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IHMSA

6K views 29 replies 18 participants last post by  STEEL SHOOTER 
#1 ·
I couldn't stand to see that Merry Christmas message for one more day.

I recently shot my first IHMSA match, had fun, going back for the next one.
After trying to follow the match directors explanation of all the classes and divisions I gave up and said just tell me what to shoot at, even he has a hard time following all the classes.
It's obvious that IHMSA is declining, I wonder if an overhaul and simplification of the class structure might not attract more shooters. As it is, at my range, there are enough classes that every shooter in attendance could shoot their own private class and win every time. Maybe there are places in the U.S. where all the classes are full and everybody is happy.
What do y'all think?
I believe the Tucson range, where I shot, held the first handgun silhouette match in the U.S., so it's not like it's a new thing there.
 
#2 ·
Where have you been? IHMSA declined years ago. Back in the late 80's and early 90"s IHMSA was a big deal just about everywhere. I remember going to the IHMSA Internationals in Tn. and they had 1600 guns signed up (guns, not shooters). Here in NY you could go to a match every weekend in one or two different places. I went to a shoot in Jan when it was in the teens and there were a hundred people at the match. By the mid 90"s there were hardly any places shooting it and in the late 90's there weren't any.....NONE. It would cost me and my friends about fifty bucks to go shoot a match every week and we'd drive 2-6 hours round trip to get there. After paying entry fees, etc it got pricey. The prizes for shooting? Particle board plaques. After winning a couple boxes full of them it got old in a hurry. I ran matches for three years and I can tell you the clubs weren't making much money on having matches. Between IHMSA fees, plaques, etc there simply wasn't any meat left on the bone. The only one who seemed to be getting ahead was Elgin Gates and family. It was a lot of fun, but it was destined to die out. I'm not crying sour grapes, I won five consecutive state 5-Gun and every other class I entered in Int. Class. I won two Regional Titles also. It got to where you'd go and there wasn't even one person in each class. Kind of meaningless to win when you're the only one in your class. It was fun for a while, but there's no way it could sustain itself. I moved on to three gun shoots and that was a lot more fun (and difficult) for another ten years.
 
#3 · (Edited)
HI started way back in either late 70's or early 80's when was still in it's infancy. The guns were still pretty basic and we had standing, production, revolver and unlimited. You had to keep all stock guns stock with original sights, trigger and barrels. It was really fun when everyone was figuring out which guns had a slight edge.

Slowly manufactures started making silhouette specific guns which helped get scores higher. The very first perfect 40x40 production 22 score was shot at our home range (Ozark, Ohio) by Gail Martin with a 10" Contender. Slowly they started to allow changes to the guns to suit a few that didn't like being stuck with a factory gun but didn't want it to fit in the unlimited class. A local buddy (J. D. Jones) was at the very first match where this game started shooting with a lot of pretty well known names back in 1975 in Tucson Arizona. It's come a long ways since then.

I got out just as the Exemplars and Freedom Arms guns came out which really upped the scores, then the scoped classes came about which was nice for the shooters that were getting older and perfect scores became quite common and winning a match came to a high count on shoot off targets. We even had a match we shot at the little rifle targets with our open sighted pistols to keep it fun and challenging.

All our shooting sports have a life where it starts fun, everyone likes to improve and get better equipment which turns into an equipment race. Finally the die-hards are left with the average guy that shows up leaves feeling he can't compete.

I'm already seeing it with our long-range matches, a few of us still stick with older target rifles/pistols instead of the latest greatest newest bestest high tech guns. Some of us even went back farther shooting peeps sights at targets we can barely see but it's still very challenging to compete against the scoped shooters and give them a run for the money.

It comes down to enjoying your time at a match, shame IHMSA is slowly dieing. Seen some great times back when it was growing, seeing the big range being built in Idaho, seeing new records being set and the advancement of very accurate handguns being developed.

Maybe a new sport will spring up from it's ashes, right now there are plenty of rimfire type matches around. Get out and enjoy them while you can, seeing the way things are heading it may get harder to enjoy our hobby.

Topstrap
 
#5 ·
I didn't have to throw in the towel. It ended up where there were literally ZERO places left to shoot in NY. It just died a natural death. I ended up donating my set(s) of targets to a local club that runs very informal matches during the summer. Believe it or not, but at three bucks a round to shoot (and that includes hiring a target setter) the club has a "big crowd" the nights sever or eight people show up. You're a day late and a dollar short to get on board.
 
#6 ·
ihmsa and nra pistol silhouette are both all most gone. ihmsa is doing better than the nra pistol silhouette, but not much. both are fun and i been in the game since the early 80's. but i shoot 98% of my time in nra silhouette rifle matches. still lots of rifle matches to be found if you want to drive several hours to get one. one of the reasons both are not getting any new shooters is it is not easy. we have new shooters show up for matches and they don't come back. they all say it is to hard. shooting standing, un-supported, on the clock, and got to knock down small animals that are far away has gotten to hard for the younger group.
 
