AusVarmint

G"Day All,
I have had a bit of time on my hands lately and have been kickin the tin along havin a think about all things rimfire and I want to put a few ideas out there to see what others think.
Rimfire has progressed very rapidly in the last ten years here in Australia and as a result the equipment ,namely rifles has really come of age,the days of seeing stock standard factory rifles at the peak of the sport is almost at an end, today its all about custom barrels, custom actions,benchrest stocks to suit, these are usually topped with some of the best optics money can buy and triggers that would discharge in a strong wind.
Not to mention the adjustable front rests and rear bags that can and do run into the $1000 plus mark.
We as competitive shooters will basically chase ammo to the end of the earth if we think it will give us an edge over our competitior.
Has this sport really become a $$$ game and have we really out priced the little guy who for reasons unbeknown cannot afford to chase that ammo or practice as much as they would like or the biggie, spend pretty much an 1/8 of their yearly income on a single rifle.??
It seems to be the wealthy and the dead is where we are heading, turn up to a major shoot anywhere and see how many shooters there are under 40 yr old, I bet its no more than around 20% of the field if that.!!
The younger generation are just not interested in spending dollars to be constantly beatin by some of the older generation who have lots of time and usually a healthier bank balance.
Finally I come to a subject that will get some hackles up no doubt.
To be selected to be on an australian team you have to attend the shoots to qualify and if your serious about the sport then you put the time in and attend to hopefully do well and gain a spot in a representative team, thats all good and well if you have the $$$ and the time to attend, geographics of this country prevent alot of people doing that and this leads to a team that is basically picked on the available talent at these shoots at the time, not the best we could have, to represent our country.
Look at the WRABF shoot at the states this year, the americans ran all over our ozzy teams as they have a bigger population, a bigger economy with gear cheaper at their disposal and have more than two shoots in two years to qualify,they get the best of the best, not the ones that had the money or time to turn up.
Theres no real answer to any of this post apart from save ya dollars if ya think ya good enough and get to the shoots.!!
PS-Please dont fry me .!!! LOL
Regards
Native

native hunter wrote:G"Day All,

Has this sport really become a $$$ game and have we really out priced the little guy who for reasons unbeknown cannot afford to chase that ammo or practice as much as they would like or the biggie, spend pretty much an 1/8 of their yearly income on a single rifle.??
It seems to be the wealthy and the dead is where we are heading, turn up to a major shoot anywhere and see how many shooters there are under 40 yr old, I bet its no more than around 20% of the field if that.!!
The younger generation are just not interested in spending dollars to be constantly beatin by some of the older generation who have lots of time and usually a healthier bank balance.
PS-Please dont fry me .!!! LOL
Regards
Native

Yep

when you put it like that,it doesnt sound like theres much fun being had
good $$ rifles arent in everyones budget,but a decent shooter most probably is.
bring back the fun..........

Who's not having fun!

Hi Native.

Nice Vent, just some observations on your post which I mostly agree with.

Gear is expensive, we are getting very close to the cost od CF shooters but I find RF's more fun, maybe I am crazy. With the Au$ being so good at the moment gear is becomming cheaper, but still big dollars, I am lucky I can import and build my own gear, so I will have 2 rifles 4 barrels 3 stocks and 3 scopes (Sporter, 10.5, and heavy classes) and I will be out of pocket by about $7000. I have second hand front rest and rear bag that I got cheap. I have built all my own wind gear for not a great deal.
I don't chase ammo that hard, I requested 5 test lots from the importer (through my dealer) shot them at night and order 5 bricks for a full years shooting. 5 Bricks is the most of have gone through in a year by a long way. Due to cost of travel and ammo I only shoot a select few "Important" matchs a year. I prefer score over group, so I try and shoot all the national score shoots, a few state shoots and a couple lower grade shoots that are selection shoots. I don't shoot local comps any more and only practive in the 3 weeks leading into a match. I have not fired a shot from my RF since November.
If the Eley ever arrives I will test 4 or 5 lots in the tunnel and buy what works, but only enough for the year.
I don't consider myself money wealthy and I am still under 40, but lucky I inherited a lathe and taught myself to use it. However one of my best results was with my dads old Valmet, in 80km/hr winds. The wind is a great leveler.
Team selection - SSAA stuff is very hard to make the team because they fund the first 3 spots usally, and the SSAA crowd are very used to the selection system from CF. I have yet to make a SSAA team and not looking like making one any time soon.
RBA is trying to be fair to more leading into the WRABF in Brisbane 2015, running a selection system exactly like the USA team did, so not certain of what more could be done to please you. Yes the USA team worked us over, but I came home with a Gold (as part of a team) and Clinton bought home a Bronze. For the record the Aussie team was selected from 3 shoots over 3 years, in 2 states. But it ended up being those that could afford to travel that went.

