Most of the fastdraw loot at Winter Range came home to Shady Mtn. I won the SASS fastdraw sidematch on speed and the 45 revolver on luck. Shady Mike cut through 78 shooters to win the jackpot shoot without a loss. Miss Kitty won Bracket C of the jackpot shoot.
I have to believe the games we play on Shady Mtn may have something to do with it. Shady and I shoot marble matches about twice a week. It is just a 3 out of 5 match for a marble, a $1 gold piece. It is good to shoot against someone that is a little faster than you or a little more accurate with something on the line. It simulates those shoot off matches. We used to shoot for all the marbles about twice a year, but one of us got tired of that game.
The SASS side match was interesting, fun, and useful for training. At our town alley the SASS shooters got to shoot 10 shots for free, the first five being practice and not counting for time, and the second five for time with the sum of the three fastest counting for a score. You had to hit three to get a score. If a shooter wanted to improve his score he could buy an additional 5 shots for $5. All proceeds went to a SASS charity. Each SASS shooter got a ticket for each 5 shots for a drawing for a 45 revolver, one for men and one for ladies. Shooters could try as often as they wanted to. Only open to members of SASS who also competed in SASS event (I did long range but not very well.)
It was a good training match, the fact that you had to hit 3 out of 5 put pressure on you to be accurate. To improve your time put pressure on you to be quick. I purchased extra rounds every day and improved my time each day finally reaching a .394 average which was the winning time. I only shot SASS rounds once or twice a day and had to declare them to be SASS rounds before I shot, no picking a good 5 shot string. Last year it took me to the last day to catch the leader. This year my last day round was also the best. Trying to get that last few milliseconds while hitting better than 60% is really a good training routine.
I always shoot better against Shady, about 30 mls faster, and he helped me by shooting against me in my SASS matches. Some were also marble matches, don't know if I can afford to show up on Shady Mtn cause the tab is due. I have to add I always had one shot quicker than his fastest shot, but since he has been tuned up to about 80%, sadly he got all the marbles but one.
The SASS matches would make a good club practice match. You could have two tin cups one being a daily pot and one a monthly pot. Five shots would cost $2, $1 in each pot. Pot strings have to be declared before they are shot. The fastest total of 3 shots wins the daily pot. Must have 3 hits to get a score. One might think the daily pot might go to the fastest gun, but may more likely go to the most accurate. Quick only matters if you can hit that which you are trying to be quick about. Monthly pot would go to the shooter that improved his time the most during the month. I went from 1.223 to 1.182 over five days improving each day. Hard to shoot 60% while finding that last millisecond of speed.
I had the pleasure of hand judging a match between Holli Day and Honey Badger. It was something to behold. Holli Day had a .374 and Honey Badger a .375. Neither would give in or give up a millisecond, but I would add the match was determined on accuracy not speed.
Many thanks to all those 78 shooters who came to our bracket jackpot shoot, especially those bandits from down on the border, those Deputies from the coast, and those Shootists from the mountains. Think I only have one more bracket shoot left in me, that being Cave Creek.
Took my winnings and spend them on sutter's row, so you will just have to come to the Four Corners to see what the dog drags in.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Philosophy from the Salty River
We have had lively discussion about format with Levi and Mitch. Levi says there can only be one winner. The acorn does not fall far from the tree. Mitch says that when he is 4th in Bracket C he is 32nd and deserves nothing. Both look at this from an individual perspective, Levi from his five year plan to win a World Championship and Mitch under the influence of his father. When you're talking about formats one needs to leave the realm of the individual and think in terms of the whole, the CFDA, the club, and the average shooter. That is why Quick Cal says "CFDA strongly supports the instituting Bracket Matches at all classes of events."
Last Saturday the Rio Salado Vaqueros held a 3x Magnificent Seven Match. As always it was an excellent event with 44 shooters attending. It is informative to consider the results in the discussion of format. The best gunfighter of the day clearly was The Draw (World 3rd) and the 2nd best gunfighter probably was Coyote Kid (Tenderfoot, age 7). Hi Strung was lamenting all day to me that he was shooting poorly (slow) but he was hitting and ended the main match clean with no x s. As such, Hi Strung was seeded 1st in the Magnificent Seven. Although probably in the top 20%, it was clear he was not the top gunfighter at the event.
