Why I Stay Away from Big Matches

[Cohagen]

I would like some feedback from you other pards on this topic.  Been to several "Big" matches and went away feeling a little dissappointed with the experience.   I tried to figure what was different, from my local fun matches.  I came up with the following list.

1.  Feel like a stranger at the big matches.
2.  Seems to me that you are a little rushed on the stages
3.  You can drive a long way and the weather can spoil the fun, not controllable
4.  All the best shooters shoot on the same posse,  no chance to rub elbows with the champs
5.  There can be a lot of arguing over misses, DQ's ect. Usually almost every stage
6.  Costs, sometimes over 300 bucks is tough on budgets
7.  Fun element seems to be lost

How can we overcome these problems.  I welcome your suggestions, positieve and negative.  Let her rip....Maybe I'm spoiled by just plain great local clubs.

Cohagen

[Fingers McGee]

I've never attended EOT or winter range.  The biggest matches I've attended are Hell on Wheels - 4 years now; and Landrun -5 years.  To address your points:

1.  Feel like a stranger at the big matches. I've never felt like a stranger.  The match folks made me feel at home the first time I attended and every other time I've been there.  I've made lots of new friends at these matches
2.  Seems to me that you are a little rushed on the stages I've never felt rushed.
3.  You can drive a long way and the weather can spoil the fun, not controllable True the weather is uncontrollable - I've been just a miserable at local matches too.
4.  All the best shooters shoot on the same posse,  no chance to rub elbows with the champs I've managed to shoot with some really good shooters & I'm usually a middle of the pack shooter (Frontiersman).
5.  There can be a lot of arguing over misses, DQ's ect. Usually almost every stage I've seen more controversy at smaller matches
6.  Costs, sometimes over 300 bucks is tough on budgets Yeah, cost is a factor.  One reason why I may never go to EOT.
7.  Fun element seems to be lost  I've never been to a match where I didn't have fun whether I shot good or not

FM

[Howdy Doody]

This whole year I never shot one monthly match. I enjoy them, but I got a motorcycle and that took up a lot of weekends. However, I shot a good number of annuals though. So many I can't think of them all.
So, I can't figure why you didn't have fun and rub elbows and such. You sometimes have to assert yourself. Some folks don't like the social end of things and stick to themselves after the guns are put away. I nearly always stay at the shoot and am here, there and everywhere until I hit the ol' bedroll. That is plenty of getting to know each other for me.
It is true that a lot of top shooters do ask to posse with each other, but they are all friendly and great to know when the shootin' is over. I even tend to try and shoot with other BP shooters and I never felt like I had anything but fun. Faraway shoots usually find members of the posse that are from the same area or club. It all seems to blend to me.
Conflicts on scoring, etc should run smoother at big matches, since there is a match director that should handle that and keep things running smooth. I know that there are always a bit of problems, but I never saw anything slow down the match to where it took all that much time. It's a day outdoors with like minded folks that makes my day. I really don't care personally how long it takes to get the match shot, since I go to them to get away from time constraints and multi tasking and all the other stresses of the real world.
So, I guess I would have to say that each match should be what you want it to be, if you have fun. If it isn't fun, then by all means don't do it. I heartily agree that it is expensive to go to major events and some are downright over priced and I don't even give them a thought. I stick to the ones I feel give me a lot of bang for the buck and that has always been my way. I have never been to the EOT in New Mexico, I haven't been to the convention either, but I still fit in as much big stuff as I can and this coming year I will shoot monthlies and be back on schedule, now that I have the new motorcycle thing out of my system.

[Paladin UK]

Fer HD.......

..... now that I have the new motorcycle thing out of my system

T`aint Never gonna get outa yer system pard!!

Paladin (What still lurvs motorsickles  ) UK

[Noz]

My daughter returned from a date one night. I ask her if she had a good time with a new boy.
Her response: "I am the one that's responsible for whether I have a good time or not."
I feel the same way. I've never been to a match, local, annual or State level that I have not had a good time.
I've never been on a posse that argued over scores, DQs or procedurals.
'Course I get along with most everybody.

[Fox Creek Kid]

With all due respect, why is this topic in this forum?

[Cohagen]

Thanks for the comments pards.  Yep, I guess some matches are what you make them.  I know that the fun aspect of the game is the most important thing to me.  Just seems that sometimes the fun is lost at the bigger matches.

Cohagen

[Dick Dastardly]

Cohagen is a black powder shooter.  He posts here cuz he likes to hang out with black powder shooters.  I've shot with Cohagen and enjoy his company.  He takes part in posse activities and is a safe and good shooter.

I do agree that most of the major matches are spendy.

As to who shoots with who, that's usually up to some individual that makes up the posse rosters.  Many times I think that some of the best shooters do form a click and prefer their own company and ask to be signed up that way.  I've been to shoots where Posse 1 was made up of some of the big hats and others need not apply.  I don't think it was done as a snub, but they just always shot together.

Cohagen, I'll posse up with you anytime.  I find you to be good company.

DD-DLoS

[Noz]

Several of the shoots I have been to have a line on the application form asking if you have a posse preference.
I always ask for the "fun posse".
My age and my eyes and shooting 1860 armys, speed is not an option.

