Is grip tape or any other kind of tape or wrapping allowed? I interpret the regs to say "devices" are allowed in Standard but not in Hunter. Does that include tape?

This question is in regards to inconsistant hand / trigger finger placement on a SA 54 Sporter. Tape helps. My rifle only qualifies for Standard due to its 1 lb trigger.

Thanks,

Rex

The way you are describing its use, I do not think it would be a device in either rifle class.

Jerry

Interesting question, and I'll be watching to see what the opinions are. I have a Weatherby XXII that I shoot in both classes. The finish on these Weatherbys is a high gloss finish and even the slightest amount of sweat on my palm causes me to have a slippery grip on my right hand. I was wearing some box handler gloves that have extremely tacky rubber palms and fingers and it was working VERY well. Gloves are only legal when the weather is cold though.

So, I went and bought some black athletic tape (aka "coaches tape") and wrapped the pistol grip area of my stock with it. I also did some twisted sections and wrapped those across the front area of the pistol grip and kind of created some mild finger grooves. If that isn't legal then I will have to figure something else out. I don't want to permanently alter my pretty stock just yet.

I highly doubt that tape can be construed as a "device" or "attachment".

In my limited experience,tape seems to be used on position rifles but I have yet to see it on a silhouette rifle. I interpret the spirit of the Hunter class regs to mean the rifles should not have external, readily visible alterations. That would include tape. But... in Standard it seems like anything goes as long as you do not exceed the weight reg. So I should be ok?

Do you guys agree?

It won't be any big deal unless you win a significant match!

I have seen tape and other things removed at Nationals during inspection. I know some of you do not want to alter permanently the finish of your original nice wood stocks but those are the chances you have to take if you add anything to the stock and somebody protests your rifle.

I too have problem with stocks that get slippery in the hot weather and in most of them I have applied truck's bed liner paint to those areas that come in contact with my face and hands. All but one of my competition stocks are the synthetic kind by the way.

Maybe I'll have to get some of that resin that the baseball players use before they go up to bat.

Unless it's permanently attached, it's questionable for Hunter class and maybe Standard.

Lets see now, I am on the line wearing my leather Hardscrabble vest, holding my Anschutz 1712 that I have "weighted up" to be just under the Hunter weight limit, sporting a nice Benchmark custom barrel and someone complains that I have tape on my pistol grip??? I guess we have seen crazier things happen, take the first Tuesday in November of 2008 for example.

Jim T. wrote:Lets see now, I am on the line wearing my leather Hardscrabble vest, holding my Anschutz 1712 that I have "weighted up" to be just under the Hunter weight limit, sporting a nice Benchmark custom barrel and someone complains that I have tape on my pistol grip??? I guess we have seen crazier things happen, take the first Tuesday in November of 2008 for example.

Good point.

Stuff does happen.

And please don't tell me you're trying to make sense of NRA rules?!

How many hunter rifles are checkered for grip?
Quite a few. If that is legal if a person wants a piece of tape, that seems less like a device than checkering the stock.

Jerry

BCloninger wrote:Unless it's permanently attached, it's questionable for Hunter class and maybe Standard.

Can you please explain why?

Well at the last Nationals we were at there was an individual that had a flip flop taped on as a cheek piece and they shot it that way in Hunter class. So I guess it depends on how the winds blowing.

Personally I feel it's 99% the shooter and 1% (+-1%) the equipment.

Bob259 wrote:Well at the last Nationals we were at there was an individual that had a flip flop taped on as a cheek piece and they shot it that way in Hunter class. So I guess it depends on how the winds blowing.

Personally I feel it's 99% the shooter and 1% (+-1%) the equipment.

And you didn't post a photo of that???