Interest in long range sporter class?

[Tesoro]

Cold bore consistency will vary with every barrel and/or load tuning recipe. Has nothing to do with the rifle manufacturer. Could grab multiple brand new Sauer 200 rifles off the store shelf and they can all have different cold bore characteristics

Agree but they have it pretty standardized when they guarantee .5 cold or hot with any quality factory ammo and no shift. There is a video where some American Rifleman writers went to the factory and shot 200 rounds in a row of 30 cal thru one rifle and never lost poa or went over .5. Of course Sauer has been making barrels since 1700's.

 

[Tesoro]

I believe that if you want to have a pure hunter class, as posted previously, you limit the equipment to factory made. No aftermarket barrels, stocks or calibers. Just what the everyday person could order from their local gun store. Put whatever optics on top that you want. Factory gun with a rear bunny bag, it’s not complicated. This is about what you are going to sling over your shoulder and take to the woods, not what you paid your local gunsmith to create. It’s about average, everyday hunting people.

You said it.

 

[std7mag]

I'd do it...
Everyone thinks their "deer rifle" will shoot 1/4" all day long.... until they have to shoot 1/4" all day long.
I'd make it,
6.5 caliber or bigger.
Front bipod and rear squeeze bag.
weight limit 10 pounds, maybe 12 pounds but I think 12 is too much.
Limit the scopes too. Maybe 12x or 15x at most.
This should be a true hunting rig.... not something you build to compete in hunting class.

It's a great idea!

6.5 caliber or bigger would knock out the 7 hunting rifles that I have in 25 caliber.

 

[bobinpa]

6.5 caliber or bigger would knock out the 7 hunting rifles that I have in 25 caliber.

.25 caliber.... eeew, yuk! lol

ok, 6mm or bigger

 

[L.Sherm]

I believe that if you want to have a pure hunter class, as posted previously, you limit the equipment to factory made.

Were in Alex's post did he mention "Pure"?
I'm almost 100% certain he doesn't use " factory" barrels and it certainly takes me out of the equation and im pretty sure 100's if not 1000's of people.

 

[std7mag]

Were in Alex's post did he mention "Pure"?
I'm almost 100% certain he doesn't use " factory" barrels and it certainly takes me out of the equation and im pretty sure 100's if not 1000's of people.

The one club I've shot at has a 400 yard "deer" shoot.
For factory class the limit for optics is 10X. Of course most of my optics are 4-12 & 4-16.

I have a few rifles that have "aftermarket" barrels on them. Even though they are sporter profile, because it's not a factory barrel, I'm lumped into the custom class competing against full blown benchrest rifles.

 

[L.Sherm]

Well like I said you start down the " pure" path you will exclude 75% of the people with hunting rifles, I dont think that was the original intent of Alex's thread.
Why put an optic limit on a hunting class anyway I here people all the time all you need is a 10 or 12 power scope to shoot 1,000 yards

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I haven’t hunted with a factory barreled rifle in almost 20 years. Also haven’t hunted with a scope having less than 16x on the top end in the same time frame. Most of my hunting scopes are 20-25x or more on the top. Just put a 7-35x56 scope on my 300 NMI hunting rifle. That’s how we hunt in Montana with some of the longer distances we encounter.

So I don’t think there’s anything “pure” about limiting an optic or barrels on rifles. If you want to feel “pure” about how you hunt, start using a long bow and arrows that you hand crafted yourself from trees in the forest. Other than that, nothing about modern hunting is very pure

 

[L.Sherm]

I get you have to have rules, but the more rules you have the more people you exclude and im pretty certain Alex's intent was to get more people involved in shooting at matches who don't have BR guns.
If I'm wrong Alex correct me dont wanna speak for you but that's what I took out of your thread.

 

[moondog]

I don't hunt anymore, sold em all. All customs that don't really fit in any specific class. Too heavy, to much glass, I guess more tactical if I would label them, but not true pms guns either. A couple ELR rigs that wouldn't work. I'm not building or buying anymore at this juncture in life. I do like to compete though. I'd do it if there was a class that I fit in. 6BRA, or 6.5x47, McMillan A-5, Bipod, squeeze bag, suppresed, bench or prone, I don't care.

 

[Kalitrazescapee]

First I'll say that I have not talked to any organization about adding a class. But Im wondering how many guys would be interested. I have always enjoyed building, tuning, and shooting hunting rifles. Maybe even more so than BR rifles. Its just really rewarding to shoot tiny groups with a hunting rifle thats not designed to do that as its primary goal. I have thought of the rules for over a decade. Id keep it pretty simple. Folding bipod, rear squeeze bag, and a realistic weight limit. Something like 10 or 12 pounds with the bipod. Something you would actually take hunting. I even thought about a minimum cartridge to avoid everyone building 6mms on the BR case. Just a way to get a little more use out of our actual hunting rifles and keeping the rules in a way to avoid full blown BR rigs finding a way in. How many of you guys would shoot something like that?

