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My second experience with a GSSF match

10K views 53 replies 23 participants last post by  mikey357 
#1 · (Edited)
Absolutely horrible, again,

First let me start off by saying that I don't usually go out of my way to post anything negative about any orgs especially one that is run by my absolute favorite and loved firearms company, Glock.

This is not my first time competing in a match. I have participated in at least three different local shooting orginazitions. USPSA, steel matches, etc.
I'm not the average shooter that goes to the range once in a blue moon. Lets put it this way, at least 10 times a day I am thinking about this sport. Almost as much as i used to think about t-ts and a-- when I was younger. Yeah I love this sport and Glocks!

Today , a few hours ago I did my sesond GSSF match in Vegas.
The first one I did a few months back I did not enjoy. I figured what the heck I'm in Vegas and I might as well give this a second chance. Holy heck what an unpleasant experience! The six steel plates are good. The rest, boring. I was so disillusioned by it by my third string I was just blasting through to get it over with. There was no sense of camaraderie at all between the participants, range officers , nor the. Glock factory workers. The RO's at this particular event were a joke. Most of the time I did not hear the RO say range is clear before people were going out to tape. Several of stages where the joke of an RO refused to take the entry forms in an orderly stack so us participants were practically arguing to see who was up next. Really? I have never in my life not enjoyed a shooting event like that of GSSF.

I will let my GSSF membership expire and not renew. What a waste. Sorry this is my opinion and I'm sure someone will flame. I am so glad my first experience in the shooting match world was not GSSF.
 
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#2 ·
It's obvious, you're going to the wrong matches. Remembering of course, GSSF is set up for the new GLOCK owners that want an introduction to competition shooting. It just might be too low drag, for your taste. While it can be used for better shooters to compete too, it just isn't everyone's game of choice.
 
#3 · (Edited)
After shooting a few IDPA matches I can see where you are coming from. However, I still enjoy GSSF also. Maybe it was because I had a good day today? :dunno: I understand about the boring part, especially since you tried to wait for RoundEye and me while we plowed through out 11 combined divisions. I appreciate you hanging around as long as you did. I know the 2 kids we had on M needed some training but I am not sure who you had on the other stages. We had a young lady on 5toG that was pretty personable but the guys on the plates were pretty dry and left for lunch while I was still standing there with 2 divisions left to shoot. Fortunately, the guys on the other side understood the situation and moved me to the front of that line and we were able to finish up. We were able to shoot through all of our divisions in about 4 1/2 hours. Not bad considering they were not using sign in sheets of trees. Squadding was a bit haphazard but with the relatively light attendance it ran OK all things considered. Good day for me anyway.

Scott
 
#7 ·
Come to think of it, this isn't the first time I have heard stories like this about the Vegas match so, I don't beleive it is being run in the same manner as the matches we hold across the rest of the country.

I think everyone is there for the SHOW and not much attention is paid to the match.
 
#8 ·
Well GSSF main purpose is to bring new shooters into the sport and they do a great job at that.

If the course of fire does not challenge your skills I can only assume your shooting in the high forties to the low fifties.I am shooting in the above a hundred and I guess I will probable be just as bored an un challenged as you are when I reach those low numbers.Especially if I am able to achieve those numbers after my second match


But if your not shooting in the the forties to fifties and you still feel un challenged you are missing the point of GSSF .

You see we are supposed to be competing against our last score. That's what make GSSF so challenging to me.I am challenge to make my self better. If you already think your better then the competition there is no getting passed that.

If you think your going to run in and compete and then run out this is may not be a venue for you.I plan for an entire day I actually enjoy meeting my fellow competitors while we are pasting target,I love pasting targets as I meet the best people while pasting targets with the best stories, I meet the biggest complainers when I sit down to reload.

I am sure if I had to sit on the bench just waiting to compete I would find it very boring also just sitting there in my misery mad at the world I had to wait for the other people to shoot in front of me

I have met allot of great people at the GSSF events and although I may only see them once a year I feel they are my friends. I also try to bring at lease one new competitor to each match and I find that just as challenging to get them thru the match. Even if I just shoot the worst I ever shot I still have fun getting a new person thru the competition.