[Fairshake]

I think as others have stated, Make it your match. I've never been to anything but local matches and have seen at them a few clicks formed. So what, I'd rather shoot with the reject group. At the end of the day you will know who we are by all the laughing and carring on. I'm with DD on this and don't care if the timer breaks. If I was in your part of the country we would be starting out with a posse of three. Don't want to shoot with no mouse-fart loads gamer no how. Later Pard

[Ransom Gaer]

I would like some feedback from you other pards on this topic.  Been to several "Big" matches and went away feeling a little dissappointed with the experience.   I tried to figure what was different, from my local fun matches.  I came up with the following list.

1.  Feel like a stranger at the big matches.  Never felt like a stranger a big match except for the first time at Hell On Wheels.  I was a stranger.  That feeling ended with that first major match.
2.  Seems to me that you are a little rushed on the stages  Have to agree here.  I've felt that way on a few stages.  I think the stage was more at fault than anything.  Long and complicated.  At WR 2007 I was with the BP Posse.  Seven of us were shooting Frontiersman.  We didn't hold anybody up.
3.  You can drive a long way and the weather can spoil the fun, not controllable  Definitely true.  I was at WR 2006 where you needed a snorkel on some of the stages on Saturday.  On the other hand, it has made for some great storeis to tell at matches and such.
4.  All the best shooters shoot on the same posse,  no chance to rub elbows with the champs  My second time at WR I got on the BP Posse.  As far as I was concerned I was on the best posse with the best shooters(BP Shooters).
5.  There can be a lot of arguing over misses, DQ's ect. Usually almost every stage  Have seen a little of this, but really not that much.
6.  Costs, sometimes over 300 bucks is tough on budgets  Yes the big matches can be expensive, but I treat them like a special event vacation.  Every year I go on a vacation with a big event.  It could be a Major SASS match, NASCAR race, World Of Outlaws major race.  They are all expensive.  Oh well.
7.  Fun element seems to be lost  I create my fun.  I won't let what is going on around me upset me.  At WR 2007 the posse behind us didn't like all the smoke from the BP Posse.  They told us so.  We all laughed.  That was great fun.  I've gotten the same stuff at local matches, although in one case it was one of my friends and we make a point of harassing each other.

How can we overcome these problems.  I welcome your suggestions, positieve and negative.  Let her rip....Maybe I'm spoiled by just plain great local clubs.

Cohagen

I will continue to go to some of the major matches when I can.  I enjoy them, but take them for what they are and not compare them to the local monthly matches.  They are two different things.

Ransom Gaer

[Cohagen]

Glad you all shared your views...........Foot of snow now and I wanted some discussion on this.  During the shooting season we never have time ....... 
Soome of my favorite shoots are:   Cody, Fandango, Hang um High, Custer Battlefield Shoot, Fire in the Hills...Great shoots with fun the main ingrediant.

Cohagen

[Pappy Myles]

Howdy Cohagen,

I kinda know what you mean in some ways.  My situation is that I work in Construction on oil refineries and my company sends me all over the world.  I take my guns when ever and where ever I can.   I've shot all the way up north in Anchorage Alaska to Houston Texas.   I have a ball with it as much as I can.  Currently slinging lead in the State of Utah.

Only felt snubbed at one match in my home State of Texas because of the rig I was wearing.  (Buscadero rig  strong right and cross draw left) When I was rigging up years ago and 1st getting into the game, I found this rig on ebay.   Yes it was cheap, I still use it.  It is functional and more of B western than anything else.   Got snubbed for it and called on the angle of the cross draw, and rather rudely at that.  Looking around, I did notice I was the only one with a cross draw rig.  OK, looking at the exact specifics, it was out of spec.   It was my 2nd match ever and the club I was shooting with was their annual match, a little over a hundred folks and a 3 day match. I shot the 1st day and went home.  It did kinda intimadate me to the point I almost gave the sport up.   SO I got some leather working stuff from Tandy and reworked the cross draw to now its at 80 degrees ( with 90 being plum vertical).   Needless to say, I havn't gone back to that group.

But with as many groups as there are, I have a ball visiting with all the clubs that I can.    big or small. 
I'm in my 4th year now of shooting cowboy.  And if someone has a problem with my stuff, as long as its safe and looks the part, I'll more than gladly have a discussion with them on it.

One thing that I think is humorous and pretty friendly, as soon as I say "howdy" at a new club I'm shooting with, someone immediately responds, "You must be from Texas"   my response is "Yes I am, and been trying to get rid of that Texas Drawl ever since I was born"   gets a lot of chuckles.

How knows, in our travels, maybe we'll cross trails sometime.     I'll be honored to to say "Howdy", chew the fat, and sling some lead with ya.

Pappy 

[Wymore Wrangler]

I've got to shoot quickfires with Evil Roy, Holy Terror, Long Hunter, etc. and found them just like me, but a heck of a lot faster.  I don't think they enjoyed shooting anymore than me.  And I've never driven to a big match that I haven't left with several new good friends, and weather be dammed, it's still fun...