Why come to the Cactus?
Walt established the Cactus Classic to provide a large, two day money match that is purposefully held during the colder months while most of the country is in no condition to hold a shoot. He made it a two day match to try and help shooters save vacation days for other large multiday matches like the Nationals and the Super Shoot. Also, holding a match during the winter months serves as a great balance to the BR schedule since many of the other major money matches are held in the warmer months (for good reason).
I offer that there are several reasons to attend the match but most of them fall into two catagories. They are, enhanced shooter experience and highly oganized and rule abiding match operations.
Regarding enhanced shooter experinece, having run the Cactus from its inception up until 2000 we are familiar with what BR shooters enjoy when coming to a major match. We are doing everything we can to provide as many shooter comforts as possible. These include the repair of numerous loose shooting benches. I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to get set up on your bench then while looking through your scope you learn that you have a loose bench. This puts doubt into every shot you take. Not a comfortable experience so we've repaired the shooting benches.
Their were several loading benches (not tables) that were loose to the point of being unsafe. No one wants to do a balancing act while they are loading. All the benches in the west side loading area have been removed and are being replaced with new benches.
Having to bring a tent, table and chairs to a match is a burden to those who drive and a hardship to those who fly. To reduce or eliminate this burden we are securing an additonal 6,900 square feet in large tents to keep everyone covered. We are also providing tables and chairs. This doesn't mean you can't bring a tent, table and chairs if you want to but those who don't want to shouldn't have to to get under cover. You also shouldn't have to get to the range days in advance to ensure getting under cover so we are working to provide plenty and then some.
We have created and will display numerous instructional signs to reduce confusion as to what is going on and when. We want everyone in attendance to be clear on what they can expect and then do what we've communicated so they can depend on these helpful communications.
We've worked and continue to work on securing as many valuable donations from sponsorring vendors as we can get our hands on. This is a major money shoot. At one point it was the 2nd largest BR shoot and largest 2 day shoot in the country. We are working deliberately to regain that status. It is our goal that every shooter leaves with something they appreciate getting. The values will vary but the idea that this is a special event which includes such things is a huge part of our program. Berger will be donating a large supply of bullets and J4 jackets along with money prizes that are winable by anyone, not just those who buy into the cash option.
There will be several other less obvious shooter comforts that are born from the directive that the competitors are our customers and need to be treated with courtesy, respect and thoughtfulness. It is very important to us that every shooter leaves the Ben Avery range with a clear understanding that we care about how much they enjoyed their experinece.
The second catagory is that we will run a highly organized and rule abiding match. The match will start on time. We expect it to finish according to a deliberate schedule. Things come up that are unexpected but we've planned to handle the most common issues quickly so as not to affect the timeline of the event.
We will work deliberately to make all range commands clear while at the same time communicating with the shooters in a respectful way (rather than to bark out commands).
We will strictly follow the rule book to provide a fair and level playing field for all those who are competiting. The is a NBRSA sanctined event. We regard this point as a requirment for all matches. It is particularly important that this is true at a major match since there are so many in attendance. The winner of this match will be the Cactus Classic Champion for that year. The value of this depends on how well we run the match according to the rules.
It has been my experience that a well run match is characterized by the shooters being essentially unaware of the operations of the match. The evidence of this is subtle but at the end of the day each competitor should have lots of memories of their individual experinece rather than memories of how the match was operated. For the competitor, the operation of the match should blend into the background.
We regard this match as a point of pride for Walt, David, myself and all the staff at Berger Bullets. I can personally assure everyone that we will take every step needed to make this match the must attend shoot on your schedule.
It is important to note that the full hook up campsites are located on the Ben Avery property but are not in parking area of the benchrest range. Those who wish to camp at the benchrest range so that they can reload in their campers will not have hook ups. We are working to get electric hook up installed before the 2016 Nationals but they will not be ready in time for this Cactus.
Also, in the benchrest parking lot there will be areas assigned for large RV's and reloading trailers. We will leave the area closest to the loading benches for cars only with the exception of a few spots that will be saved for those who will provide products for retail sales such as Bruno Shooter Supply and Butch.
Regarding retail vendors, if anyone intends to sell products at the match it is important that they obtain the proper permits for retail sales in Arizona and will be required to pay a vendor fee to Ben Avery. If you want to sell products at the Cactus please contact Ryan Robertson at 714-441-7226 or at
azbrs@bergerbullets.com.
Regards,
Eric
