Poppers. Some folks love them. Some folks hate them. But if they are not properly maintained and managed, then folks really hate them! Let’s cover some common popper issues that can be easily managed to make poppers more enjoyable for everyone.
At major matches, stages usually have dedicated RO crews who manage the poppers with the goal of minimizing calibration challenges. The poppers are usually well staked and sometimes have larger bases added or have the bay leveled below them to ensure they sit flat. The initial calibration of the popper has been checked by the setup crew and the range master. And during the match, the stage crew watches the popper for indications that it is getting heavy (starts to fall much slower than normal) and also checks the tightness of the adjustment nuts and bolts between squads. The crew also checks the popper for other issues like cracks in the welds or plate or for bent adjustment bolts or anything else that has changed and is affecting the function of the popper. If the RO crew does their job, there are very few calibration challenges on the stage. And as you can see, this is an entire process that involves preparation and maintenance to ensure success. And when I work major matches as RM, the majority of the calibration challenges are for partial edge hits or very low hits which means the popper usually falls when hit with the sub-minor calibration ammo. To learn more about the calibration procedure see this NROI Tips post and video. To buy a box or two of official calibration ammo visit the Killough Shooting Sports website.
Most of the complaints we hear about poppers come from the local level matches. Why? For a whole bunch of reasons! First, what is the quality of the poppers at the range? Are they being maintained and fixed when needed? If the popper pivot points are all rusty and stiff that is not good. Neither is adjustment bolts rusted in place. The club either needs to fix what they have or replace them. Second, is the bay surface where the poppers sit suitable for poppers (level and firm)? During setup are the poppers getting staked down well and the calibration checked before the first squad? Usually, setup crews forget to check the calibration of the poppers.
And the third, and biggest reason for popper problems is no one manages them during the match. At local matches someone on each squad needs to step up and keep an eye on the poppers. It can be one person, it can be a couple, but somebody has to do it. At minimum, check the calibration (knuckle test) when your squad arrives on the stage. If they are heavy, adjust them before you start. And then during the stage, if you notice a popper all of a sudden starting to be slow to fall, take a wrench and check and adjust that popper during reset. Many times at local matches folks don’t want to step up and take on extra responsibility because they want to focus on their shooting. But, at local matches everyone needs to help otherwise you will shoot a match were poorly prepared and maintained poppers may cause a competitor to lose a calibration challenge.
In short, it is EVERYONE’S responsibility to make sure poppers stay in calibration during a local match. Local matches only work if everyone helps. And helping includes maintaining the poppers – during the match and outside the match.