When I was down in MD last July for a 2 day state match 2 guy's had them. I was lucky because I shared a bench with one of the 2 guy's that were using them. I said to myself, this is Pissah as we say in Massachusetts. When I headed back to Maine I stopped by my parents in Mass, went down the road to Home Depot and bought one. I have about 4 brand new carbon fiber mirage shields that I bought off of Mark Nagel sitting in a box collecting dust.Wow now that's a concept, remove the Mirage instead of dealing with it. Never thought that far out of the box I reckon lol
Never ran out of juice in a match. Have back-up if I did. Plus the fan works better than any mirage shield.Never seen a mirage shield yet with a flat battery.
I wish I was. I spend money like water on this stuff. I have enough crap at my house for 3 lifetimes worth of benchrest shooting.I'm kind of a minimalist when it comes to stuff on the bench.
I'm not married and I don't have any kids. I told my aunt who lived next door to me growing up when I was 12 that I wanted nothing to do with marriage. So that's why I can afford all this crap that I have. If I had kids and a wife I know that I would have limited toys and I like my toys. Speaking of front rests congratulations on the shadetree joystick top. I've been doing this benchrest thing since 2013 and already I have bought 12 front rests. I have 4 left. This thing is a sickness with me. It was like when I was into handguns. I had 106 at one time, now I'm down to 2.Lol I just upgraded to a shadetree joystick top and a decent rear bag new trigger and wind flags all at once. Idk how much more my marriage can take at the moment lol hopefully I can be content for a while![]()
Lol I went through the hand gun phase too not quite 106 thoughI'm not married and I don't have any kids. I told my aunt who lived next door to me growing up when I was 12 that I wanted nothing to do with marriage. So that's why I can afford all this crap that I have. If I had kids and a wife I know that I would have limited toys and I like my toys. Speaking of front rests congratulations on the shadetree joystick top. I've been doing this benchrest thing since 2013 and already I have bought 12 front rests. I have 4 left. This thing is a sickness with me. It was like when I was into handguns. I had 106 at one time, now I'm down to 2.
And the theory/proof of that is? Benchrest originated with the concept of competing with varmint rifles that were simply modified to improve accuracy. I shot Hunter Class and was sorry to see Custom actions made legal for that class.....it forced shooters to spend as much $ as that in the VFS class and that's were new shooters went/ all but killing the class. Call me old school but I believe we are taking the sport in the wrong direction. I don't see this falling into the #1 objective of the IBS: as "The development and encouragement of uniform competion to achieve exteme accuracy in firearms, ammunition, equipment, and shooting methods." What's next ... individual fans or A/C to keep the shooter comfortable? Use a wide enough mirage shield and you fix the problem.......don't have one?.....use a piece of target paper and tape.....simple easy....and you don't have to use a 24' reloading trailer stocked full of gizmos to go to matches, or hold up the line while setting up "extra shooting aids".Plus the fan works better than any mirage shield.
And the theory/proof of that is? Benchrest originated with the concept of competing with varmint rifles that were simply modified to improve accuracy. I shot Hunter Class and was sorry to see Custom actions made legal for that class.....it forced shooters to spend as much $ as that in the VFS class and that's were new shooters went/ all but killing the class. Call me old school but I believe we are taking the sport in the wrong direction. I don't see this falling into the #1 objective of the IBS: as "The development and encouragement of uniform competion to achieve exteme accuracy in firearms, ammunition, equipment, and shooting methods." What's next ... individual fans or A/C to keep the shooter comfortable? Use a wide enough mirage shield and you fix the problem.......don't have one?.....use a piece of target paper and tape.....simple easy....and you don't have to use a 24' reloading trailer stocked full of gizmos to go to matches, or hold up the line while setting up "extra shooting aids".
I know what your saying Mr. Smith about spending all this money on the latest and greatest equipment. I compare it to the Pro classes of drag racing in the 60's & 70's vs todays stuff. I was lucky enough to be a crewmember on a funny car team in the mid 70's. I feel sorry for the fans of today. Back then there were 32 funny car meets 2 or three times a year at New England Dragway and 8 car shows every Wednesday night. Same on the West coast. There were a bunch of independent guy's with very little sponsorship all over the country. Not the 7 tractor trailer show like John Force and the Schumacher's have today. There were some big name guy's who we race against that had big sponsor's like Don Prudomme, McEwen, Bernstein, ect., but for the most part most of the guy's were on a shoe string budget. Force was a joke back then. people use to come to watch him blow up because until he hired Austin Coil he wasn't much different from the guy I worked for. Today it's all about money, and big sponsorships. Like I said, I feel sorry for the fans of today that they didn't get to experience what went on in the 60's & 70's. That was real drag racing, not the crap that they have now. I'm just talking about the pro categories, not the door slammers. I'm sure benchrest was a lot different just 15 years ago than it is today. Probably a lot better back then, not equipment wise but a different attitude back then from where it is today. I hate to say this but unless there is a surge in participation, I don't see a positive future for the IBS. Just look at the 6 power class. How much future is there in that in the IBS? It's almost non existent in the southern states. I think we have more 6 power shooters in Maine than any other state on the east coast. Even the VFS class. Look 5 years ago on the total number of score shooters there were vs 2015. One positive note, the 600 & 1000 yard classes seem to have more and more shooters every year vs the short range classes.And the theory/proof of that is? Benchrest originated with the concept of competing with varmint rifles that were simply modified to improve accuracy. I shot Hunter Class and was sorry to see Custom actions made legal for that class.....it forced shooters to spend as much $ as that in the VFS class and that's were new shooters went/ all but killing the class. Call me old school but I believe we are taking the sport in the wrong direction. I don't see this falling into the #1 objective of the IBS: as "The development and encouragement of uniform competion to achieve exteme accuracy in firearms, ammunition, equipment, and shooting methods." What's next ... individual fans or A/C to keep the shooter comfortable? Use a wide enough mirage shield and you fix the problem.......don't have one?.....use a piece of target paper and tape.....simple easy....and you don't have to use a 24' reloading trailer stocked full of gizmos to go to matches, or hold up the line while setting up "extra shooting aids".
That period was a great time for BR. Unfortunately a lot of the oldtimers that made it fun have passed. I was introduced to BR around 1975 when Bruno, O'Cock and Rubright used the same range for practice .....only i was interested in developing varmint loads for 700 Varmint specials because back then the area was still rural with lots of places to shoot. If only I jumped in with both feet back in the day, I would have had the chance to shoot with more of the legends that made the sport so great.I'm sure benchrest was a lot different just 15 years ago than it is today. Probably a lot better back then, not equipment wise but a different attitude back then from where it is today.
Was going to buy a production Mirage shield but didn't want to pay shipping on a 5 dollar part so I went out to the shop and came back with a lightweight aluminum shield. Hopefully it works