It's easy for me to sit here 6000 miles away and critique, so I guess I will...
One of the goals when we first started was to have some more challenging COFs, to improve our skills. I agree, the bowling pins may be rather like that damned squirrel at a national-level shoot a few years back, and more of a hindrance than a help, but you have to have a challenge to be able to make these things interesting and skill-building.
BTW: After everyone missed the damned squirrel, and I mean EVERYONE from Rob Leatham to Jerry Miculek, because you had to carry a bucket and shoot him one-handed, they put the little plastic bastard on top of a post in front of the firing line, gave him a blindfold and a last cig, then had everyone line up at once and volley fire his little furry-tailed ass to oblivion. This was gratifying to all.
I guess it's kind of like Boot Camp: They give you an impossible task to see how you deal with stress and defeat. You can't win ALL the time!
All I can tell you is, I WISH I WAS THERE!!!!
My contract is almost up, but I'll be taking a job in SE Asia with an old friend, next.
Keep up the good work, as I can't tell you how proud I am that MODCC and these shoots have taken off.