We tried out a new format at the camp. I thank the 18 gunslingers that tested this format and Rodeo Romeo for letting us use the best facility in CFDA.
We shot Arizona Five with Rotation. I wanted to see if there was a enough time savings to justify using this format. What I found was that it took 1.1 minutes per shooter per round. We had 18 shooters and shot 6 rounds in 2 hours. To answer the questions I had posed in an earlier blog, the score sheets worked well, the shooters learned the format easily, there was no benefit on data entry stress, the sort was about average, and we could not get CFDA program to draw the rounds in advance.
My conclusion is that while the format would be good for practice, for an organized shoot the time benefit does not justify the extra work of preparing and using special scoring paper and training scorekeepers.
Gunfighter Rating: Whenever I can get my hands on score sheets I calculate the gunfighter rating of the shooters. This is helpful is in determining how good the sort is by a format. The gunfighter rating of a shooter is not affected by wins and losses. The top three shooters at the test shoot had a gunfighter rating of 1.17, 1.15 and 1.11. The top rated gunfighter finish 7th, the 2nd rated gun fighter finished 2nd and the third rated gunfighter won the event. The fastest gun there had a gunfighter rating of .89 and finished middle of the pack as you would expect. Whenever there is an anomaly such as the top rated gunfighter finishing 7th, I look for an explanation in the score sheets which I will detail below.
Being Prickly: The gunfighter rating is very useful in explaining why certain shooters finished where they did. It can benefit individual shooters in their quest to get better.
The top rated shooter had one bad match and then got caught by the luck of the draw. In his first match his gunfighter rating was .77 and then he shot 1.26 for the next five matches finishing with a 1.17 rating. In an Arizona Bracket shoot, you can survive one or two losses because of there is no elimination factor in this format but not three losses. After the first round he had two unlucky draws. He did not draw better shooters just drew shooters who got lucky shooting against him. Three losses moved him to Bracket B which he won finishing 7th.
The winner had a main match rating of 1.11, but when he got into the shoot offs his rating improved to 1.25. He shot both quicker and more accurate in the shoot offs. He won the event because he was the toughest shooter there. Since he has won two in a row, I think he has now learned that it does not matter how quick you are but how tough you are.
The gunfighter rating of the fastest gun there is informative. This gunfighter is trying to develop "a go to shot." When the gunfighter was slow shooting, the first two matches, the gunfighter rating was .57. In the next four matches, the gunfighter rating was .95 (including fastest shot of the event, a .353) for a main match rating of .89. I have been asking for some time "why." I remember observing with the Desert Master three years ago asking the same question.
For completeness, the 2nd rated gunslinger finished as you would expect 2nd.
Just because the test did not justify a new format does not mean it was not a success. You test not only to find what will work but what will not work.
Shooting in the Valley of the Sun. We shoot about 20 events using the Arizona Bracket shoot each year including two major jackpot shoots. It is popular and does a good sort. In some ways I think it does much better sort than the title match formats because 33% of the main match field has a chance to win whereas in a titled match only 5 to 10 % of the field has a chance to win. It is not unusual for the winner to come from well down into the field. You can overcome a poor match or an unlucky draw in an Arizona Bracket shoot.
"Boys, quick don't matter much if you don't hit that which you are trying to be quick about!" Virgil Cole
This blog is written by old gunslingers who have been out in the sun too long. It does not represent the views of any club or organization. Any offense to any person living or dead is unintentional.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
LOESS HILLS PALADINS, INC
"A dream with a date becomes a goal.
A goal broken into steps becomes a plan.
A plan with action becomes reality!"
When I started to shoot cowboy fast draw at age 65 what impressed me the most was a group of boys, ages 6 to 16, who were the most respectful courteous young men I had ever met. They had social skills way beyond their years. Being an old youth coach I can recognize a true sport when I see one. A sport is a character building activity. That is it's only function. Too many of our sports have been high jacked for their entertainment value.
Cowboy fast draw remains sport despite the efforts of some. It teaches discipline, responsibility, respect, and courtesy despite your age. It is also a sport wherein the participants compete in an non-homogeneous environment. There is great benefit to a 6 year old learning to converse and compete with a 60 year old, both for the 6 year old and the 60 year old.
My ringers have all moved back to the loess hills of the plains where there is a dearth of CFDA clubs. (Part of explanation of the name.) Paladins were the knights of Charlemagne court, defenders of a noble cause. They would travel about righting wrongs and protecting the weak. The corporate name comes from the brilliant wit of Possum.
Loess Hills Paladins, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation formed to provide facilities for "exempt purposes." The exempt purposes are:
1. Educational. To provide facilities for events (town alleys) that promote and teach gun handling and gun safety to members of the public;
2. Charitable. To provide facilities for events (club shoot) that combat community deterioration and juvenile delinquency.
