Improving Stage Safety

[ventura]

I have competed weekly in CAS for 4 months and am a new CAS competitor. I have experienced only the best new friends and enjoyment a person could hope. One suggestion I have to improve not only safety but an individuals personal performance is adopting a

NO TALKING while a shooter is competing in the active shooters perimeter other than instructions given by the timer.

Too many people enjoy LOUD casual conversations that break a shooters concentration causing potential safety concerns and reducing personal performance. A new shooter such as myself has much to think about beyond target/sight acquisition and trigger control. I have experienced this at all levels of competition. And yes, I am first to admit I've done the same. I soon came to realize just how disturbing this is when for a brief nano or milli-second my actions are delayed due to thinking and someone yells instructions startling me which does not help especially when done by numerous people. Yes I appreciate the assistance however I think best left to the calm close proximity voice of the timer and is by far safest.

Cowboy Action Shooting is a SERIOUS game of maintaining one's personal intense focused CONCENTRATION under extreme mental, physical and emotional durress. Days and weeks of technical, tactical and functional training are all wasted when unnecessary outside influences beyond a shooters control interferes. ( remember the movie line:  "I challenge you to a battle or wits.")

So under the heading of  "The Cowboy Way"  I am suggesting we all adopt a take our conversations away from the immediate shooting area while a shooter is competing and each club during the safety instructions review prior to a match request a no talking policy during an active shooter's stage with any and all instructions to be provided only by the timer. The timer should prior to giving shooter ready verification / standby, look around and insure any conversations within reasonable earshot be ceased immediately. Can't we all delay a chat for 20 to 30 seconds ? To me this is
NO BRAINER. This needs to be immediately reviewed by SASS, CAS etc. 

I'll end by saying I believe this is one of the best sports I've ever come to know and the people are what makes this so special. We each have a right and is our responsibility to do our best to always strive to improve the quality of the entertainment experience for each and everyone involved.

Always try your best,
Ventura

[The Arapaho Kid]

I too have noticed the idle chatter going on while I am trying to concentrate on targeting.  It is a little distracting, but I have learned to ignore it.  I do believe, though, that idle chatter is ok...a distance away from the firing line where it cannot be heard.  There could come a time where your timer, or another range official tells you something and you miss it.  So I totally agree with this.

[Doc Shapiro]

It's gotten to the point where if there isn't chatter in the background, I can't focus.  I'm quite used to it.

Doc

[Prof. Bullspit]

After you shoot for a while you will become better able to screen out sounds etc. that are not part of the shooting. Heck, if your earplugs are working you should have a hard time hearing anything! In general, people who aren't counting, running the time or shooting should stay back from the firing line anyway. Obviously counters should be concetrating on the targets.

Some things that I think would improve stage safety include:

1. Horizontal staging of long guns.
2. Proper target placement (sqaure to the firing line) and as Calamity Jane has shown in a study, make sure no part of your target stands stick out under the target face.

[Doc Bonecutter]

This is a great idea!  In fact, we should have everybody not shooting go back and sit in the clubhouse until their name is called to come out and shoot!

"Exteme mental, physical, and emotional duress"  We're talking about Cowboy Action Shooting, right?   I can think of a lot of activities people do (like being a soldier and performing brain surgery) as "extreme" but this is a sport---and we're here to have FUN!

As Sgt. Hulka says, "Lighten up, Francis."

If you absolutely can't stand to have people talk while you shoot, explain it to your posse but this is NOT a problem that should be immediately reviewed by SASS, CAS, etc.

[Coop Trawlaine]

Ventura,
I, too, am a newbie to this sport.  In my first two shoots what you are talking about was a slight distraction as I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.  Now, I haven't gone to as many shoots as you stated you did, but I have found that if I focus on the task of being a better shooter/competitor no longer does any background noise other than something sudden and explosive, wihich I have not as yet encountered, seem to be of a distraction.  This tip is what helped me, Focus and do not try at this point to compete with anyone other than yourself.  My first goal is a "Clean Shoot" so far I am one set away from that goal and then I will work on my speed.

Find your comfort zone and focus in and deal with your shoot  One Goal At A Time, before long you will be the only person on the line other than the timer that you know even exists.

And above all always remember that this is a FUN sport, if you find things too distracting you are not having fun so forget this EXTREME mental stress and let yourself have FUN.  I promise you that you won't be sorry that you did.

