As the title suggests
What would a perfect and challenging field target facility and course look like?
What would a perfect and challenging field target facility and course look like?
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Design a perfect field target facility
- Thread starter cavedweller
- Start date
Elevation changes, big trees with lots of shade and target tunnels, the ability to set up targets in multiple directions to give wind variety, good drainage, a nice and wide sight-in area. Enough space for two full courses so you can host big GP matches. Bayou Airgun Club is a pretty good template. Our Arlington club checks most of the boxes except we could use a better sight-in range and more natural elevation change. We use a lot of pole/tree targets and shoot off of a tower to get some high and low shots. We also don't get a lot of cross wind except for the big matches where we use the sporting clays course.
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All good!
And
Add an area big enough for extreme field targets
And
Add an area for bench rest / sight in
And
Several porta potty’s
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Sounds more like an airgun club more than a ft club.
As for the subject, come to Nationals this year and find out.
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Pretty much the jest... as facilities are very few and far between it's necessary to maximize usage and membership.
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@humbled
glad you mentioned nationals - As i was considering signing up yesterday... until....i read the idea of one shot per target.
IMO, this one shot per target is a "no go" as so many new shooters or those who do not have a nearby FT club, benefit from the learning that comes from two shots. That first missed shot (bummer) and then experience the joy of a successful second shot.
Yes the hot shots (best shooters) will benefit from a one shot per target course and the course will move along much faster, but the sport as a whole needs to grow and to grow it needs encouraged shooters, not discouraged shooters. My thoughts.
When i spend a lot of money and time to travel to an event it is to have maximum fun and maximum time having fun.. i don't want to spend a lot of money and time to be rushed through anything and discouraged along the way... like i said, my thoughts.
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Not to derail the OP, however the argument of a “no go” because you need that second shot to get a point from a sacrificial sighter shot sounds like there are other skills one may need to work on. There is not the sensation of “being rushed” on a one shot per target course. Actually the opposite. 3 min to shoot two shots is plenty.
Fun, to me, is to experience new courses, new unique conditions, new friends, new places. Thats what makes you a better shooter, not sitting in you own back yard in the same old comfy warm and fuzzy conditions.
Bravo to the team that is putting on Nationals, and for taking on a new twist to what may be unfamiliar to some. I have the confidence it will be an incredible experience. For both seasoned and new competitors.
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I would disagree with this because it's Nationals. I don't feel like there is a need to cater to new or inexperienced shooters at our national championship. I don't care for the one shot per target thing because I think all of the GPs and Nationals should follow the same format. Having said that, Nationals is not the place to learn how to shoot FT.
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@Garrettkq - backyard?
Well considering how few FT venues exist in usa and considering the time and logistics of getting to such a venue - 3 hours in my case, a true FT shooters gonna do what they gotta do in order to enjoy their game. 40 plus MDT targets ain’t cheap
I understand your thoughts and I truly understand how difficult it is to host such an event, the Comittment is staggering; but i stand by my thoughts that 1 shot / target limits MY fun factor to just one smile or groan per target. That said - in my case, I only shoot 1 shot per target as me and my dog Choco friggin hate strings!
Knock down 40 and take a walk to reset 40.
If the 1 shot per target format being used at nationals was the result of a qualification process that used the same methods to reach Nationals... i see the point. Train like you operate and operate like you train!
Again just my thoughts, not right or wrong just me.
My focus in this thread is about creating an awesome field target site…..which will come at a great personal expense and fill a void on our southern gulf coast.
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I think the excitement of new shooters being mingled in with the wise ol shooters helps grow the sport as a whole... but as previously stated there is no process of qualifications to go to nationals... and there is very few venues across the country for people to experience FT.
But enough on this particular discourse, as it's a separate issue from my threads intent, which is designing a great field target / airgun club / grounds and facilities which is what i want to accomplish in my immediate area.
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A suggestion I would make if designing a course from scratch…
All what was said above, but also make one course long enough to integrate at least two, possibly three courses into one utilizing the hopscotch method into a circular system to end the last lane being near the first. In a 360°.
A great resource for course design can be found on the world’s website. It’s the foundation for the course design class we will put on for Worlds here.
www.world-field-target-federation.org
All what was said above, but also make one course long enough to integrate at least two, possibly three courses into one utilizing the hopscotch method into a circular system to end the last lane being near the first. In a 360°.
A great resource for course design can be found on the world’s website. It’s the foundation for the course design class we will put on for Worlds here.
Rules and Guides | WFTF
www.world-field-target-federation.org Upvote 0
Wow @Garrettkq thank you soo much!A suggestion I would make if designing a course from scratch…
All what was said above, but also make one course long enough to integrate at least two, possibly three courses into one utilizing the hopscotch method into a circular system to end the last lane being near the first. In a 360°.
A great resource for course design can be found on the world’s website. It’s the foundation for the course design class we will put on for Worlds here.
Rules and Guides | WFTF
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Come check out Sherwood Airgunners facility in Steubenville. We have 2 courses. Our HIGHLANDS course is set on a wooded ridge top where most shots are level to slightly down hill. It also has a one acre open field which makes it different from the wooded lanes.
Our second course is THE HOLLOW which will challenge the most seasoned FT shooter. It's set up on a logging trail on the side of a wooded hollow where we have shooting lanes up and down hill as well as some level ground.
Between these 2 courses I sincerely think Sherwood Airgunners has a very challenging and cool FT course.
Our second course is THE HOLLOW which will challenge the most seasoned FT shooter. It's set up on a logging trail on the side of a wooded hollow where we have shooting lanes up and down hill as well as some level ground.
Between these 2 courses I sincerely think Sherwood Airgunners has a very challenging and cool FT course.
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your facility is on the top of my list of "want to see and shoot at"
i hear Palmyra is also a tough course
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Sort of a similar idea as Skeet or Trap shooting .... while your on a common lane, position you shoot from, angle and distances change.
While your not going to change it up during a match, match event to event would change so no one can figure it out prior to an event happening.
Radical direction changes to the prevailing winds and terrain features makes for a FUN event and really evens out the playing field for all in attendance.
* This is viewed by some as an issue with some Fixed position events held around the country, lanes stay the same so one can learn the winds behavior and other nuances with only distance change ups. If this is a Club range that gets shot frequently, those who shoot said range/ lanes do get some home course advantage ... which is viewed by some as an unfair advantage when a larger GP type event happens mixing locals with travelers. Just sayin ....
While your not going to change it up during a match, match event to event would change so no one can figure it out prior to an event happening.
Radical direction changes to the prevailing winds and terrain features makes for a FUN event and really evens out the playing field for all in attendance.
* This is viewed by some as an issue with some Fixed position events held around the country, lanes stay the same so one can learn the winds behavior and other nuances with only distance change ups. If this is a Club range that gets shot frequently, those who shoot said range/ lanes do get some home course advantage ... which is viewed by some as an unfair advantage when a larger GP type event happens mixing locals with travelers. Just sayin ....
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Palmyra is cool. Lots of it follows archery so there's a number of ways to do uphill and downhill, and they always set 5 flat lanes on the range, but often has kz shenanigans to keep it from being a boring flat easy section
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For those LUCKY enough to live on the west coast, we who do get an opportunity to shoot what is likely the MOST challenging and rewarding Field Target course in the country if not the world !!! This the NEVADA STATE / GP held outside Battle Mountain NV in early June.
Very little flat, Ups & Downs, updrafts and down drafts, wind switching within an environment where what you "Think you see" generally differs from what you parallax range distance/s to actually be. Just an absolutely epic back country FT experience !!!
Very little flat, Ups & Downs, updrafts and down drafts, wind switching within an environment where what you "Think you see" generally differs from what you parallax range distance/s to actually be. Just an absolutely epic back country FT experience !!!
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Shade Rudy, shade.
Nobody likes to cook in the sun while they're sitting at the lane markers or scoring their squadmates.
I love the forest matches where pockets of shade can be chosen as the lane markers. We've got these in various Ponderosa pine national forests here in AZ, as well as at some matches that take place along some cottonwood tree river bottoms.
An astute match director can plan out the course during the same time of day the match will be held, carefully choosing the pockets of shade as the lane markers.
Nobody likes to cook in the sun while they're sitting at the lane markers or scoring their squadmates.
I love the forest matches where pockets of shade can be chosen as the lane markers. We've got these in various Ponderosa pine national forests here in AZ, as well as at some matches that take place along some cottonwood tree river bottoms.
An astute match director can plan out the course during the same time of day the match will be held, carefully choosing the pockets of shade as the lane markers.
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Although i agree with this idea .it would not work except at a weekly meet where you have say 12 shooters . do the math 3 minutes per shot X 60 shots and if you allow 2 shots that add up to 360 minutes instead of 180 minutes . (assuming you take the full time per shot )
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