I've been to a few GSSF matches now; so, I thought I would post some helpful hints for folks new to GSSF and planning to attend their first match.
Registration: You can pre-register for the match. This must be done by Wednesday of the week of the match. This will save you some time on the match day, and it will save you a little bit of money as well ($10 registration fee on the day of the match).
Sign up procedures: Once you get to the range, go around and sign up at each station. This way you will be able to pick the the station with the shortest wait time when you get ready to shoot a stage. Basically, you sign up and put your time of arrival. When you come back to shoot the actual stage, they will look at your arrival time to determine your squad placement.
You may also want to take the time to walk around the range to make sure you find all of the stations. At the last match, there was a station tucked away that most of the shooters didn't realize was there. We were able to shoot without waiting at all.
Overall Time: At some matches they don't have enough range officers to break out staff for lunch; so, they shut down a station to let its staff go to lunch. If you are shooting around lunch time be aware of this. I have shot two matches recently where I got caught up in this. At one match it didn't have much impact, but at the other it added a significant amount of time to get through all of the stages.
I have shot a complete match in well under two hours, but I have also had it take all day to shoot a match. Plan to be there ALL day.
Practice stations: At some matches they will have practice stations set up such as an extra plate rack where they charge a dollar or two per run. This is a good way to shake off the cobwebs prior to shooting the actual match.
Stage Order: There isn't a pre-set order in which you must shoot the stages. You may want to evaluate the course of fire and pick a stage where you think you will do well and start there to give yourself a psychological boost. However, you may get to the range and see lesser wait times for the other stages.
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If I can think of anything else, I'll add it. I'd love to hear from other shooters as well. Maybe I'll pick up some helpful hints.
Registration: You can pre-register for the match. This must be done by Wednesday of the week of the match. This will save you some time on the match day, and it will save you a little bit of money as well ($10 registration fee on the day of the match).
Sign up procedures: Once you get to the range, go around and sign up at each station. This way you will be able to pick the the station with the shortest wait time when you get ready to shoot a stage. Basically, you sign up and put your time of arrival. When you come back to shoot the actual stage, they will look at your arrival time to determine your squad placement.
You may also want to take the time to walk around the range to make sure you find all of the stations. At the last match, there was a station tucked away that most of the shooters didn't realize was there. We were able to shoot without waiting at all.
Overall Time: At some matches they don't have enough range officers to break out staff for lunch; so, they shut down a station to let its staff go to lunch. If you are shooting around lunch time be aware of this. I have shot two matches recently where I got caught up in this. At one match it didn't have much impact, but at the other it added a significant amount of time to get through all of the stages.
I have shot a complete match in well under two hours, but I have also had it take all day to shoot a match. Plan to be there ALL day.
Practice stations: At some matches they will have practice stations set up such as an extra plate rack where they charge a dollar or two per run. This is a good way to shake off the cobwebs prior to shooting the actual match.
Stage Order: There isn't a pre-set order in which you must shoot the stages. You may want to evaluate the course of fire and pick a stage where you think you will do well and start there to give yourself a psychological boost. However, you may get to the range and see lesser wait times for the other stages.
--
If I can think of anything else, I'll add it. I'd love to hear from other shooters as well. Maybe I'll pick up some helpful hints.