When I was in Humboldt county,redwood gun club had a match called the George Hale. It was off the bench,10lb rifle,10x scope,at 200yds on a bullseye target with a 2in x ring.. Hunter bench didn't like the Target, but it was for shooters to compete their twerked rifles in fun. They also added a Jerry Beardsley,same rules w .22rf at 200.
The Simpson range, ( now long prairie) had a can clobber the week before Thanksgiving. This was at oil jugs filled w water in a rack at qtr mil with weather up to the man upstairs. Off the bench,five rds, you were allowed a spotter,mob rule on rifle.
A match w Zaney rules in a min cal/ case would be fun, target dependant on range or if held in bad weather would force the use of powder burners.
Round count can be shorter say ten Rd max, and have a varment and .22rf class as well , this could really start things if the new 21 shot against .22lr.
I know I can't do it right now,and maybe never again,but I used to be able to hit a 6 in gong at 450 with a .338 rum.... factory,no break,3-9 Leupold,off bags. That's always a consideration bags, no bald eagle rests etc which puts it all on the shooter.

 

[DE-F-Open]

I know this one will bring a whole host of negative replies, but why not keep it simple?
Why not limit it to the classic 30-06? The idea being to cut down on the "arms race" that you know would eventually develop and avoid most of the things that drive up the cost?

And for the varmint guys, add a second class of rifle in 5.56/.223 for the AR hunters?

Just a thought.

John

 

[std7mag]

I know this one will bring a whole host of negative replies, but why not keep it simple?
Why not limit it to the classic 30-06? The idea being to cut down on the "arms race" that you know would eventually develop and avoid most of the things that drive up the cost?

And for the varmint guys, add a second class of rifle in 5.56/.223 for the AR hunters?

Just a thought.

John

I don't own a 30-06.....

And I won't buy one just to shoot a match.

 

[Will Henry]

Every time I decide to take part in a discussion like this, I find there is always a bit of reminiscing involved. That's because I'm 75 years old and have been participating in various shooting disciplines for 60 years. In general, I never really got involved in anything which was an equipment race or if I did, I didn't tend to spend a lot of money on it.
In the beginning, "F" class called for any rifle, any sight, fired from any rest except a return to battery rest. If you want a hunting rifle class, the rules should call for any rifle of ten pounds or less, to include the scope, and any other accessories attached. To be fired from any rest. If you make it factory only, it takes the opportunity to experiment out of the equation. You eliminate a bunch of potential competitors right away. Eventually, the winning rifle is likely to resemble very much a HBR rifle, but such is life. Of course, right away, you will have some guys who will say, "My 7mm ultra Super long range hunting rifle weighs 13 pounds. What do I do?" Well, I reckon you won't be shooting that one will you, Buckwheat.
Another will point out that the MicroMatic click adjustable bipod and the Nightforce scope on his Kimber Montana, puts it over ten pounds. Oh, well. Take the bipod off and shoot over a sandbag.
I used to attend local turkey shoots. These were always a kind of "Run what you brung" affair. The benchrest was often a picnic table with a sack of sawdust or sand on it, and everyone used the same rest. I always just took a couple of my better hunting rifle unless I knew the competition was going to be a little stiffer. I well recall going to one shoot, in a very remote logging community. Not wanting to scare the competition, I took my Lee Enfield sporter, which was a very good shooter, for what it was. When I got there, guys were just getting set up and the first man to shoot walked up with a Shilen DGA and a fat barrel, in a Brown Precision Hunter stock. Most everyone else had their favorite coyote rifle which varied not much from the first guy. My 1 moa Lee Enfield was in rarified company! I'd have gone home turkeyless, but they held a couple of offhand matches and I was able to fluke one in. The point is, these shoots were held for fun and most everyone stayed within the spirit of the whole thing.
The thing is, if you wish to cater to the modern-day long-range hunter and his 13 pound specialty rifle, that's what you will get. Guys who don't want to spend the big bucks on an outfit like that, won't come. On the other hand, if some restrictions open up another class of competitive shooting, it will create its own interest. WH

 

[JoeDuke]

Every shooting event/ discipline eventually will turn into an equipment race. Its just the nature of the beast. We all want to do the best we can and that means going to the limit of whatever rules are established. Otherwise you are just like the enfield mentioned above. Outclassed.
Now if you just want to shoot for fun, that is ok as well. It just isnt competition.

 

[Albany Mountain]

You said it.

I am requiring this because I can’t give it 100 likes, I only limited to one like!

 

[mrjdasr]

This is a point well taken.

In Benchrest, all aspects of rifle performance are sacrificed for extreme accuracy in a very controlled situation with no consideration for terminal ballistics. This includes unrealistic feeding and ejection in any situation besides sitting at a Bench with the rifle secure.

The real aspects of a good rifle designed for hunting in an uncontrolled situation is good accuracy combined with dependable feeding from a magazine and flawless extraction and ejection.

Any competition set up for hunting rifles should at the very least incorporate these features.

shooter limited to one windflag

 

[Fast14riot]

I could speculate on proposed rules, weights, calibers, etm, but the biggest issue I see is hunters who have only hunting rifles aren't at the range to shoot with buddies or compete 2x a month. If the end goal is to recruit more for our clubs, shooting public, etm, then I think stapling flyers in the range office or on the public 100y range in late summer for a few fall one day matches for hunting guns would be the best bet.

When I first started in long range rifle of any discipline I had to hear about matches from others who shot it and could give me specifics about what guns, course of fire, etm. The fragmented network of ranges, even just within a few hours of me (7 within 2 hours, even more within 3) makes it hard to find a game I'd fit in.