The ATA Executive Committee is proud to unveil the “Big 50 Program”. This has been instituted to encourage participation by league and casual shooters in registered shooting.
The program essentially waives ATA daily fees for the “Big 50 Programs”. The program is available on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday only. Three 50 target programs (singles, doubles and handicap) with no more than three 50 target events per day and no more than one of any one discipline may be registered. A copy of program rules/policy is attached for your review and information.
The ATA encourages your State or Province to similarly waive State daily fees for clubs participating in the “Big 50 Program”. The Executive Committee fully realizes that neither the State Secretary nor Association President may have the singular authority to waive State/Provincial Association daily fees but do encourage you to circulate and amend current rules and/or policy to waive daily fees for the “Big 50 Program”. We further encourage you to promote this with clubs in your State particularly those clubs that may not be regular or active participants in ATA shooting.
Please feel free to contact the ATA office if you have any questions or desire further information. All of us here at the ATA are hopeful that this program will be a long-term benefit to clubs, State Associations and the ATA.
ATA Big 50 Program
How do we get new and casual shooters involved in registered trapshooting?
Thousands of recreational shooters participate in leagues every year, but we have been singularly unsuccessful in moving many of them into the registered game.
We suggest that a large part of the problem is we tend to scare new shooters off with the length of our shoots (and expense). Over the years programs have gotten longer and longer with 200 bird races the rule rather than the exception. Few clubs throw fewer than 500 to 600 targets in a weekend shoot. By the time you add the cost of shells to entry shooters are paying $250 + to shoot a registered shoot. It’s no wonder a new shooter gets scared off.
Clubs typically have practice and leagues in the evening during the off months. The ATA Big 50 program is designed to build on this. By offering lower cost entry compared to weekend registered shoots and 50 target races we might just be able to attract some of those thousands of league shooters while giving our current membership another method to register scores. They could shoot targets, which would be registered instead of just non-registered practice.
Participating in the program is very simple per details below. The normal procedure for obtaining pre approval for the registered date(s) through your State/Provincial Association must be followed. It is also strongly suggested that you contact your State/Provincial Association Secretary to determine whether their daily fees are being waived.
The only separate notice required to the ATA is to simply write the words “Big 50” on or near the Gun Club line on your shoot financial report.
All other ATA rules apply except you may squad registered and non-registered shooters as is currently allowable for ATA Registered League shoots.
PROGRAM:
- Clubs will throw 50 target programs (singles, doubles or handicap) on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday only.
- No more than three fifty target events per day, no more than one of any one discipline
- ATA daily fees are only $1.00
- Targets will be ATA registered
- Non-ATA members must join ATA first to get their targets registered