Lapua SETS 4 NEW WORLD RECORDS!

[65joe]

65joe,

I understand your feelings but you haven't been privy to the whole picture. Bill hasn't built guns for anybody for years.

Nearly all the guns he built that are still being shot in competition have been modified since he last saw them. Shooters have maintained them and kept them competitive.

What todays Calfee rifle represents is the formula Bill developed to set the standard for all RFBR rifles to come. He did this with his sporters, and his heavy guns. Some respect that, some don't. But it is a fact.

To put this in perspective think of it this way. Today you can buy an original Shelby Cobra, or a kit car that has the same look and performance.

But you (or anybody else) cannot buy a new Calfee spec rifle!

TKH

Thanks for the reply Tony, I understand that, just comes off as selfish or arrogant to me.
With what He has done in the rimfire world maybe He is allowed, I just don't agree with the statement.
And Congratulations Sir
That's all Folks!

 

[ebb]

Hi NV shooter not at all! calfee has consistently produced winning rifles, and he has many times made claims he has it all figured out and he is so smart he will share it with the rest of us. Then never does. I might have respect for him if he said I have it figured out and I worked my ass out to learn it, it is a trade secret and you can figure it out on your own. But he needs drama, and when it doesn't get it his way he pouts.

 

[linekin]

65joe,


Nearly all the guns he built that are still being shot in competition have been modified since he last saw them. Shooters have maintained them and kept them competitive.

What todays Calfee rifle represents is the formula Bill developed to set the standard for all RFBR rifles to come. He did this with his sporters, and his heavy guns. Some respect that, some don't. But it is a fact.

TKH

Tony, like or dislike the man, nobody can argue the success his rifles have had. It helps he's had very dedicated shooters using them.
Which rifle were you shooting & how have you "maintained" it? Or another way to ask, what has been changed since its left his shop? If you don't mind me asking.
Keith

 

[rkittine]

How do Gordon Eck rifles compare?

Bob

 

[Tony K Harper]

65joe,

No one can have a rifle built by Calfee he is retired and has been for years. He is setting back and stoking this up for amusement. y matter if he is the best builder or not he

Tony, like or dislike the man, nobody can argue the success his rifles have had. It helps he's had very dedicated shooters using them.
Which rifle were you shooting & how have you "maintained" it? Or another way to ask, what has been changed since its left his shop? If you don't mind me asking.
Keith

Keith,

I actually shot two rifles during the match. One of which I built (targets 2 & 3), the other rifle had a barrel I bought from Bill.

Bill threaded and chambered the barrel. However, Bill has never seen the action it is now on, saw the stock it is in, saw the trigger I used.

So is it a Calfee?

In my opinion, yes?

In all honesty all the rifles I 've built are Calfee's. They may never have had his touch, but everything about them is just the way I learned it from Bill. I certainly don't have his touch, but I copy just like nearly everyone else.

It can sometimes be painful picking the pearls out of his writings but he has told nearly everything you need to know about making a rimfire shoot.

If you read him to understand, and not to refute, you can learn to build a pretty good rifle.

Everyone has ripped off Bill's ideas and techniques, including me, but I unlike others, have never tried to claim his work as my own.

TKH

 

[65joe]

65joe,

No one can have a rifle built by Calfee he is retired and has been for years. He is setting back and stoking this up for amusement. y matter if he is the best builder or not he

Tony, I appreciate all your efforts helping shooters the way you do, my only qualm was the statement.
I understand BC will probably never build anymore rifles.
If you have a new shooter considering that type of investment and they see that type of statement from someone of BC's caliber wouldn't sell a rifle to a Joe-Smo, what would they think of other builders that would take on the project (I don't have to everything to make this the best rifle ever because they will never know it's potential anyway). I know most repeatable rimfire gunsmiths would not do that but, someone new might not know that. That's the only reason I questioned that statement as detrimental to the sport. (not to shooters that shoot Calfee rifles, but to other gunsmiths) I don't know BC personally maybe that's the problem, I have only read some of his article's.
Who would you recommend, if you didn't build your own rifles?
Thanks

 

[Tony K Harper]

Richard Gorham, John Langley, and Tom Wilkenson come to mind. But there are many others.

