Congrats on some good ideas!
I wish you all the luck.
For those that do not know me, here is my website:
www.ctcustomairguns.com
There's more than 13 years of info in that Blog. I've been shooting FT for over 26 years. Have been MD of several places and managed 2 GP's that got two different clubs cooperating to do what they, on their own, would have been unable. Those GP's have been two of the ONLY three GP's that have attracted foreign competitors in the history of US FT. Hope that is presentation enough for this thread.
Not trying to burst your bubble, just trying to "ground" the expectations.
Strings are a headache, yes, ALL MD's will tell you that.
A GOOD part of the problem is solved using the proper string and the proper winders. But there are still things that are "acts of good". Just last weekend at the Sherwood Forest GP in Ohio, one of the BEST RUN GP's in the US, we still had some cold lines at the start of both matches simply because deer walk the forest and take the strings with them in their hooves/legs.
In other cases, I have seen strings chewed overnight by other types of critters.
So, yes, strings are a headache.
BUT:
1.- Sometimes it is your ONLY wind-reading tool
2.- They allow time for the spotter to stop "shooting the breeze" with the guys next door and actually scoring your shot. In some instances, I have adopted the policy of calling "Coming up" when resetting the target, just to make sure the spotter/scorer is aware.
IF the scorer had the control, it could present the problem of an "accidental resetting" (or prank), if the shooter has the control, then it would be even more important to call "Coming up" to make the scorer aware.
3.- In fields where the targets are NOT aligned to the lane (criss-crossed strings), strings still allow you to define WHICH of the 7 targets in view is the one you should be shooting. Eliminating the string would FORCE the MD's to NUMBER the targets, or set all the targets within the lane's visual straight line, thereby preventing the challenge to shift positions between shots.
4.- The MOST important fact: Strings, even with the winders included, are inexpensive.
From Kite winders to Inexpensive Fishing poles, you can solve the problem with $10-$30 per target.
I do not doubt the idea has merit, especially for EFT/LRFT/HPFT where the distances involved make the string headache just a bit bigger (not too much, mind you). I can also see an application in places where the strings themselves are a hazard. (Extreme locations for matches or targets), but that is not something that happens in 90% of the cases.
For "AAFTA/WFTF" FT, I see a cost problem.
One more comment that is the result of several Intellectual Property fights:
Your Patent or Copyright is ONLY AS GOOD as the WAR CHEST you have to defend it.
Sad truth is that neither Patents nor Copyrights really protect you (the inventor/author).
Think of a Patent / Copyright as those signs in schools that say:
"This is a drug and weapons free zone"
;-)
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
