Really interesting stuff. One get get into the sport with serious glass for under 1,000.00.

singleshotcajun wrote:Really interesting stuff. One get get into the sport with serious glass for under 1,000.00.

And that statement alone makes the case for this Ruger...... many potential young shooters pass on the game because of the relatively high cost of equipment. $2000 rifles and $700 dollar scopes (or even $500 rifles and $200 scopes) are hard to obtain when you're trying to skim off your hot lunch money. A friend of mine is a pretty good junior coach, and he says quite frequently "competition rifle is a rich kid's game." Unless a young person has rich, giving parents, he or she cannot take up silhouette rifle competition, no matter how high their talent and enthusiasm...

OnaginOffagin wrote:........ "competition rifle is a rich kid's game." Unless a young person has rich, giving parents, he or she cannot take up silhouette rifle competition, no matter how high their talent and enthusiasm...

Silhouette is still cheaper than 4P for the kids and their parents, for 4P your looking at between $2,700 and $5,000 for a competition .22 and over $2,000 for an air rifle and we won't even go into the leather coat, pants, shoes, matt, spotting scope and stands you need. I heard of a father that just dropped $10,000 on a new Blinker, with 3 butt plates, (one for each of the different positions) and all the goodies for his daughter. The good news was I was able to pick up their slightly used Anschutz 1903 Jr for our Junior program at a good price. ;)

Bob259 wrote: I heard of a father that just dropped $10,000 on a new Blinker

Thats an expensive blinker... I hope it came with the rest of the car!

Trent wrote:

Bob259 wrote: I heard of a father that just dropped $10,000 on a new Blinker

Thats an expensive blinker... I hope it came with the rest of the car!

Knew that would get someone asking Its a Bleiker, nicer when you call in a Blinker, gets more attention ;) Nice, but I'd worry about not that many folks using them compared to the Anschutz or Walthers.. Here drool a little http://www.bleiker.ch/en/home/, I like my 2013 Anschutz just fine.

Bob259 wrote:Silhouette is still cheaper than 4P for the kids and their parents, for 4P your looking at between $2,700 and $5,000 for a competition .22 and over $2,000 for an air rifle and we won't even go into the leather coat, pants, shoes, matt, spotting scope and stands you need.

I resemble this remark... and I have two daughters in 4P now...

I know what Bleikers are. I just thought I'd poke ya in the ribs a little.

I still think today's high cost of initial equipment is threatening all the shooting sports. I'm older than dirt, and started 4 position gallery in 1984. Once I decided it was for me, I haunted pawn shops until I found a Win 52 for $250. It had a shortened stock for a younger person, but that didn't bother me, and once I fitted it with an after-market butt plate and hook (can't remember what I paid but I think it was under a $100) and got a Marine cloth shooting coat through mail order -- I was off to the races. That bargain basement approach led to thirty years of enjoyment.... At today's prices, even for used equipment, I would simply have passed it up and gone bowling! I think any entry level rifle <$300 should be a cause for rejoicing.... The more new, younger shooters we bring in, the better off we all are....