TargetTalk

Registration for pistol phase at Camp Perry 2016 is open and if you are going I recommend you do it sooner rather than later since the match entry fees will go up before long.

https://competitions.nra.org/campperrysignup/

The program shows (pages 37-38) and I confirmed with the NRA office the prices will go up considerably after the end of March. The time to register is now. Below is a copy of what is in the program:

Pistol Individual Entry Fees
National Championship Entry prior to 1 April $200
National Championship Entry prior to 1 June $250
Late Entry after 30 June $300
.22 Caliber National Championship $100
.22 Caliber Entry prior to 1 April $85
.22 Caliber Entry after 30 June $125
Centerfire National Championship $100
Centerfire Entry prior to 1 April $85
Centerfire Entry after 30 June $125
.45 Caliber National Championship $100
.45 Caliber Entry prior to 1 April $85
.45 Caliber Entry after 30 June $125
.22 Only Entry prior to 1 April $200
.22 Only Entry $250
.22 Only Entry after 30 June $300
Junior Entry - National Championship $120
Junior Entry – Single Day Entry (each ) $50
Harry Reeves Memorial Match $12
Distinguished Revolver Match $21

Clark

Thank you for posting this Clark.


From what I read, the CMP won't be opening their Perry entries until April 1.

April 1 is the date published on the CMP web site for opening their online registration, but since they don't increase their prices it will not be a factor. A few years ago I signed up for a CMP match during in processing for the same amount as it was online.

Clark

clark2245 wrote:April 1 is the date published on the CMP web site for opening their online registration, but since they don't increase their prices it will not be a factor. A few years ago I signed up for a CMP match during in processing for the same amount as it was online.

Clark

I am considering doing the same. Take a look at the weather forcast, among other things before I commit.

I am extremely unhappy about the rule changes. Because of the qualifying score, and the (still limited) number of matches, I no longer shoot the LEG, unless the weather is pretty darn good, I am warmed up, and not too tried, and the price of the match is 12 bucks or less.

Won't even consider shooting the 22 EIC. Too long a day, in most cases, and too much extra expense after paying for, and shooting a full 2700.

Maybe they are trying to see just how angry they can get competitors. This seems to run contradictory to "foster and promote the shooting sports". Unless by promoting they mean to irritate people so they talk about it more? Maybe each year they are just going to pick another event and have the challenge for that committee to be how many people they can alienate. First sport to die off completely wins.

Justin Tracy

We ran matches for quite a few years, here in VA.. From the local monthly, to Regional, and State Championships.. I find it disgusting, that a penalty is assessed to those who register after a certain date.. We encouraged and begged for walk ons if space permitted..and did not charge a higher rate. This is the age of computers.. It cannot be that difficult to add a competitor to the rooster after this imaginary date of doom. This is one more reason why I would support a logistics change..

Jerry Keefer wrote:We ran matches for quite a few years, here in VA.. From the local monthly, to Regional, and State Championships.. I find it disgusting, that a penalty is assessed to those who register after a certain date.. We encouraged and begged for walk ons if space permitted..and did not charge a higher rate. This is the age of computers.. It cannot be that difficult to add a competitor to the rooster after this imaginary date of doom. This is one more reason why I would support a logistics change..

I see the NRA going the same way as the CMP, and USA shooting. Like the other organizations, the free flow of money from donations, federal grants, the Olympic committee, etc make them quickly forget that they work for the members/competitors and not the other way around.

If a system inconveniences the competitors, or is expensive for them, but makes it slightly easier for the administrators and the staff, they will pick making it easier on the staff, and administration, and the *volunteers* every darn time.
I watched the teachers union, and their enablers do this for years.

I prefer to look at it as I'm getting a discount for registering early. The fees for registering later look pretty much in line with the normal fees for a few years ago.

Anyway, I guess everybody has their own perspective of how things should be done. You all have at it. I'm going shooting and getting ready to run some matches so other people can compete.

Just a thought from the competitive shooter perspective; if a competitor is not committed to the national matches by now, they are probably about 2 or more years behind on their training program.

You all have fun.

CR

Choose to have fun….
Fun creates enjoyment….
Enjoyment invites participation…
Participation focuses attention….
Attention promotes insight….
Insight generates knowledge….
Knowledge facilitates action….
Action yields results….”

Let’s have some fun….

Davis Love

I took the time to write the NRA competitions director after 2014, specifically to address the way they treat competitors at Camp Perry. The hundreds of dollars in entry fee hikes if you miss a deadline is just one complaint. It is unfairly harsh on people with actual jobs, who may not be able to get vacations confirmed three or four months in advance because of work related issues. It feel on deaf ears.

