RISE AND FALL OF IHMSA

[willk]

Charlie and I were talking about this very subject and this very thread just a few minutes ago. Look carefully at just about every popular recreational activity of the last 100 or so plus years. They always follows a bell curve. It starts out small, builds quickly to a crescendo and then falls away. And I do agree with Charlie, its not the money, time has moved on and very sadly so has ours. This sport does not have to die, but it will never again be the glamor sport of shooting.

In the end, quit pine-ing over what we were, just make sure we preserve what we are.

Oh, for those who know Philip, don't believe him when he says he does not shoot as well as he used too, I have seen him shoot and He is still among the very best, as is his brother.

[19 Turkeys]

Oh, for those who know Philip, don't believe him when he says he does not shoot as well as he used too, I have seen him shoot and He is still among the very best, as is his brother.

Know them darned well & I keep trying to get them to the WCC! Maybe someday!

Steve W.

[lodibluedevils12]

I used to shoot in the late 80's and early 90's but had kids and so forth. I just sent the last one off to school and looking to get back shooting silhouettes again. Can't really get in touch with anyone in Wisconsin to really talk to about matches. Plan on going to one soon if I can find one.

[Robert Becherer]

I used to shoot in the late 80's and early 90's but had kids and so forth. I just sent the last one off to school and looking to get back shooting silhouettes again. Can't really get in touch with anyone in Wisconsin to really talk to about matches. Plan on going to one soon if I can find one.

We have a new match director for Wisconsin.His name is Joe Lipp. Very nice person to talk to.I believe his contact info in in the Silhouette news. If you cannot find his contact info,PM me. Unfortunatly there are only a few clubs left that shoot silhouettes. Depends on the area you live on where a match may be. I live in the south east of the state just north west of Milwaukee. I belong to the Daniel Boone Conservation League and we have two matches left this year. One on August25 and one on September 22. Also see the match schedule in the IHMSA news

[JimMcDonnel]

Back when we took over match director duties at Greenwood Gun Club, the matches were always huge. We ran 25 relays of 4 banks of big bore targets. The telephone would begin ringing on the Monday before the Saturday match and usually all the slots would be filled by Wednesday. It was just crazy......People would show up at the match on shooter "standby"......The ONE thing that seemed to change it all was any and all moves away from a basic 4 simple category match. In those days revolvers were the Ruger and Dan Wessons. Production/Standing was T/C mostly. Unlimited was the T/C and XP100. There were no scoped categories. When the equipment race began....participation dwindled. Coincidence....maybe so. I would truly love to see what a move back to basic categories would do for the sport. Standing, Production, Revolver, Unlimited. No scoped, 1/2 size, air pistol, Field Pistol, etc., etc. Just the 4 categories that the sport began with and was successful with. I think that the average Joe looking at an array of equipment the current IHMSA competitor uses would be intimidated somewhat. Fancy scopes on high rise mounts and on and on....

Just S,P,R,U with simple, reasonably priced handguns.

[MetalCutter]

Hey Jimmy!

Long time, how are You, Cindy & Sam doing?

John Dunn

[LOCKHART]

Im with Jimmy on this one. I dont know if we could do that, now, but
a return to the BASIC 4 categories might be something to look at. We
need to do something to bring in more members and shooters.


Gerald Morrison

[braud357]

Gerald - when I started in IHMSA - there were only 3 categories !! (1980). It was a much simpler time ! Fast-forward 34 years - if IHMSA had continued with that basic premise - I would have quit a long time ago. My diminished eyesight is the cause - I personally think that the scope categories have RETAINED membership that would have been otherwise lost ! Too many categories is not our problem - a changed shooter demographic is ! ---- Philip Braud

[encore22]

The rise of IHMSA depends on it's leadership. We need leaders who are not afraid to communicate with the masses. We can switch and change categories and rules all we want, but it takes leaders to make any organization strong. Our chance is now. If we can start with a new VP and next year a good strong president, I don't think we're far from regaining some of our strength in membership. It would also be nice if we had all regions represented with directors. I have been a member of IHMSA for a few years and as long as I have been a member there have always been groups that wanted their way or they were going away. We have persevered with discord all these years, just think what would happen if we worked as a group dedicated to making IHMSA great again.

[Shoot2Thrill]

Amen, encore 22! You have hit the nail on the head. New blood, new vision, and new mission of where we can take IHMSA. I am a teacher and I have worked for an incredibly motivating principal. It was amazing how he lit our fire for the entire school year. He took the bull by the horns and got things done that were of vital concern for my school. We need someone who can promote IHMSA to the masses. Heck, we can help too. I have read posts here and I am going to piggyback on my brother's ideas. Lets get IHMSA out there with social media. It's free! I understand IHMSA has a facebook page, but does not have much on it. YOUTUBE! People are all over youtube. I checked youtube before I joined IHMSA and before my first match. I was hoping to get some visual answers to my questions and concerns. I did not get many. One suggestion I have would be to have a video of a typical stage sequence (shooter to the line, load, fire, cease fire). Videos of the different positions, classes, guns. Smartphones take pretty good videos and so do those zoom pads and ipads. I have none of these devices, but I would be willing to be videoed or use someone's device to shoot a video next time I am at a match which will be the August match in Tusco.