[Lou Graham]

I've heard CAS described as a social club with a dress code interrupted by short bursts of gunfire.

If you are worried about it for your safe performance, by all means, ask the posse to please hush for a moment while you shoot.  Since you are new, nobody will mind and they will be quite understanding.

Most of us can screen it out because we are so intent on bustin' through the saloon doors and shootin' the place up.

[Major Matt Lewis]

The talking is not an issue as long as folks are not talking to the shooter.

[The Arapaho Kid]

You have to learn the art of "weeding out" what you don't want to hear.  Concentrate on your targeting and hear only your timer or other range official.  This takes a little practice, but it's not mission impossible.  You also have the right to ask those who are talking to hold it down to a dull roar.

When I shoot I use Black Powder scattergun ammo and these make a helluva smoke cloud.  After the first round goes off there comes the ooo's and the aaaahs and a few salty comments: "Hey Rap...What the hell are you shooting in that thing?"  I have learned to ignore this.

[Big Hext]

I'm sorry.. maybe I misread my calender..
Is it April 1st?

[Derby Younger]

"..Days and weeks of technical, tactical and functional training are all wasted when unnecessary outside influences beyond..."

No flames intended. If you are hearing it, you're neither concentrating or focused. We used to have a term called "stress coaching". It meant exactly what it sounds like. Anything goes with the one exception of physically touching the shooter. Use the distraction to your advantage, learn to deal with it, the problem goes away.

Derby Younger
Duelist is Coolest

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

I'm hoping Ventura wasn't serious.

If he was...

In a real-life tactical situation, no one would hush for you. There'd be all kinds of noise, none of which the shooter can control. So, learning to shoot and keep focus with "chatter" should be considered a part of a person's training. 

AnnieLee

[Derby Younger]

I'm hoping Ventura wasn't serious.

If he was...

In a real-life tactical situation, no one would hush for you. There'd be all kinds of noise, none of which the shooter can control. So, learning to shoot and keep focus with "chatter" should be considered a part of a person's training. 

AnnieLee

Precisely!

[Missouri Marshal]

It's all part of the GAME and part of what makes it FUN.  Not trying to be nasty but if you have to have a quiet sport maybe you should look at golf. 

[jiminy criquet]

Actually, I like all the talking while I'm shooting.  I'm also hoping that everyone will be so engrossed in their assorted conversations, watching airplanes or geese fly over, or whatever...that they won't notice how many targets I missed or how long it took me to finish the stage.

But seriously, if it's that much of a physical and mental challenge to safely handle one's firearms while distractions are going on behind the shooter, then the shooter may need to become more comfortable first with their firearms .....elsewhere, like at a target range.  Then again, maybe it's just a case of nervousness looking for an excuse behind them.

[RRio]

I have always felt it is just common courtesy to keep it down a little while someone is shooting.

Just like I feel it is common courtesy NOT to call someone names when they voice their opinions.

[Calamity Jane]

What, no razzing the shooter ?? !!!

Where do you guys shoot? Yer missing half the fun of CAS if ya ain't getting razzed during the stage!

[Texas Tall]

I reckon it'd be a brave man that RAZZED Calamity up while she was shootin.
Just jokin Calamity, but have seen it get a bit out of hand and I think we all should give any new/newish shooters a little bit of hush, they've got plenty on their mind with four wepons, and is this left to right or right to left etc etc.
Regards...........Texas Tall.

[Qball]

Only thing i find anoying is when two stages are so close that you can hear the timer go off at the next stage, frightning what might hapen if the RO asks the pumped up shoter "shooter ready"
then the beep at the other stage sets the shooter off before the RO starts his own timer.

[Lou Graham]

C'mon fellers, this is a newbie -- cut him a little slack.
I know WE'VE all been through this sort of thing 10,000+ times, but he hasn't.

Give him a little time to get used to the difference between cowboy and more traditional shooting sports.

Think trap.  Ever tried yuckin' it up with those fellers between shots? No mirth.  No talking.  Shut up and shoot.
See what I mean?
It is different.

Also, I wonder what the difference in the responses would be if this had been a lady shooter?  I have to believe if a new lady shooter asked the posse to stand on one leg and flap their arms like a chicken while she shot, they would all do it without hesitation.