My dollar bet

[braud357]

The decline has been a long time coming - we started shooting in Gonzales, LA in 1991. Our first season was our best, and participation has steadily declined each year since. Started out having 25 - 35 entries per match - luck to get 5 - 6 shooters per month (including Charlie and myself). Add to this the COVID epidemic caused us to lose 7 matches last year, and the weather this year has cost us at least 3 matches. We are hanging by the slimmest of threads down here !!

[xp-100]

If I had a dollar for everytime I heard that the decline of handgun silhouette is because
A. Guns are too expensive
B. Too many categories
C. Scopes
D. Guns are too expensive (this one gets repeated twice because of being mentioned so often)

Well if this is the problem, why bellyache. Go on and hold a series of matches with the simplified rules/categories that are so often pined about

Try these for rules.

1. Three categories
A. Production
B. Standing
C. Unlimited

Production and standing guns are limited to no more than $1000.00 (Just above the price of a standard S&W 629 and Ruger Super Blackhawk.) Any multi shot revolver or semi-auto pistol. No bolt or single shot handguns. No Telescopic or red dot sights allowed.

These guns must be shot exactly as they are sold, no trigger jobs, no custom grips, no extra sights, no rechambering.
Standing, gun may be shot with one hand or two hands but hands must be touching the grip, no other place
Production and unlimited may be shot standing, kneeling or prone. Again, no part of arm or firearm can touch the body, or ground and hands must be on the grips

Unlimited. Max price of guns $1000.00. Must be a single shot, Break open handgun. Must be shot in factory chambered round that is SAAMI approved. Must use sights sold with gun. If gun comes with no sight, a sight conforming to the exact shape and function of the sight on the S&W 629 and may cost no more than $100.00 may be used. No changes to the firearm is allowed. NO Telescopic or Red dot sights.

No changes to sight settings may be made during the course of fire. No modification to sights or alterations allowed including smoking the sights to reduce glare.

There is your entire rule book.

So, prove us wrong. Hold a series of matches with these rules. Show us that the masses will return to silhouette. I am sure that the folks currently running IHMSA would surely allow/encourage such simplified rules for your matches if it would encourage greater participation.

That would be fine if you can buy a used Dan Wesson for that or even a S&W model 29 or model 27 for that as well. Try a .22 S&W model K17 for that also.

[braud357]

No matter which side you embrace in the discussion - the end result will be the same, and it appears to be very near !

[jcunclejoe]

Ole, I'll have to add a plus 1 to your SB standing score.
My first SB standing score was a 6 with a Ruger single six.
Yea us!

Joe