Gatorsmoon

Use a caliper release?? Use no binoculars?? How about we have give all those in HC blindfolds too. If you don' t like HC get out of it. Move on to bigger and better things. I think the rules for this class are fine the way they are. I wouldn' t care if guys like Hopkins or Brooks dropped down and shot it. That would only make me work harder to try and be a better archer.

Grndzer

260,260,260!!!! LOL.

You know I find this all just a big waist of time, Why is this issue not left to the members to decide? There should be a members only section to this website where KEN could ask questions and get answers from the members and what the majority wants done is what should be done.

I have heard Ken mention the BOARD who does the board ask? How does a board of people that the members never talk to know how to make changes that will make the members happy? I just think that if you want to make changes make them to make your members happy and not to make IBO happy.

Better yet you want to have a board OK. every year at random you pick 10 members to serve as the members board, Maybe thats what the state reps do but I have never been ask my opinion on anything. Hell give surveys to the reps and have them report the members feelings on subjects and make changes according to how the members feel.



Ok Rant over....

BigO

I Agree 200%. The shooters within the class know what they want and what changes they can live with.

jaybird33

I am new to this forum but I had to sign up becouse of a lot of rumors about the HC. The one that I here all the time is shooter moving down to the HC and think that it will help them win. It doesn' t seem to make that much of a difference, I am good friends with the individual that won the world shoot this year and this was his first year that he shot any of the national or word shoots. He has never shot in any other class. Some of the other comments that I have seen I do not agree with either is the type of release and the use of binoculars becouse I use a back tension release with a clicker and binoculars to hunt with. I do agree with the separating the class to include a youth and senores HC. The only change in rules that I would agree with is the speed limit. I have a short draw length and can never reach the 300 fps mark. I currently shoot about 280 fps at 5g per pound. That means if I have to shoot against a person that is of the same shooting ability but they are shoot at or above 300 fps, That means that I have to judge my distance much better than they do. That means that the competition is now decided by equipment and not the ability of the shooter. And this sport is a competition and not hunting. What you do in the woods is up to you but in competition the playing field should be as level as possible so that the best archer can be determined and not the best equipment.

Russ Koon

I keep seeing these references to the HC as being designed as an " entry level" class, some sort of halfway house between staying home and shooting the " real classes" . If that was the original intention for the class, then it should probably have been labeled a " Beginner Class" or somesuch. I think the great popularity of the class is largely due to many others who, like myself, enjoy coming out and competing with our HUNTING gear. For a few guys, some of whom were heard from above, hunting gear also means three-foot stabilizers and scopes and 1 3/4" vanes, but for the vast majority of us, hunting gear means pins and short stabilizers and 4" fletching, because we' ve found those to be more practical in the field, and we limit our shots to what WE consider hunting ranges. I competed years ago in IBO, but dropped out because the only way to get serious was to buy a whole different rig, and to shoot at ranges that bore no resemblance to hunting ranges, in MY opinion. Besides the expense, I just didn' t WANT to have to shoot two completely dissimilar rigs and have to always be adapting to the target bow for half the summer, then adapting to the hunting rig for a few weeks before season. Better to shoot one type bow and sights all year, and just change points and go hunting. So, equipment restrictions were what it was all about to me, and to many others, when this class was started. Not experience, as I' ve shot for 40+ years. Not seriousness, as I' d enjoy the class just as much if it was the only one and I had to try to beat Christenberry. Put the best shooters in the class that want to shoot it, and let the best man win! Only a very few are competing with any real expectation of actually winning the class anyway; most of us who shoot do enjoy seeing how we stack up against some top shooters, shooting the same gear at the same range. Where' s the fun in seeing how we stack up against a bunch of beginners and guys who would be shooting some other class if they were any good? Seems like in a BOWHUNTING organization, there should be a place for guys to shoot BOWHUNTING gear, at BOWHUNTING distances, against each other without it being referred to as the " Bunny slope" . Right now we have that place, and it' s VERY popular. Mess with it to try to " fix" it so the " good shooters" will stay away, and you' ll end up fixing it so the great numbers of shooters you' ve pulled in with the class will get tired of being insulted and will go back to their local shooting and away from the IBO. I know I' m not likely to ever collect any of the pot after a major shoot, but if I ever do get lucky and win or place well, I' d want to claim a prize that had some good shooters competing for it, not some " booby prize" that should read " Best of the Not Very Good" on it. I see we' re paying the full entry price now, so we should have the same pot split. If you want to try a " Beginners Only" class, or one for " Guys That Don' t Shoot Very Well" , by all means have at it, but that' s not what you' ve created in the HC. By original intent or not, what you have created is going over very well, and doesn' t need tampered with. For many of us, moving to a 45-yard class with what we consider non-hunting equipment is not " moving up" !

I should add that even though the above might seem like an angry type post, I' m really very happy with what the IBO has done in creating the HC, just would like to see it get the respect it deserves and not be " fixed" or " dumbed down" .

I also like the IBO' s position on supporting hunting and appreciate the money raised for defending bowhunting through the Bowhunter Defense courses. I think the organization is mostly on track and doing very well, just adding my $.02 worth to the conversation.

BobK

Ken, Are you starting to get It ?

jaybird33

I have to agree with Russ Koon, The IBO has done a good job with this class so far. But I would like to see the recognition for the shooters in this class from the IBO. While I was watching the awards ceremony I noticed they did not give a shooter of the year to the hunter class and when I looked at the rules I found out that they don' t recognize this class. It' s not the money but the lack of recognition for the largest class in the IBO. There is as much money or more brought in by this class than any other, but you don' t even recognize a shooter of the year.

bow-legged

At the local shoots I go to their is about 30-50 hunter class shooters. Most of the time their isnt enough people in the mbo,and mbr class to place three trophies. In the hunter class their mite be five people that shoot a score over 300. I think that the hunter class is where the competition is. If the mbo and mbr classes had more shooters and their scores where as close as the hunter class scores I would move up.

pselee

Amen to Russ k.' s comments.

Grndzer

Hey wait a minute, maybe you can run HC like FBH where every one gets a prize!!!

O, wait... Ken Screwed that up too LOL.