New thoughts to build IHMSA

[ole95]

Maybe ask these guys

[35isit]

I recognize Elgin for sure. Somebody identify all of them please. They are or were purist and Elgin knew how to run this sport. He promoted way more than is done now imho. People either loved or hated him.

[LOCKHART]

Elgin Gates was the glue that held this organization together. He promoted the sport
at every opportunity, and sold the guns used for lot better prices than you could
usually buy em for at your local gun store. When he was president, this game was
booming. I never met the man, but talked to him on the phone, when I was the
match director at CTSA, in New Braunfels, Texas. I know several old time IHMSA
shooters that hated his guts, tho. They had their reasons, I suppose, but I do
know this game has really nose-dived since he passed.

[260 Striker]

Back row on far left is Elgin Gates, To Elgin's left is Warren Center the inventor of the TC Contender. Front row far left is Ron Ricci who I believe was the first Region 1 director. Bottom row far right is J. D. Jones the founder of the Hand Cannons. Not sure about the rest but think the gentleman in the center of the back row might have been a TV personality at one time. I have seen some of the faces in the old Silhouette but can't place the names.

[ole95]

Hint
Put 1st. Name with last name then with faces winner buys my lunch
Towle
Behlert
Gates
Wesson
Centers
Ricci
Jones
Adams
Zwirz

[Alvin]

Well, obviously from the feedback, including rifle shooters into IHMSA has not/will not work. I appreciate all the comments. That's why I started the topic. Just a few general thoughts though....To make IHMSA grow again, we need shooters, COMPETITIVE shooters. Not hunters that only shoot less than a box of shells a year, not CC people that will only shoot enough to become comfortable with their carry guns....but shooters that want to compete, and are willing to put forth the effort to compete, and are willing to spend the money it takes to practice and shoot the matches. How do we draw these people into our sport? That's the big question. Perhaps approach shooters that are shooting in other types of competition. They want to have fun....learn to shoot better....and be willing to spend the time and money that it takes to do so. There's our task....we need to seek these people out.

On another note...I would love to see some of the older articles from the paper. A lot of excellent information is available. I would limit them to articles about silhouette shooting, gun builds and reloading only. Not going to say any more on that subject.

Anyway..thanks for the comments. By keeping everyone talking, perhaps we will be able to find a solution that will work.

[braud357]

OK Richard - I'll feed you lunch - but you have to come to Louisiana to collect

Top row - L to R Elgin Gates, Warren Center, Bob Zwirz, Austin Behlert, John Towle
Bottom Row - L to R Ron Ricci, John Adams, Dan Wesson, J.D. Jones

[jrywho]

Before we decide this thread is dead I would like to add my experiences and thoughts. My wife and I travel to different matches and clubs quite often throughout the shooting year. The common denominator is the lack of participation. IHMSA is loosing ground and members. I totally agree the membership fee is too high. At our club Jackson Purchase I have previous members that will not reach that deep into their pockets to renew their membership. There is no motive or reason since they do not travel elsewhere or shoot championship matches. If we kept the price reasonable I believe that would give me as the match director at least some leverage. Not everyone shooting silhouettes has the same drive and commitment we long time members do. Nor do they have the equipment. Therefore no financial commitment either. These people require something to draw them back each month.
This is how we at Jackson have approached the problem. As I said most ranges we attend are actually struggling to keep there IHMSA programs afloat. We conducted a meeting and asked what additional shooting disciplines interested them. The majority said 22LR Rifle matches of some sort. So we ran two pilot NRA rules SB rifle matches last summer. We had overwhelming participation. People attended that I had never met. It was a total success. So last winter I spoke to the members once again and found that interest was still very high but with a twist I didn't expect.
The majority of shooters wanted a 22 Rim fire Tactical match of sorts.
Now, as Al said to have these shooters as members under our umbrella and members of IHMSA would create growth we so desperately need.
As it turns out we are shooting a fun club match with 4 positions, 22 rim fire. You can see the results on my match report on this forum under Kentucky. It is working folks and IHMSA could benefit from this type of match tremendously. Think about this.....NRA does't offer it yet! As we know anything with the word tactical generates interest today.
One last thought and observation. Every range we visit, the match directors offer some type of 22 LR match as a side discipline to generate interest and income. I believe the 22LR rifle match is our saving grace and should be considered as a new IHMSA discipline. AUTO and BOLT, IRON SIGHTS and OPTIC. " TACTICAL"

Jerry Stringham
Match Director JPRPC

[high standard 40]

With all due respect Jerry, I have no interest, read that "ZERO" interest, in taking IHMSA towards anything tactical. If I wanted to shoot tactical, there are already numerous options available in other disciplines. That is not what I care to do. I have been a match dirtector for several years and I have been preaching at least that long to all who will listen that the reason IHMSA is in decline is because society has changed. Along with that change is the direction that the majority of sport shooters want to go. Tactical is the "New Cool".............I get that. That's not me and I will have no part in it. To me it's kinda like what my parents and mentors taught me all through life in regards to personal character..........never change who you are just to please other people. Our sport is what it is. When you look at gun owners, you can divide us into several different groups. The largest group will never shoot competition of any kind. Some are only hunters and some own firearms strickly for protection. People who enjoy plinking is another large group but most are unwilling to be involved in formal matches. We competition shooters make up a mere fraction of overall total gun owners. Among our very small group of gun owners interested in competition, at least as it appears to me, tactical (scenario based) games are by far the most popular in our current society. I don't see where we have a viable base to draw from to achieve any meaningful growth. Everything eventually dies. Nothing lives forever. At one time, most people had and used buggy whips. There's not much call for them anymore. I'm sure some people may look at what I'm saying here and call it "negative". I'm not being negative at all. I'm merely stating facts and the facts do make me very sad indeed. I love IHMSA silhouette. It's hard for me to understand why it isn't more popular than it is...........why more people don't enjoy it as much as me. I can tell you that as long as I am physically able, I will host regular IHMSA matches, even if there is no IHMSA as we now know it...........and even if I'm the only person there. I refuse to let it die.

[Richard Pickering]

Charlie, we have discussed this previously. People want what is easy. IHMSA is not easy. Urban populations have been taught for decades that they ''are protected by the local constabulary'' and don't need guns of any sort. There is not much base to draw from in the Urban folks. Rural folks own guns and ''can go shoot on my uncle's farm'' any time I want, and ''it don't cost me nothing.'' Many are happy if they hit a pie plate at 25yds. Hunters are not generally competitors. They sight in the rifle, maybe shoot five times during the season and put it away. The pool gets smaller every day.
I love the fact that Cowboy Action draws people who wouldn't usually shoot. They can dress up and play ''Old West''. I love that Glock sponsored matches have 250 people shoot nearly 900 entries in three days. At least they are getting out to shoot their Glock.
But that does little for IHMSA. We need MARKSMEN--MARKSWOMEN. We need the ''few good men and women'' who want to learn precision shooting. We need the ones who will study trajectory tables and argue ''what if'' with their pals. We need the ones who will rise at 4 AM to get out by 5 to drive two hours or more and hope someone will spot for them, just to return home about 7pm. Some of these become Match Directors and might get a chance to shoot if someone will call commands for them. We are aging. The sport is aging. We're old, blind, deaf, and cant walk-------but by golly we can still DRIVE. RP