Stan It's a ruff job trying to find out what everyone would like to see at a match and one big thing that I have learned is that you must go with what the majority wants and that we cant change that for every match for years we shot the 10 min. shoot thru's at 200yds. for two reasons one was time many that travel to the match realy want to get done at a good time so they can get home and get some rest befor work in the morning. and for many that time means alot . but if the majority want a 200yd. warm-up thats what we will do . I try my best to make all the matches fair and fun and the best time that all the shooters can have . As for the 8:30 am start I wish we could but theres just to much sun at that time and just to hard to see the target . I hope to here some more comments on this post .

Ronnie Berg

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    Good 'morning from rainy, windy South Dakota.

     For anyone not familiar with the 'shoot through' concept, basically the 200 yard 'warm up' match is dropped and three minutes added to the first record match at 200 yards. These three minutes are used by competitors to find a zero, check conditions on the sighter, etc, etc. At any time during the match, you can go to the record targets.

     The 200 yard 'shoot through' is usually seen when the host club is running a 100-200 tournament on the same day, with multiple relays, and is designed to save time. Most national championships mandate a warm up at each yardgage.

    But I wonder just how much time, if any, is really saved?  Last weekends Two Gun Score match at Webster City, Iowa was a perfect example: On Sunday, we had two relays and rangemaster Ron Berg elected to have a warm up at 200 rather than the 10 minute 'shoot through'. Even with a few emergency stops during the match so the target crew could go reattach some loose  targets (25-40 mph winds take their toll), we were done shooting in plenty of time. I was on the last relay and checked the clock as I walked in the loading room...it was 3:30.

   Without great work by an experienced target crew a two yardage event in one day could be a long ordeal. Mary Berg, Deb Bigelow and Susan Halblom do just an outstanding job as the Webster City target /scoring crew and I for one am very appreciative of their efforts.

   The reality is that a good, efficient target crew will...over the course of a day...save more time than eliminating the warm up match at 200 does.

  The Webster City target crew showed us how efficiency and experience can make for a better tournament. I hope that other ranges running this format use this example as a positive means by which  to provide their customers (the competitors) with even better tournaments.  

   Good shootin'.     -Al

I would agree Stan but our 3 ranges in maine are limited to a 9 am start time and no earlier. we break for lunch too, and could eliminate that but it seems the uncivilized thing to do!

I have come prefer the three minute sight-in (shoot through) as opposed to a 200 Yd. warm-up match - it seems I usually "waste" a perfectly good fifty on a warm-up target. ;) However, going straight to a record target makes many people  uncomfortable - I can relat to that, because I'd sure hate to begin the 100 without a warm-up!

By the time the 200 begins, I usually have a pretty good "feel" for how far off to hold the initial shot: I seldom dial in any windage for the two hundred, but usually DO dial in 6 clicks (.125" on the NightFprce and B&L scopes) of additional elevation [form my 100 Yd. zero]. I wouldn't lose sleep over shooting a wram-up . . . and I'd probably have bolstered confidence - well, perhaps, maybe! ;) RG

I prefer the warmup at 200 yards.  Especially when the conditions are pure crap, as they were at the last BVI score match.  And the time differential is NOT a good reason for the "shoot-thru" .  Even w/ 3 relays, there is only a 30 minute difference. As Al said, a good target crew like we have  can make up that difference and more.  More of the ranges need to put a little more training and emphasis on their target crew.  Things will move a LOT smoother.