I would recommend a new shooter to buy used.

Find one for sale, shouldn't be hard, and shoot it. Even if you have to travel to shoot it.

Just because you build new does not guarantee you will get a shooter.

If you test it before you buy you know what you are getting. Far cheaper in the end.

TKH

 

[VLNBYR]

Thanks Tony...The New/Used thing reminds me of a famous letter written by Antonio Stradivarius bitching about how hard it was to sell his new violins because all the players preferred the older Stainers and Amati's.

 

[65joe]

I would recommend a new shooter to buy used.

Find one for sale, shouldn't be hard, and shoot it. Even if you have to travel to shoot it.

Just because you build new does not guarantee you will get a shooter.

If you test it before you buy you know what you are getting. Far cheaper in the end.

TKH

Great advise.
Thank you.

 

[6xcshooter]

Your statement is IMO a little insulting to the shooters who did use Calfee rifles to set these new records. they had 99% to do with shooting those records, the rifles were 1% took the best skill to do it, lets not forget that.

Lee

Not sure i can agree with the 99%to 1 % ratio. Pretty sure the rifles had more to do with it than 1%

 

[VLNBYR]

When everybody has 98% that 1% gets pretty big.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Not sure i can agree with the 99%to 1 % ratio. Pretty sure the rifles had more to do with it than 1%

Trust me, at the level these records were shot at. equipment was not the factor. put another way, equipment was probably near equal, so the main factor was the shooters.

Lee

 

[6xcshooter]

Trust me, at the level these records were shot at. equipment was not the factor. put another way, equipment was probably near equal, so the main factor was the shooters.

Lee

Got to have a rifle capable of shooting exceptionally well.
Won’t be setting records with a savage or a marlin or a winchester

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Got to have a rifle capable of shooting exceptionally well.

I don't disagree with that, but at this level and the group of shooters, equipment was not a factor.
and that was my intent of the statement. 99%, you can have the best shooting rifle, but if you can't point it another shooter with a lesser rifle, but with the skills will beat you.
that is why you got to love RFBR, you can't buy the win, you need the skills.

Lee

 

[Tony K Harper]

I don't disagree with that, but at this level and the group of shooters, equipment was not a factor.
and that was my intent of the statement. 99%, you can have the best shooting rifle, but if you can't point it another shooter with a lesser rifle, but with the skills will beat you.
that is why you got to love RFBR, you can't buy the win, you need the skills.

Lee

Lee,
You are right. There was a time you could out equip guys at certain ranges but those days are over in RFBR. Show up at a big match you have to have the gun, the ammo, the skill, and lot of luck to win! That is what makes it interesting.
TKH

 

[linekin]

Tony, I'll disagree that the rifles you've built are Calfee guns. Only because I feel your not giving yourself the credit that you deserve. Those are TKH guns.
I understand you've done them as your mentor would've, but they were done by your hands. Great job! It is a huge accomplishment & I feel you can own it. Deservedly so.
Again, congratulations!
Keith

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Lee,
You are right. There was a time you could out equip guys at certain ranges but those days are over in RFBR. Show up at a big match you have to have the gun, the ammo, the skill, and lot of luck to win! That is what makes it interesting.
TKH

Tony, I don't know you, but from reading what you post and the content and structure. I am pretty sure you are a person that would not want the win, if it was because of equipment.
I think the more you are challenged the better you like it.

Good luck August 1st

Lee

 

[striperfisher]

I cant speak for Tony as I don't know what gun he was shooting!. But I will speak for the other 3 shooter's....and Calfee didn't have a dam thing to do with building their guns.

 

[Tony K Harper]

I cant speak for Tony as I don't know what gun he was shooting!. But I will speak for the other 3 shooter's....and Calfee didn't have a dam thing to do with building their guns.

striperfisher,

I don't want to start an argument, but if you ask the guys that built those rifles where did they learned to build rimfires what do you think they will say?
TKH