Growing the IBS

Ibs NBRSA initial set up. NBRSA was formaly a different organization spured from the eastern shooters association or something like that}
[ Sorry i forgot the name } It was mostly old shuten shooters who went modern to centerfire rifle , shooting groups.
Most were gunsmiths and machinest who had a drive for accuracy. I'm sure theres articles written about it.
as I recall it really started in Johnstown NY. The number were probably around 200 or so . If I remember correctly it was written about in PS magazine. It started on the East coast and has grown . 200 to ? thousands.
I'm sure it's well over 3,000.
The marketing approach at gun shows works, It's been done before at Syracuse , by Michelle Sutton and some others.
Benchrest schools work pretty well as long as you can get enough volonteers to run a match and teach the necessary information. It worked at Canastota one time. Holton has some kind of benchrest shoot also.
Have a school isn't cheap. Getting people to drive to a shool and stay for a week and work usually free is a tough
thing to put together. The fee as I remember for the school was about $100 for the week.
 
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aka Hunter said:
“ I can’t help but wonder if folks who are at the top of the game would like to have a class of their own and not be bothered with folks who have all the right equipment and are willing to travel great distances to matches -- but can’t really run with them? .
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The answer to that is obviously no. Now you're trying to make the top shooters in the top game look like elitists. I assure you that not one "top shooter" would want to play by themselves. They do, however, want everyone at a match to give it their best shot with competitive gear that is capable of top level accuracy. And that is the goal of the two organizations.

aka Hunter said:
“
As for the “average joe [not being] interested anyway,” I assume you consider all factory-class shooters as an “average joe.” I suspect that if “average joe” were allowed to shoot in registered matches alongside folks who are at the top of this game, but allowed to compete in a factory class, there would be a nice turnout of such shooters. As for whether “average joe” eventually started “questing after the ULTIMATE IN ACCURACY” and transitioned into full-custom rigs, I suspect some would -- in fact, I suspect I know several guys tbat might make that transition.
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To me, a "factory" class shooter is someone who either can't or won't step up to the next level. There is nothing wrong with that, but it's not the ideal of the NBRSA or IBS. Now, the factory class appeals to a big window of fellas. Obviously, not all of them are "average joes". But the class is meant for average grade gear at a sub state-of-the-art level of accuracy which is not a step in the direction of progress. Sure, we'd probably pick up a few folks who would make the transition from factory to full blown BR, but history has shown that "lower level" classes just do not have a great record of bringing in more BR shooters. That's because of what I said several pages ago...........BR doesn't find shooters, shooters find BR. If someone really wants to play the game, they will play. That doesn't mean we can't help show them the way. It just means we aren't very good at converting regular folks into BR shooters. But that is and always will be the nature of the most demanding level of shooting because it just plain doesn't appeal to the majority of the population.
 
There are several books on Benchrest shooting in print. They make wonderful primers for new shooters.
How about shareing your books with potental new shooters to feel them out.? Once they read about our type s of shooting and show some interest invite them to your local range for a try out.
 
GerryM said:
There are several books on Benchrest shooting in print. They make wonderful primers for new shooters.
How about shareing your books with potental new shooters to feel them out.? Once they read about our type s of shooting and show some interest invite them to your local range for a try out.
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+1 Gerry.... Have done this 2 or 3 times in the last year with INTERESTED shooters... Both Mike and Tony's books... One is looking very interested and reportedly is "saving his coins".... One bought a new copy of Tony's book and promised to attend a few local shoots in 2013.

cale
 
The other aspect on BR sport is the time involved, in addition to the equipment, tools, components, auto and travel expenses. Just the time alone can be a turnoff if one has family considerations or other hobbies they want to do. The current participants tend to be fully or semi fanatical about BR. Not all shooters are like that.
 
I keep bringing this back - don't know why...

Excerpt from an old article I never finished. Seems pertinent but prolly a waste of bandwidth to the reader. Of course, since I wrote it, I find it ETERNALLY pertinent! The subject of the article was something like "Getting Started in Benchrest Shooting":

________________________

Look Before You Leap

Before we jump into the nuts and bolts of competitive benchrest, some uncomfortable details have to be addressed - Right here, right now. There may be folks that visualize themselves playing benchrest shooter without a full understanding of some prerequisites. A couple or three questions need to be asked and realistic answers are recommended.

1) Do I have the time?

The possibility exists that sanctioned Benchrest Shooting is not something you can do. Attending a sanctioned match will very likely (if not always) require traveling hundreds of miles and the expense of a weekend from early Friday afternoon to late Sunday night. In many locations, that would be a minimum. Do some homework to determine where you will have to go to compete.

Later, there will be a suggestion to travel to a match just to look around and get a feel for "things". If following that suggestion gives you the slightest heartburn then perhaps a re-think of the whole idea is necessary. A "problem" with time resources is not a show stopper in some cases but a significant consideration in every case. Don't fail to factor in family commitments - both real and perceived

2) Do I have the money?

