[ShootingStar]

I have been reading through some the forums about registered targets and keeping the classifications fair and honest. Some clubs offer only certain dates and times for shooting targets and some are "wide open" and totally unsupervised.

You're refering to the "targets only" and "monthly targets" argument. There are a few different reasons people shoot these.

1. Some only want to boost their total number of targets shot. Believe it or not, there's some recognition for total targets shot annually and lifetime. It makes no difference whether you actually HIT any of 'em or not. :shock:

2. Some want to "fix" or just boost their averages. Recognition is given for high averages at the end of the shooting year. In theory, I guess you could shoot all your targets at your home club, and if you've met the minimums, could be named "High Average Leader" in one or all gauges without winning a single title or championship.

3. And although I've seen very little of it, I'm sure there are a few who do it to sandbag, to lower their averages and class.

Those who do it just to boost their class are sometimes referred to as "contributors" or donors. :mrgreen: Yes, maybe they're in AA, but since their best scores are usually shot at their home club, and under less than competitive conditions, they usually tank when they hit the road to shoot a "real" tournament. To them, claiming to be a AA/AAA shooter, and seeing their name in that column on the scoreboard is more important than actually being able to compete at that level. However, their donations are always welcome. :wink:

IMO, those who sandbag to put themselves in a more "favorable" class are a very small minority.

 

[ShootingStar]

If someone "sandbags" on targets-only, then goes to registered shoots and blows everyone away in his class, isn't that gonna raise his class?

Maybe, maybe not, but the NSSA gave up on the punch system a while back. If he's been breaking mid-80's scores all year at home shooting targets only, he could then take his "E" classification to maybe his state shoot that's offering some amount of added money and win $200 in his class against 4 or 5 other E shooters. It's hard to imagine somebody would do something like this for $200 and the honor :roll: of "winning" Class E, but I'll bet it's been done somewhere.

With the NSSA's new classification system, I think most of your progression up through the classes is based on your average of the last 5 events shot. Then you're only allowed to go down in class once (and only one class) during that shooting year.