One hunter rifle and you can shoot in both classes. One standard rifle and you drive to a shoot and wait while Hunter is being shot. If you are there you may as well be shooting.

Expense; two guns to buy components for plus the expense of the second gun and scope.

Another gun to lug to shoots.

Another gun and trigger to get used to.

With the current Hunter stocks being produced and the fact that you may shoot any non-magnum wildcat in hunter I really see no good reason to build a specific standard. Build a really nice Hunter. Wish I would have done that right from the start.

Having only shot one Smallbore Silhouette match, I didn't know there would be different "Lines" for the different classes. The match that I shot we all shot at the same time, so I could see no advantage shooting Hunter Class.

At the ranges that I shoot at, we do shoot both standard and hunter classes at the same time. For instance, I shoot one rifle for both standard and hunter class. I shoot for one class in one relay and for another class in another relay. Those who only shoot standard or hunter class only shoot one relay. The advantage to also shooting hunter class is that I get to shoot twice as much. At most of the bigger shoots (Conard Cup is the only one I go to), the aggregate score of both hunter and standard class scores is what is used to determine the overall winner. Without a rifle legal for hunter class, you'd only get to shoot half the match and wouldn't be eligible for the overall competition.

What Jason and Troy said. If you get the fever you'll be shooting matches where you don't want to be sitting and watching half the day. You are coming to Winnsboro aren't you?

ajj,

I have to get something to shoot first...

JarHeadTim wrote: Could someone explain to me the ultimate reasoning of building a rifle to fit Hunter Class in lieu of Heavy / Standard class?

Lots consider building a hunter so they can shoot both classes without having to switch rifles. Same technique and trainging applies to both classes using one gun. Twice the trigger time for one match.

It'd be like shooting a two relays at a NM match, using your AR for both service rifle and match rifle.......

What's the estimated loss of velocity per inch on a barrel anyhow? (Assuming .260) - 100 fps or so?

Well other than the Nationals at Camp Perry, Match rifles shoot side by side with Service Rifles...So it is not possible to shoot both rifles at the same match!

If you are squadded in Silhouette by Class and there are different "Lines" that shoot in the same day, then I can see the advantage...I just haven't experienced that yet.

mordecai

Not as much as you expected. I shoot a 26" 260 at 2630 fps w/139's and have that data in quickload. I changed the barrel length from 26 to 20 and got the following for 26/25/24/23/22/21/20:

H4350; 2628/2604/2578/2551/2523/2493/2461
Varget; 2619/2598/2575/2550/2525/2497/2468

The rate of velocity reduction is dependent on the powder burn rate but averages around 25-30fps/inch for the above powders.

"What's the estimated loss of velocity per inch on a barrel anyhow? (Assuming .260) - 100 fps or so?"
Shouldn't be that much, at least not in going from one reasonable length to another, say from 26 or 7 to 23 or 4". Probably more like 100 total.
Anyway, as another poster has noted, it's momentum that pushes the target over, not "energy." If the rifle willl throw a heavy-for-caliber bullet accurately, 10 grains of bullet either way will make a lot more difference on rams than 100 fps, either way.
I think.

Edit: I've got to learn to wait before posting.

Silo65/ajj - thanks for the reply. I recall reading an article about chrono'ing a rifle as the barrel was trimmed an inch at a time - for some reason 100 fps stuck in my head, but I'm much more intrigued by your number!

If I'm only going to lose 150fps, I may be willing to create my rifle for double-duty as a real hunter... Although a few quick (and very rough) numbers tells me that compared to a 26" barrel, a 22" is 89% effective, 20"/85%, 18"/80%... That's quite a bit of ME to be losing...

Although here's an interesting comparison. 107's are about 75% effective as 140's, so firing 140's from a short barrel is still better than lobbing 107's at a ram...

Tim,
Don't be overly concerned with having a 26" barrel. Balance is more important. I have shot a LOT of rams with a Tikka 6.5x55 with a 22 7/16" barrel. I can easily get 2700 fps with a 139 Scenar or a 142 MK. If you can get between 2625 to 2700 with your ram load (assuming a 6.5mm cartridge) your good to go. I've seen more rams lost at 2800 than 2650 for sure.
There's something else you need to consider before building just a hunter with the intention of shooting it both ways (Hunter and Standard) as many are doing in SB . All the same reasons in support of this are sound; same trigger, same stock, etc. The main culprit to this theory in HP is heat. Here in Pa in the summer we have too much heat to allow the barrel to cool sufficiently between relays to allow a Hunter to be shot both ways. This is even with having four relays so the rifle has a relay off after every 10 shots to cool down. Even if the barrel gets remotely cool by the beginning of the string of fire; by the end of the string it will be excessively hot to the point of inducing mirage to the image in your scope due to heat from your barrel. Further south this effect would be even worse. When lone ringer answered your post he alluded to shooting two rifles. One for Standard, one for hunter. Tony's accomplishments with a Hunter stand for themselves. Why does he shoot two rifles for HP instead of just one tricked-out Hunter? I suspect this has as much to do with heat as it does anything else.

JarHeadTim wrote:Well other than the Nationals at Camp Perry, Match rifles shoot side by side with Service Rifles...So it is not possible to shoot both rifles at the same match!

Understood, that's why I said "it'd be like".........
Just to be contrary, couldn't you shoot two relays if you had a paid puller......

But we digress.

I shoot a 20" 308. I use 180gr boolits at a mere 2550fps and haven't failed to put a ram down yet (that I've hit at least.....).

Mark, a lot of things have changed in the last four years regarding Hunting rifles.
It is possible now to build one rifle and use on both classes because barrels in Hunting rifles are longer and thicker than in the past so they do not get as hot. I have seen #6 fluted barrels on hunting rifles that were put on Titanium actions and very light stocks. Those rifles do not have the same balance as the factory ones we used to shoot with #3 or smaller barrels a few years back, their balance is so much like Standard rifles that the felt difference is hardly noticeable if built properly with the right stocks and barrels. Also some of us are not shooting full blown 308, 7-08

Lone ringer
I see that you have used both the 7mm and 6.5mm BR. How would you
compare the effectiveness on rams of each ? I would imagine they are
equal out to and including the turkeys.
If a rifle was built in 7BR would you recommend a long throat to optimise on case capacity?
Thanks
Andrew Patchett