Nationals in June

[Matt P]

Hi All
Who is going to the Nationals this year ???
We (F Class, both open and standard) need to support this shoot, unfortunatly I won't be able to make it this year (can't go everywhere), but if any out of towners are thinking about travelling please consider making this the one !!! Some support from the locals would also be great !!
Matt P

[Cameron Mc]

My wife and I are going. Matt, you are right about needing more support from the locals. I see quite a few shoot F Class each weekend at Belmont then stear clear of the Nationals and Brisbane Queens.

Cameron

[AlanF]

The leadup has been run and won. Numbers are poor, particularly in F-Open. But us shooters who aren't there have no right to complain.

Congrats to Ben Curley in F-Std who counted out Barbara Moritz. And to Ken Larkin in Open. Conditions were tough by the look of the scores from all categories.

Results are here :
http://www.nraa.com.au/results/data/natl/2007/results.html

[AlanF]

Question:

Are the Nationals really being shot at metric ranges this year? The results pages for this year are showing metric (including 1000!!) whereas last year they were shown as imperial.

Alan

[Guest]

I Rather doubt it Alan.
Barry

[AlanF]

Barry,

Having never been to Belmont, I'm not sure if they don't have both metric and imperial mounds?

Alan

[Tom Lowndes]

Alan

Belmont is imperial.

The 300mtr range is separate.

Tom

[AlanF]

After the first day of the main event, it looks like some great competition in both Std and Open. Quite a few close to lead in the Std, and in F-Open, a big bunch close together, with Julie McEwan making a "mini-break" on the field. By the look of the scores, the weather may have been a little patchy?

If any competitors are online at night, it would be great to get some first hand info. e.g. calibres in F-Open. Us poor sods who can't get there need to know these things!

Alan

[AlanF]

Congratulations to Barbara Moritz and John Tracey, National Queens winners. The F-Std was an extremely close thing, with Ben Curley and Greg Warrian only one point back.

In Open John Tracey had a slow start for the first 2 ranges on day 1, then never looked back, winning both the second and third days. Matt was right in it till the last range then had a bad 1000. Good to see Kel Bell in the points. He must be the most travelled F-Classer in the land!

If anyone wants to give us the good oil on what calibres were used it would be appreciated.

Results Page :
http://www.nraa.com.au/results/data/natl/2007/results.html

[Matt P]

If anyone wants to give us the good oil on what calibres were used it would be appreciated.

NO
More of you should have been there to see things first hand !!!

Matt P

[AlanF]

Everyone's got their own reasons for being there or not Matt e.g. I'm sure you had a good reason why you didn't get to the leadup. At the end of the day, if shooters don't turn up in numbers, then the event organisers and sport itself has do something to fix it, whether it be via rules, or management. Looking at the history of the sport, there has always been a similar percentage of total shooters who will travel to Queens events, so the sport needs to concentrate on building numbers at club level, and better Queens attendances will follow.

BTW this ranking system on the NRAA website should help to get F-Class shooters to Queens. I intend to keep promoting it for that reason. I will also begin putting ALL individual results of Queens on the Results pages, starting now, and possibly going back a few if they're available.

Alan

[Guest]

Alan,
Agree absolutely on your first paragraph.
Disagree entirely on your second paragraph. The ranking system means absolutely nothing because it is based on Queens shoots only. The more Queens one attends, the better one's ranking.
I don't disagree entirely with the concept of a ranking system, just the way it's implemented as it favours unquestionably those who can afford the time and money to attend as many Queens as possible.
If there were a basis for the ranking system as such, eg, International team selection, then I could see a justification for it. As for it bringing shooters out of hiding to attend Queens en masse ---Pipe Dreams.
Barry

[AlanF]

Barry,

Yes the ranking system does favour those who go to more Queens shoots. That's why its a good thing - it rewards shooters who are prepared to travel. And yes its easier for some to find the time and money to travel, but for most it comes down to priorities - what you want to spend your time and money on. If it encourages Queens attendances that wouldn't otherwise have happened its okay in my opinion. I'm sure the 3 shooters in the F-Open leadup would have welcomed a few wealthy shooters with too much time on their hands to join them!

Alan

[Guest]

Alan,
You have said it all. As for the 3 leadup shooters, well, the ranking system did not improve their competition did it? So what's the point of it?
They got money for nothing. Full points but no competition!!!!!
I am all for encouraging shooters to attend PM's etc, that is well documented and there may well be some who will now attend a Queens because of the ranking system, but it's still pointless when the basis is more attendance orientated than performance orientated.
Barry

[Matt P]

Alan
I had wasn't going to the Nationals at all, but after looking at the results for the lead up and the piss poor turn out, I managed to get time off to go to the Queens so hopefully the numbers would look OK, but it feels like I'm flogging a dead horse.

Matt P
BTW there were protests on gear in both FS and FO, seems the rules aren't clear enough in FO and the rifle spec for FS seems to have missed the mark with most of the FS shooters present (the one that actually compete).