Where are the airgun shows/meetings? Big or Small, where do airgunners get together, so we don't miss any?

[SkeeterHawk]

As evidenced in the "Airgun World Has Changed" post, there is a "sub-thread" emerging that is obviously important, but not part of that thread. @beerthief has alluded that there are conferences for airguns about, so I was hoping that we can have a place to put them, and maybe @Michael will help us organize this into something that we can transfer to the calendar. I have to be honest, I rarely look at the calendar as the data seems pretty stagnant and minimal, so hopefully we can make that part more accessible somehow.

Back to the point of this post, where are the airgun shows/meetings? Is there a place where airgun shooters "in the know" go to congregate?

I personally don't think that this list should be limited to big events with paying booths and all that, but should include a backyard shootout happening periodically. We should probably leave addresses to PMs, but it would be good to get the topic started so that we can start shooting together more often between the big competitions.

I hope that this starts a smaller movement, similar to Guy Fieri in creating Pro-Air, but on a smaller, more MeetUp style thing for shooters.

 

[beerthief]

Midwest Air Gun . Columbus OH (more that 100 tables )
Kalamazoo Mi Air Gun Show (100 )
The Toy's that shoot , Cleveland OH ?
Hickory NC air gun show (75) ?
Sacramento CA in march?
Flag City toys , Findley OH
I live in South Central KY and drive to these shows just Google air gun shows 2023

 

[Franklink]

Much of your description is pretty much a field target match. At the matches here in AZ there's always discussion about what is or isn't working, updates on personal airgun-related projects, sharing of reports from new scopes or new guns or new pellets, equipment trades or loans or borrows, etc. Getting to see the people and talk about the shared interest of airguns is half the fun of field target, the other being the actual shooting/competing.

Get involved in your nearest field target club and you'll have what you're talking about every time that you attend a match.

 

[beerthief]

The air gun shows are more of a flee market style , lot of tables full of guns and related things , some antiques some guys just buy and sell . lose your voice even when you do not know anyone there . i would advise that you have some sort of nametag because i missed talking to people from AGN because we do not know faces .

 

[SkeeterHawk]

The air gun shows are more of a flee market style , lot of tables full of guns and related things , some antiques some guys just buy and sell

I think that I am not alone in finding out that this style of convention exists, yet alone that they are all over. I would love to attend such an event myself

i would advise that you have some sort of nametag because i missed talking to people from AGN because we do not know faces

I agree. I had a couple shirts printed with my logo that I wore at RMAC the first two days to help this.

Much of your description is pretty much a field target match...Getting to see the people and talk about the shared interest of airguns is half the fun of field target...

It would be great to be able to see these things in one place. Even a backyard field target shootout. I have to travel sometimes and it would be great to plan to meet up with some fellow airgunners while out and about.

 

[Privateer]

Anyone near Nevada, Ohio is Welcome to stop by and shoot nearly anytime!
I have just over 110 yards and a couple compressors so air is no problem.
I'm retired but do some side work from time to time but can controll when I do that.

 

[beerthief]

Much of your description is pretty much a field target match. At the matches here in AZ there's always discussion about what is or isn't working, updates on personal airgun-related projects, sharing of reports from new scopes or new guns or new pellets, equipment trades or loans or borrows, etc. Getting to see the people and talk about the shared interest of airguns is half the fun of field target, the other being the actual shooting/competing.

Get involved in your nearest field target club and you'll have what you're talking about every time that you attend a match.

i agree to a small extent and a great place to learn, but a Show is hundreds of guns and very nice door prizes , like air tanks and and a med to high end gun, 10 packs of pellets or slugs . Shows are just wonderful full of smiling faces .

 

[beerthief]

I think that I am not alone in finding out that this style of convention exists, yet alone that they are all over. I would love to attend such an event myself

I agree. I had a couple shirts printed with my logo that I wore at RMAC the first two days to help this.

It would be great to be able to see these things in one place. Even a backyard field target shootout. I have to travel sometimes and it would be great to plan to meet up with some fellow airgunners while out and about.

If you can time your travel , look up the shows and dates , plan ahead , just so happens that a visit to my daughter will be planed around the Sacramento CA show when i find out the 2023 dates .

 

[SkeeterHawk]

Anyone near Nevada, Ohio is Welcome to stop by and shoot nearly anytime!

That is awesome to hear @Privateer! I was born in Parkersburg, WVa and am in Colorado, so you are right on our way to visit family. I'll PM you (again) when we are heading that way to see if it works out.

If you can time your travel...plan ahead

I agree, and as shown above, I am trying

I appreciate your bringing this world to (at least) my attention. I wear a lot of hats and have attended conferences/conventions for a lot of disciplines, but I didn't consider that there would be anything more than the vendor tent at a shooting challenge to get introduced to new products.

This thread really needs to be two threads:

1. One for "Conventions" with booths that you don't shoot at, like you originally brought to our attention @beerthief I don't want to over-complicate things by trying to break these up and killing both, so let's see where this thread takes us and hope that it will eventually end up in something more user-friendly. Here is the second one
2. Finally, we put up a "Places to Shoot" like what @Privateer mentioned where we can schedule with enthusiasts around to schedule trigger-time? I am getting pretty close to having a place that I can accommodate another shooter at my range as I am working on getting it ready for me and my son to shoot together.

For reference, one of my hats is that I am a homebrewer and a beer judge. One of my clubs used to keep a really detailed and active calendar on beer tastings of different styles at different places or houses. This made it a lot of fun as you could see that one of your friends is cracking open a couple bottles of something special, you can note that you will be attending with something equally exclusive, and Voila! Fun! Comradery!

I think that the key here is that a greater number of users have to be given access to modify the Calendar. This is where @Michael comes in. How do we regulate who "has the keys" to put up useful information while keeping out erroneous crap/spam/etc.?

What are your thoughts, airgunners?

 

[Bulletbob]

I was blown away at my first Airgun show. Up to then I thought other shooters where aomething you only read about on the net. I had some evidence cause Walmart was always nearly or completly sold out of pellets. But I could never catch one.
Can't belive my eyes when I walk in ans see kinds of folks with the same addiction as me. They was talking airguns, shopping or airguns,trading airguns. and shooting airguns. I will certainly go to a airgun show again
By the way the gun I got at the show has became my favorite. Can't belive I got so lucky.
I should have looked for a cheap 0177 pcp

 

[Privateer]

That is awesome to hear Privateer! I was born in Parkersburg, WVa and am in Colorado, so you are right on our way to visit family. I'll PM you (again) when we are heading that way to see if it works out.

I travelled all over the USA before I retired. I'd always check a Members map from another forum and find someone close to my job sites.
Most of those people I connected with I still keep in contact with! I've hunted Yotes in California, Shot Prototype AGs in Arizona, met some really Great people
designing AG's and so much more!
I actually got to shoot the Slayer prototype at one time! Still have the 400 yard, 4" target We shot in Kentucky!

And if you go to the Mall in Vienna? You'll probably walk on a floor I installed there.

 

[SkeeterHawk]

if you go to the Mall in Vienna? You'll probably walk on a floor I installed there.

Now, that's interesting. "The Grand Central Mall" was just a couple blocks away from the last property my Dad owned in WVa. My brother and I went there all the time!

The rest of your note is great! I hope that we can hook up one of these days...

Kindest Regards,

Jonathan

 

[mikegoebel]

I put on a monthly AIR RIFLE match at our local gun range. I usually have 10+ PCP shooters show up. www.brocksgap.com