The "battered wife" syndrome comes to mind. Shooters taking abuse have other choices.
No John, it's more like we love shooting Sporters! We love shooting 3 card matches, we (MD's and scorers) love how fast and easy it is to score IR cards compared to the other popular 'brand'. Competitors also like how fast an IR card can be scored! I have been a MD for both sanctioning bodies (IR and ARA) and I can tell you from experience, IR is hands down easier to run. I can also say I know another MD that has the same feelings about running IR matches as compared to ARA, as he still runs both and is WAY more experienced than I am. I help him score cards and we both B**** about the ARA cards and how long they take to hand score. We both smile when we are scoring IR cards! Not every club has the funds to purchase the electronic scoring equipment. I had the equipment bought and provided to me from a competitor at my Iowa club......we only got it to work one time. The issue was found (printer) and now that equipment is running fine. (Please tell me how long we waited last year for scores at the Area tournament in Missouri because of a computer issue?) By the time we figured out our equipment issues for computer ARA scoring, I had already decided to drop ARA for the next season and switch the club over to IR. Even with the equipment running, who wants to pack the stuff the night before, unpack it at the range, pack it back up and unpack at the house? Not me! I do not have a club house at that range to store it, and like every other MD, I am a volunteer. And if you think a MD only has work on match day, you are seriously misguided. Adding extra work on a MD because a well running sanctioning body decides to start scoring X's on a worst edge scored card is ridicules! Of course, with all your MD experience you already know this.......correct?
I've heard your "battered wife syndrome" comments before applied to IR shooters. Didn't hold water then with me, and still doesn't. Am I comfortable about how things are going over the last year or so with IR, absolutely not! Do I feel 'battered', not at all, it's just a game. It's frustrating at times, but it's not the end of the world. I have only been shooting IR for 2 different owners. The former was a better administrator, no question. The latter.......well I hope he gets his act together and turns things around. If he doesn't, then I hope he gets it sold to new ownership that gussies things up. One way or another, I will shoot IR Sporter and 3-Gun as long as there is sanctioning body for it.
Other choices? What, ABRA, N50, IBS? The only one I have shot is ABRA and you were there both times. We both know who won the first one, I did, got the plaque on my wall. I also have my only framed ABRA 200 target on the wall I shot 2 weeks later at the same club. Please look up the second match on their website (good luck!) and tell me who won the second one? Hint, it wasn't me and it was in Jan 2020. Again, good luck. Their website makes the current IR website look advanced! I have an N50 target on my desk right now. My IR club in Pontiac, IL runs N50 and I am going to shoot it next month. The 10 ring is huge!! If you want to shoot a best edged scored card that allows you to shoot it 'soft' much easier than the IR card, it should be your huckleberry! Viable option for me, probably not, but I'll see how it goes. IBS, doubt there is anything close to me and don't really care. It's a new start up and I prefer to stick with established sanctioning bodies. When you say there is other options out there, that can be an issue. Water down the market too much and everyone suffers.
I believe your greatest exposure to IR has been Unlimited. You did shoot the Outdoor Sporter Nationals last year, but I have no knowledge of your other possible IR experience. IMO, UL experience is not a fair and reasonable assessment of why competitors want to shoot IR Sporter/3-Gun. Also IMO, the IR card is not that difficult to score well on with a UL/one piece setup, which was never a part of the sanctioning body in its earlier years. Shoot the card as it was originally designed for (Sporter/3-Gun), and you may see the admiration competitors see in the original game. Brian Voelker and I have brought several new shooters to IR 3-Gun over the last several years. They all love the challenge, they all love not spending over half or more of their Saturday/Sunday at the range.......especially waiting for scoring. If you want to critique us on other options, at least try the game as it was first originated......Sporter/3-Gun. If you have and didn't like it okay, but don't call us battered. If you haven't, then your opinion is meaningless.
Sincerely,
Scott
