but this sport should be for everyone and personal I would like to see a winner and a runner up trophy in all categories. It should not just be for those who can shoot and have the largest amount of disposable income.

[fastnick]

Oh well, I thought I might as well throw my two ha'pence worth in as well.....

I shoot .22 because:

A) I enjoy it and the challenges that this calibre brings
B) As I prefer not to have to wear my reading glasses when I shoot, I am less likely to put the bigger pellets in the wrong way round
C) The camaraderie that exists in this class (much the same as I sense there is in the recoil class)

I don't win many trophies, but I enjoy myself hugely and always come away from a shoot having learnt something new - and these two things matter far more to me than any piece of tin or plastic to put on the bookshelf in my study

Whilst it is nice on those rare occasions when I manage to get my act together and come in with a decent enough score to collect a cup, there is very little satisfaction in doing so if there were only a couple of other .22 shooters.

However, at those shoots where the .22 guys are put in a class with the recoil shooters, then that makes for a far better competition, with more shooters competing against each other, and therefore a greater sense of pride/satisfaction/enjoyment if you manage to come out with the top score in this "combined class". Not always, but more often than not the scores from the recoil and .22 classes at a competition are very similar (obviously for different reasons), and this serves to make far more of more of a contest for all concerned than it would have been if say just three .22 shooters and 5 recoil shooters were in 2 different classes.

Add in the savings to the host club in terms of the money that they would have had to fork out for trophies in both the .22 and recoil classes, and for me putting both these classes together (only on those occasions when there really aren't sufficient numbers to make one or both classes "viable" on their own) is a great thing to do and adds to the overall enjoyment of the day as far as I'm concerned. If there are sufficient competitors in each class, then run the 2 classes (which is also a good case for encouraging pre-booking by shooters)

[Don626]

Another can of worms coming...

Why isn't everyone graded like in FT? We have the information needed now... We only take and use scores from a UKAHFT officiated shoot. You only need 3 scores for an average to be placed into a grade, if you don't have 3 you shoot as ungraded in the top grade until you have a minimum of 3, all grades are rolling, every 6 months we are regraded before winter season and summer season. Grades sorted into percentages. You only need 1 person (UKAHFT grading official) to be prepared to take the emailed scores of any UKAHFT shoot in to implement into a grading chart so everyone can see what grade they are shooting in for that season. When you sign in you no what grade you are so you say and or put it on the card. If this is doable I am offering my services over the winter months to collect everyone's scores from a UKAHFT shoots (not club level, but comp level like Southern Hunters for example) ready to try for the summer months. All grades will be published.

Doesn't matter what you shoot with or in (£2k or £400 setup, .22, recoiling, ladies, juniors), you will then only shoot against people of the same ability even if you are at a disadvantage shooting recoiling and .22 or new to the sport, its a lot a fairer system in my opinion the FT world have got right..

People new to the sport that don't have money to spend or the time to practice as much as they would like but still enjoy the sport all the same will still have a chance at something.

I have only been shooting 5 years now and I have shot and experienced FT, Recoiling, .22 and Open. They all have their own difficulties and not as easy as people first think. I advise everyone to try more than one discipline if they can.

[Lol Moore]

Another can of worms coming...

Why isn't everyone graded like in FT?

Nooooooo, no and no again.

This is HFT.


There are already three classes:

1 - Those at the top who are serious competitors and will never understand why anyone would want to turn up without seriously competing, they would probably be the same in most other things in their life.

2 - Those that say they are there merley for the craic but are probably kidding themselves, they really do want to compete and win something but are unwilling or unable to put the work and money in.

3 - Those few that just turn up to shoot in good company.


I thought I was a 3, but recently realised I am a 2 which one are you

[Don626]

Nooooooo, no and no again.

This is HFT

Unfortunately this seems to be most people's response, no-one from either the FT or HFT world will admit when the other has got something right there is still a divide between both sports

I much prefer HFT over FT myself.

Nothing will change as no-one likes change. Just thought a system like this might be more fairer to those of all abilities.

[Don626]

As things stand Open you have approx 3/80 chance of winning something, Recoiling 1/10, .22 1/4, ladies 1/10, juniors 1/3. (These are only approx amounts buts as you can see in Open the odds are against the average shooter).

With grading, you would only need 3 grades and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each.

A grade 85-100%
B grade 75-84.9%
C grade lowest-74.9%

This makes shooting PCP or recoiling irrelevant. I suspect B grade would be for average shooters and C for Newbies.

[Lol Moore]

Don

I wasn't trying to highlight any sort of divide, it's just that for me I think the more rules you have the less enjoyable something is, I have rules all week dont need more on a Sunday

I think FTers love rules because they are all Matalan suited middle managers arn't they...really

I sometimes do wonder why some amongst us are obsesed with setting courses to UKAHFT rules - I absoluely understand if its a series but you see it at single stand alone shoots too...just put em out and lets try to knock em over......there you go, to keep with the theme of cans of worms, have another one on me

[BigRuss]

Great posts Don ....

In reply to Lol I'm none of those 3 options ....but a mixture of 2 and 3 .


My original post was more about getting the classes right .... PCP = open ... Spring/Gas Ram=Recoiling , both irrespective of calibre .

While on my soapbox (before any smug f%%%wit says , yes it is big and very sturdy), i understand the Juniors having a separate class but going on some previous posts , do we need the ladies class or the veterans class , were a good deal of the people in those classes are already beating a lot of people in the open we all shoot the same course is it any easier or harder for a lady or a veteran ? .

what about a class for the disabled ?

and before people push the sour grapes or costs per people shooting those classes down my neck , i do understand the fiscal side of it and i know how much time and effort some people put into this sport , whether it be competition or course setting and putting a comp on .

some folk shoot the category they shoot in for the love of shooting in it , and i also understand that trophies cost money , so if there are not enough people in that class its tough , but to lump classes together to make up the numbers ....... would it be the same if not enough veterans and juniors entered a series , would they be lumped together ? , If there are enough numbers to hold a recoil class but only 1 or 2 .22 shooters and that class can't be put on then surely It's their choice?

I care not about trophies as much as the other reasons i shoot but if i shoot well enough to win one its a nice bonus .


Peace !