ATA Bring Back Industrial Representive Competition

I can remember when there were squads of Industry Representatives at the big shoots.
It was cool to see a squad of red shirts representing Winchester or a squad of green representing Remington.

It showed pride in the products and showed class on the line..

 

Companies don't employ shooters that way anymore, haven't for a long time. Those guys were full time traveling salesman and showman, drawing their weekly paycheck from that company. Companies now sponsor individual shooters, but it is EXCEPTIONALLY rare that they are actual on the books employees, most of them are getting some free ammo, some shoots paid for here and there, and maybe referral $ if they steer a gun sale toward a particular mfg or dealer. You'd have a difficult time fielding a squad of sponsored shooters using all the same gun brand or all the same ammo brand at any but the largest handful of shoots in the country, and it would be literally impossible if it were actual full time employees.

 

1978, Fayette Gun Club, Uniontown PA.
Remington decided that a young college grad with a degree in “marketing” would be a better way to push their product. We had to show him the difference between a straight Trap stock and a Monte Carlo stock.

 

The factory reps would rush out to shake the hands of people in the shoot-offs.

 

When the boys from Federal saw their papers flying out of my TM1 at the pre-lim shoot offs
As soon as it was over they were the first one to shake my hand.
They put the event, your name, place, and score on that A frame board in front of the Fed building.
They took your address and a few weeks later you got a Federal “hanger” pin with the event and place on it. That and a metal target with the event, score and place engraved on it with a small wooden stand.
THAT was when the companies really cared if you used their ammo.

 

I don't know for sure about Federal, but both Remington, and Winchester would send you a nice embroidered patch after the Grand if you won an event or a class during the Grand. This continued until probably in the 1990's. Not sure exactly when this stopped. Old Grand pictures from the great years would often show the benches behind the shootoff traps filled with Industry Reps watching and waiting to congratulate the winners. The Good old days.

Dave Berlet