The RF shooters are great people I look forward to every major shoot to catch up up with my shooting buddies.

Brett

Native,
When an international match is on at home everyone wants to be on the team and it’s always hard to make that team. But as for the teams that went to the world championships in Italy and the US, every shooter who shot 2 qualifying matches and who wanted to go went to those world championships and I know that for a fact because I ran all the qualifying.

Bottom-line, if someone really wants to be on an Australian shooting team they will find a way, those who think its something they might like to do somehow always seem to find a way of talking themselves out of it. If you are really interested, France in 2014 is a team you could make, as with all teams going overseas you’ll find a lot of the top qualifiers won’t go so just keep showing up at IRB nationals and you’re in with a chance.

Like Brett I don’t shoot a lot of matches in fact the last 8 years all I’ve done is set myself one match each year that I want to do well in and the others matches are just practice or social days and the matches I’ve concentrate on are almost always a qualifying match for a team.

Peter

Hi Native,

I agree with your post in most areas regarding benchrest. IMHO, it is certainly a discipline for the best equipment.

I would suggest that some of the other (non benchrest) disciplines are less effected by the "top dollar equipment" advantage.
Rimfire metallic silhouette is a prime example where I have seen non custom rifles perform really well at SSAA state title level. Hunter class is also quite competitive with less expensive rifles.
I have also seen relatively inexpensive rifles (< $2500 ?) do well at the SSAA National for Field rifle.

So if you want a rimfire match where you can compete without a $5000 rifle, I would strongly recomend wetallic silhouette. i'm sure you could kit up a very competitive rifle for less than $2000.

Just my 2c worth..............

Oh, and +1 for Loneriders comment......

regards, curan

Curan,I need a rest.!!

Having represented Australia numerous times in centrefire benchrest, I will just chuck in a few thoughts here.

The object of ANY team selection, is to finish up with the very best team emebers from the AVAILABLE people competing.
Let me explain.

Team selection for the World Centrefire Benchrest Championship team (maximum of 12 shooters in three teams), is determined by SSAA to be taken from the results of the two preceeding National Championships in Light and Heavy classes - that's four events in all, and eight aggregates. You may drop your worst aggregate, therefore you have seven of your best.

OK....when the dust has settled, you have 12 people who are then asked if they wish to be on the team. There will always be some who will decline for reasons such as the expense of o/seas travel, etc etc. Selection is then offered to the next person in line down through positions 13, 14, 15, etc etc until a team of 12 is established. There is a cut off at a certain finishing position.

SSAA will partially fund the first team only....that has always been National policy.

So, it is unfortunately true that to get to the top you have to have very qood equipment (and be able to use it, and read weather conditions), and be able to travel to Nationals to qualify. Yes there is considerable expense involved in all this. This is true of all sports.

In rimfire, you can have a very good rifle built and fitted with an appropriate scope, and then get maybe a few years out of your barrel depending upon usage. In centrefire, to remain at the top you need a good rifle and a new barrel around every 1000 rounds (sometimes less) or so. A new barrel chambered up and ready to go is around $800 give or take.

So, what I am trying to say is......yes it is expensive, and yes the people with the fatter wallets do have an advantage...AS LONG AS THEY HAVE ABILITY.
A top shooter with average gear will beat someone with the best equipment that tries to 'buy groups' ....and there have been plenty of the latter over the years.

Lastly, never lose sight of the fun element in shooting. OK, you might not make the National team, but if you are not having fun then why do it?

Enjoy your shooting, and even if you lose the match, don't lose the lesson.


Cheers

Brendan Atkinson #13

G"day All,
Seems to me that some people seem to thimk im all uptight over what I have stated and that is not the fact.
I just made some observations and told it how I see it, im in no way disgruntled let me tell you all.!!!
Good luck to those that make teams and can travel and if Im good enough one day I may have the opportunity to make a team.
Im just happy pullin the trigger and learning every shoot I go too.
Regards
Native

native hunter wrote: Curan,I need a rest.!!

Yeah, I know what you mean, I feel a bit that way too..........

......these long days are a bitch, huh.....



cheers, curan