Taft Shooter's Challenge 2018 Event Cache

This is the Taft Shooter's Challenge 2018 (TSC 2018)! This will be a challenging, timed Geocaching race where the fastest time wins!

All firearms and ammunition will be provided for your use with your registration fee (will be kept low just to cover ammunition and target costs).

This is a variable start, timed race. You can start the race anytime between 8 AM and 12 PM. The awards event will start around 5 PM and end by 7 PM.

Shooter registration is at the Taft Sportsmen's Club Range and will begin at 7 AM, the first shooting will begin at 8 AM and the race registration ends at 12 PM. You may register and start the race anytime in that four hour window. The actual event will take place at The Bank at 431 North Street in Taft. A no host dinner will start at The Bank at 5 PM and awards will begin at 6 PM.

The event will use a running clock format. Shooters will start at the Range Master Table (RMT) then proceed as a team to their first assigned shooting stage. One participant will shoot the stage and will not receive a stage envelope containing the stage Geocache coordinates until all targets are broken and/or knocked over. The team will then go find the Geocache, sign the log, grab a Geocache ticket, and return to the RMT to be assigned a new shooting stage. This will continue until all stages are complete.

After participants are finished, they are welcomed to Geocache beautiful Taft, CA and the surrounding area. The area is full of quality Geocaches just waiting for you to find.

Dry camping is available at the range. Please contact elrojo14 if you would like to arrange to stay at the range the night before or the night after the match. Hotels and lodging are also available in Taft.

Geocachers do not have to participate in the Taft Shooter's Challenge 2018 nor show up to the range to attend, sign the event log, and participate in the dinner event at The Bank.

• Shooters must compete in teams of one to four participants. No age limit, but failure to safely handle firearms will result in disqualification of the entire team. All shooting will be from a stationary point. Please observe the 180 degree rule and the Four Rules of Gun Safety.
  
  
• All ammunition and rifles will be provided for participant use. Participants will need some sort of GPS receiver or a mobile phone with GPS coordinate finding capabilies and some sort of transportation.
  
  
• Every member of a team must shoot one of the stages. In teams of four, each member will shoot one stage. In teams of two or three shooters, the team may choose who will shoot twice. Single member teams will shoot all four stages.
  
  
• Please observe all traffic laws and Geocache safely.
  
  
• All shooters will start together at the Range Master Table (RMT), check in together after finding a stage Geocache at the RMT, and finish together at the RMT. Team members will not be allowed to work on more than one stage at a time (and actually this won't really be possible anyway).
  
  
• Team time will be kept by a running clock displayed at the range. The safety officer of each stage will determine when a stage is safe to shoot with the start of a competition timer after the comands "shooter ready? Standy by...*beep*". In the case of ties, the team with the fastest overall shooting time as reported by the competition timer wins. If a team cannot start a shooting stage because of another team in front of them, their time will stop. Their time will restart when the stage is clear and the Range Master tells them to leave the RMT for their next stage.
  
  

• Rookie Division - cache difficulty less than 3
  
• Veteran Division - cache difficulty 3 or greater
  

Match registration will take place at the registration table next to the Range Master Table (RMT). You will select a team name, list the names and Geocaching names of your team members, and which class you are in: Rookie or Veteran class. Entry fee is $40 per team. It is highly recommended you review the courses of fire and decide which team member is shooting which stage at this time so you can pre-write in the name of the team member for each stage.

After registering, you will move to the RMT. Once your team is all there, the Range Master (RM) will assign you a shooting stage, write down your time, and you will go to that stage. Competitors are responsible for their time sheets. If a team loses its time sheet, they will be disqualified. Any unauthorized alterations to the time sheets will also result in disqualification.

Once at the stage of fire, you will hand the Safety Officer (SO) your score sheet and inform them of which shooter is shooting the stage. You will be briefed on the procedures for the stage if necessary (there will be stage descriptions posted at the registration table and at various places throughout the range) and be given the range commands "Shooter ready? (You answer yes if ready or no if not) Shooter is ready. Stand by. *beep*" At the start signal the shooter may complete the course of fire.

Some stages may require team spotters (if no spotter is available, we will hopefully have the range staff to accommodate you). Most stages may require reloading the firearm. In the event of a target malfunction it is the SO's discretion to call the target hit and the shooter may skip it. This is most likely to occur with the steel targets. However, be aware that steel targets if improperly hit will make a noise of being hit, but will not fall. Be sure to hit steel targets up high where the maximum amount of force will allow it to fall. Every effort will be made to make sure the targets are calibrated correctly and maintained throughout the match.

When you are sure you have completed the course of fire and the SO confirms you have, the SO will write down your stage time (for individual shooter trophies) and hand you back your score sheet and the Geocaching stage print out.

At that time the team will not need to check out or do anything else other than enter their vehicle(s) and proceed to obey all traffic laws en route to the Geocache. Once a team finds the Geocache, they can either write down the code word or phrase from the Geocache Log and/or take a photo of their team with the Geocache at ground zero (the GPS coordinates). They must put back the Geocache exactly as they found it. Anyone caught hiding a Geocache in a different location or better than they found it will be disqualified (and since the RM will be tracking generally who is on what stage and at what time, this will not be hard to do).

As the team returns to the RMT, they must have all members present to check in and have the code word or phrase and/or show their photograph. When this occurs, the RMT will write down their check in time and their time stops. This will allow the RMT to assess which stage the team needs next and allow any quick breaks or explanations. The RMT will not allow extended time to rest or to study up the next stage. This event is a race and will be treated as such. If the RMT determines a team is stalling for an unfair advantage, the RMT may restart the team once a stage opens up whether the team is ready or not.

Once the team's next shooting position opens, the RMT will write down the release time and tell the team to go to the assigned shooting stage. The teams will repeat this process for the next three stages.

After a team finds all four stages, their time will end when all team members are at the RMT with the final code word or phrase and/or ground zero photograph with the Geocache.

Your final time will be determined by subtracting your start time and any stoppage time from your end time. The fastest time in each class wins. The fastest individual time for each stage will also win a prize.

As more details about the match unfold, we will update this Event Listing. The match will be shot rain or shine! Do you have what it takes to win, let alone finish the Taft Shooter's Challenge 2018?

For previous TSC events, please click the links below: