Should we abandon 'Bird Only'

[Salopian]

Is it not time to ditch bird only?

If you compete nowadays, probably 60% to 75% are bird only entrants shooting for enjoyment. Many in the lower classes actually shoot well enough to have won prize money had they entered competition.

Typically the cost difference is £5.

If everyone entered competition, the grounds could probably reduce competition entry fee by £3.

More money would be turned over, we would all be competing on a level playing field and prize money could go up, facilities could improve and the sport could move forward.

What do you think.

Tin hat on.

 

[Darkside]

I have never shot b/o.......I've never entered a competition, any kind of compitition that I didn't want to win!!!

 

[ExSCA]

Agreed - I've never entered Birds Only - even when I know I won't be near the prizes, I think it's part of supporting the sport.

 

[tiptop]

Quite agree competition is competition

And yet this the year you could enter majors as birds only.

When is a competiton not a competition.........................When its birds only.

Like saying i want to enter English,British, or World champs,but don't want to be champion (even of my class) whats the point let some else enter who does.

 

[timps]

Just on principal I have gone ‘birds only’ at grounds where I have had bad experiences regarding payouts and prize money in the past. Ditching birds only and paying a stepped percentage of a £2 levy to the top 3 in each class would work for me and I would be happy with the change.

 

[Westward]

I'd be interested to know what the BO percentage typically is because 60%+ seems very high. I was reffing at Westfield 10 days ago and my estimate would be about 5 or 6%.

You only have to glance around the parking areas at the shoots in this part of the country to see that a £5 saving is a meaningless amount of money to most shooters.

Frankly I don't believe entry prices would be reduced if BO were abolished. I wouldn't if I were a shoot organiser.

 

[Hamster]

If nothing else it would force some grounds hands with payouts. :wink:

 

[RobertBeard]

I am new to this and have yet to enter a competition but have joined CPSA on the basis that I want to compete at some point in the future and get a handicap/class.

I would say that in target shooting there has been such a loss of shooters due to pressure from the antis and costs that we now have very disappointing entries to competitions. For example the South West Small-Bore rifle championship was held recently and there were about 60 entries when about 8 counties are eligible. With the decline in shooting numbers there is the decline of entry fees for range maintenance etc. We basically shoot for honours, a name engraved on a perpetual cup and your permanent memento to keep is a medal in gold, silver or bronze colour to keep worth about £1. We used to have sweepstakes for those wanting to win money but these are virtually unheard of now. With entries so low one can guess who the A class winner will be and this puts a ot of people off entering in such recessionary times. Depressing, but small-bore was always regarded as a poor man's sport.

I think you need to be be careful not to alienate your Bird Only shooters as they do contribute to the sport, they enjoy themselves and count towards the supporters of shooting - why alienate them or you might go the same way as our sport?

 

[tiptop]

Birds only is opting out of "competition"or "sweepstake" not opting in to a sweepstake.

Some maybe most shoots will assume you are shooting competition,as it is a competition, unless you state birds only your in.

 

[dustsmoker]

Birds only shooters are the bread and butter for most shoots they are the ones you have to keep happy.

 

[GavB]

difficult one this one

what do you do for those not in cpsa and dont have a class?

if the increase is maybe just £2 for all entries with clear prizes down to third in each class written for all to see, then i dont see a problem

it may do something to stop "woolly" payout conversations such as " i came second the other day, did I win anything" long silence " no, afraid not, not enough comp entries"

however forcing people to pay an extra fiver just because they want to go out and have a laugh on a sunday and shoot decent targets may alienate a lot of shooters

perhaps ground owners could look back over the last year, do some number crunching and come up with a good solution, I think its their call

 

[tiptop]

difficult one this one

what do you do for those not in cpsa and dont have a class?

if the increase is maybe just £2 for all entries with clear prizes down to third in each class written for all to see, then i dont see a problem

it may do something to stop "woolly" payout conversations such as " i came second the other day, did I win anything" long silence " no, afraid not, not enough comp entries"

however forcing people to pay an extra fiver just because they want to go out and have a laugh on a sunday and shoot decent targets may alienate a lot of shooters

perhaps ground owners could look back over the last year, do some number crunching and come up with a good solution, I think its their call

Not every school/ground has competition on every weekend they are open.Some grounds are out and out registered comp grounds and not schools.

You can shoot good targets at practice grounds when it is not a registered shoot weekend.

 

[Salopian]

I think you will find my percentages are not far out on average at most grounds that hold competitions for prize money. Obviously we will always have the North /South divide. Try charging about £40 for a hundred birds north of Rugby and watch the shooters leave the grounds in droves.

At current clay prices I think £32 is enough for everyone for a hundred as a top limit , IF we could get everyone to pay it.

We have many clubs around here that are charging £22-£24 per hundred but they are only paying one prize of £50.

It was just a thought about how to get a level playing field.

If you compete birds only there is a little less pressure if you miss the odd one or two, but in competition the pressure is on from the very first shot and each miss is an opportunity draining away.

Who knows it could very well improve the overall standard?

 

[Richard59]

For record not shot many, always paid the comp fees, never close to nor looked close to winning the often lowly C pot. Most grounds dont openly display cash prizes on offer so nobody seems to know who will win what anyway ( bit of a tangent that rant ) the big pob if b/only stopped is will those guys still shoot the ground? If its £30 b/o that's still a reasonable mount of money going to the ground to contribute to it running costs.

From a no hoper Im for keeping the b/only as it does keep guys shooting, don't ignore the challenge many get by just competing against the competitively set targets.

 

[Mark Jones]

I'd be interested to know what the BO percentage typically is because 60%+ seems very high. I was reffing at Westfield 10 days ago and my estimate would be about 5 or 6%.

You only have to glance around the parking areas at the shoots in this part of the country to see that a £5 saving is a meaningless amount of money to most shooters.

Frankly I don't believe entry prices would be reduced if BO were abolished. I wouldn't if I were a shoot organiser.

Comp all the way but £5 would pay to wash my car which would then be worth twice what it is at the mo!

 

[ianmaney]

I'm possibly going to get slated for this but when Mrs Ian and I shoot as we do every Sunday without fail we shoot B/O, we both firmly believe that we're not going to win, so why do I want to give £40 a month to perfect strangers?

We shoot for our enjoyment, not because there's a pot at the end of it, and I really don't think my £40 a month is going to bring the sport to its knees!

Ok, let it begin.......................................

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[wylye]

Please explain how the entry price can be reduced if 'birds only' is abolished? I don't see the connection. The nett worth to the ground is the same regardless of which course is chosen by the customer. The accumulated prize fund is only held until the end of the shoot when it is distributed to the various winners. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[Les Graham]

I'm possibly going to get slated for this but when Mrs Ian and I shoot as we do every Sunday without fail we shoot B/O, we both firmly believe that we're not going to win, so why do I want to give £40 a month to perfect strangers?

We shoot for our enjoyment, not because there's a pot at the end of it, and I really don't think my £40 a month is going to bring the sport to its knees!

Ok, let it begin.......................................

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Absolutely spot on.

 

[Les Graham]

Please explain how the entry price can be reduced if 'birds only' is abolished? I don't see the connection. The nett worth to the ground is the same regardless of which course is chosen by the customer. The accumulated prize fund is only held until the end of the shoot when it is distributed to the various winners. Am I missing something obvious?

The willy wavers want the play ground all to them selves. :.: :.: