What could/should USPSA do to attract the average CCW holder

[jetfire]

USPSA has a vision and messaging problem. IDPA clearly says "we are the sport for new shooters and CCW people." 3Gun clearly says "we are the extreme shooting sport" and Bianchi Cup says "we are the classy, premiere pistol match."

USPSA doesn't really market, which is bad in and of itself, but worse than that they don't even know how to brand themselves. I agree that they should absolutely embrace the message that they're the premiere practical pistol sport, because in general USPSA is harder and more challenging to shoot than IDPA. If anything, I think they should attempt to brand themselves as IndyCar to IDPA's go-kart races. Say "this is where the big kids play" and be honest about it.

[jetfire]

This, this, this! It's hard to carve a whole day out to go stand around on the range all day for a total of 3 minutes worth of shooting.

If I could do a half day event, I could shoot 10x more matches.

It would also be a lot less of an investment for newbies to come check out a match that way.

When I was living in the PNW, the range I shot at would have a 50 round, 3-4 stage match every Tuesday night. Show up at 5:30, shoot until 8:30, then go have beers with your friends. It was pretty awesome, actually. And I realized after I moved away that it was a pretty decent way to keep my skills sharp, because even though it was small round counts, shooting every week under match conditions really goes a long way to preventing rust.

[Trooper224]

When I was living in the PNW, the range I shot at would have a 50 round, 3-4 stage match every Tuesday night. Show up at 5:30, shoot until 8:30, then go have beers with your friends. It was pretty awesome, actually. And I realized after I moved away that it was a pretty decent way to keep my skills sharp, because even though it was small round counts, shooting every week under match conditions really goes a long way to preventing rust.

Agreed. I shoot in a Bullseye league every Monday night. It's a short fifty round course (25yds) and it's not action related shooting, but I've found it to be an excellent way to keep my fundamentals sharp. The same range has an IDPA league every Thursday and if that particular group wasn't such a complete tool shed I'd do that too.

[rob_s]

What could/should USPSA do to attract the average CCW holder.

Nothing. Why should they?

[Drang]

What could/should USPSA do to attract the average CCW holder

I doubt there's anything they can do. The "average CCW holder" has a gun and a box of ammo, maybe one spare mag (if it came with the gun), and either the cheap holster that came with the gun, or, as Tamara has written, an Uncle Mike's "sausage sack". And probably only carries when he's "going somewhere I might need it."

[PPGMD]

When I was living in the PNW, the range I shot at would have a 50 round, 3-4 stage match every Tuesday night. Show up at 5:30, shoot until 8:30, then go have beers with your friends. It was pretty awesome, actually. And I realized after I moved away that it was a pretty decent way to keep my skills sharp, because even though it was small round counts, shooting every week under match conditions really goes a long way to preventing rust.

I know a few of the clubs that actually have a range in the city that do that.

Over in Tampa/St Pete area, WAC has 4 stages of USPSA Tuesday, and Friday night.

In Dallas at DPC they used to have Tuesday night matches late spring through summer. It is too bad they stopped doing it. There is also a club that does IDPA sunday nights at another range.

[orionz06]

USPSA has a vision and messaging problem. IDPA clearly says "we are the sport for new shooters and CCW people." 3Gun clearly says "we are the extreme shooting sport" and Bianchi Cup says "we are the classy, premiere pistol match."

USPSA doesn't really market, which is bad in and of itself, but worse than that they don't even know how to brand themselves. I agree that they should absolutely embrace the message that they're the premiere practical pistol sport, because in general USPSA is harder and more challenging to shoot than IDPA. If anything, I think they should attempt to brand themselves as IndyCar to IDPA's go-kart races. Say "this is where the big kids play" and be honest about it.

Interesting summation, and I agree 100%.

[Fourtrax]

I am, as I get older, starting to become a fan of the classic match set up. Which is something like 2,2,1.... Or some such ratio. Smaller courses with good design can lend themselves as better opportunities for instruction, especially for movement. In addition, they are generally shooting contests, not foot races.

It was popular for awhile that everything be 32 rounds, but I see this changing. In addition, I think this is a good thing.

Now as to what USPSA can do? Hmmm, not much.

Fact is we are the premiere shooting sport. Tacticools, mall ninjas, camo campers, .... Need not apply.

CCW shooters can and should find every USPSA match within driving distance and attend. Period. Nothing teaches free thinking and high speed gun craft like learning to shoot USPSA. Momma ain't gonna hold your hands at our matches and she ain't gonna be there in that critical moment when, GOD, forbid, you have to use a firearm.

Despite some thinking, SPEED is a tactic, along with fast critical thinking and accuracy. USPSA has all of that and more.

CCW holders...........get your gear and find us,.......also we aren't the premiere shooting sport for just shooting, we have the best people.

[YVK]

USPSA was not meant to be about CCW.... I don't think they "should" do anything to attract CCW necessarily. A philosophy of USPSA is "Freestyle" and that carries over to what the shooter gets out of participation.

Agree,

Nothing. Why should they?

and agree.

There is already one shooting sport that kittens up its content by the "real life orientation" of a pretense, and resultant contrived rules etc. USPSA should stay as far away from this as possible.

As far as marketing is concerned, good luck to them.

[Jared]

I am, as I get older, starting to become a fan of the classic match set up. Which is something like 2,2,1.... Or some such ratio. Smaller courses with good design can lend themselves as better opportunities for instruction, especially for movement. In addition, they are generally shooting contests, not foot races.

It was popular for awhile that everything be 32 rounds, but I see this changing. In addition, I think this is a good thing.

Now as to what USPSA can do? Hmmm, not much.

Fact is we are the premiere shooting sport. Tacticools, mall ninjas, camo campers, .... Need not apply.

CCW shooters can and should find every USPSA match within driving distance and attend. Period. Nothing teaches free thinking and high speed gun craft like learning to shoot USPSA. Momma ain't gonna hold your hands at our matches and she ain't gonna be there in that critical moment when, GOD, forbid, you have to use a firearm.

Despite some thinking, SPEED is a tactic, along with fast critical thinking and accuracy. USPSA has all of that and more.

CCW holders...........get your gear and find us,.......also we aren't the premiere shooting sport for just shooting, we have the best people.

Fourtrax, I agree with what you are saying, I really do. I am also certainly NOT talking about changing the rules to try to make USPSA tactical. That is the very opposite of what I want.

My main question here is how can the organization market itself in a way that does away with the largely false preconceived notions that so many have about USPSA. I know you've heard them. That's what I started this thread to discuss.

I did suggest that the current trend toward more small courses is a good thing, IMO. I don't feel that a short stage has to be, or even should be, just 3 10 yard targets. There's a lot of shooting that can be tested in 15 rounds or so.