I have organized small shoots in the past and wondering if there is room for a Spring shoot, maybe just before the Southern, but in the Midwest. A smaller number of vendors but unlimited opportunity to shoot sporting, 5 stand, skeet and maybe something special like a high crosser or flurry. I am interested in the boards view.

Love to see something in the metro St. Louis, south Central Illinois area. Lots of SxS shooters and some great clubs.

No.
Not as a destination event.

Here's why.

Sorry, but, geezer's just don't spend any money.

They say they want to see vendor's, but vendors only go where they can make money.
There is no point in crisscrossing the country chasing the same 40 guys that might Part with a couple thousand dollars. Maybe.
The one's that work, work well enough to completely serve the market as it is.

Can there more SxS shoots?
Sure! But unless you are creating your own market, the same 40 guys that hop around might not be available.

Yesterday, I shot a SxS shoot at Bald Mountain, a premier, well known shooting facility outside Detroit.

Almost nobody showed.

Here in MI we have a well established series ofabout6-7 shoots that are just right fortheclubs, but none have vendors anymore.

It really is an April through August thing in the mitten state.
Get in, get out. All the guys are just about gone by noon.

If you want vendors, you'll go to Hausmann's, TheSouthern, or the Mec shoots.

That’s very silly. There is plenty of money exchanged at the Southern, less at the Haussmann’s shoots but still enough for plenty of vendors to show. Don’t forget, the vendors aren’t only selling side by sides and attend many, many events around the country. If you attend the large events, that’s where you will find vendors.

Clubs can have all the shoots they want.

They just can't attract enough fresh buying customers for the vendors to invest in attending.

More than a few times I have heard a person say to a traveling vendor, "I'll see you at..."

I'll stop here.

There are plenty of traveling vendors that post here that can share their experiences, and why they do or don't go to more shoots.

Just look at some of the other shooting venues, the big trap shoots in Arizona have given up lots of vendors for the fall shoots and only the Spring Grand (600+ shooters) draw many vendors. Trapshooters are easy to sell stuff to.

Couldn't shoots survive on the merits of the competition and prizes?

So basically the big SxS shoots are gun shows where you can do some shooting? Any prizes or money to shoot for?

I appreciate the patience from the experienced SxS shooters that attend these events. Just a new shooter with plenty of questions.

If you take away the merch, what have you got?
Just another shoot.

Who flies 3000 miles for just another shoot? Not many.

The GLSxS assoc. Is a great example of a stable, cooperative, co marketed, series of SxS shoots.

Big enough to benefit all the associated clubs, and small enough to not be overwhelming to the volunteers.

It's entertainment first. Competition second.

The biggest draw back to SxS shoots in my opinion, is that so many act like they don't want to be there. In by 9, gone by 10:30.
Sell that to a vendor you want to charge for his spot in a tent.

This years Great Northern was well attended. We had shooters and vendors from all across the county. Most plan to return next year. I think another shoot in the midwest could work It takes a lot of promotion and work to get the word out and to get vendors to commit to a new event but I think it work.

I'd would love to attend a double gun shoot in central Illinois. While I love good guns, vendors are less important to me than good targets. My club, in north central Illinois, held a small vintage shoot last year that drew 40 shooters. It was fun. The flu restrictions caused us to cancel this year, but are planning for 21.

Mark, your shoot sounds terrific, way more fun than where Clapper shoots.
My Army son is transferring to Wisconsin this spring, I'll plan on attending!

Remember that Mark is behind a shoot that started in the 1990's and changed venues to become the Mec sponsored shoot.

It's one of the 3 destination shoots I listed.

The Great Northern is really a great shoot. Well organized and run, very good mix of targets that are all hittable with modest loads. I shot all 7/8's oz of 8's and never felt the need for more. I think good targets are a key and since I shoot at a club that throws very good targets and has ample room to add special events, I think hosting a spring shoot is doable. We used to have GLSxS events there. My plan is to NOT charge vendors but I wouldn't be providing the big tents either. The club can provide food, parking and a covered area that has 15 tables. I appreciate the feedback and will post news here to start, once I get club ok and date.

Get your shoot dates out early.
Send your tasteful flyer to every gun club you can think of and ask them to be posted.
Contact the president of every gun club you can think of, and then go visit their club. Shoot it and say how great it is.

Get your shoot listed on all the shotgun and upland life sites.
Make your list of vendors you wish to invite, and call them.


You'll find that there will be a pattern to the responses you get.

Good luck on your endeavor, I look forward to it's announcement.

I think it will be hard to get started. Vendors want to know what attendance will be. How does one show how many customers there will be to start off ? I put on a shoot in Mi every spring. There are two more clubs with in a hours drive and we each do our shoot in different months - April, May, and June. I would much rather drive a hour, shoot, visit a bit, and go back home. It's so much cheaper than going for three or four days. I did go to the Southern once and it was very nice, but what I spent doing it I could do all three of our shoots and still have money left over. Zapper is giving you some very good advice. It'll be an up hill battle - good luck.

Don't ignore quality and unique to the area food vendors. If you want your crowd to hang out more FEED them! Loafing tents with beer (if possible) and food will help the gents settle in for a bit.
**Oh yea, nice looking scorers (not old men) is a real plus also.
Years ago the Spring Grand in PX was so large that they needed to turn to the halfway houses for help.....did not go so well!

I appreciate the feedback. I am going to focus on having a large variety of shooting and good targets, tables for display but no formal vendor program and food.

Nitrah, I think you have the right idea. We offer free dealer tables and snacks at cheap prices. I had a machine stand made up so it can rotate 360 degrees. We keep the machine hidden and call it our " Pigeon Ring ". Also a long [ 60 to 80 yard ] looping bird thrown from a rabbit machine called " Long Bird'. For a year or two we used a old row boat you had to shoot from. There was six machines giving some nice crossers like duck hunting. A lot of guys on here are a little long in the tooth so make sure when you set targets they can be seen for at least 3 seconds. Our old eyes don't see as good as they use to. Most my SCs range is in the woods, so target setting can be a challenge. Blue skies and tree trunks or limbs aren't you friend. The birds disappear. Good luck.

Thanks Paul, exactly the kind of tips I was lookin for. Years ago we had a simulated driven stand, which was very popular, but it can be difficult to make sure the clays aren't dangerous for spectators.