As for the Staff they are volunteers.I always arrive first thing in the morning, the majority of the time all of the staff is fresh and friendly,but by 2 O clock they are tired crabby and over worked.Its like my Church or other places with volunteers 20 people doing the work of 40 . I was lucky enough to have a fellow member here Kitty teach me how to RO so when I am at an event ,come after noon when I am done competing I always try to help or relive one of the staff even if its only for a half hour for them the stuff a sandwich down there throat or if I see one of the staff searching around for something I ask them how i can help. Sometimes its as simple as getting more sheets,targets,paster's, a pen so they continue with the match.

Also me and my son have been lucky enough to win 3 guns, a free member ship, a couple of random prizes and 2 place prizes.

Good Luck with your next venue
 
#11 · (Edited)
Moto, I was going to say did we even go to the same match? There were a few issues, here and there, but overall it ran really fast. I know you went off to shoot ahead of us, but after that we were looking for you and you were totally MIA.

I know it's not Action Pistol, but it emphasizes accuracy over time as you get punished severely for Cs, Ds, and misses. Maybe it's because I began my competition "career" in GSSF, but I look forward to them just as much if not more than the twice monthly IDPA matches I shoot.

Plus if I beat Scott, it's just icing on the cake. :supergrin:

And rest assured, this was heads and shoulders above last years match at the Metro range. :faint: :cool:

Scott
Totally!
 
#12 · (Edited)
I've shot something like 16 of these over 4 years. Yeah, a few of them weren't run as smoothly as others, and that can be frustrating.

The Plate Rack is definitely fun and challenging. But if you're not "enjoying" shooting the Glock M or 5 to Glock.... well that's on you. I too shoot USPSA/IDPA/Steel Challenge. And yet I think those two GSSF stages might be *harder* than any of those. Well, at least if you want to DO WELL.

In USPSA, you're not nearly penalized for non-A hits as you are in GSSF. 25 yard shots, in 8" zone at speed are not easy. If you wanna just blast away or something, sure it's boring. But if you didn't score well, then you're not taking that stage with the seriousness that it deserves. You have to be fast AND very accurate, and that's not easy. My goal when I go is to shoot 1st place Civilian. While I haven't done that, I've taken 2cd at least 3 times and 3rd probably 5-6 times. If you're coming in way down from that, then obviously GSSF is offering a challenge you're unable to achieve. It's not a BLASTING sport, this sport requires speed and accuracy in a combination I've not seen in any of the others.

I don't go to the matches to "have comraderie". Well, actually that's not totally true, I usually go with my shooting buddies and we have fun, but early on I went by myself and if I talked with someone... that was fine. But if not, that was fine too. I was going with the intention of shooting my absolute best and that was my focus. Wasn't looking for anything from the R.O.'s other than running me through the stage.

Some people just can't be pleased? You might be one of them.
 
#16 ·
I could not disagree more with the OP.

This years Vegas Match was heads and tails above last years in terms of shooter throughput and organization. I told everyone I could how much better I liked the new venue. Of course the great weather was also a plus but you can't blame the GSSF folks for last years windy conditions.

As for the contestants I had several nice conversations with folks while waiting at the different stages. Everybody I talked to was having a good time.

In summary I think Glock should be lauded for doing all these matches across the country and getting beginning shooters into the fold. Maybe when I'm way better I can move on but for now I'm sold.

Glock and GSSF rock!
 
#17 ·
Yes, this GSSF match was different from others I have attended.

They seem to feel a need to avoid having "too many" shooters hanging around the bays.

So, they would only let a certain number of shooters; something like 25 or 30 or so, into the entire shooting bay complex at a time. Since they were riunning stages in about 6 or 7 individual shooting bays, splitting those two or three dozen shooters in at a time between them, the actual number of shooters in any given bay was pretty few at any time. Maybe a half dozen or so.

The shooters were held at the mouth of the bay complex; not allowed to proceed into the bay complex until told they could. They did have a signin sheet at the this staging area, to determine who could go in, based on the order they got there.