3. National and International Sports. To provide facilities for events that foster national and international sports competition by training competitors for those events (club shoots and titled events.)
The initial facility is material sufficient for a portable range that can be configured as a 2 lane, 4 lane, or 6 lane range. It is can be erected in about 30 minutes for a 2 lane range, 1 hour for 4 lanes and, 1.5 hours for 6 lanes by 2 men. It has double ballistic backstop of 10 feet and sides of 8 feet. It is a championship range of 15 feet with 17 inch targets. The material for the range, that is steel and ballistic, will be loaned to CFDA clubs with only two provisions. It must be used for an "exempt purpose" (see above) and the club must have liability insurance for the event. Electronics are to be provided by the club. The use of the material and responsibility for it's use rest with the club. The Paladins are simply providing the material.
2018 Schedule: The range has been used by The Association of Arizona Gunslingers for two events, a national competitor practice and a club shoot. In April the range is going to the home range of the River City Gunslingers for their use for town alleys during the summer of 2018. In October the range will be back in the Valley of the Sun. The range would fit nicely next to the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone in the event some club might want to put on a titled event at that location. (Got a 7 x format all ready to go.)
Needs: Right now the Paladins do not own electronics for the range. We do have lights, sensors, cables, and junctions boxes that are compatible with River City Gunslingers timers. Those timers are not CFDA approved as of yet.
It is the intention of the Paladins to apply for 501 (c)(3) recognition. We have 27 month from April 1st to do this and be recognized back to the incorporation date. The significance of this is that if so recognized donations are tax deductible. Yet to be determined is whether the Paladins is a public charity or a private foundation. That will depend on the source of donations to the Paladins.
Donations may be made to Loess Hills Paladins, Inc., P.O. Box 74726, Phoenix AZ 85087.
"Life has a way of making the foreseeable never happen, and the unforeseeable that which your life becomes." Everett Hitch, Appaloosa.
A goal broken into steps becomes a plan.
A plan with action becomes reality!"
When I started to shoot cowboy fast draw at age 65 what impressed me the most was a group of boys, ages 6 to 16, who were the most respectful courteous young men I had ever met. They had social skills way beyond their years. Being an old youth coach I can recognize a true sport when I see one. A sport is a character building activity. That is it's only function. Too many of our sports have been high jacked for their entertainment value.
Cowboy fast draw remains sport despite the efforts of some. It teaches discipline, responsibility, respect, and courtesy despite your age. It is also a sport wherein the participants compete in an non-homogeneous environment. There is great benefit to a 6 year old learning to converse and compete with a 60 year old, both for the 6 year old and the 60 year old.
My ringers have all moved back to the loess hills of the plains where there is a dearth of CFDA clubs. (Part of explanation of the name.) Paladins were the knights of Charlemagne court, defenders of a noble cause. They would travel about righting wrongs and protecting the weak. The corporate name comes from the brilliant wit of Possum.
Loess Hills Paladins, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation formed to provide facilities for "exempt purposes." The exempt purposes are:
1. Educational. To provide facilities for events (town alleys) that promote and teach gun handling and gun safety to members of the public;
2. Charitable. To provide facilities for events (club shoot) that combat community deterioration and juvenile delinquency.
3. National and International Sports. To provide facilities for events that foster national and international sports competition by training competitors for those events (club shoots and titled events.)
The initial facility is material sufficient for a portable range that can be configured as a 2 lane, 4 lane, or 6 lane range. It is can be erected in about 30 minutes for a 2 lane range, 1 hour for 4 lanes and, 1.5 hours for 6 lanes by 2 men. It has double ballistic backstop of 10 feet and sides of 8 feet. It is a championship range of 15 feet with 17 inch targets. The material for the range, that is steel and ballistic, will be loaned to CFDA clubs with only two provisions. It must be used for an "exempt purpose" (see above) and the club must have liability insurance for the event. Electronics are to be provided by the club. The use of the material and responsibility for it's use rest with the club. The Paladins are simply providing the material.
2018 Schedule: The range has been used by The Association of Arizona Gunslingers for two events, a national competitor practice and a club shoot. In April the range is going to the home range of the River City Gunslingers for their use for town alleys during the summer of 2018. In October the range will be back in the Valley of the Sun. The range would fit nicely next to the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone in the event some club might want to put on a titled event at that location. (Got a 7 x format all ready to go.)
Needs: Right now the Paladins do not own electronics for the range. We do have lights, sensors, cables, and junctions boxes that are compatible with River City Gunslingers timers. Those timers are not CFDA approved as of yet.
It is the intention of the Paladins to apply for 501 (c)(3) recognition. We have 27 month from April 1st to do this and be recognized back to the incorporation date. The significance of this is that if so recognized donations are tax deductible. Yet to be determined is whether the Paladins is a public charity or a private foundation. That will depend on the source of donations to the Paladins.
