Why so few members in practical shooting clubs?

**Longshot** · 17-02-2012, 05:47

I have been involved with my local (Bfn) -IPSC club for about 3 years now. I joined after I got fed up with peolple shoving knives in my face or trying to rob me.

I have noticed that hunting rifle ranges of the Bfn shooting centre are a lot busier than the IPSC range.

I have tried several times to get the farming community to come to our(IPSC) range for FREE training from the current SA IPSC champ. Guess how many people pitched? Zero, nada, zip. When I speak to sheeple to try and convince them to join they are very interested, but as soon as its rangetime they chicken out.

How small is the practical pistol, rifle, shotgun (IPSC and IDPA) assosiations compared to the hunting associations?

How do other practical shooting clubs involve new members? Our club has a hard getting 3 new members a year!!! So few members for a sport that will dramatically increase your chances of survival in a gunfight. This while the the hunting associations are flooded by new members each year.

Apparently its better to have bilting and 5 hunting rifles than a clue on how to survive in these violent SA times.

Maybe not quite on topic but still relevant. I used to help one of the best mma trainers/fighters in Bfn and FS to do SD seminars for the guy/ girl on the street. This was about 10 years ago and it stopped because people were simply not interested.

**BigT** · 17-02-2012, 06:43

Unfortunately for a lot of people its an ego thing. They are South African men and by birthright know all about guns. And anyone who puts in any extra effort over and above is a GV.

Its far easier to impress everyone with your exceptional skillset around the bar or on the internet than on the range where your weaknesses will be glaringly obvious.

Learning new things and improving skills you already have require admitting that either you you don't know or at least that you don't know it all. This is just too much for many if not most people.

**Skaaphaas** · 17-02-2012, 07:01

It's also a culture thing. Hunting has been accepted recreational practice for years in SA. Running on a range with a pistol shooting at humanoid targets hasn't.

Furthermore, IPSC is very "gear-oriented". It's speed holsters, speed mag holders, special belts, etc. When I see the IPSC guys at CDPC they all look neat like fashionistas, like the road cycling scene.

Whereas IDPA is much less. You can spot the IDPA shooters at a range, because they look like they are there for a braai, except for a weird fetish with photographer's jackets.

Now, I am not dissing IPSC, it is a sport and all sports have gear. It's just that it might be slightly off putting to newcomers, especially in a place like Bloemfontein. It's one of the reasons mountain biking has grown so quickly, in place of road cycling.

Add to this the fact that the clubs aren't really well marketed (for various reasons). My friends have no idea what IDPA, or practical pistol shooting for that matter, is. They think I go to a range, stand behind a table and make holes in a piece of paper which I can then compare to the guys next to me. When I tell them about it, they seem more interested, but "getting a gun is such a mission these days", so they rather go play golf (spit).

Guns are also borderline politically incorrect these days. You say "gun" at a work function, and most people look at you funny, like you are a paranoid lunatic that thinks you might get robbed at any moment. Sheeple...

**harm** · 17-02-2012, 07:14

i'm a member of a club,but don't shoot leagues [ipsc] often.
its a bit on the expensive side for me at the moment.

**pdh** · 17-02-2012, 07:34

Originally Posted by Skaaphaas

It's also a culture thing. Hunting has been accepted recreational practice for years in SA. Running on a range with a pistol shooting at humanoid targets hasn't.

I think that is the main point.

**Mag** · 17-02-2012, 07:37

Originally Posted by Skaaphaas

except for a weird fetish with photographer's jackets.

**JS4** · 17-02-2012, 07:37

Aah yes, the good ol' days... when shooting at targets was frowned upon... ;o)

**shooter** · 17-02-2012, 07:38

You could mistake the BFN club for an IDPA club if you don't look close enough. Mostly Production and a few Standard guns. Very convenient to shoot IPSC in BFN. I miss them already. At the Kraaifontein club shoot here in CT there was almost 60 people, apparently a great turn out with quite a few noobs shooting the first time.

**Longshot** · 17-02-2012, 08:03

At our IPSC club we do quite a bit of shooting with everyday carry holsters and "normal" clothes - the clothes you arrive with at the range. We started doing man vs man steel from concealment this year to add a bit of pressure. Does wonders for the heartrate when you see who would have been hit first.

I dont want to get into the whole IPSC vs IDPA debate, I think the gunhandling skills is the important thing, the only difference between IDPA and IPSC SHOOTING is the way your gun is drawn. Anyone with half a brain is going to use cover and try to retain mags.

I wish we could start a nationwide campaign to promote both sports and get more people to participate, espescially the farming communities.

Big T made a very valid point about egos. Many people talk the talk, but few can walk the walk. I competed in a few hunting associations' competitions and guys who bragged about springbok headshots at 400m couldnt hit targets at 100m. the handgun part of the competition was an absolute shock. So many problems with firearms, ftf, fte, 15 year old carry ammo that misfired, broken sights. The shooting was very bad, ten paces from an A4 size target in your own time. Some guys could not get one shot on the page ( normally the guys who bragged about their moerse grouping).

This is not an attack on any shooting association or on farmers. My whole family comes affie plaas, I am just worried about the apathy that exists.

PS. Shooter we miss you and the Janse van Rensburgh hall just isnt the same without you ;)

**Andrew Leigh** · 17-02-2012, 08:06

A general comment on clubs be they whatever. Many people I know dislike clubs, it is not long before politics rears it ugly head and the internal bitchings and agenda's of the various members becomes apparent. There are a few that remain relatively free of these agenda's.

Everyone makes valid comments, from the egocentic S.A. male through to the intimidating array of gear the the newbie believes he has to have at the first outing. I am not a handgun owner and that is why my comments are limited to clubs in general.

Why is golf so popular, it is a club after all. Well the entry level is low and a handicap system takes care of beginner embarrassment. If one could replicate the golf club secret you would have IPSC Estates with a range outside your door so to speak. Golfing estates are going up every other day. The avreage golfer gets over their equipment issues quickly, although there is a big element of "gearheads" it is well managed.

Perhaps your club could look at other successful clubs and feed from that. The one thing I do know is that "if you keep doing, what you have always done, then you will always get the same result". Clearly then a new approach needs to be taken to actively recruit. The gun dealers may be a good place to start, perhaps handguns should be demonstrated in the environment the will be used or intended for and not in an indoor range for example. Perhaps gun dealers should get a referral fee for every signed new member they proposed? What about a free 3 months trial period?

Try using the farming bodies to get the farmers there, what about family days where the entire family can be introduced to firearms along with fun events, fun shoots etc.

There are so many distractions in life that a club must compete with, so the marketing campaign has to be clever and innovative. Fear sells but only for a short while, so putting the fear of God into people about having to protect themselves may work for a period. An alternate angle may keep them for longer.

Eventually clubs are left with a core nucleus of people who end up doing all the work, fund raising, cleaning, maintenance etc. and only the real hardened supporters remain with a smattering of newbies that trickle through the system.

A thought would be to get a Kwela or other similar TV magazine program to do a spot on your discipline. What about getting Radio Oranje to interview you or a club member on what you guys do? Perhaps Gunsite can be instumental in a 4/5 part series on all disciplines intended for TV airtime, simply to take out the myth of gun ownership.

Personally I am not a club lover although I belong to a rifle range and a golf club. The golf club has done zip for me but the cameraderie of the rifle club has been rather pleasant, making shooting most enjoyable.

The other thing I cannot undestand is that people will pay R500+ per month for DSTV but find R500 subs per annum at a rifle club (mine) excessive. They will pay sometimes upwards of R 5000 subs at a golf club but not R 500 at a rifle club.

Apologies if I went off topic.