The purpose of this question is not to have you evaluate your relative net worth. Trust me, you have ENOUGH money. The real question is whether or not you have THE money? I talked with a spectator at a match one Sunday and he stated that he would dearly love to get into benchrest shooting but just couldn't afford it. Later, I was cleaning my rifle and saw him driving away in a brand new custom painted chrome plated pickup truck pulling a real nice trailer. There was a four wheeler in the bed of the truck and three more on the trailer. I figured the 4 wheelers were a family thing and that was how his priorities aligned. On the way home that night my Caravan shuddered past 170K and I paid the light bill plus late charge on Wednesday. It was either pay the light bill or get my wife's partial plate fixed. It all worked out well at the time because I bought a jug of powder and all we could afford was soup and mashed potatoes anyway. Money is not a show stopper either. Just give it some direct thought before you end up taking a loss on your purchases.

3) Am I a competitor?

Last but by no means least is the will to win and a tolerance for losing. It's OK to have a little internal bleeding because your last shot knocked you out of a 3 Gun win at the nationals. That's the way it should be. Try not to let it trickle to the outside. It's not OK to be satisfied with less than the win nor is it OK if warts grow on your lips if you don't win. Nobody wins every time and nobody is expected to win every time. If you already know that you can't laugh it off or don't believe that you can win then pass on Competitive Benchrest Shooting. This IS a show stopper. If you are so disposed, you can't have fun and it's the fun that keeps you going.
 
I have to correct one thing I stated in an earlier post. The benchrest school was 2 days . Sorry about that confusion.
The volonteers were here longer though . Some new shooters came out of that group and did quite well.
I guess it's what ever it takes to draw new shooters.
 
After 273 posts nobody has an answer how do you convince somebody who in his or her mind that they are the best shooter at the range/club that they shoot at to come out and compete and maybe find out they are not as good as they think they are. Ego is a fragile thing. Also factory class is not a way to "fix the problems" but creates its own set of problems most of the factory class shooters I have shot with will not shoot anything other than factory, its easier to be a big frog in a small pond than risk getting out and working to move foward
 
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Wilbur, you pretty well hit the nail on the head with that post. One thing for newbies to remember is there are people shooting at different intensities of competition. Someone who doesn't have a lot of time or money may be content to just shoot at a few "local" and I use that term loosely matches. Your closest local match may be 200 miles away. Someone who has more time and money may try to make every match in the region and some outside his region. If I had to look at the leaderboard and had to see my name at the top spot of the board every time, I'd of quit a long time ago. I'm not sure whether it's the competition that drives most of us or placing those last two shots into the group holding a half inch from where you started. As to what this post was about growing the IBS, I look at it more as growing 100/200 yard benchrest competition in general. I'm not sure what type of person it takes to shoot benchrest and stay in it, but I'm sure there is some type of pyschological profile that most benchrest shooters are. Maybe compulsive? Growing benchrest isn't going to be an easy thing to do.
 
GerryM said:
There are several books on Benchrest shooting in print. They make wonderful primers for new shooters.
How about shareing your books with potental new shooters to feel them out.? Once they read about our type s of shooting and show some interest invite them to your local range for a try out.
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Lol did this a few times until I never got the books back..........now I just keep a spare and sell them one......Ian
 
If there is a specific question about membership, cards or whatever. Please contact Joan or I. This forum is the least effective way to get a problem resolved. I can tell you that the majority of "membership issues" relate to a case where the shooter joins at the range rather than direct with the IBS. Regardless, we we it sorted out, if we know about it.

Jeff Stover
IBS President
 
The big danger to all of Benchret is loosing the shooting venues. I was chatting with a lad from Pennyslvania this weekend and we started talking about all the shooting ranges that no longer are holding events. That pretty much shows how few people there are among us who are willing to do the work to run matches. I think most of the clubs that no longer hold Benchrest Matches did not generally support Benchrest Matches but "Allowed" them. Once the person or persons who liked Benchrest and did the work were no longer available, Benchrest Matches died there.

It has been my observation that as the numbers of Pistol Shooters have increased in clubs, the club's interests and control have gone in the direction of pistol shooters. While there are some Accuracy Events in Pistol Shooting, it is my observation that most of the activities they seem to participate in are shooting the pistols at easy to hit targets. They seem to find joy in those sort of things, apparently. We, on the other hand, are a more demanding bunch who want to wring out the accuracy in our equipment. They have no understanding of us and I think many of us have no understanding of them. This situation is a growing one and one we have no power to control unless we are willing to pay more to do what we do. If we have Benchrest Only Clubs then we get to say what goes on and keep them Benchrest Only Clubs. It's gonna cost a lot of money to make that happen.
 
