ihmsa forums

Open Letter to All Match Directors

I write today addressing the recent rule change allowing the inappropriate and unnecessary addition of the .300 whisper/.300 ACC blackout to be allowed in Field Pistol. I will try to explain my reasons for opposition to this unnecessary and dangerous rule.

1. I had heard and seen nothing on this until mentioned after the delegates meeting.

2. If it was a rule to be considered, why wasn’t it published prior to the meeting?

3. The specific question was asked on this forum, “have there been any rule changes submitted or are any under consideration” There was no response from any officer or director.

4. A partial explanation given by a member who was at the meeting suggests that the discussion occurred because of some of the other countries involved in shooting IHMSA silhouettes. It appears some of the foreign entities have difficulties obtaining and importing the calibers they desire. A quick search of the available International scores show the Australians shooting .22 hornets. They must be able to obtain .22 hornets and they are shooting .22 hornets. That is the ideal cartridge for FP. And is far and away the most commonly used.

5. If it isn’t broken why fix it?

6. The .300 whisper/blackout is the optimum cartridge for BB standing. That alone should tell you that it is inappropriate for FP.

7. Argue all day about reduced loads and subsonic loads and I will argue that a 7 TCU can be loaded to reduced loads and subsonic. I wager there are more contender barrels in 7TCU floating around than there are .300 whisper.

8. The very fact that the .300 ACC blackout is so popular is the very reason it is dangerous for FP. Cabela’s currently carries 16 different Blackout loadings. Only one is subsonic. Midway carries 46 different ones. Several are subsonic but almost all subsonic loads are 190-220 grain bullets. Even going slow its going to damage chickens maybe pigs. Yes, I know I can load a 200-grain bullet in my 32-20 or 30 carbine but why add one more variable to an already crowded equation?

9. The allure of the blackout is its versatility availability but that is unneeded in our FP game. I can name you 20 different cartridges to play with if that’s what excites you. But .22 hornet is ideal. I asked Jim Rock to make me a .270 Ren barrel once. He said “Why? The hornet is a better choice.”

10. Stated on the forum already; once a target is damaged its too late. You create work for match director, animosity between shooter and match director, and increase the likely hood of shrapnel ricochet if the damaged target isn’t immediately replaced.

11. I urge every match director who agrees with me to take the steps I have and post a notice on the forum that you will not allow .300 whisper/.300 ACC blackout at your FP matches. In addition, I will post a notice at my match sign-in stating the same
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12. In conclusion, I find the dropping of these rule changes at the delegates meetings to be distasteful at best, and insulting to the rest of the membership at worst. I liken this to the production gun reflex/red dot rule from the 2017 World Championships. I discovered very, very few members who were actually in favor of it. We now have a situation where 11 members can change the rules if they desire. If the quorum is 20 that is reality.

Jim Kesser

I beg your pardon Jim, the question was ask and I responded. Yes the rule was brought up for consideration from our Aussie members who have different rules in Australia for shooting competition. It was talked and discussed in the board meeting and was passed as a trial for 1 yr. If the MD feels it will do damage then he has the right to bar it from the range, but also we need to hear from the match directors if there is target damage so it could be turned down. All this has already been brought up in previous posts, and if one were to go back and read them they will see it has all been brought out, but thank you for coming in the forum for discussion.

Deleted.

I would like to claim the rules book is 100% inclusive and covers all calibers and all things IHMSA, but it is not.

The 30 Carbine has been accepted for years in competition as has been the 9mm. Many ranges, including Riley Conservation Club, do not allow 300 Blackout in FP because our targets are from the '90's and a bit soft and target damage from the 300 is probable. Admittedly, the Hornet can be loaded to levels that damage targets, but shooters usually refrain from that lest they be barred from the match.

None of the semi-auto cases are technically straight walled but have always been accepted as legal. If you asked 1000 shooters if .32 acp, .380, 9mm makarov, 9mm para., .40 S&W, 10mm, .45acp were straight walled; 999 of them would tell you that they are straight walled.

Most of these look straight because there is only a few hundredth ( or 1 hundredth) difference between top and bottom. If it looks straight, i consider it straight and assume it is legal. I allow all those calibers and cartridges to shoot legal sanctioned Field Pistol at my matches.

It is my understanding that the .300 blackout, .300 ACC, .300 whisper was a 1 year trial rule and I never saw that it had been made a permanent rule change. I assumed since it was not included in the rule book, that it was not made a permanent rule. I was under the impression the trial period had ended and that was the end of it.

Jim Kesser