Resurrection Feature: Although there was no official resurrection feature in the contest, it being a standard CFDA format, a resurrection did occur. In the last round of the main event, Coyote Kid eliminated the Draw reducing the field to 6. Following standard protocol, The Draw, clawed his way back through two other shooters to re-enter the field as the 7th seed.
This is not uncommon. In 2015, Marshall Cooper was resurrected at Winter Range to go onto win in a Magnificent Five format. At Colorado, Bonnie Ringo out shot Marshall Cooper to secure the 5th seed. It happens at most shoots with the magnificent format.
This resurrection feature was instituted for its entertainment value, to have a full field, but many times it serves a better function, that is to determine who the best gunfighter is on a given day. On Saturday, The Draw even though he had been eliminated won a bye round, then 8 matches in a row to win the event. He was truly the best gunfighter on February 13 on the Salty River.
The Magnificent Seven format does a pretty good job sorting out who the best gunfighter is on a given day. Getting ready for the Magnificent Seven, I see Hi Strung in the dry fire area, trying to find some more speed and I lectured him to dance with the girl (draw) that got him the number #1 seed. He and I both could not take my advice, and two losses resulted for both of us.
Lest you think it is easy to shoot in the Valley of the Sun here is the results of Saturday's shoot. 1st The Draw (Two-time National Champion), 2nd Whiskey, 3rd Hi Strung (2nd Tombstone),4th Muletrain (2015 Senior World Champion), 5th Coyote Kid (Tenderfoot age 7), 6th Alleluia Ruah (2014 Super Senior National Champion) 7th Miss Kitty (2015 World Champion and Multi-Territorial Champion).
Getting back to the discussion, I think it is good for the sport to have multiple champions. I love the way the Powderhorn Ranch Regulators shoot the National Championship. On Sunday, championship day, they crown 15 or so category champions and then the overall youth, women and men's overall champions. I hope, but doubt, this year's national shoot will have that format.
The inadvertent resurrection feature has worked so well in determining the best gunfighter, I see no reason that we do not institute it for all shooters and have a true resurrection shoot. Now we have 2nd chance shoots just to occupy eliminated shooters. There is no good reason or rule that prevents us from putting meaning into these shoots by allowing the winner back in as the number 7th seed. (paragraph 4, page 21 would have to be tweaked a bit.) Shouldn't our goal be to determine the best gunfighter on any given day.
It is too late to do much about the 2016 schedule, but 2017 is less then a year away. Got my work cut out for me. I have stated before, the best championship format would be to shoot down to five, (or 6 if not having categories) then let the resurrection winner in as 7th seed and the fastest category champion in as the 6th seed. Don't we want to find out who the best gunfighter is at any given event. One of the weaknesses of the elimination format is that the luck of the draw many times determines how you do, not how you are shooting. To come back from the resurrection match to win is nearly impossible except for the best gunfighter there, and that is what we are trying to determine.
Last Saturday the Rio Salado Vaqueros held a 3x Magnificent Seven Match. As always it was an excellent event with 44 shooters attending. It is informative to consider the results in the discussion of format. The best gunfighter of the day clearly was The Draw (World 3rd) and the 2nd best gunfighter probably was Coyote Kid (Tenderfoot, age 7). Hi Strung was lamenting all day to me that he was shooting poorly (slow) but he was hitting and ended the main match clean with no x s. As such, Hi Strung was seeded 1st in the Magnificent Seven. Although probably in the top 20%, it was clear he was not the top gunfighter at the event.
Resurrection Feature: Although there was no official resurrection feature in the contest, it being a standard CFDA format, a resurrection did occur. In the last round of the main event, Coyote Kid eliminated the Draw reducing the field to 6. Following standard protocol, The Draw, clawed his way back through two other shooters to re-enter the field as the 7th seed.
This is not uncommon. In 2015, Marshall Cooper was resurrected at Winter Range to go onto win in a Magnificent Five format. At Colorado, Bonnie Ringo out shot Marshall Cooper to secure the 5th seed. It happens at most shoots with the magnificent format.
This resurrection feature was instituted for its entertainment value, to have a full field, but many times it serves a better function, that is to determine who the best gunfighter is on a given day. On Saturday, The Draw even though he had been eliminated won a bye round, then 8 matches in a row to win the event. He was truly the best gunfighter on February 13 on the Salty River.
The Magnificent Seven format does a pretty good job sorting out who the best gunfighter is on a given day. Getting ready for the Magnificent Seven, I see Hi Strung in the dry fire area, trying to find some more speed and I lectured him to dance with the girl (draw) that got him the number #1 seed. He and I both could not take my advice, and two losses resulted for both of us.
Lest you think it is easy to shoot in the Valley of the Sun here is the results of Saturday's shoot. 1st The Draw (Two-time National Champion), 2nd Whiskey, 3rd Hi Strung (2nd Tombstone),4th Muletrain (2015 Senior World Champion), 5th Coyote Kid (Tenderfoot age 7), 6th Alleluia Ruah (2014 Super Senior National Champion) 7th Miss Kitty (2015 World Champion and Multi-Territorial Champion).
Getting back to the discussion, I think it is good for the sport to have multiple champions. I love the way the Powderhorn Ranch Regulators shoot the National Championship. On Sunday, championship day, they crown 15 or so category champions and then the overall youth, women and men's overall champions. I hope, but doubt, this year's national shoot will have that format.
The inadvertent resurrection feature has worked so well in determining the best gunfighter, I see no reason that we do not institute it for all shooters and have a true resurrection shoot. Now we have 2nd chance shoots just to occupy eliminated shooters. There is no good reason or rule that prevents us from putting meaning into these shoots by allowing the winner back in as the number 7th seed. (paragraph 4, page 21 would have to be tweaked a bit.) Shouldn't our goal be to determine the best gunfighter on any given day.
It is too late to do much about the 2016 schedule, but 2017 is less then a year away. Got my work cut out for me. I have stated before, the best championship format would be to shoot down to five, (or 6 if not having categories) then let the resurrection winner in as 7th seed and the fastest category champion in as the 6th seed. Don't we want to find out who the best gunfighter is at any given event. One of the weaknesses of the elimination format is that the luck of the draw many times determines how you do, not how you are shooting. To come back from the resurrection match to win is nearly impossible except for the best gunfighter there, and that is what we are trying to determine.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Quotes, MisQoutes and Banter
"Gosh, Monte, why do you always have to needle Shorty?" "Needling folks is what I do!"
Monte Walsh
Monte Walsh and Shorty were good friends even though they ended up on the opposite sides of a gun fight. Monte Walsh is a great movie because it shows a lot about human nature and the frailty of man. There are no bad people in the movie, only good people gone astray.
I enjoy lively banter. I enjoy needling folks, especially folks that don't have a sense of humor. My needling is always intended to be good natured. However, I have concluded that my banter and needling has caused harm and ill-will. I get myself into more trouble than I should. My opinionated sob nature shows through unfortunately. I don't mean to be that way, I just am.
Trying to do better. I have deactivated my face-book account. Maybe that will help.
Monte Walsh
Monte Walsh and Shorty were good friends even though they ended up on the opposite sides of a gun fight. Monte Walsh is a great movie because it shows a lot about human nature and the frailty of man. There are no bad people in the movie, only good people gone astray.
I enjoy lively banter. I enjoy needling folks, especially folks that don't have a sense of humor. My needling is always intended to be good natured. However, I have concluded that my banter and needling has caused harm and ill-will. I get myself into more trouble than I should. My opinionated sob nature shows through unfortunately. I don't mean to be that way, I just am.
Trying to do better. I have deactivated my face-book account. Maybe that will help.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Ole to the Bucket
After months of struggle I finally did better in competition going clean for six rounds at the Camp, no small feat since there were a lots of World, Territorial and State Champions there. No easy draw in the bunch. I attribute my good showing to the fact that two days prior I went to the river and did bucket work.
Bucket work consists of shooting at 6 feet onto cardboard. You are working only on finalizing your draw. Only elevation and a consistent draw matters. You can see each hit and your body will automatically adjust to bring the shot to the desired elevation. You are just trying to get the draw to be automatic, no thought, no change, just like breathing. You are not worried about speed, but your speed will get faster as your draw becomes more finalized.
I enjoy shooting so much with my partners that I have neglected my bucket work. Practicing missing is not helpful, may be fun, but is not helpful.
When you come to a competition, you shoot the draw you brought. No changing or no tinkering and definitely no thinking. That is just the route to boot hill. When you get to the line the only things that you are concerned about are your alignment and your balance. You adjust those before the set command. When the set command is given you are ready, the draw on the light is nothing more than another breath.
"Remember boys, quick only matters if you can hit that which you are trying to be quick about." Virgil Cole.
Bucket work consists of shooting at 6 feet onto cardboard. You are working only on finalizing your draw. Only elevation and a consistent draw matters. You can see each hit and your body will automatically adjust to bring the shot to the desired elevation. You are just trying to get the draw to be automatic, no thought, no change, just like breathing. You are not worried about speed, but your speed will get faster as your draw becomes more finalized.
I enjoy shooting so much with my partners that I have neglected my bucket work. Practicing missing is not helpful, may be fun, but is not helpful.
When you come to a competition, you shoot the draw you brought. No changing or no tinkering and definitely no thinking. That is just the route to boot hill. When you get to the line the only things that you are concerned about are your alignment and your balance. You adjust those before the set command. When the set command is given you are ready, the draw on the light is nothing more than another breath.
"Remember boys, quick only matters if you can hit that which you are trying to be quick about." Virgil Cole.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Place Obsession
This is a rant about human nature and our obsession with the past. Our ability to try new things or novel things is many times limited by our obsession with what we have done in the past. The biggest hurdle to trying something new is the "can't" factor as in "You can't do that."
I was trying to come up with new and novel format for a jackpot bracket shoot. I thought, well, what if we paid 5 places in three brackets or a total of 15 shooters. We could divide the pot into 20 equal parts. Each of the top five would get 5% of the pot for being one of the top five shooters in the bracket. Then, since we love winners, we give the winner in each bracket an additional 5% for winning the bracket. And again, since we love winners, we shoot the bracket winners off to get an overall winner and he or she gets an additional 5%. The ultimate split works out to be 20%, 10%, 10% and then 12 5% winners. Makes sense to me, since a shooter's ultimate overall place has more to do with the luck of the draw than with how he is shooting, except maybe for that one shooter that goes all the way without a lose in the shoot-offs.
I pitched this to some of the board and club members and was hit with the "can't" factor. The pointed question I could not answer at the time was "Who is in fourth place?" Now, I can answer. There is no overall fourth place. There is just 15 shooters that shot well, three shooters that shot a little bit better, and one shooter that shot the best getting through the shoot-offs without a loss. He or she is the Overall Champion. I proposed Top Fifteen Medallions and little money to each of the top fifteen shooters, and then a little bit more money to the bracket winners and a little more money to the Overall Champion.
I don't suppose this will ever fly because of place obsession. We got to be able to pull our suspenders and say "I was fourth" to the other lower placing shooters even though one's draws may have been the easiest of the lot.
More rant.
We shoot in the summer heat, sometimes 115, and may have between 40 to 70 shooters on 6 lanes. It is not fun to wait an hour between rounds. I propose the Arizona Five to move the shoot along. We would only use it in no X contests like our bracket shoots before the shoot offs.
Arizona Five: Shooters shoot five rounds with the shooter with the most winning shots winning the match. If there is a tie 2-2, then both shooters get a win because both are hitting between 40% and 80%. If there is a tie 0-0 or 1-1, then both shooters get a X because both shooters are shooting 40% or less.
This has also been met with the "can't" factor. "You got to have a winner." No, you don't, you can have a winner, or two winners, or two losers in a match. This would be used only when there is no elimination factor involved, we are only shooting seeding rounds, trying to sort out who is shooting the best this particular day. If two shooters can't hit the target more the once in five shots they ought to sit down, and let's get on with the sorting.
If you can't tell, I am a little frustrated by the "can't" faction. To get this little shoot off of the ground I need a little boost from positive comments, I get plenty negativism from the "can't" faction, that is human nature.
The old Vaquero was giving some advice to the young Vaquero saying, "Remember, you are a Mexican, not a Mexican't." A native American shop owner was lamenting the state of today's youth saying, "Unfortunately, our young people are all pull start, not push button start, like those from India."
I was trying to come up with new and novel format for a jackpot bracket shoot. I thought, well, what if we paid 5 places in three brackets or a total of 15 shooters. We could divide the pot into 20 equal parts. Each of the top five would get 5% of the pot for being one of the top five shooters in the bracket. Then, since we love winners, we give the winner in each bracket an additional 5% for winning the bracket. And again, since we love winners, we shoot the bracket winners off to get an overall winner and he or she gets an additional 5%. The ultimate split works out to be 20%, 10%, 10% and then 12 5% winners. Makes sense to me, since a shooter's ultimate overall place has more to do with the luck of the draw than with how he is shooting, except maybe for that one shooter that goes all the way without a lose in the shoot-offs.
I pitched this to some of the board and club members and was hit with the "can't" factor. The pointed question I could not answer at the time was "Who is in fourth place?" Now, I can answer. There is no overall fourth place. There is just 15 shooters that shot well, three shooters that shot a little bit better, and one shooter that shot the best getting through the shoot-offs without a loss. He or she is the Overall Champion. I proposed Top Fifteen Medallions and little money to each of the top fifteen shooters, and then a little bit more money to the bracket winners and a little more money to the Overall Champion.
I don't suppose this will ever fly because of place obsession. We got to be able to pull our suspenders and say "I was fourth" to the other lower placing shooters even though one's draws may have been the easiest of the lot.
More rant.
We shoot in the summer heat, sometimes 115, and may have between 40 to 70 shooters on 6 lanes. It is not fun to wait an hour between rounds. I propose the Arizona Five to move the shoot along. We would only use it in no X contests like our bracket shoots before the shoot offs.
Arizona Five: Shooters shoot five rounds with the shooter with the most winning shots winning the match. If there is a tie 2-2, then both shooters get a win because both are hitting between 40% and 80%. If there is a tie 0-0 or 1-1, then both shooters get a X because both shooters are shooting 40% or less.
This has also been met with the "can't" factor. "You got to have a winner." No, you don't, you can have a winner, or two winners, or two losers in a match. This would be used only when there is no elimination factor involved, we are only shooting seeding rounds, trying to sort out who is shooting the best this particular day. If two shooters can't hit the target more the once in five shots they ought to sit down, and let's get on with the sorting.
If you can't tell, I am a little frustrated by the "can't" faction. To get this little shoot off of the ground I need a little boost from positive comments, I get plenty negativism from the "can't" faction, that is human nature.
The old Vaquero was giving some advice to the young Vaquero saying, "Remember, you are a Mexican, not a Mexican't." A native American shop owner was lamenting the state of today's youth saying, "Unfortunately, our young people are all pull start, not push button start, like those from India."
Friday, January 29, 2016
Resurrection Revisited
We got some really good observations from Rodeo, Powder Keg, Boss 45 and WOW. It is helpful to get feed back. Just because there is some grumbling does not mean that the basic concept is flawed.
One needs to remember what we are trying to accomplish with a practice shoot. Our goals should be:
1. To give all of the members an equal opportunity to practice, not a just a select few;
2. To fit the shoot within the time we have, summer time that is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
3. To have fun.
Rodeo suggests we should mimic the CFDA shoots and I agreed. But for a practice shoot this present some problems. With the last man standing format with a 3x, a large portion of our members only get a few rounds. The format we are using insures all the members get about the same amount of shooting. Also, with the last man standing format many leave when they are done and tearing down is left to just a few.
Boss 45 highlighted the potential for sandbagging. I have never believed that has been a problem, but understand that is a concern.
WOW expressed we need to get more rounds in. That is not a format problem, but a space problem. Until we get more lanes, we will have to address this with either Montana Five or 2 out of 3, neither of which is popular.
Try this on for size. A magnificent five on two lanes take 45 minutes. A three person shoot off takes less that 15 minutes.
We shoot a No X shoot from 8 to 11 for seeding purposes. If we have more than 40 shooters, we do Montana Five or 2 out of 3, so that we get more rounds in. Then we divide into brackets by x s and time out and shoot 1x magnificent format down to 5 shooters in each bracket. Then we shoot a magnificent five 2x in each bracket (should take 45 minutes). We finish the day by shooting off the three winners with a bye shoot-off, then one championship round.
If I were doing a jackpot shoot with this format I would suggest that that 75% of the prize money be divided by 15 with each of the top shooters getting 5% and then the Champion getting an additional 10% and each winners getting additional 5%. So split would be Champion 20%, two 2nds get 10% each and 12 others getting 5% each.
What do you think. Your input is appreciated and helpful. Think in terms of the club and not just how it may affect you.
"Quick don't matter much in a gunfight!" Little Bill, Unforgiven.
One needs to remember what we are trying to accomplish with a practice shoot. Our goals should be:
1. To give all of the members an equal opportunity to practice, not a just a select few;
2. To fit the shoot within the time we have, summer time that is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
3. To have fun.
Rodeo suggests we should mimic the CFDA shoots and I agreed. But for a practice shoot this present some problems. With the last man standing format with a 3x, a large portion of our members only get a few rounds. The format we are using insures all the members get about the same amount of shooting. Also, with the last man standing format many leave when they are done and tearing down is left to just a few.
Boss 45 highlighted the potential for sandbagging. I have never believed that has been a problem, but understand that is a concern.
WOW expressed we need to get more rounds in. That is not a format problem, but a space problem. Until we get more lanes, we will have to address this with either Montana Five or 2 out of 3, neither of which is popular.
Try this on for size. A magnificent five on two lanes take 45 minutes. A three person shoot off takes less that 15 minutes.
We shoot a No X shoot from 8 to 11 for seeding purposes. If we have more than 40 shooters, we do Montana Five or 2 out of 3, so that we get more rounds in. Then we divide into brackets by x s and time out and shoot 1x magnificent format down to 5 shooters in each bracket. Then we shoot a magnificent five 2x in each bracket (should take 45 minutes). We finish the day by shooting off the three winners with a bye shoot-off, then one championship round.
If I were doing a jackpot shoot with this format I would suggest that that 75% of the prize money be divided by 15 with each of the top shooters getting 5% and then the Champion getting an additional 10% and each winners getting additional 5%. So split would be Champion 20%, two 2nds get 10% each and 12 others getting 5% each.
What do you think. Your input is appreciated and helpful. Think in terms of the club and not just how it may affect you.
"Quick don't matter much in a gunfight!" Little Bill, Unforgiven.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Tombstone Revisited & Arizona Gunslinger Bracket with Resurrection
The 2016 Tombstone shoot is in the books and as usual the Old Publeo Gunfighters put on a great event. I think the value of the door prizes exceeded the entry fee. This year's event used the Arizona Gunslinger Bracket shoot as a format. For those not familiar with it, that format has a no x seeding shoot for as many rounds as time will permit. Then the shooters are seeded by x s and time out of last round and divided into three brackets, then there is a magnificent one x shoot off with the top three shooters in each bracket winning prize money. The prize money is divided equally between Bracket A, B, and C.
This has been been very popular format for jackpot shoots because of the perception that it allows the average shooter a better chance of winning prize money. The perception is that the A bracket is the fastest and the C bracket the slowest, but in fact that is normally not the case. At tombstone, the fastest bracket was the B bracket. Hanker Hank has given me the results and analyzing it, I find that the average time out of A bracket was .6285, B bracket .6039 and C bracket .6403. Taking just the five fastest shooters in each bracket, the averages were A .4464, B .4088, and C .4924. At tombstone, Powder Keg was dialed in and came from the 5th seed to win A Bracket.
Powder Keg won and everyone says he won tombstone, but I am not sure he was the best shooter on that day. Two/thirds of the field did not have a chance to compete against him. Fastest shooter there was Witlock with a timeout of .332, but he was in Bracket B.
It has always annoyed me that the winner of Bracket A claims to have won the shoot (think loverboy) when 2/3rds of the field does not have the opportunity to make it to 1st place.
The Arizona Bracket shoot works best with small to medium shoots. At Tombstone there were 55 shooters and we only got four seeding rounds. That means that the luck of the draw has more to do with where you are seeded and where you place than how you are shooting. If you draw the best three shooter you go down to the bottom in the bracket shoot or out in a last man standing, even if you are shooting well and are the 4th best shooter there. With small numbers you get more seeding rounds and so there is a chance to overcome a tough series of shooters.
WE CAN IMPROVE ON THIS FORMAT. By adding a resurrection feature, we can give each shooter a chance to make it to first. What you do is to shoot the Arizona Gunslinger Bracket as normal, and then take the top three shooters in each bracket and shoot them off. You put all of the 1s on lanes 1 & 2 and they are shooting for 1st, 2nd and 3rd with A 1 getting a bye, you put all of the 2s on lane 3&4 shooting for 4th 5th and 6th with A 2 getting a bye, and you put all of the 3s on lane 5 & 6 and they are shooting for 7th 8th and 9th.
Every shooter has a chance to make it to 1st no matter where they are seeded. No one is out until the fat lady sings.
We tried the Arizona Gunslinger Bracket Shoot with Resurrection last Saturday and it worked. Adding the additional rounds only added two more rounds and about 10 minutes to the shoot. We had 42 shooters participate in the shoot off. EB was seeded 39th, being in bracket C, and he was unstoppable, winning 8 matches in Bracket C and two matches against the other number 1s to win the event. HawgLeg Willie was seeded 17th and moved up to place 7th. Powder Keg was on fire again being seeded 8th and moved up until he met the number one seed Lawless Speed. Lawless Speed finished 2nd and Powder Keg finished 4th. We had one tenderfoot shooter, Coyote Kid, seeded 29th who finished 9th. Our Billy the Kid shooter, Buckeroo Ben, was seeded 28th and finished 6th.
Looking at the breakdown of the top nine, we had 2 three shooters, two four shooters, two five/six shooters, two long guns, two 7/8 shooters, and two youth.
The format rewards the best gunfighter, not necessarily the quickest nor the slowest, but the ones who in the shoot offs are shooting the best. It is interesting to note that we had seven World, National, Territorial, State champions shooting Saturday, none of whom made the top nine. The Champions were pretty much evenly distributed among the three brackets. The fastest shooter there got mowed downed by EB in Bracket C.
Some might says the the lack of the Champions in the final nine means format is not good, but I don't think so. The Champions just were not hitting and it you don't hit you don't win. To do well in this format, what is needed is consistency. You must shoot well in each and every match and for a lot of matches.
SPEED BIAS: There is a speed bias built in since seeding is done by xs and time out. Also the A shooters get a bye. One would expect the speed to be in Bracket A, which among the nine, both of the 3 shooters came from Bracket A. The two fastest shooters were in Bracket B and C. You can't miss fast enough to win.
Saturday's shoot was just for practice and was not for prize money.
However, if and when it is used of a jackpot shoot, prize money can be distributed 1 through 9, thereby alleviate one of the complaints we hear about the bracket shoot.
MAJOR TITLED EVENTS: The Arizona Gunslingers Bracket Shoot with Resurrection would make a great warm-up event at a titled shoot. Warm-up event should be just that, a chance to get dialed in and prepared for the main event. With the last man standing format, say 3x, 25% of the field only gets three matches.
With two ranges, you can shoot everyone together for the seeding rounds and get probably get 6 or 7 rounds in if you have 60 shooters or 5 or 6 with 80 shooters. Then seed by xs and time out into 6 brackets. Shoot three brackets one range and three brackets on the other. Shoot offs on each range would remain separate and you would have 9 places set on one range and 9 places on the other. So you could pay out prize money to a total of 18 shooters. Sounds like fun
One big advantage, after the seeding rounds, you do not need the computer. Everything is set up on paper.
Well, what do you think?
"Remember boys quick don't matter, if you don't hit that which you are trying to be quick about."
This has been been very popular format for jackpot shoots because of the perception that it allows the average shooter a better chance of winning prize money. The perception is that the A bracket is the fastest and the C bracket the slowest, but in fact that is normally not the case. At tombstone, the fastest bracket was the B bracket. Hanker Hank has given me the results and analyzing it, I find that the average time out of A bracket was .6285, B bracket .6039 and C bracket .6403. Taking just the five fastest shooters in each bracket, the averages were A .4464, B .4088, and C .4924. At tombstone, Powder Keg was dialed in and came from the 5th seed to win A Bracket.
Powder Keg won and everyone says he won tombstone, but I am not sure he was the best shooter on that day. Two/thirds of the field did not have a chance to compete against him. Fastest shooter there was Witlock with a timeout of .332, but he was in Bracket B.
