[JeffColorado]

Ok, it's time to ask. This year my daughter and I will be going to nationals for the 1st, and possibly last, time.
What do we need to know? Where to buy shells, I like Nitro 27's, how early to get to the site prior to shooting - we've rented a cart - does it take a bunch of time to pick it up?? Anything we Shouldn't miss - we fly in Monday afternoon, the kid wants to have some time to visit Sea World and maybe six flags and a few other sites too - not really thrilled about that though, so with luck it will be more than just shooting, but not much.
Any suggestions / recommendations?

 

[sera]

1. go register right away--as the sounvenir t-shirts are sold out by Wed

2. you will pick up your cart at the beginning of an event and return it when you finish that event.....you don't get to ride around in it between events

3. the shell sales barn is across the parking lot alley from the registration....go then so that you know they have what you need

4. consider using the sales barn storage facility for overnight gun storage....never--I mean NEVER leave a gun in a car at your hotel nor any food place close to the club.....it takes the bad guys about 8 seconds to steal it

5. Sea World is close to the club. BUT they may be closed...call ahead. The hotels that service Sea World are heavily used by shooters.... I will be at one.

6. bring money , guns and lawyers as there will be a lot of bling (gun-wise) on site.....High drool factor.

 

[Ron Mahle]

Bring long pants and short pants and long sleeves and short sleeves and a rain slicker. It can be 95 or it could be 65, you just never know in late-October Texas.

Good job, Sera. I had nothing to add other than this.

Ron

 

[albanygun]

There is a ton of information available on the NSCA site at http://www.mynsca.com/CMS/NSCADisplayPage.aspx?ContentID=162&PageTitle=2009 Nationals link page and at http://www.mynsca.com/image/downloads/2009 Nationals Program.pdfCart pickup is easy, as they are prepositioned at each course. Takes about 30 seconds to pick it up as they will have your name already there.
Walmart down the road frequently has shells available at good prices for the Nationals. Buy early as they run out of the popular loads.
I pretty much agree with all the advice already posted here. Good luck!

 

[JeffColorado]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I was even thinking of ordering the shells I want from Wal Mart in advanced - if they will do it down there - up here I can order in whatever I want and have it waiting for me to pick.

 

[TexasTon]

A WalMart is very close to HQ, if you come from the East you'll drive right by it and it's easily accessible. Hopefully all the road construction (in and around) is done.

The last time I was there, it appeared to me they had quite an overstock of target loads, so maybe they actually look at what's going on around them. :roll: I'd say they had 5 times the typical stock of AA's/Nitros of any SuperCenter around here. They even had some Ultra-Lites, which was a :shock:

Motels really get under my skin, as a whole. I stayed about 7 miles away but close to the interstate, I got a good rate, the motel was perfect for me and was quiet----no security issues that I ever became aware of. Only once was I not able to make it to the grounds in under 10 minutes.

I'd also suggest taking it as easy as you can, it's easy to get caught up in all the games you can play and comp you can shoot, and get yourself worn out----too soon.

 

[TOM-M]

Get a map of the area around the NSC. Familiarize yourself with the area and figure out ways to avoid traffic problems. One road I use there frequently is 1560 that goes between Culebra Rd (471) and Bandera RD (16). The traffic on 1604 can be a nightmare early in the morning and around quitting time M-F. Give yourself plenty of time for travelling back and forth.

Of course, this probably depends on where you're staying if it will be of any benefit. And you must understand that I'm a country hic that doesn't have to deal with that many idiots/morons operating vehicles in such an area and on a daily basis, so my tolerance level for traffic isn't all that good to begin with.

Come to think of it, the last wreck I was involved in happened at the intersection of 1604 and New Guilbeau where I wound up being in the front of a 3-car pileup sitting at a red light minding my own business, so my hesitation to use said road, I feel, is absolutely warranted.

Did I mention there are lots of idiots (with drivers licenses) in San Antonio?

 

[battuebaby]

TOM-M, that can be said of any city in the country! :lol:

JeffColorado - Don't overdo, see what you can, and enjoy it! Don't leave anything of value in your car and a small, hand-held black light could come in handy to see if your car's trunk has been tagged with UV ink (which means your car's been targeted for break-in).

I honestly believe that NGC will one day have to have security like a military base to keep things good all the time...

 

[TOM-M]

TOM-M, that can be said of any city in the country! :lol:

Yep, you're right...and I've been in lots of 'em. Yuk.

That said, it's just always seemed to me that the confluence of Interstates 10, 35, and 37 has a vastly disproportionate share..................... :?

:wink:

 

[JeffColorado]

We're planning on staying at a hotel up near 6 flags - any problems there?

 

[cafowler1000]

We're planning on staying at a hotel up near 6 flags - any problems there?

You shouldn't have a problem anywhere, just don't leave ANYTHING in your car overnight. I'm told the thieves will put a mark on your car while it's parked at the NSC, and then trol the hotel parking lots at night looking for their mark on them. The mark might be as simple as a thumb swipe thru the dust on your car at the right spot. The gun thefts are an organized group in the past I'm told, not just some kid.

Take your daughter to the Alamo and Riverwalk at night for the boat ride then eat dinner down there, very cool, almost as many visitors a year as Disney World they say. There is a docent that gives a talk outside the alamo about the history of the church and really the State of TX and the US, it's pretty good. There is a nice restaurant at the top of the space needle that spins around. There is a really nice shopping center, La Canterra your daughter might like, good restaurants etc. There's also a HUGE Bass Pro 5 min's from there on Hwy 10 just north of the loop hwy for you. They have a good restaurant also and great taxidermy mounts.

If your daughter likes to dress up for Halloween, they had a costume contest last year for anyone who wants to enter. The winner last year was, well, HOT, definitely a crowd favorite, but there were a bunch of folks dressed up, more than I'd expected. The 6 Flags had a special Halloween night in the park 2 years ago, depending on your daughters age, she might want to do that on Halloween. 6 Flags/Sea World was on Fall hours last year, so they weren't open every day and when they were they opened later.

If the Shell House has the shells you like, buy all you need for the week early, as the popular loads will sell out early. Don't forget shells for games and practice rounds. You can get a key for the practice course, keep it all week, and turn it in and pay for your practice targets on the last day. I think the practice course had the hardest targets you'll see, so I enjoy shooting 50-75 here each morning. The sports dept manager at WalMart knows guys like Nitro's and stocks more than enough. They were about the same price as the Shell House last year, so no real savings by going there. The Wally World is in the corner of Culebra and Loop Hwy, you can get there off Culebra by turning after the Bill Miller's BBQ.

Do be outgoing and make some new friends. Nothing like Texas hospitality, I really enjoy the Nationals for this reason alone. Try and join some others for dinner one night and learn a little bit about where they're from.

Give yourself plenty of time to get there the day you shoot at 8AM, the high school and loop Hwy can have a bunch of traffic if this is a workday.

AO Bar has great breakfast taco's. If you can get there in plenty of time don't miss those in the morning.

Check out all the different parking areas 1st day, so you know where you're going each round. There are some short-cuts to get into the grounds the back way.

Do play a bunch of the games. Both Make A Break have a long line each day.

Hopefully you both have a great time and this isn't your 1st/Last Nationals, once you go it's hard not to go again.

 

[JeffColorado]

Thanks, I was getting a bit apprehensive reading all the warnings about the crime down there. I never leave anything out in my vehicles, and never take them places, to the shoot and right back to the hotel bringing them back inside with us, they are never in the car when I'm not. This time I'm going to check out the onsite gun storage. At the least it will be easier than lugging them back and forth all the time.
My daughter is 14, and to get a week's excused absence from school, I put on the form that it was an educational trip to learn some about American history such as the Alamo, since they don't teach American history anymore plus some marine biology (Sea World). I don't want this to be all about shooting for her, I want her to be able to experience some other couture and widen her horizons. Due to my work, we've traveled and lived in many different areas and each time she gets something out of it. This is her 1st time to this area, so it should be good for her.
The reason I said it was possibly our last time there, is the expense of it all, for the two of us, including air fare, hotels, meals, fees, shells and all the other stuff that goes with it. is going to run in the $5K to $6k range. We can do a lot of other stuff and shooting during the year on that amount of money, plus I've promised her a trip to Argentina for a dove shooting vacation when she turns 17 too. But who knows, we'll see what happens there and maybe I'll change my mind, who knows.