Informal Club competion suggestions

[Skrej]

Hi folks,

Guess this is the most appropriate forum to post this. Our local gun club typically hasn't offered much, aside from access to our range. I'm trying to drum up interest in club participation (at our last meeting I successfully moved that we renew our long-expired affiliation with the CMP), and we've scheduled some range cleanups and improvements, so I think members are looking for something to participate in.

I suggested we organize a couple of events a month, to offer people something more besides just access. Since I brought it up, it's fallen to me to organize it. I don't mind doing it, but my experience with such is pretty limited, so I'm looking for ideas and suggestions. I'm not really looking for formal nation-wide competitions, but rather fun, inter-active casual ideas for local bragging rights, such as speed challenges or some other kind of specific goal.

The few ideas I've had so far, (gleaned from events other regional clubs do) are:

Silhouette shoots (maybe pistol and rimfire)
Black powder shoots (quite a few of our members shot BP - specific ideas or suggestions?)
Bowling pin knockdowns
Etc.


I need to avoid plinking events that generate difficult to clean trash. For some reason, there are few things in life as satisfying as shooting glass, but, it's a pain to clean, and we don't have a designated plinking pit to leave it. (Cans and plastic bottles would be manageable, I think.)

So, I'd appreciate any suggestions ya'll have. I'd like specific 'themes', or variations thereof. Something a little more reactive than just punching holes in paper.

I plan to start slow, offer one or two a month, and based on feedback from club members, re-offer the more popular 'themes'

Thanks for your suggestions in advance.

 

[twofifty]

Good of you to be volunteered. ;-) That's how it works in our club, the guy that makes a suggestion ends up organizing - but he gets others to help him out.

You might start by polling your members, by way of a mass-email, giving them a list of options, shooting stances, distances.

Ask them what their personal shooting goals are. Do they want to build position skills that are useful when hunting? Do they want to shoot at say, two distances in one match? How often do they want to do this? Weeknights? Weekends? One hour or two? Do they want a mix of target types? Do they want scores kept, then to award plaques at season's end?

Then put together simple courses of fire that are not hard to set-up, and that are tailored to what the membership wants.

Make sure a goodly portion of the challenges are attainable, you'll maintain their interest when they feel good about their shooting. But be prepared to stretch the guys and gals after the first couple matches, so they gradually grow into a new comfort and proficiency zone.

Keep it fun.

edit: Our club has been doing this 1x/week for several years, and I can confidently say that any of the regulars can reliably and ethically place a 100 yard lung shot on a whitetail - offhand without any support. We keep scores, and everyone's average keeps going up year after year.

 

[OHtard]

what about cmp rimfire sporter, fairly little required, and its alot of fun.. i really like sihloutte, rifire rifle is my favorite. nothing more satisfying than the sound of a hit on a metal target.

 

[1SOW]

Whatever you choose, if you can work up a 'time only' scoring method it's a lot simpler and faster to do. A miss adds so much time, a hit not in the "A" zone adds so much, etc.
Both accuracy and speed count. You can weight it whichever way you want.

 

[twofifty]

Acquiring a target(s) and releasing a shot(s) against the clock is a great step up once folk have developped proficiency in properly shouldering their rifle, or properly gripping their handgun.