Originally Posted by
MrChipShoulder
People don't seem to want the MPL to change or evolve, so I'd be inclined to leave it as it is.
Plus I've just spent a 'kings ransom' for an SSP !
Happy New Year Rob,
The MPL has a fine history of changing and evolving.
When I first came up with the MPL idea and wrote the rules for the competition it was a 10 meter inter-club air pistol competition that was devised to help newcomers get into target shooting without fearing the high costs that "being competitive" would incur (physiologically at least !).
For the first time we had beginners happy to take part in target pistol shooting with inexpensive kit knowing that they could not be "out-shot" by anyone with deeper pockets as the rules only allowed the use of spring powered target pistols that could ( and still can) be bought at a relatively moderate price.
This competition is responsible for bringing many newcomers into target shooting, many of whom have now "moved-on" to shoot more seriously in competitions at 10 meters - and some of us have been happy to also help perpetuate the original and classic British 6 yard shooting distance and still enjoy shooting at this shorter range (often as well at at the "international" 10 meters distance).
In more recent years the MPL postal competition was devised to help those who wanted to enjoy target shooting from home. This was evolved from the original MPL competition and shared most of the same original rules - but could be enjoyed by those who for various reasons were unable to shoot in a club that was local to them.
Air rifles were also added to the MPL competition some years ago and long the way we have also catered for those who wanted to try target shooting with their .22 air pistols and those who wanted to shoot at 6 yards with their PCP air pistols too!
Both classes were supported by the MPL and both classes ran for a full season - even though they both failed miserably to attract the numbers of supporters who said that it was something that was "needed" to be included in this competition.
More recently the MPL has been the first to include and promote the "new to the UK" Supported Shooting classes in air pistol and air rifle - when nobody else seemed to be making the effort to take on this new class that has already been so successful in Germany for a number of years.
In short - the MPL's history has been one of accommodating just about anything that can be sensibly and safely shot from home at a distance that most people can accommodate or make available in an average sized house (or garden/cellar/garage etc etc).
Newcomers may not be aware of the full MPL history - but most of it can be tracked through the BBS history by anyone who would like to take the time to do so and it will show the tremendous amount of flexibility that has been shown to at least try out new ideas that people have thought would be worth a try.
We have also learnt from our experience over the years that the competitions that we currently run are the ones that have achieved the most support to date - but in fine MPL style we still have "ears" and listen to what people would like to see the competition include and we are unlikely to ever close the door on any good idea that has the chance of helping shooters enjoy their target shooting from home.
We know that the 6 yard MPL competition works really well for owners of classic air guns and those who enjoy the extra skills required to shoot a spring powered airgun accurately at an official 6 yard target. Most only see their scores as something to relate to their own progress to from season to season, or to see if they can "master" their latest addition to their armoury as many basic airguns have vastly differing requirements to get the best out of them.
Any good ideas will be given a fair airing, but the best distance for shooting from home will always be 6 yards as it is probably the only distance that just about anyone can include and has been successfully shot from lots of imaginative places including canal barges, static caravans, down a hallway and into a kitchen, from one bedroom across the landing into another, as well as the more usual gardens, garages and cellars - something that 10 meters would be much harder to accommodate!
Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.
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