The Multi-Target Match
Procedure for Shooting
It has been proposed that event organisers and match directors should have the option of running the Multi-Target match as a ‘walkdown’. This meaning each of the four 6 shot practices should be shot back to back and the whole match scored just once at the end of the process.
Recall the course of fire for the Multi-Target match – generally shot in 4 practices as below: Competitors are scored and patched after each practice.
- Practice 1 25m: 6 shots LHT in 15 secs
- Practice 2 20m: 3 shots on each target in 10 secs
- Practice 3 15m: 3 sec exposures for 2 shots per exposure on the RHT
- Practice 4 at 10m: 3 shots on each target in 8 secs
It is a fairly short course of fire – just 24 shots in all and making use of up to six target faces when using the traditional method of shooting it. The maximum number of shots on any one target is six.
Shot as a walkdown each target finishes with 12 shots and only two targets are used. Finding and scoring these shots is no problem. Ties are decided on X count as usual and then either on the LHT score (majority of shots from furthest distances) or just a simple countback of 5s, 4s, 3s etc. These parameters should be enough to determine a higher score but a further option if absolutely required would be to use outward gauging.
Some informal and smaller matches already utilise this course of fire and the German Open always shoots the match under these conditions. There were no ties or scoring problems in the recently held 2012 open.
On this basis there should be no issue with running classified Multi-Target matches using the ‘walkdown’ method. There are many advantages in fact. Less targets and patches are used, the flow of the competition is more natural, scoring is easier and quicker and the whole match can be shot in less than 15 minutes. For event organisers and match directors pushed for range time and space this method should be actively encouraged – you will get more shooters through!
Scorecards and stats packages will have to be modified slightly to cater for the change. Scorecards are easy to change – a combined one is shown below:
Stats experts will have to adjust forms and decision logic to allow for the results to be input and spat out respectively. Not too hard a job for those so naturally inclined.
Comments, as usual, welcome.
