Light varmint stocks?
- Thread starter 600-60x
- Start date
The last one I got is just under 21oz without supplied trigger guard
ELR LVR
Silver $$ Contributor
You hungry? thinkin of sammich?
it's Piani
and wow!!! down to 15 oz! Amazing
Ivan Piani Benchrest Stock
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Wow look at the price, I remember when you could get a Scoville for under 1k, and I thought that was expensive a Kelbly stock was I think around $3-400
No wonder this sport is shrinking, it's just getting beyond the average persons reach
A coax rest was under 1k, now almost 3k, a full length press was about $200, now $800
The consumables, barrels and bullets are the bargains, they haven't doubled in price.......yet
But to start in this sport where everyone gets told to buy the most expensive available or they have to have X to be competitive they would need to have about $20k+ to equip themselves
Is it any wonder the Supershoot has shrunk from over 300 competitors to less than 100, once they get the gear, if they can afford it, they can't afford the powder primers bullets and travel expenses
No wonder this sport is shrinking, it's just getting beyond the average persons reach
A coax rest was under 1k, now almost 3k, a full length press was about $200, now $800
The consumables, barrels and bullets are the bargains, they haven't doubled in price.......yet
But to start in this sport where everyone gets told to buy the most expensive available or they have to have X to be competitive they would need to have about $20k+ to equip themselves
Is it any wonder the Supershoot has shrunk from over 300 competitors to less than 100, once they get the gear, if they can afford it, they can't afford the powder primers bullets and travel expenses
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I would be looking for a used McMillan, Scoville, Kelbly's etc... Or you could probably buy a complete rifle for less than the price of the Italian stock!! Too funny! Deals are out there, for pennies on the dollar, but you may have to be patient for a little while. A lot of it is how serious are you about being competitive? If you are dead serious, it will get expensive just for the consumables at today's prices. If you just want to beat up on your buddies at local club matches it is much more affordable. Either way, have fun and keep us posted.
Paul
Ian you are exactly correct
Tim Singleton
Gold $$ Contributor
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
The shooting hobby is subject to supply and demand like everything else. The demend is there for light varmints but no supply. The reality is theres no money in it. The guys like Scoville, Hunter, Leanard where not making a living, it was side money. They sold them way to cheap and no ones rushing in to take over. Thats just my opinion on the matter.
Tim Singleton
Gold $$ Contributor
louis Bevinelli ( i have butchered his last name)
Is making Terry Leonard style stocks he bought his supplies
Someone can probably post his information I imagine they are $2000
Is making Terry Leonard style stocks he bought his supplies
Someone can probably post his information I imagine they are $2000
I believe your correct on pricing, Louis B can be found on Facebook in the bench rest forums.
2K for a stock is rather cheap compared to some of these Fclass stocks with highly figured wood, I've crunched the numbers with a few customers and we've tallied up $3500 all said and done with initial price of stock inlet and bedding and paint/clear.
Bronsin
Silver $$ Contributor
Why would you want a LV rifle in 30BR?
I agree with you Alex, but the Benchrest game is small and the only ones that made a living out of Benchrest were those that expanded out beyond Benchrest.
When you can't expand out beyond Benchrest and are only reliant on the small niche of Benchrest then of course prices have to increase if you want to make a living doing it.
But a lot of people that offered reloading equip, parts etc for Benchrest did it as a side hobby and didn't need to make a living from it which did keep costs down.
There are more people on an average wage than rich people with a lot of discretionary spending and shooting is among a lot of other pass times/hobbies fighting for that discretionary spending.
By making the sport unaffordable for the majority you will reduce the number of participants.
The numbers attending the major Benchrest shoots now is less than 1/2 of what it was not too many years ago
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
I agree 100% that BR is shrinking. I have my opinions of why, I dont think its cost. When I look around me at the boats, homes, trucks, and other toys, BR is one of the only games I can actually afford. And it holds its value. I just sold, I mean gave away a like new bow. I always look at the resale value. BR is hard to beat in that regard. But the fact remains, we cant expect guys to fund our hobby with their good will. If we want LV stocks and if we want them in a reasonable time we have to pay. I dont want to get too off topic but I could have taken over Roy Hunter's stock making business. Roy and I have talked a lot. You cant do it. Think if Kelblys couldnt make money on stocks with employees they pay a decent wage how is a sole proprietor going to do it alone? Just the reality. I would never want to change the rules but the issue is that the LV stock is its too light to run out of laminate or hardwood on cnc like we can with a HV, LR, or F class stock. That would make it affordable. The LV requires such light wood you need a skeleton or shell which means hand labor. My best bud from middle school worked for Scoville and I tried to encourage him to continue that when he left. You cant give that business away it seems.
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And this is why I am bound and determined to compete with old-tech gear. My light varmint stocks, I bought from Lee Six in 1978 (eighty bucks, or two days pay). My triggers are Canjar or Hart. I have to use new barrels, but the bulk of the gear is old or home made stuff. My rest is older than a good percentage of the people I'll compete with. Whether or not I can compete at a high level remains to be seen, but I will enjoy it, nonetheless. WH
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
When I first started shooting Benchrest some 30 years ago, we built LV Rifles with 28+ ounce stocks.
What Happenned?
One is scopes. The most popular scope was the 36x Leupold , which weighed around 15.5 ounces. Todays scopes top 21+ ounces.
Second is the use of tuners. Most will go 5 ounces. That’s 5 ounces you have to get off somewhere.
A glued in Panda Action was pretty darned light as well.
I currently have my favorite LV Rifle in 6PPC built on a Scoville Stock that weighed 21 ounces. It even has a 4.5 ounce tuner, and a Night Force 15x55Competition Scope. The action is a early Farley that I converted to a drop port.
How do I do it. Weight off the barrel. You can easily build a LV barrel at 21 inches by only leaving about 1” of the straight on the chamber end.
One of these days shooters will realize that a heavy barrel does not shoot any better in a Short Range Benchrest Rifle than a barrel that weights less than 70 ounces.
What Happenned?
One is scopes. The most popular scope was the 36x Leupold , which weighed around 15.5 ounces. Todays scopes top 21+ ounces.
Second is the use of tuners. Most will go 5 ounces. That’s 5 ounces you have to get off somewhere.
A glued in Panda Action was pretty darned light as well.
I currently have my favorite LV Rifle in 6PPC built on a Scoville Stock that weighed 21 ounces. It even has a 4.5 ounce tuner, and a Night Force 15x55Competition Scope. The action is a early Farley that I converted to a drop port.
How do I do it. Weight off the barrel. You can easily build a LV barrel at 21 inches by only leaving about 1” of the straight on the chamber end.
One of these days shooters will realize that a heavy barrel does not shoot any better in a Short Range Benchrest Rifle than a barrel that weights less than 70 ounces.
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Terry was selling around 200 or250 a year at 1200.00. To 1300.00 each you do the math that is a living
bichettereds
Silver $$ Contributor
Terry, as in, Leonard? As much hand work that’s involved, I don’t see how that would be possible if it was just him.
Tim Singleton
Gold $$ Contributor
I visited with Terry a couple times when I was starting out doing my own barrels
He and Jerry Sharrett got me going
I have to say I was amazed at how many stocks he had in various stages of completion. Over a hundred I guess. Now was he turning out 4 complete stock a week. I don’t know about that
He and Jerry Sharrett got me going
I have to say I was amazed at how many stocks he had in various stages of completion. Over a hundred I guess. Now was he turning out 4 complete stock a week. I don’t know about that
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