NRA marker 09/06/2013 Target 12/94

[zzr1100]

On a game shooting day good beaters get a little bonus (on decent shoots anyways) what's the difference ?-

[Dougan]

what's the difference ?-

None - It's just that of all the times I've been in the range office, I've never noticed anyone else leaving a tip, and although I've commented positively (though also not positively at times) on the marking it's never been suggested to me to leave a tip.....I was starting to wonder if there was some strange etiquette involved...

...now I know though, I'll raise it with the club...being raised by Yorkshire folk there's no way I'm stumping-up on my own razz

[Gaz]

If tipping is an option then I think it should be encouraged, for good marking.

Not dissimilar from tipping in restaurants - you recognise good service with a gratuity over and above the prescribed rate.

(and crafty bods at the NRA could reduce the marking bill by using the same rules most restaurants operate under, which allows tips to go towards wages, thus cutting wage overheads)

[IainWR]

... and crafty bods at the NRA ...

Errr

This is obviously not the same NRA as the one that employs me.

[1066]

I was shooting on Stickledown on Saturday (T17) and found the marking a very mixed bag. We started the morning with very poor marking - Target often only being pulled down after a couple of minutes wait and a M4. At times the target would go down, the spotting disc moved and a shot scored even when no shot was fired. - About mid morning a call was made to the office and the marker replaced by a young lady who was excellent, well worth a tip. When we stood her down for lunch she apologised for the earlier marking and explained that the targets were well shot up in the centre and the wind was blowing some of the patches off.
We had different markers in the afternoon, fairly reasonable but slow.

My thoughts:
Good markers can work the target well.
Target faces in good condition are easier to mark. Wouldn't it be possible to just paste a centre panel on the target at lunchtime?
You need to be able to identify the markers so the tips go to the right people.
No phones/ipods etc. to be taken to the butts.
Poor marking is unacceptable - A days shooting cost me about £100 with around £30 for petrol and pound a bang. I look forward to our clubs occasional long range shoots but if the marking is so slow we can't get all the shooters through or spotting disc being poked in any old hole in response to a M4, what's the point.

[Gaz]

Target faces in good condition are easier to mark. Wouldn't it be possible to just paste a centre panel on the target at lunchtime?

Markers can get their targets re-faced (completely new target) in about five-ten minutes, with a quick call to the butts supervisor.

Whether any of them care enough to bother is another question, however. I've done it while running (not "supervising"!) a butt during a match and you can turn around targets pretty quickly. Communication between butts and firing point is key, so re-facing can be done between firers.