KHGS wrote:ShaneG wrote:Crikey , here we go again!?
How many times does it have to be said that squadding is not about elitism or wanting the "best conditions"?
It is about shooting AT THE SAME TIME as your peers.
Don't care if best or worst conditions just as long as it is the same bloody time!
I have spent a lot of $ travelling to shoots; entries and ammo.
The level of competition is very high now in all classes and one cannot afford a bad range and expect to place.
Australia cannot get squadding right and previous attempts have failed although personally I have not experienced the SA system since 2015?
Yet the rest of the world mainly does manage it.
The US system places TR on dedicated targets and same with F Class.
The relays are by discipline and each days results reflect the position one shoots the next day.
At least the top 20 in each class / discipline will be on the line at the same time.
The top level competitors go to a shoot with a desire to win and don't expect to achieve it with luck but random conditions and board position guarantees this is the case.
I have had full board separations from my direct competitors where first down in mild conditions shoot and it is a matter of how many X are on the board.
Then 90 minutes later in the old Brisbane late morning switheroo I experience 5 x 180 degree shifts in a 10 shot match. Easy to then drop 4-6 points?
Is that "fair" and in the spirit of the match?
If so then we may as well save ammo and just toss coins!
Keith, I hope you understand I am not whinging about shooting in a difficult period - I think those challenging conditions are those which bring improved skills and sort out the positions a bit more. BUT I want my direct competitors experiencing the SAME CHALLENGES at the SAME TIME!
Shane, as stated those are MY opinions which I believe in a democratic society I am allowed to voice, I also respect your right to voicing your opinion!! Having said that, it has been proven to MY satisfaction that the squadding methods I have seen exercised to date have a propensity to be unfair on one group to make it "fair" for another, hence my referral to "elitism". Which means that efforts to "make it fair" in turn can actually make it seem unfair. I do not think it is possible to make it fairer than it is now.
One of the good things about ET's is that they reduce the time taken to shoot a range which in turn reduces the "luck of the draw" to some extent.
Many Queens Prizes have been won & lost on luck of the draw since the dawn of NRAA style competitions. Having said that, I do applaud any effort to "make it fairer" but not at the expense of others, it is open range shooting over several ranges & days, that & ET's may go some way towards a solution to the perceived problem. As an aside I remember the days when on some smaller capacity ranges it took up to 4 hours to complete a range often with many across the board weather patterns over that period, not good, much better now.
Keith H.
P.S. Shane, once again my opinions only!!!!!
Sorry, have to agree with Shane here, we need squadding. It worked in the NQRA Queens both this year and last and it worked in the SARA Queens just gone perfectly too. F class has evolved to a point that dropping shots puts you out of the race so we all in the same discipline need to shoot at the same time. In the Sara Queens for example on one day scores were good at the start and when F open shot THEY were getting scores in the low 50's. Without squadding (and it has happened to me) someone who you are up against gets a slot early on and an hour later when you shoot it is horrible and everyone is getting 50 as a good score. When this happens you may as well pack up and go home, this is the system that is totally unfair not squadding.
Chris