As shooters would finish and leave the ranges, a roughly equal number of shooters would then be allowed into the bays to shoot.

So, the net number of shooters within the bay complex was kept more or less constant at any given time.

Doing it this way pretty much ruled out the normal GSSF procedures of in-the-bay sign up sheets and Christmas trees.

Lacking them, the only way the ROs had to squad shooters was to put sheets in at the bottom of the stack of sheets for new shooters as they arrived in the bay.

They were then pretty much anchored in place until their sheet came to the top.

Once you got past the notional gate guardians, you could choose any of several bays to actually shoot your stages.

I am not sure what this concern with the number of shooters in the bays is all about.

Perhaps someone else, preferably one of the Range Officers from this match, can explain it?
 
#19 ·
Well GSSF main purpose is to bring new shooters into the sport and they do a great job at that.

If the course of fire does not challenge your skills I can only assume your shooting in the high forties to the low fifties.I am shooting in the above a hundred and I guess I will probable be just as bored an un challenged as you are when I reach those low numbers.Especially if I am able to achieve those numbers after my second match


But if your not shooting in the the forties to fifties and you still feel un challenged you are missing the point of GSSF .

You see we are supposed to be competing against our last score. That's what make GSSF so challenging to me.I am challenge to make my self better. If you already think your better then the competition there is no getting passed that.

If you think your going to run in and compete and then run out this is may not be a venue for you.I plan for an entire day I actually enjoy meeting my fellow competitors while we are pasting target,I love pasting targets as I meet the best people while pasting targets with the best stories, I meet the biggest complainers when I sit down to reload.

I am sure if I had to sit on the bench just waiting to compete I would find it very boring also just sitting there in my misery mad at the world I had to wait for the other people to shoot in front of me

I have met allot of great people at the GSSF events and although I may only see them once a year I feel they are my friends. I also try to bring at lease one new competitor to each match and I find that just as challenging to get them thru the match. Even if I just shoot the worst I ever shot I still have fun getting a new person thru the competition.

As for the Staff they are volunteers.I always arrive first thing in the morning, the majority of the time all of the staff is fresh and friendly,but by 2 O clock they are tired crabby and over worked.Its like my Church or other places with volunteers 20 people doing the work of 40 . I was lucky enough to have a fellow member here Kitty teach me how to RO so when I am at an event ,come after noon when I am done competing I always try to help or relive one of the staff even if its only for a half hour for them the stuff a sandwich down there throat or if I see one of the staff searching around for something I ask them how i can help. Sometimes its as simple as getting more sheets,targets,paster's, a pen so they continue with the match.

Also me and my son have been lucky enough to win 3 guns, a free member ship, a couple of random prizes and 2 place prizes.

Good Luck with your next venue
:goodpost:







:50cal:
 
#21 · (Edited)
After shooting a few IDPA matches I can see where you are coming from. However, I still enjoy GSSF also. Maybe it was because I had a good day today? :dunno: I understand about the boring part, especially since you tried to wait for RoundEye and me while we plowed through out 11 combined divisions. I appreciate you hanging around as long as you did. I know the 2 kids we had on M needed some training but I am not sure who you had on the other stages. We had a young lady on 5toG that was pretty personable but the guys on the plates were pretty dry and left for lunch while I was still standing there with 2 divisions left to shoot. Fortunately, the guys on the other side understood the situation and moved me to the front of that line and we were able to finish up. We were able to shoot through all of our divisions in about 4 1/2 hours. Not bad considering they were not using sign in sheets of trees. Squadding was a bit haphazard but with the relatively light attendance it ran OK all things considered. Good day for me anyway.

Scott

After reading the replies, I get it. Yes it is more geared to new shooters or as an introduction.
Scott, I had no issues at all waiting for you guys to finish your 47th division (lol)
But as you said the range officer left you standing there while you are still trying to finish you divisions that you PAID for! Thats not acceptable! One of my points is imagine this is you first time shooting a competition as apparently it's supposed to be! How would it make you feel? The guys at Georgia should have this point refreshed to them maybe? I saw several times the GSSF head guy walk up to the RO's and make sure they are doing ok. Maybe they are free volunteers, I don't know. If so Maybe they should pay the ROs. But I feel he should be as much if not more concerned how all his so called " new" to the whole experience and paying shooters are doing.

