It means your score does not count in the competition, it also means you cannot win any prize money or trophies etc. Essentially its a way of shooting a competition event as a practice, typically the birds only entry is roughly £7 cheaper depending on the ground/event.
Not cpsa reg, can I shoot birds only?
- Thread starter Jonny English
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Jonny English
Well-known member
The point is to be able to enjoy top quality targets. I have basc membership, they look after my interests very well in my opinion, i'm not going to fork out another £60 ish on cpsa membership for them to act as they do and to shoot 2 registered shoots a year. Both me and my father love grimsthorpe, but they only run 1 open a year, the police shoot (which we shot) but we would go and shoot maybe another couple there if we were allowed to shoot in the registered shoots. It gives us the option to have a really good day out if we wish. Not bothered for a classification or the major comps etc, but we do enjoy a tough round in a good location. But we can't justify a second membership for twice a year.
Regards Martin.
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RobertBeard
Moderator
Birds only means you don't pay the entry fee to join in the money prize fund which goes to the High Gun on the day and normally the first 3 places in each class but you pay the normal entry fee to shoot the Comp "Birds Only"
It seems to me, having only just shot my first to be the sensible way to start to shoot registered competitions. When you are inexperienced what is the point of paying to enter the money prize pot which you have little or no chance of getting in the top three places in your class if you have read all the posts about sandbagging in competitions.
The benefit is that you get to shoot the competition targets, your score gets registered at CPSA and you get to see where you came in the competition which is what it is all about. When my average rises to somewhere near competitive I shall then pay the extra to compete for the money prizes although I am not shooting with the view to win any money.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
ehb102
Well-known member
Is "Ladies" a single class or is it just a discriminatory moniker? By that I mean if you are a C class lady gun are you competing against the whole of C class or are you competing against all the other ladies? There don't seem to be enough women competing to make it worth doing a prize for each class of women's entries. I shot birds only because there was no way I was going to score against al the other C class shooters but if I'm competing only against women then I might change my mind simply because there aren't that many to compete against.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
Ladies is a separate class. Not affiliated to A, B, C etc.
ehb102
Well-known member
Will Hewland
Well-known member
If Cheryl Hall is there, feel badly. If not give it a go!
(I know what you actually meant.. Should there really be a class for the 'poor fluffy bunnies'. This was a long topic ages ago. It's a 20 pager if we open this can of girly worms again..)
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P
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Actually you can elect.
You can elect to go in Ladies if there is a class or you can elect to go in your class.......true story :wink:
You can elect to go in Ladies if there is a class or you can elect to go in your class.......true story :wink:
Gene Holmes
Well-known member
Surely if everyone who thought they didn't have a chance at winning anything shot birds only, there wouldn't be a prize fund big enough worth entering for.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
Well pointed out.
Next time I shoot, I will avoid A class and go 'Chaps' category instead.
Sure there have been loads of threads about birds only v competition, my only gripe with birds only is in the majors, if you want to shoot the majors birds only then I think there should be a birds only day to shoot the course. The majors are competitions and not quality target practice and should be treated like competitions, no problem with a birds only day but I see why someone shooting the competition should be squadded with bird only shooters, yes I fully expect a wave of reasons why this is elitist, bigoted and shooting is for everyone, just my take on it...
Gene Holmes
Well-known member
I notice that not all shoots have a separate class for the ladies. Who makes the decision to include this or not. The shooting ground?
ehb102
Well-known member
Thanks,Nicola. That's really helpful information.It makes much more sense.
My equalist principles are competing with my competition nous. But if you're the only person shooting in your class that's going to be a fairly pointless pot to go after! Being the best lady gun in town when there are two others who only go for fun isn't exactly a prize worth working for.
This will be Hall CL will it? Shoots at Southdown a lot. I don't think I shall bump into her at Cambridge so I'm fairly safe.If Cheryl Hall is there, feel badly. If not give it a go!
I am curious as to your reason. Are you think the birds only person is not taking it as seriously as the competition shooter?
Gene Holmes
Well-known member
Mrs H has just started shooting and recently entered her first comp.
She was asked when signing on what class she would like to enter C or Ladies.
She is of the same opinion as me at the moment re classifications. We expect to be somewhere in the lower order so classifications just don't figure at the moment.
However. When she found out only on half a dozen ladies had registered, ladies class it was, as she though she might be in with a chance of something. She nearly was too.
Bad experience, shot the British Open in a squad with 4 bird only shooters, they seemed to treat it like a sunday shoot and were taking the piss all the time, one of them decided half way round he had had enough and promptly left. Like I said I dont mind BO shooters but it is a little unfair on a shooter who has entered the competition (and paid for it!) to then be squadded with shooters who are there for a jolly.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
Lets just be very clear here. There is often confusion about birds only meaning 'just a practice round' whereas BO entries still have scores sent to CPSA, so the event will still be taken as seriously as any other.
The lines become a bit blurred at other shoots. At an open shoot (non registered), BO really means a practice round as scores are not logged anywhere. At a registered shoot, it just means no cash being contested, but scores still go toward your CPSA average. The fact that non CPSA can now shoot reg shoots also (they always did..) means a third category / status, of practice round effectively.
You can see how it can be misinterpreted or mismanaged at the less fastidious grounds. I have seen a shooter given an easy time by a scorer because 'it don't matter you're only BO'. Well his score still went to CPSA.
ehb102
Well-known member
Meh. The organisation of competitive shooting is not a place where I feel the need to tackle sexism head on. So long as people keep their surprise that I am allowed out of the kitchen to themselves, and don't start talking about my prettier friends like they are objects it'll be fine. Objectification usually crumbles when applied to me as I'm not a very good object.
And I think you mean Chelsea Bunnies :girlcrazy:
Will Hewland
Well-known member
In case not crystal clear, the 'poor fluffy bunnies' was a third party comment; or a view of how a lady shooter could feel patronised by being segregated.
Anyway, there are three classes of shooter, Men, Ladies and Cheryl. And I mean that as a massive compliment to her ability.
