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SUPER SHOOT

Webster

I live about 40 miles from Kelby's. Went to the Super Shoot Friday to buy goodies from the venders. I noticed almost all of the competitors looked like they were at least 50-60 YO and retired. Only a handful of shooters under 40. Someone told me most of the younger guys are going into long range comp. They prefer the looks of long range guns. Maybe influenced by mil sniper rifles? Will this eventually end short range BR?
 
I am not involved with LR, but looking at a horde of pics from LR winners circles, I am not so sure the same doesn't apply in that discipline. From personal experience, even though I always wanted to get into BR from an early age, work and family obligations put it on the back burner for a few decades.
 
Webster said:
I live about 40 miles from Kelby's. Went to the Super Shoot Friday to buy goodies from the venders. I noticed almost all of the competitors looked like they were at least 50-60 YO and retired. Only a handful of shooters under 40. Someone told me most of the younger guys are going into long range comp. They prefer the looks of long range guns. Maybe influenced by mil sniper rifles? Will this eventually end short range BR?
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Just think about what it takes to compete shooting Benchrest with a Big "B". You have to have lots of expensive equipment, plenty of time off to shoot and travel thousands of miles, and enough disposable income to cover all the cost. It just doesn't fit into the 20 to 40 year old demographic that's trying to raise kids, work and still pay the bills or put kids through college.

For the Super Shoot I was gone 8 days, add in the IBS and NBRSA Nationals that's at least 10 days gone a piece. Then you have the regular matches to attend.

I started benchrest when I was a captain in the Army. I ended up spending most of my money and all of my leave on benchrest.

Bart
 
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Webster, LR Benchrest rifles look just like short range rifles, just longer stocks/barrels. I think you may be thinking of the PRS type shooting. I think sticker shock may be part of it. Its always been an order guys sport. Nothing wrong with that.
 
Eddie Harren said:
There you go Larry, Bart just made a shopping list for you. Get off of that wallet and pony up.
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Eddie Harren said:
There you go Larry, Bart just made a shopping list for you. Get off of that wallet and pony up.
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If I was going to shoot BR I wouldn't change anything .
We no longer have a place in Florida that shoot BR . The two times I shot BR I had the pleasure of spending time with Billy and Bart . None better then them both . Larry
 
I think Bart hit the nail on the head. I had to wait until I was semi-retired to even attempt to compete on a marginal scale. The expense and time required (choose one or both) are well beyond the realm of most people raising a family and or working full-time.
 
BartsBullets said:
Just think about what it takes to compete shooting Benchrest with a Big "B". You have to have lots of expensive equipment, plenty of time off to shoot and travel thousands of miles, and enough disposable income to cover all the cost. It just doesn't fit into the 20 to 40 year old demographic that's trying to raise kids, work and still pay the bills or put kids through college.

For the Super Shoot I was gone 8 days, add in the IBS and NBRSA Nationals that's at least 10 days gone a piece. Then you have the regular matches to attend.

I started benchrest when I was a captain in the Army. I ended up spending most of my money and all of my leave on benchrest.

Bart
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I usually go to the Super Shoot as a spectator since it's my home range. I would guess there was over $2 million dollar’s worth of motor homes there. I talked to one gentleman from South Africa imagine his cost. It must cost 10-20 thou a year to compete at a high level. Many of the competitors are gun smiths. It would be interesting if a Hall of Famer would anamonously give an account of their total expenses for a year. Travel, days from work, several expensive rifles and scopes, at least a dozen barrels ect.
 
Webster said:
I usually go to the Super Shoot as a spectator since it's my home range. I would guess there was over $2 million dollar’s worth of motor homes there. I talked to one gentleman from South Africa imagine his cost. It must cost 10-20 thou a year to compete at a high level. Many of the competitors are gun smiths. It would be interesting if a Hall of Famer would anamonously give an account of their total expenses for a year. Travel, days from work, several expensive rifles and scopes, at least a dozen barrels ect.
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If you're leading on that only a rich man can succeed in this game, consider that Tony Boyer made his living as a power company utility lineman - not exactly in upper middle class status- yet he found a way early in his competitive career to find the time to practice to hone his skills and gather funds to support both he and his wife's shooting. He's gotten so good that he is 205 precision shooter points ahead of the next HOF shooter.
 
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I think Billy won from the years of hard work and determination put in
I don't think which tuner he was using mattered that much
It sure was something to see. That range is tough
 
Webster said:
I usually go to the Super Shoot as a spectator since it's my home range. I would guess there was over $2 million dollar’s worth of motor homes there. I talked to one gentleman from South Africa imagine his cost. It must cost 10-20 thou a year to compete at a high level. Many of the competitors are gun smiths. It would be interesting if a Hall of Famer would anamonously give an account of their total expenses for a year. Travel, days from work, several expensive rifles and scopes, at least a dozen barrels ect.
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The funny thing is you can't "buy" your way into winning. I don't care how much money you spend. It takes hard work and didicaction to just do well at a local match. Let alone reaching the highest levels in the Sport!

Bart
 
^^^^Exactly. Tons of money may get you the equipment you need to win, but the hours, days, weeks and months of work and practice cannot be bought.
 
INShooter said:
^^^^Exactly. Tons of money may get you the equipment you need to win, but the hours, days, weeks and months of work and practice cannot be bought.
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Two years ago I talked to a top shooter at the Super Shoot. Some of the Hall of Fame shooters get paid by the manufacturers to test powder and bullets. I'm sure it isn't a lot of money and it's a small number of shooters that get paid. Tony Boyer has a large expensive motor home. They don't award money for winning, just plastic trophy's.
 
I have competed in short range BR, 1000yd BR, "F" class, Metallic Silohuette, and Fullbore. Only at some of the industry sponsored BR matches did I win money or merchandise enough to break even. Mostly, I spent a whole bunch of money and time to win a ten dollar trophy (if it was a big one!). Today, I spend more money, as much time, and win the same sort of trophy much less frequently. Things were just the same when I raced Motocross except that I could add personal injury into the mix. When I was young and a pretty dedicated BR shooter, I would travel for several hundred miles in a beat-up old Mercury Comet to compete at some matches
Today, I see quite a few younger "F" class shooters (early forties), and a good number of young silohuette shooters. One of the top shooters at our local club is 19! In many cases though, I, at 67, am one of the young guys. WH
 
Webster said:
Two years ago I talked to a top shooter at the Super Shoot. Some of the Hall of Fame shooters get paid by the manufacturers to test powder and bullets. I'm sure it isn't a lot of money and it's a small number of shooters that get paid. Tony Boyer has a large expensive motor home. They don't award money for winning, just plastic trophy's.
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Tonys motorhome is very well taken care of probably a 1980 some model.
Neither terribly large or expensive
This is how things get spread
 
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