Any advice on how to start a Field Target monthly match?

[LongRangeSupply]

There aren't any airgun matches that I am aware of anywhere in the county (Iron County, Utah). I would like to change that.

Is FT a good venue for a first time event or would a benchrest type shoot be easier since I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of steel targets? I was going to place some local ads first to see if there is enough interest before buying or making targets.

What about having some loaner guns on hand so people new to airguns can give it a try without any investment in equipment?

 

[Motorhead]

FT over BR by a Large margin.
Wrote this up on another thread, so a copy & paste. from 2019 on the GTA forum:


A simple rambling having done this ... as one the Co-Founders of the Sacramento Valley Field Target Club ( SVFTC ) we started with a small group of folks who where getting together time to time threw out the summer months to shoot some AG benchrest and just screw around with shooting AG's in general. Due to the dynamics of limited growth of those interested in BR, folks interests changing & loosing more shooters than gaining, along with boredom of just punching paper we started the SVFTC club.
Now there is more to the story in that THERE WAS an operating local FT club and it's control & management was that of a single person. There membership struggled due to we'll say personality conflicts among there ranks. As folks would fall out and asked to no longer participate in this FT venue, we would see them on occasion to shoot some BR. A few of our BR group had once shot FT with the other group and in time ALSO had a falling out and asked to leave.

So .... with a loose bunch of local Air gun shooters at large and leaving it to word of mouth that would determine what would come of the idea ? ...... There would be 2 individuals who would create this TOTAL BREAK OUT and start from near scratch A NEW LOCAL FT VENUE that would becomes the SVFTC.

Too this day the SVFTC primarily operates by the Guidance of its two founding members ( Jim Cyran & Scott Schneider ) Buts that mostly it ... The ACTUAL functions of the SVFTC gets done by our selfless membership at every monthly event. Our Targets, Winders, General supplies ARE NEARLY 100% donated or provided by our fellow shooting enthusiasts. Setting up and tearing down a GROUP function at every match.
We feel that with having the "Club" it would become what the shooters make it .... WE DON'T CHARGE A CLUB FEE & your cost of membership is for you to come out and help when you can, make friends with like minded folks and HAVE FUN !
Our shooting fee is that of covering the sites range fee & paying for the light lunch/refreshments we provide at each club match.

@ 5 years later we are one of if not the largest shooter membership AAFTA Field Target club in the country while also having by membership numbers one of the highest Past / Present AAFTA National , Regional & Gran Prix champions in our ranks.

WE LOVE Field Target and try to help those who shoot with us to become better shooters. We mix and match who shoots with who so everyone gets to know each other which helps ones skills growth too.


Scott S

UPDATE: In Late winter of 2021 I lost my partner Jim C to a heart attack .. the SVFTC still operates month to month with the shooters present each event helping out. As the last surviving founding member .. Field target in Northern California is alive & well.


So in a nutshell ....
Find a small group / membership of folks that will pitch in to help, If you can have each new perspective "Serious" person perhaps buys a Field Target or 2 & donates them to the club.
Tho Cliché ... it is true, IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME
At first it can be a lot of work, but if those who take the first steps towards building a club keep there focus on it being for the group benefit and not there own you will be well on your way to growth and having a club you can be proud of !

 

[scotton]

Benchrest is easier and there is less investment for targets. The problem is that benchrest is incredibly boring unless you are into benchrest, so it's hard to sell new shooters on the fun of airguns with a benchrest match.

Field target is what you want to do, but how do you do it? I would suggest starting out with the mindset of holding a plinking competition. Don't think about trying to have a 60 shot match right off the bat, even with 3 shots per target that's 20 targets. See if you can beg borrow or steal (or worst case scenario, buy) 8 targets. With 8 targets, you can do a half match of 24 shots. Then take a break, move some targets around and do another 24 shots. So 4 lanes, 2 targets per lane, 3 shots per target, 48 shots. You can mix in some spinners to fill out your targets. Once you get a few people hooked, you will be surprised to find shooters that are willing to buy 2 or 3 targets for the "club" and before you know it you have 20 targets and you are signing the club up with AAFTA.

Just remember that when you are first starting out, it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be fun.

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

At the old CIA (Illinois) FT club admission was bringing a target (or more) for everyone to shoot at. FT is the wat to go and "starting" you do not need a full formal 60 shot 15 lane set up.
A couple of year folks in a field with only 4-5 "lanes" then just move back some yards and repeat is a great time.
Start it, more people will come.
If target cost ( and good one DO) is a big deal anyone can make something along these lines and they work well for a great day of airgun shooting:
https://airguns.net/ft_woodfieldtarget.php

John

 

[LongRangeSupply]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions!

 

[rich177]

Check out the info on AAFTA.org . There are a lot of good recommendations on how to run a match. Start small with some cheap gamo targets and maybe instead of an actual match start with a clinic at your local club and see if there is any interest. the first match that i ran I think we only had six targets and supplemented them with homemade swingers and bottle caps and whatever we could use. Match fees paid for more targets.
Rick B.

 

[LongRangeSupply]

Thanks rich177!

 

[jdh2550]

A monthly match requires a lot of work, resources and commitment. I’m sure you can handle it. Having helped with setup and tear down, I have a tremendous amount of respect for any event organizer.