Donations may be made to Loess Hills Paladins, Inc., P.O. Box 74726, Phoenix AZ 85087.
"Life has a way of making the foreseeable never happen, and the unforeseeable that which your life becomes." Everett Hitch, Appaloosa.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
"It was not personal." "To me it was!"
Apparently, I again offended the "self-proclaimed" with one of my comments. I don't know why this keeps happening, I try to be careful. Guess it is just illustrative of the Hamilton/Burr road to perdition. "Bet you think this song is about you." It is not.
I was just trying to drum up attendance for a Wednesday Shady practice. This Wednesday we are doing a test run of the format for the Loess Hills Jackpot Shoot which is going to be held in August to benefit the new club(s) in the loess hills of Nebraska/Iowa/South Dakota. This Wednesday we will be shooting at the Camp and need about 18 shooters for a good test. Specifically, what we are trying to find out is:
Time; How long does it take to shoot a round. We will mark the start time and the finish time for each round on the scoresheets. Not only will that give us the time for the round but will give us the down time between rounds. I hope that each shooter will get about 40 rounds in the main match and an average of 10 rounds in the shoot-off.
Scoresheets: I have prepared scoresheets for this test. Are they simple and easy to follow? I could do all the scoring myself but that would not be a valid test of the scoresheets. Can the average shooter/new shooter follow the format and be a scorekeeper.
Early Departures: We always have a few folks that have to leave early. In a normal match you give them a 99 which takes them out of the draw for the next round. We are not going to do that because we are going to draw all of the rounds at the start of the main match. This will reduce the downtime between rounds and the stress on the data entry person. We will use the procedure Cal used at 2017 World in the Bracket Shoot. Early departures remain in the draw, and if they no show the match is forfeited pursuant to CFDA rules. Luck of the Draw.
Data Entry; In a normal match there is great stress on the data entry person because scores must be entered before the next round can be drawn. In this format all the rounds are drawn at the start of the event so the scores can be entered as the data entry person is available. It should be less stressful. It should also lessen down time between rounds. There are two methods of entry in the CFDA program, hopefully we will be able to try them both to test which is the best method.
Sort: How good was the sort? See prior post on the best five shot option.
Scoresheets: I have a good scoresheet for a standard round. I need to make some provision for a bye round and a tied time round. I will work on that some more and hopefully have it resolved by Wednesday.
Facility: As I have said in the past the Camp is the best facility in the nation to practice cowboy fast draw. I thank Rodeo Romeo for making it available to us to do this test run. It will be fun.
"Man, it is just practice""Just practice, man!"
I was just trying to drum up attendance for a Wednesday Shady practice. This Wednesday we are doing a test run of the format for the Loess Hills Jackpot Shoot which is going to be held in August to benefit the new club(s) in the loess hills of Nebraska/Iowa/South Dakota. This Wednesday we will be shooting at the Camp and need about 18 shooters for a good test. Specifically, what we are trying to find out is:
Time; How long does it take to shoot a round. We will mark the start time and the finish time for each round on the scoresheets. Not only will that give us the time for the round but will give us the down time between rounds. I hope that each shooter will get about 40 rounds in the main match and an average of 10 rounds in the shoot-off.
Scoresheets: I have prepared scoresheets for this test. Are they simple and easy to follow? I could do all the scoring myself but that would not be a valid test of the scoresheets. Can the average shooter/new shooter follow the format and be a scorekeeper.
Early Departures: We always have a few folks that have to leave early. In a normal match you give them a 99 which takes them out of the draw for the next round. We are not going to do that because we are going to draw all of the rounds at the start of the main match. This will reduce the downtime between rounds and the stress on the data entry person. We will use the procedure Cal used at 2017 World in the Bracket Shoot. Early departures remain in the draw, and if they no show the match is forfeited pursuant to CFDA rules. Luck of the Draw.
Data Entry; In a normal match there is great stress on the data entry person because scores must be entered before the next round can be drawn. In this format all the rounds are drawn at the start of the event so the scores can be entered as the data entry person is available. It should be less stressful. It should also lessen down time between rounds. There are two methods of entry in the CFDA program, hopefully we will be able to try them both to test which is the best method.
Sort: How good was the sort? See prior post on the best five shot option.
Scoresheets: I have a good scoresheet for a standard round. I need to make some provision for a bye round and a tied time round. I will work on that some more and hopefully have it resolved by Wednesday.
Facility: As I have said in the past the Camp is the best facility in the nation to practice cowboy fast draw. I thank Rodeo Romeo for making it available to us to do this test run. It will be fun.
"Man, it is just practice""Just practice, man!"