#7 ·
I've been shooting IHMSA since 1985. Our local range is a half-hour away and we have 2 silhouette matches every month, April through October. We usually have 4-8 shooters per match.

I don't care if there is nobody in my class, I just enjoy shooting silhouettes. Don't need to "win" or beat anyone else.
 
#8 ·
IHMSA80x80

i know that. i drive six hours rounds trip to one of my so call local match to shoot with five guys. we shoot nra lever action rifle smallbore and pistol cartridge in the morning. in the afternoon we shoot hunter pistol and smallbore hunter pistol (open sight and scope) with three of us. but this years they are dropping the pistol matches.
 
#9 ·
Our range has shown steadily declining numbers of shooters over the years. When I first moved here in 1986, it was packed for each match, and we only had one match per month then. You had to sign up...in advance... for specific shooting times for NEXT month's match. Or, just show up and hang around, hoping someone would cancel, or give you their time slot.

Today, you can walk up to the line and shoot whatever, and whenever you want. Just a few dedicated geezers. What is sad, is that all but two, myself and the match director, are from out of state. We can't even get our own club members to show up, and we used to have a lot of them.

Good luck trying to get younger shooters involved. It is too hard for them and boring. All the want to do is blast away as fast as they can empty 27 magazines at targets only 10 feet away. Who cares if they hit anything...accuracy is unimportant.
 
#11 ·
My wife and I were very avid IHMSA shooters starting about 1979 or so, we could shoot almost every weekend in the Northern California and Nevada area. we attended shoots that regularly drew 75-100 shooters. I think what killed it was the "a classification for every gun" philosophy, it started out with just 3 or 4 guns and as time went on the shooters started demanding a special classification so they could shoot their very own special gun. "Production" didn't really mean "Production" any more, clubs had to buy another set of targets for the guys who wanted to shoot 1/2 scale targets, finally people just got tired of it and went off to do other things. A real shame, it was tons of fun.
 
#12 ·
We have non-sanctioned matches at our club in Sparta Michigan, in warmer weather. Only guns allowed are 22 rimfire pistols (no magnums) and iron sights, red dots or low powered scopes. Guns must be held in the offhand position. We use half scale targets at 25 & 50 yards. Easy for some of us, but others struggle, even at these close distances. I'd like to move them back to small bore pistol distances, to make it harder, but too many people would quit.
Some of us are competitive and always strive to do better, where others quit, if they don't do well, right off the bat.
 
#13 ·
I'd like to move them back to small bore pistol distances, to make it harder, but too many people would quit.
Some of us are competitive and always strive to do better, where others quit, if they don't do well, right off the bat.
I think that is the key to silhouette's declining participation...

It's just too hard.

People today want instant gratification with easy targets, they don't want to have to practice to improve their scores, just blast away at very large, extremely close targets, as fast as they can shoot. If you miss, who cares? You've got 97 more bullets left to hit that target.
 
#16 ·
It's the same at the IDPA and USPSA events. New people come and if they don't shoot as well as the seasoned shooters, they get discouraged and don't come back.
I'm just opposite: I try to compete against people who are better than me and pick their brains. I'm 73 and usually shoot in the top half, but that didn't happen overnight.
 
#21 ·
:bthumb: That's a great attitude! More power to ya. All the better shooters than I, I have found to be wonderfully encouraging and very open about their 'secret' what and how. Talking small bore CLA & PC matches here, based on my own experience and a number of them past & present Nat'l. champs too. Its a wonderful shooting sport and its huge FUN! :)

Shoot against yer self, ask questions, apply whot werks for ya and keep having fun as ya figger it out.. or not. Its a great game, on yer own w/o support and seeing the result for every shot taken & no need for a spotting scope, but having a 'spotter' sure helps when you can trust 'em; then its either crank in the necessary sight adjustment or use Kentucky windage as your elevation needs should already be known for each animal from bench testing prior.
 
#17 ·
The Tucson range May have held the first Silhouette match, but others make that claim too.
I shot there for several years - Lever Action Silhouette...same targets, different firearms.
Loved the range - couldn't stand the retirees that ran the place. Once you get past them the range is OK.
Try Lever Action - its fun and drew the largest crowd at the Nationals last year.
Michael
 
#18 ·
I have a copy of the July 1973 American Rifleman, in it there is a article about the "new sport " of metallic silhouette and how it got started in the US, having been brought up from Mexico. It states the first silhouette range in the US was in Tuscon and was built in 1968. The first National Championships were held there in 1973.
 
#23 ·
I always liked silly wet in any flavor rifle pistol ( both rimfire and centerfire) Blackpowder. At my range back in the 80's we had to call ahead to get a spot on the line. Back then all I had was TC in 35 Rem. ( poor man's 35 Herret) in those day I was also involved in HiPower and rimfire posistion and trap and Skeet with a little of the new thing called Sporting clays on top of it all. I was attending a match of some type almost every weekend. I was also a match director for many different venues at 2 different ranges. Family duties came a long and of course that had priority, started my own business and some of you know how that works out time wise. still try to get once in awhile just to get the cob webs out of the barrels.
 