I am starting to think the NRA is trying to drive shooters away from the conventional nationals. They offer far better awards at matches like the Bianchi Cup and it has far less interest. National Police championships had 272 competitors in 2015 and they had 1,955 different awards including 103 guns and 316 sponsor supplied awards. The total cost for shooting SEVEN different matches was only $220 with no late fees or other forms disrespect from the NRA. Nearly every competitor wins a gun.

http://npsc.nra.org/documents/pdf/law/c ... cement.pdf

http://law.nra.org/documents/pdf/law/Fall2015.pdf

The NRA even publishes a quarterly update with lists of awards for police shooters. Good luck finding out who won Perry.

Bianchi Cup has $500,000 in prizes, "With somewhere north of $500,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, the 2015 Bianchi Cup promises to bring out the competitive streak in all of these shooters and many more we didn’t have space to mention. While the money arguably makes this event the richest in competitive shooting, it’s hard to top the prestige that goes with an NRA Bianchi Action Pistol Championship win. Stay tuned."

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015/05/ ... anchi-cup/

"Precision pistol" on the other hand has 650-750 shooters who pay about $300,000 dollars in entry fees and only about 15 of them have any chance of winning their entry fees back. We get to shoot on an uneven muddy cow pasture, frequently in ankle deep water that smells like cow dung, using benches made of rotting 2x4's at creaking, rusty targets that have not been improved since they were first constructed by the US Army in the 1950's. If you win a class award, you can then buy your own medal if you like. If you win anything of value, they report it to the IRS. God forbid that $10 bucks puts you in a higher tax bracket.

Every public rest room is locked at Perry and every building is locked if at all possible. Competitors get outhouses, marginal food, very little water and even less shade. In 2014, the NRA would not let shooters/NRA members into the NRA owned building for any reason. If you wanted your scores, they post them outside in the rain.

Worst of all, the Ohio State patrol drives through the parking lots during the matches recording license plates of competitors. They did this in both 2013 and 2014 when I was there. I witnessed this on several occasions. A patrol car with plate recording cameras mounted on the car slowly prowling all of the parking areas during the matches. I happen to find it creepy that the NRA gave them tacit support to spy on members. I am willing to bet, not a single stolen car or felon was attending the matches and yet shooters were spied upon by law enforcement as if they were common criminals.

I'll be there again for 2016 because I like the shooters, they honestly make the place fun. I have competitive friends and enjoy seeing them every year or two at Perry. Andy's is still the best deal on ice cream in the state of Ohio. I like that military teams. their gunsmiths and armorers support of the matches is second to none. Those guys go to the mat for every shooter that needs a hand with their firearms. I gave a random fellow shooter a hundred rounds of .38 special ammo because I knew it worked in his beloved model 52 and hated to see him drive all the way to Perry and not shoot his favorite center fire gun. I politely refused his offer to pay for it. Shooting is always going to be my favorite sport.

I do not think blind support without regard for the competitor is the best idea. Sure you can "have fun" and "make the best of it" but that is not how a national level event should be ran. Some respect has to be paid to people take the time and spend the money to shoot and travel and have enough interest in a sport to support it. This trip costs thousands of dollars for anyone coming from west of the Rockies. From my region, fewer and fewer folks are willing to make the trip. Many of them feel the expense is not worth the reward in quality of match.

I think it is time for the NRA to buy 1200 acres next to the CMP shooting park in Talladega, Alabama and start thinking about a joint venture other like minded shooting organizations. Equip some ranges properly and maintain them to a higher standard than a hundred year old guard base.

If as they say, "actions yield results" it is no mystery why participation is fading.

"I think it is time for the NRA to buy 1200 acres next to the CMP shooting park in Talladega, Alabama and start thinking about a joint venture other like minded shooting organizations. Equip some ranges properly and maintain them to a higher standard than a hundred year old guard base."



Or move the matches to the Cardinal Center, which would leave the wonderful regional at Canton, unaffected.

Frankly if I could imagine a place worse than Camp Perry in July, it would probably be anywhere in Alabama.


You raise a lot of excellent points which have grated on me for years.

I have heard, but do not know for sure that the NRA elected to remove the money awards mostly from the National matches and discourage high dollar sponsorships because of an incident involving a national Champion who concocted a muder for hire plot against his boss, who was refusing to give him leave from work to shoot the match.

The awards and prizes used to be that good.

Like the TSA, if this story is true, they elected to make it a less desirable competition to control a "one off " problem.