Gentlemen - I'm making this post to leave the issue of response from the IBS concerning membership within this thread. I'm removing related posts as they are consumer issues just as posts concerning any type of service would be. Evidence exists that the IBS has read here and are aware.

I can say without reservation that these issues, real and perceived, are not limited to the IBS.
 
Some people think you just pick up a benchrest rifle and start winning. It takes time to get the necessary experience to shoot the game. As wilber has posted. We have a small league that shoots benchres on wednesdays at the club. It's mostly old timers but we also have some good shooters that go to matches. You need a benchrest shooter {director} person willing to start an informal league at your local club , That will help promote the game.
It could be on weekends or early evening in the summer months. We have a lot of fun with ours, and i'm sure others would too. It just takes commitment to the game.
 
A couple of promotional things to think about, money and classes.

For more than a dozen years I shot registered trap, ATA, Amateur Trapshooting Association. Yes, remember Amateur, not professionals just a bunch of amateurs!

For the big “super shoot” each year we had the Grand American trap shoot, at that time also in Ohio.

I kind of have mixed feelings about getting into this part but money is what appeared to make this sport popular. At the “Grand” there were near 2,000 registered shooters. At the benchrest Super Shoot we have had on a really good year about 415 shooters, at benchrest nationals, normally less than 200!!

One year a friend of mine brought home almost $9,000 and he was way down the list of money winners. Where would we get the money and how would it be given out?? Dunno.

And remember, just about every large community has a trap and/or skeet field.



Another something to think bout is shooter classifications. Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, Metallic Silhouette, NRA Highpower, etc, etc. Just about all the shooting sports I’ve been in over the years, ATA, IMHSA, NSSA-NSCA, NRA Bullseye pistol, and a few others ALL had shooter classifications. I feel that a benchrest shooter classification system is important and would provide more participation.

A major thing a classification system does is to allow like ability shooters compete among like ability shooters. Most all shooters like to win, at least occasionally. A classification system provides more winners. How would it work, what should be the classes, and who would manage it?? Dunno.

Just a couple of more things to put on the table.
 
Yes Jerry I brought the classification system discussion up several times.
This is what I hear. I want to shoot against the best , only the best blah blah blah'
Benchrestshooting is the nascar of the shooting sports bla blah blah.
The principal is a sound one, If the shooter is able to beat the best shot then his classification is moved higher up.
While doing that he is competeing against the best shooters in his class .
I believe it would keep new shooters in the game longer.
So often I have seen shooters bail out after doing pretty well a year or so.
 
In my humble opinion this has taken eighteen pages to get to the heart of the matter. Do you wish to pay out money in a class system to attract shooters [or to keep shooters] or not. Keeping them in the game is very important, perhaps more important that attracting new blood.

The money is easy to get. just jackpot the entry fees.
 
What would the "classifications" look like on paper? Pretty easy to say - not so easy to do.
 
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So here goes this thread has exploded with quotes, emotions, opinions, and a little bs here and there. Within the high number of post in this thread some seem to think the qustion has not been answered. some even say they disagree with others opinions, and you say they havnt answered the ultimate question which has this question being debated on here at the range and over the phone. In the short of it the question has been answered but some seem to disregard the opinions put forth. For instance Factory class was mentioned majority shuned the idea and other orginizations florish and use this as a building ground for there success. Many stated money which is true many people are squezzing the doller to get what they can out of it these days, but instead of saying (hey man i got a gun you can shoot or some components i can lend you till you decide if its rite for you) i get the sense from these post if you can afford it screw you. Now wheres the good in that how are you helping things. One more thing is PR. Customer service that was spoke of and deleted J. Stover commented that all you have to do is contact him, but whats the point in that he's the president right? If your goin to have to contact him then whats the point of having an affiliated support staff of vice president, sec., and so on. Ive spoke with whom is supposed to be contacted through the ranks with no progression in situations for months. I understand people get behind things get lost whatever it maybe (but months) PR. could use some work. The last subject i would like to touch is a membership fee now this is something that has been widely talked about and the general thoughts are its BS and thats just plain simple. Some will point out that if im not happy with how things are going get people together and go vote on the subject at hand. Well in my mind there has been enough interest in this thread that the people in the position to make decision should take something from each persons response and act accordingly. Im shore ive been under and or over minded in my comments but qiut frankly i dont give a rats rear end.

The Best statment to pertain is "We study history so history dosn't repeat it's self"

If its going wrong now take advice,opinions,thoughts,theories and learn from them dont stick your head up your A and act like your better or to good to act on others quotes.
 
"Well in my mind there has been enough interest in this thread that the people in the position to make decision should take something from each persons response and act accordingly". As per Trigger Happy

VERY WELL SAID!!!

Let's Hope that not only the people that are politically involved take action, but us as shooters step up to the plate and promote our much needed attention sport "Benchrest Group Shooting"
 
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