It has always annoyed me that the winner of Bracket A claims to have won the shoot (think loverboy) when 2/3rds of the field does not have the opportunity to make it to 1st place.
The Arizona Bracket shoot works best with small to medium shoots. At Tombstone there were 55 shooters and we only got four seeding rounds. That means that the luck of the draw has more to do with where you are seeded and where you place than how you are shooting. If you draw the best three shooter you go down to the bottom in the bracket shoot or out in a last man standing, even if you are shooting well and are the 4th best shooter there. With small numbers you get more seeding rounds and so there is a chance to overcome a tough series of shooters.
WE CAN IMPROVE ON THIS FORMAT. By adding a resurrection feature, we can give each shooter a chance to make it to first. What you do is to shoot the Arizona Gunslinger Bracket as normal, and then take the top three shooters in each bracket and shoot them off. You put all of the 1s on lanes 1 & 2 and they are shooting for 1st, 2nd and 3rd with A 1 getting a bye, you put all of the 2s on lane 3&4 shooting for 4th 5th and 6th with A 2 getting a bye, and you put all of the 3s on lane 5 & 6 and they are shooting for 7th 8th and 9th.
Every shooter has a chance to make it to 1st no matter where they are seeded. No one is out until the fat lady sings.
We tried the Arizona Gunslinger Bracket Shoot with Resurrection last Saturday and it worked. Adding the additional rounds only added two more rounds and about 10 minutes to the shoot. We had 42 shooters participate in the shoot off. EB was seeded 39th, being in bracket C, and he was unstoppable, winning 8 matches in Bracket C and two matches against the other number 1s to win the event. HawgLeg Willie was seeded 17th and moved up to place 7th. Powder Keg was on fire again being seeded 8th and moved up until he met the number one seed Lawless Speed. Lawless Speed finished 2nd and Powder Keg finished 4th. We had one tenderfoot shooter, Coyote Kid, seeded 29th who finished 9th. Our Billy the Kid shooter, Buckeroo Ben, was seeded 28th and finished 6th.
Looking at the breakdown of the top nine, we had 2 three shooters, two four shooters, two five/six shooters, two long guns, two 7/8 shooters, and two youth.
The format rewards the best gunfighter, not necessarily the quickest nor the slowest, but the ones who in the shoot offs are shooting the best. It is interesting to note that we had seven World, National, Territorial, State champions shooting Saturday, none of whom made the top nine. The Champions were pretty much evenly distributed among the three brackets. The fastest shooter there got mowed downed by EB in Bracket C.
Some might says the the lack of the Champions in the final nine means format is not good, but I don't think so. The Champions just were not hitting and it you don't hit you don't win. To do well in this format, what is needed is consistency. You must shoot well in each and every match and for a lot of matches.
SPEED BIAS: There is a speed bias built in since seeding is done by xs and time out. Also the A shooters get a bye. One would expect the speed to be in Bracket A, which among the nine, both of the 3 shooters came from Bracket A. The two fastest shooters were in Bracket B and C. You can't miss fast enough to win.
Saturday's shoot was just for practice and was not for prize money.
However, if and when it is used of a jackpot shoot, prize money can be distributed 1 through 9, thereby alleviate one of the complaints we hear about the bracket shoot.
MAJOR TITLED EVENTS: The Arizona Gunslingers Bracket Shoot with Resurrection would make a great warm-up event at a titled shoot. Warm-up event should be just that, a chance to get dialed in and prepared for the main event. With the last man standing format, say 3x, 25% of the field only gets three matches.
With two ranges, you can shoot everyone together for the seeding rounds and get probably get 6 or 7 rounds in if you have 60 shooters or 5 or 6 with 80 shooters. Then seed by xs and time out into 6 brackets. Shoot three brackets one range and three brackets on the other. Shoot offs on each range would remain separate and you would have 9 places set on one range and 9 places on the other. So you could pay out prize money to a total of 18 shooters. Sounds like fun
One big advantage, after the seeding rounds, you do not need the computer. Everything is set up on paper.
Well, what do you think?
"Remember boys quick don't matter, if you don't hit that which you are trying to be quick about."
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