How very very sad. Sad for many reasons.
You will come away from any shoot with one or more of 4 things:
- Nothing
- A piece of plastic
- A new friend
- Your self respect
Work out what your goal is and behave accordingly
Reading posts like this makes me glad to have retired from the target scene, because the venom and animosity as highlighted on this thread together the behind the scenes politics and bitching, will kill the sport.
I have shot against the very best, against Sparky, Stancomb, Rosser, Wilson and Samson in the years I competed. Wilson taught me kneelers, Owen helped me zero my rifle on windy day, Dave loaned me a rifle, Brian and Pete shared tips and techniques with me and gave me constant encouragement. Bear in mind we were vying for top spot not an extra point to catapult us into to top 100. These guys cheat? if they were worried about the plastic I'd have known.
Both FT and HFT shooters need to realise that in the great scheme of things the sport is a flea on an elephant, nobody outside the few who shoot them give a rats ar$e. Nobody asks for autographs, nobody makes any money at it.
I attend the shoots for the people, I've made some good friends at them. Interestingly guys on here I've not got on with have become friends - Mr Andy J for one. So here's my advice, define cheating as
...something who intentionally deprives another person of material or intellectual gain or enjoyment....
So, a new kid gets help from his Dad and knocks a few more targets down? good for you Dad. Your shooting partner is a millimetre off the peg or his knee is a fraction over the beanbag? Get a life. Have a word afterwards and tip him the wink. He's taking a kneeler and it should be a stander and you keep quiet? you're a total tosser.
I'm holding my hand up and admit to cheating. I've coached people on the way round. I've given advice on distance and windage. I've let people take a second shot when they've shot the wrong target (a marshall watched them do it then laughed). Did it effect anything? did it except to send somebody home a bit happier. These were all novices who may or may not come back.
On the other hand if you seek to gain advantage for you or somebody else at the expense of a third party by helping them then it's cheating in it's worst form. How many juniors have lost trophies because little Tommy's dad helped him with ranges and their didn't? if it's one it's too many, and while Dad got him a trophy little Tommy lost a damn sight more in terms of example and later respect for Dad.
Just remember - rules are no substitute for common sense, and plastic is no substitute for self respect. Think otherwise and you'll lose your sport(s)