A new indoor shooting range is opening in early May 2017 in Cumming, GA. An hour north of Atlanta (Country Folks Superstore, Hwy 9 at Post Rd.)
I don't know what shooting matches or competitions they will have there, but in the interest of attracting new people to the sport of shooting, I'm considering meeting with the owners and suggesting this idea:
The range itself buys 12 inexpensive, light weight, user-friendly .22 rifles and an equal number of .22 pistols as rental guns or "loaners" for shooting matches.
They advertise and promote some easy .22 rimfire matches that are strictly limited to inexpensive, common, rack-grade (or field-grade) plinking guns with standard factory components and no significant accuracy-enhancing upgrades. Bring your own or rent one of the range's guns.
Every shooter would get a short sight-in period, or a few sighter shots on the first target at each distance to check the gun's zero.
The shooters would have their "user names" (handles, fictional names) and scores posted on the range's website, and it would show both their raw score (and ranking) and an adjusted or handicapped score (and ranking) that is based on regular improvements over time.
What do you guys and gals think?
Would YOU participate in this, and pull that factory-standard plinker-grade gun out of your gun safe for this kind of match?
Even if this is way below your pay grade as a serious RFC member, what about your friends, co-workers, siblings, nephews, and kids? Would THEY be more interested in rimfire shooting if such a newbie-friendly competition were held?
(P.S. For safety reasons, perhaps each competitor would have to have a few minutes with a range safety officer and demonstrate safe and effective gun handling, loading and unloading, and at least a basic level of skill with a gun-- to show they can line up the sights and at least hit their own target, not the target of the dude the next lane over. Once a person passes this safety check, a record of it is made in the range's computer system and they never have to do it again on subsequent visits).
I don't know what shooting matches or competitions they will have there, but in the interest of attracting new people to the sport of shooting, I'm considering meeting with the owners and suggesting this idea:
The range itself buys 12 inexpensive, light weight, user-friendly .22 rifles and an equal number of .22 pistols as rental guns or "loaners" for shooting matches.
They advertise and promote some easy .22 rimfire matches that are strictly limited to inexpensive, common, rack-grade (or field-grade) plinking guns with standard factory components and no significant accuracy-enhancing upgrades. Bring your own or rent one of the range's guns.
Every shooter would get a short sight-in period, or a few sighter shots on the first target at each distance to check the gun's zero.
The shooters would have their "user names" (handles, fictional names) and scores posted on the range's website, and it would show both their raw score (and ranking) and an adjusted or handicapped score (and ranking) that is based on regular improvements over time.
What do you guys and gals think?
Would YOU participate in this, and pull that factory-standard plinker-grade gun out of your gun safe for this kind of match?
Even if this is way below your pay grade as a serious RFC member, what about your friends, co-workers, siblings, nephews, and kids? Would THEY be more interested in rimfire shooting if such a newbie-friendly competition were held?
(P.S. For safety reasons, perhaps each competitor would have to have a few minutes with a range safety officer and demonstrate safe and effective gun handling, loading and unloading, and at least a basic level of skill with a gun-- to show they can line up the sights and at least hit their own target, not the target of the dude the next lane over. Once a person passes this safety check, a record of it is made in the range's computer system and they never have to do it again on subsequent visits).