Hunter class
Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:58 am
I have definitely been away from silhouette shooting far too long. I last competed in 2001 when I moved into a much smaller home with no garage while I was building a new home mostly by myself except when I needed an extra hand for heavy lifting. In the years since, I fractured my back and along the way, lost my ability to hold well.
I did not even know the hunter class rules had been slain around 2006 to remove almost every restriction except needing a tapered barrel and stock to look like a hunting rifle. When I started competing, we just had one class and it was indeed an equipment race right off the bat. Shooters gravitated to the varmint barrels and custom chambers began to be used. David Tubb created the chin gun which created a stir with much discussion while winning several national matches. Marguerite Everheart single handily got rid of the chin guns with a rule change and David Tubb took his marbles and went home. The silhouette committee created the unlimited class to accommodate him but it was soon dropped from lack of participation.
In an attempt to eliminate the equipment race, a hunter class was created where only factory rifles could be used and any replaced components had to be similar to the original. That was the state of silhouette shooting in 2000. After reading some more on recent history, I realized I was way off base in some recent posts. The hunter situation totally changed in 2006. It also became an equipment race.
I have been thinking about this for several days and realized what happened. Anyone who competes and has the disposable money, will in fact pay to increase scores. I know that for a fact because I did it. Those who say you can compete against yourself are just kidding themselves. Very few if any could possibly even do that. While I was competing, the equipment race was turning away new shooters so where did they go? Lever action where the rules demanded one style of rifle, no scopes and larger targets.
I was one of those who was adamant that the hunter rules was the only way to go. Others including Dave Imus had similar thoughts about the sport but the hunter class did not solve the problem. New shooters still didn't come out. What happened? It was still an equipment race, not by the customizing but by the manufactures. New more accurate hunter rifles soon came on the market. Sako's were great and Anschutz had a .22 made for the market. I took a tour of the Sako factory in 1998 and they were for sure building precision rifles. All chambering was done by hand. There were no off center chambers in those rifles. I bought the Anschutz so I am totally guilty in the equipment race. From what I read, the NRA may have in fact been threatened with a lawsuit about the hunter rules so they caved in 2006 to what we have today, a wide open equipment race.
When I get my shop set up, I am going to do some reloading and shoot again and stop moaning about why the sport is dying. I helped put the sport where it is today and I cannot deny that. Here in San Diego, I am just going to have to travel about 5-7 hours to shoot since all the close matches have gone away. I plan to shoot my factory 7-08 Remington in both classes. Now I have to talk my wife into shooting with me.
I did not even know the hunter class rules had been slain around 2006 to remove almost every restriction except needing a tapered barrel and stock to look like a hunting rifle. When I started competing, we just had one class and it was indeed an equipment race right off the bat. Shooters gravitated to the varmint barrels and custom chambers began to be used. David Tubb created the chin gun which created a stir with much discussion while winning several national matches. Marguerite Everheart single handily got rid of the chin guns with a rule change and David Tubb took his marbles and went home. The silhouette committee created the unlimited class to accommodate him but it was soon dropped from lack of participation.
In an attempt to eliminate the equipment race, a hunter class was created where only factory rifles could be used and any replaced components had to be similar to the original. That was the state of silhouette shooting in 2000. After reading some more on recent history, I realized I was way off base in some recent posts. The hunter situation totally changed in 2006. It also became an equipment race.
I have been thinking about this for several days and realized what happened. Anyone who competes and has the disposable money, will in fact pay to increase scores. I know that for a fact because I did it. Those who say you can compete against yourself are just kidding themselves. Very few if any could possibly even do that. While I was competing, the equipment race was turning away new shooters so where did they go? Lever action where the rules demanded one style of rifle, no scopes and larger targets.
I was one of those who was adamant that the hunter rules was the only way to go. Others including Dave Imus had similar thoughts about the sport but the hunter class did not solve the problem. New shooters still didn't come out. What happened? It was still an equipment race, not by the customizing but by the manufactures. New more accurate hunter rifles soon came on the market. Sako's were great and Anschutz had a .22 made for the market. I took a tour of the Sako factory in 1998 and they were for sure building precision rifles. All chambering was done by hand. There were no off center chambers in those rifles. I bought the Anschutz so I am totally guilty in the equipment race. From what I read, the NRA may have in fact been threatened with a lawsuit about the hunter rules so they caved in 2006 to what we have today, a wide open equipment race.
When I get my shop set up, I am going to do some reloading and shoot again and stop moaning about why the sport is dying. I helped put the sport where it is today and I cannot deny that. Here in San Diego, I am just going to have to travel about 5-7 hours to shoot since all the close matches have gone away. I plan to shoot my factory 7-08 Remington in both classes. Now I have to talk my wife into shooting with me.