Too many stress on the necessity to have "the best"! Get a rest in your budget. Use it now, and find somewhere to shoot F-Class as soon as you can. Take it to the F-Class matches and use it there. You don't have to buy a SEB to learn the game. When you decide the rest is holding you back, then you can figure out how to upgrade. I started shooting in F Open this year and I am shooting off a Harris bipod. Everyone else is shooting off a high end rest. Am I at a disadvantage? Maybe, but right now I am only trying to improve my score from match to match. Since you will be just starting in competition as well I believe that is the best strategy. Still, I finish in the middle of the pack. I plan to have a rest for next season, but I have a lot of irons in the fire right now so if I don't get one I will continue to shoot off the bipod. The "Buy once, cry once" mantra is for those who either have the necessary discretionary income or who don't have to balance their hobby expenses with family needs. I see nothing wrong with buying within your budget now and saving for an upgrade for later if you decide it is necessary.
As an aside, where I shoot we have a sea breeze first thing in the morning that changes to a land breeze later in the day. There will be times during a match when you will see wind flags flying in 4 different directions. I have been told by the match director that there are some good shooters in the area that will not come to this match because of the difficult winds. I know that monitoring the changing wind is my major issue, so just how much is the bipod holding me back compared to the rests used by the others?
And finally, fwiw, shooting and competition is supposed to be fun! Just go have fun with whatever equipment you have. When your scores stop improving then it may be time for better equipment. By this time, you will have a better idea of what you want in your equipment. Equipment can be bought but skills have to be learned. Until your skill level is such that your scores are substantially better shooting off an $850+ rest than a $200 rest then the expensive rest is just bling.
As an aside, where I shoot we have a sea breeze first thing in the morning that changes to a land breeze later in the day. There will be times during a match when you will see wind flags flying in 4 different directions. I have been told by the match director that there are some good shooters in the area that will not come to this match because of the difficult winds. I know that monitoring the changing wind is my major issue, so just how much is the bipod holding me back compared to the rests used by the others?
And finally, fwiw, shooting and competition is supposed to be fun! Just go have fun with whatever equipment you have. When your scores stop improving then it may be time for better equipment. By this time, you will have a better idea of what you want in your equipment. Equipment can be bought but skills have to be learned. Until your skill level is such that your scores are substantially better shooting off an $850+ rest than a $200 rest then the expensive rest is just bling.