You know what, forget my comment about the competition being boring. Sorry.

But I will still say this. If these things are truly geared towards new shooter, then I'm sticking to what I said.
GSSF is run by Glock and I demand better! If it was sanctioned by some other org, I wouldn't cared to have complained.
Anywho, I'm over it already.
 
#22 ·
After reading the replies, I get it. Yes it is more geared to new shooters or as an introduction.
Ummm.... no, I'd actually say you still DON'T get it.

Yes, it's not USPSA or IDPA where you're running around and blasting everything. From that point GSSF *is* kinda tame. At the same time, you said you didn't do well. Why is that? Because to do well, it's probably a harder competition than either of those, because to shoot a winning Amateur score you have to be fast whilst still being very accurate. So in my mind, it provides a non-threatening, "easy" atmosphere for a beginner, while still providing an extremely challenging high goal for someone wanting to win.

I'm a B level USPSA shooter, which is equal to IDPA Expert.... and I still haven't won a GSSF match. They're hard. Very hard to win. So you have to show up, knowing what it takes, and then perform under the pressure of your expectations.

Or, you can just whine about the experience.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Ok, I don't get it. Fine whatever.
You guys are all better. I suck.
Yeah , OK. I don't know anything about anything in life.
I shouldn't have said anything negative at all! Sorry for not bowing down to GSSF.
I mean yeah it's so incredible that all the top pro shooters get in line to participate in it, I'm sure!

I should have just handed over my cash and thanked them for the opportunityto be there.

Please forgive me here people!
 
#24 ·
Ok, I'll just whine.



carry on
:rofl:

Yeah, if I had run into that situation at the begining of the day I might have had a different outlook. Fortunately, it was at the last 2 divisions for the DAY so I was able to cope and the guys on the other side moved me right to the front so it all worked out in the end. I know I was getting pretty upset when we got to the barriers and they were not going to let us in for a while. Then they said that because we were shooting multiple divisions we could go right in to the "express" bay. Hey! they have the express bay we all talked about a while back, cool! Except when we were getting close to it a guy on a quad pulls up and tells us it's closed due to lack of personel! LOL! He told us to just run through like normal. I was OK with that!! :whistling:

Anyway, as far as I am concerned you are welcome to shoot with us anytime and if you want to try some of the other divisions you can use my G30 or G34. Just let me know. :wavey:

Scott
 
#25 ·
Ok, I don't get it. Fine whatever.
You guys are all better. I suck.
Yeah , OK. I don't know anything about anything in life.
I shouldn't have said anything negative at all! Sorry for not bowing down to GSSF.
I mean yeah it's so incredible that all the top pro shooters get in line to participate in it, I'm sure!

I should have just handed over my cash and thanked them for the opportunityto be there.

Please forgive me here people!
I'm sorry you didn't have a good time, but you are in the GSSF forum, so you had to expect the flaming. :dunno:
 
#26 · (Edited)
Yes, it's not USPSA or IDPA where you're running around and blasting everything. From that point GSSF *is* kinda tame. At the same time, you said you didn't do well. Why is that?

Uhm, last time I checked, IDPA does emphasize accuracy. Be it it's not as much a points deduction as GSSF. USPSA yeah you have to be very fast. I don't have issues with that.

AS far as me not doing well. I didn't check my scores. I was being sarcastic when I typed that. Whatever my score, I am sure if I had tried harder and was more enthusiastic whatever it was I could do better. I did pretty good on the six plates though (I think) . It's not weather someone wins or not, it should be a pleasant and fun experience.


Again my issue with the format is my OPINION as I stated.

My issues with how it's run and the atmosphere for first timers there is valid. Maybe someone from GSSF can read theis and improve how they run the thing.
 
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