#24 ·
I started silhouette in 81 when it was booming. It was a great sport but expensive. We would trade our plaques for entry fees. It took alot of time reloading for 4 or 5 guns every week as wife shot too. It appears as all shooting sports are declining, benchrest, steel challenge, egg shoots all need to develop a method to entice new shooters. Trap may be growing with the onset of school teams becoming available. Maybe we need some school teams for all facets of shooting. Youth shooters are future of sport. Just can't get enough support to make it financially feasible.
 
#25 ·
Just my opinion but entry fees are killing the NRA matches. I do not know about IHSMA fees. My wife and I spent $410 on entry fees just to shoot two smallbore rifle classes at the 2018 Nationals. Combine that with lodging and travel expenses and it is too expensive for the average working family. If you had four family members that shot, the entry fees alone would be $820. The average family is not going to do that.
 
#26 ·
I too shot IHMSA back in the early fun days. Like all types of sporting competition it grew and killed itself with specially classes to keep a few happy but ran off average Joe.

It takes dedication to rise to the top and usually a lot of money to keep up with newer equipment the top shooters upgrade to. Too many speciality classes divide the shooters with few in each one.

When a couple of us started our long-range rimfire matches it was almost like the old IHMSA days with everyone learning and having fun just hitting targets. A few years into it now the better skilled and equipped shooters have moved on to the latest fad of ELR ryimfire matches.

It's great that they are showing just how far and accurate a 22 rimfire can shoot but it's more specialized which leaves a lot of shooters feeling they can't keep up. I set up my matches which let's young, old, skilled, less skilled, disabled or whatever hit a lot of targets but still has a few for the best shooters to fight for the lead over.

if you are looking to keep shooters shooting you can't design the match based on the best shooters skill level and you can't have it too easy. The new NRL, PRS and matches similiar to mine are fun, have decent sized targets and let everyone hit stuff.

There are matches geared to the ones wanting the extreme challenge that shooters can move up to but usually have no limitations so be prepared for that. I allow nearly any equipment except for benchrest type stuff and limit ammo costs which iis one of the biggest factors for accuracy and also helps average Joe see that he don't need $15.00/50 to compete.

Topstrap
 
#27 ·
Good Times

I too started back in the early eighties in Sweetwater, TX. We had a lot of people come to our matches which started out IHMSA big bore only, but we ended up with field pistol and rimfire. I was also match director and in between our monthly matches myself and usually four other guys would travel around to other matches all over Texas for regular matches, Regionals, State, and Internationals. We also hosted Regional and State matches. There was a big rivalry with OK and we had The Red River Shootout every year. Our range was next to the airport and some of the Oklahoma shooters would fly in even for our monthly matches. By the time I got busy with other things the interest had really fallen off. Lot of good people and good times.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I am quite late to this parade but all of which you speak is true. I started shooting in 1976 with an IHMSA number of 2249. It grew at a rapid pace in the early 80's and died in the late 90's. There were a huge number of cry babies that had to have special treatment or did not like the new pile of rules unless it was a benefit to them personally. Well they have their wish and killed a very good shooting sport. Congratulations. The only thing to do now is to tear up the rule book and try to start all over again if you wish to see this sport again. Go back to the original basics and stay there. The original rules were on the back of an IHMSA membership card that was about 3" by 5" that is enough. Just don't shoot the person in the next station and knock down the targets. Keep count. That is all.
 
#29 ·
It seems to me that if a shooter wants to remain "old school" then there's still the Production classes. Revolver is currently dominated by Freedom Arms, but that's fair, given that no other manufacturers care to step up their game. Standing is a great venue for those that don't want to get into an equipment race.

Heck, I like the multiple classes. Pick what you like and shoot. Then shoot some more, either re-entries or other classes.

Could be the problem with IHMSA is that your misses are public knowledge. No points for "close" or for style. And there's not much solution for that unless we replace steel with paper. How boring that would be!

There's nothing quite as giggle producing as sending a free standing chicken tumbling over the berm. No matter how many times you do it. :D
 
#30 ·
Well said

It seems to me that if a shooter wants to remain "old school" then there's still the Production classes. Revolver is currently dominated by Freedom Arms, but that's fair, given that no other manufacturers care to step up their game. Standing is a great venue for those that don't want to get into an equipment race.

Heck, I like the multiple classes. Pick what you like and shoot. Then shoot some more, either re-entries or other classes.

Could be the problem with IHMSA is that your misses are public knowledge. No points for "close" or for style. And there's not much solution for that unless we replace steel with paper. How boring that would be!

There's nothing quite as giggle producing as sending a free standing chicken tumbling over the berm. No matter how many times you do it. :D
Standing is rather humbling, definitely not an equipment race, shooting off your hind legs probably always will be. BANG....Clang :D
 
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