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Mike357 wrote:I'm curious as to why people should expect a bargain? By the time a retailer spends time packing up their stock, drives to the event, pays their fees, unloads all their stock, stands their for 8hrs a day, organises EPOS if need be, pays for accommodation, buys food, packs up, drives home and either has to shut their shop or pay additional wages for somebody to man it while they are away, where do these armchair economists think that these price cuts can be made?

For me, it's about seeing what's available, getting stuff without having to pay postage rather than bargains. Oh, and for all you "shooters" it's primarily about shooting and putting rounds down range.

Expect? Not for a long time, Mike, but the whole "event" revolved around the shooting and the shopping pre-'97 and I suppose, that's what I'm after. I'm fortunate that I have a really good local shop. Something I'm after, they'll order in happily if it's not on the shelves and repeat custom gets me that "bargain", but it's not the sole drive.

As for the mention of "comraderie", if the shopping is not good, some of the dicks at the alleged top end of gallery rifle shooting are certainly enough to keep shooters away....

Ouch. Meeeeoww. I've RO'd some of these top shooters and can confirm there's some pretty hefty dickery out there.

Just like in any other walk of life though. There's some lovely people too and they're the majority.

My first time to Phoenix although not competing. Now sat having a fry up outside the Pavilion. Found most things I was looking for including CCI BR4 primers that no one else seems to have.
Saying that, I'm sat here at 2:45 and quite a few dealers have already packed up. I was talking to one large dealer and until the last couple of years he wouldn't consider packing up until gone 5:30pm. Now stands around him are packed already.
Foods nice though :)

Did the likes of Brownells UK and C&G attend this year?

I was there Friday morning and Sunday morning.
Was quiet Friday and even quieter today with many stands empty.
A chap I know has a stand there and he said many dealers would only pay for two days.
I didn't see Brownells but ammozone/C and G were there.
Without doubt the most quiet I have ever seen it there.
I wish the NRA would put on the tents like in the Pistol AD meetings and charge dealers a nominal fee.
I think 80% of the stuff there this weekend has been touted there the past several years!
I did pick up some of the Hornady 223 at £30 a 100.
Tony

Just got home from Bisley and was shocked at how quiet it was compared to last year. I'll echo that the pavillion looked pretty empty, but my main whinge was the £3.50 cost of a bacon roll this morning. That's a crusty short baton with _two_ slices of bacon. For £3.50.

Anyway, FT/R 8/9/1000 was pretty empty this morning, just mean and maybe two more people shooting it, with a crew of Dutch F Open types making up the numbers.

Dougan,

Hope things went better for you this morning and you managed to make food last night! It was good to meet up for a beer and a chinwag. Next year (if there is one), we'll have to sort out something more official.

Yes,it was not so busy as last year's,some stands empty-I was yesterday morning.But,found a cheap ammo,good honest dealer for import from USA and last but not least-someone on veranda with nice sa80 parts.Not so bad for quick visit.Better this then nothing,and combined with shooting-result?Mind you-some of the folks there-dealers,shooters are from gone by era,it is nice to talk to them,maybe last time?For me-it is a must every year.Thnx,JB

mr smith wrote:

Dougan wrote:

Mike357 wrote:Dougan, doubt I'd have been much of a threat the way I've been shooting lately. Put together a spreadsheet and graphs of my scores over the last couple years, not great reading.

You're doing your stats all wrong mate...the trick is to only remember the good scores and bin the bad ones

I'm going to have another crack at the 1500...which should be OK, as it's almost impossible not to improve on my last score razz

Right, time to hit the road...hopefully see you at another meeting...

Good luck,still doing this with the 1500 but we'll get there or at least somewhere close to there.

Well my 3rd attempt at the 1500 wasn't brilliant; a few point better than my previous PB but not by much...

...I shot the first couple of stages badly as I was distracted by the shooter next to me...he had a vicious ejector, and I spent the whole comp with his shells bouncing of my face and head; even had a few go down the back of my neck, which were quite hot

Anyway, I zipped my collar up and zoned the shells out, and shot the rest of the comp OK (for me) - It was something I'd not come up against before (not to that degree!) and couldn't help letting it distract me at first...but it's all part of the learning curve, and I will not let it put me off again if happens in the future.

Ian wrote:I visited yesterday, Friday, AM to collect some ordered kit and was very disappointed. A large number of tables in the Pavilion were empty and there were few people about.

Quite a few traders don't come on the Friday as they have shops - It filled up a bit more on the Saturday, and was at times reasonably busy...some of the traders I spoke too were happy with business.

Dougan wrote:
Well my 3rd attempt at the 1500 wasn't brilliant; a few point better than my previous PB but not

...I shot the first couple of stages badly as I was distracted by the shooter next to me...he had a vicious ejector, and I spent the whole comp with his shells bouncing of my face and head; even had a few go down the back of my neck, which were quite hot

Anyway, I zipped my collar up and zoned the shells out, and shot the rest of the comp OK (for me) - It was something I'd not come up against before (not to that degree!) and couldn't help letting it distract me at first...but it's all part of the learning curve, and I will not let it put me off again if happens in the future.

One of the uses for shooting in a Hoody, hood up problem solved. I'd try to remove as many variables as possible until you are really settled into it. Always good to pick the LH firing point next to the wall. :)