Postal Matches ...

[kerdunk]

What club will be first to organize good old fashioned postal matches?

[contender1121]

Sounds interesting. How do you perceive it working?

[kerdunk]

Once a week each participant completes a course of fire (e.g. 40 round match) in whatever disciplines/events they favor. Participants would email their scores to a central point of contact who records them in a spreadsheet. Scores could sorted by classification, etc. and published at the end of the week. Obviously everyone would be on the honor system.

There could be points (5 pts for 1st, 4 pts for 2nd, and so on) awarded each week and series winners (based on point accumulation) declared after a 6-8 week period. Winners could be identified by classification, by event, by whatever breakdown is typically used.

It could be a way of managing social distances, yet keeping everyone involved in the spirit of competition. Hopefully most everyone has access to a range with at least swingers?

Post-virus, it might also be a fun way for a dwindling number of silhouette shooters to stay connected. I’m brand new to the sport and (like all of you) wonder how well it can be sustained with participation rates declining. I think postal matches in this day and age would be relatively easy to track, fun to participate in and perhaps create new friendships, or keep old ones going just awhile longer. If you could shoot a match every week without having to travel ... wouldn’t you give it a go?

[braud357]

Good idea, I suppose - but will not work for me. We use the local sheriff's range, and they have banned public use until the "stay at home" order is lifted.

[35isit]

This brings up a good point. I personally am unemployed. I'm not going to make the World Championships. I understand the Australian and Brazilian contingents are not coming. While I understand we can't shoot off the ties in real time. We could do a postal match. Yes there would multiple champions in each category as well as multiple winners of each class. If there are any officers or members on here that have any ideas let's hear them. We can pm each other and some of us have our phone numbers posted because of our positions. But now is the time to consider so clubs can make schedule changes.

Sorry kerdunk for hijacking your thread.

[Shoot2Thrill]

Kerdunk, do you envision postal matches as being for fun or sanctioned? If it is sanctioned, then I see a huge logistical hurdle. Concerns that I have are who would volunteer to enter scores, using swingers for score, range availability, nothing in rule book, presence of a match director, and accountability.

Please do not take those concerns as being negative. I am glad that someone came forward with an idea. Maybe we should consider making changes. The NRA is using a portal system for match directors to enter scores. I believe the NRA has postal match rules in place. Thank you for the idea and welcome to IHMSA. I have let the board know about your idea.

Take care.

[kerdunk]

My thought is this would be for fun ... unofficial. Just a way to keep people engaged in the sport right now. Later, maybe a way to encourage continued participation. It could become a mid-week activity for some. Another reason to get up and head out to the range on a Tuesday or Wednesday: “Gotta get my Postal submitted.”

I shot an airgun (bullseye) postal series one year and we logged our own scores into a portal. At some prescribed time and day, all the scores became visible to everyone. For me, it was just a motivational thing to keep me practicing.

I suspect the only thing ever on the line would be bragging rights.

Thank you for considering the idea.

[260 Striker]

Postal matches could be fun but I see the lack of availability of ranges to many shooters as being a problem. If some shooters have home ranges that is great but there would be no way to ensure each home range were shooting at the required distances. If kept as fun matches, I can see where the rules may have to be changed to allow for these fun matches. As of now if a shooter would shoot great scores at these informal matches and other shooters knew a shooter's skill level had improved but would continue to shoot in a lower class at a sanctioned match, that may not be fair. We are supposed to question a shooter's classification at sanctioned matches if we have seen them shooting scores consistently above their classification. While I personally don't agree with this it was supposed to keep people from sandbagging at sanctioned matches if they were known to shoot better at practice matches.

[dan in mi]

It should be fairly easy for airgun.

Postal matches could be fun but I see the lack of availability of ranges to many shooters as being a problem. If some shooters have home ranges that is great but there would be no way to ensure each home range were shooting at the required distances. If kept as fun matches, I can see where the rules may have to be changed to allow for these fun matches. As of now if a shooter would shoot great scores at these informal matches and other shooters knew a shooter's skill level had improved but would continue to shoot in a lower class at a sanctioned match, that may not be fair. We are supposed to question a shooter's classification at sanctioned matches if we have seen them shooting scores consistently above their classification. While I personally don't agree with this it was supposed to keep people from sandbagging at sanctioned matches if they were known to shoot better at practice matches.

I don't see any reason for concern on this. There has always been the ability to practice at home or a local/private range.

Long before there was an airgun category I was practicing standing in my backyard. Made my own distances by relative scores per animal to my BB and SB actual scores. (they came out slightly longer than regulation) I shot nearly every day for a while to get my standing up to where I wanted it. (INT) I suppose I could have skipped some monthly matches to sandbag for States, but that was counter to my reason for practicing.

[dhagerty40x]

Just run a postal match like we are doing with the Cast bullet scores... Shoot and submit them just for bragging rights. it also allows you to see how you are doing compared to the rest of the Shooters around the world!