I have been following this thread (and others like it) and i keep coming to the same place with all the discussion(s)…is this just a lot of solutions looking for a problem? I have not really seen a clear definition of an existential problem yet. I have seen complaints about things that some shooters don’t like about the current state of FT, i.e. scope magnification limits, ranging with parallax, clicking vs holdover, bumbag vs bucket, supported position vs unsupported offhand, and the list goes on, and on, and on…Complaints are not necessarily problems. If we change rules every time someone complains, then we might as well have, as Ron said, a separate category for every individual.
Someone might say (has said) FT is dying, citing that participation is dropping at their local matches. That might be a problem, if it is true on a wide scale. Show me the stats that are more than just from a club that might not be doing a good job of promoting their matches. Many of the MD’s that have weighed in to this, and other, threads have cited steady and even growing participation. So is that really a problem that needs solving? Scott C. hit the nail on the head, IMO, when he said, “field target is keeping people from shooting field target. It’s slow, a little boring, and brings out the argumentative nature in old men.” And yet, I read a boatload of announcements in this forum of events all over the country (except in NM). People, mostly older, are still shooting FT, in spite of all their griping. And I also see a healthy number of young(ish) people in the game. I am not sure that the slow nature of FT is an existential problem to solve. Granted, it has not taken off like, say, pickleball (another sport frequently played by the older generations). But that is a more stimulation-rich game…and, if LeBron James invested in FT like he did in pickleball, perhaps it might. On the other hand, FT has been around for a much longer time than pickleball, showing that it is not just a passing fad. We’ll see how long pickleball sticks around.
I am mostly in agreement with those that say this is not an issue needing a change. I have yet to attend a match where the MD refused to let a shooter play in the class of their choosing…instead they say, “Go for it! Have a good time! You won’t be vying for the big prizes, but you will have FUN!” I am also completely unopposed to any changes that the powers that be might make. After all, this is just a game, and participation is completely voluntary.
Whoa whoa whoa! Back this up.
The griping is as integral a part of field target as pellets.
America might run on Dunkin. But field target runs on griping.
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