This just is my feeling but this shoot is the only one Iv'e ever heard of that camoflauges shooter names by using numbers. I understand that is for them who shoot poorly and don't want their name shown with a crappy score. But those who run the shoot need to recognise also there are shooters who want to see names posted. I know you can never please all. But in my opoinion if this Great Northern ever wants to get in the big league and become more than a local shoot it's going to have to attract better shooters and many will not travel any distance to a shoot that shows scores with shooter numbers that don't mean a thing. And also one that just awards a HOA prize and uses Lewis class to spread the other prizes which does nothing except reward poor shooting. Hey MRC is advertising a nice shoot not a social event. Target shooting is competitive by nature. I know some reading here are thinking hey I shoot for fun. But they just fool themselves, it's no fun shooting crappy and the only way to get yourself in gear to be a better shooter is to see your name at the bottom of the list. Again just my opinion and I value contrary ones. But when decision time comes I'm not going to drive hundreds of miles to the Great Northern unless it uses names and recognises the top class of shooters by score and not Lewis, and I know good shooters who feel the same.
Joe, when the Sagola Township guys were doing the shoot, it was about as "in the boondocks" as it's possible to be: rural UP Michigan. (Medford, WI is slightly more civilized.) But my point is, the old UP Shoot attracted shooters from all over and vendors from all over. They had close to 120 shooters up in the UP some years, and the surrounding population base--let alone "locals" who shoot sxs--is simply not large enough for that to have EVER been "just a local shoot".
That being said, the MRC has made some changes. The Flurry, for example, is no longer part of the official program, although still available as a side event. That change was made because some participants complained about the flurry. I expect, if enough participants complained that names ought to be listed, then names would be listed. As far as the prizes go . . . the entry fee is fairly high. Nice to know you have a chance to win a pretty valuable prize--a decent sxs--even if you don't shoot all that well but end up winning a Lewis Class. I'd be hesitant to pay almost $300 to participate in a shoot where I know that I have the proverbial snowball's chance in hell of winning one of just a relatively few expensive prizes. That's like my money is subsidizing the good shooters. Hey, if they're THAT good, let them compete for top gun. That guy wins his pick of the prize guns. Year before last, I just missed winning Lewis B. That's pretty fair shooting for me, and just my bad luck that I didn't take home a gun. Maybe this year. . .
