R. G. Robinett
New member
I totally agree with you on the speed and ease of shooting of the custom actions and the fact many feel they shoot better with them in conditions. I owned a few once , believe it or not! That was back when you bought a Custom Action and still had to blueprint it, my how things have changed! Once I started shooting Hunter I became a picker even at 200 with a death grip on the gun, reprogrammed to shoot a 7 ounce trigger, so speed is something that I probably wouldn't put on my list of 'Custom Phobia'!
I am not sure however that the large amount of shooters with Remingtons at the NBRSA Nationals that seemed to decline shortly after wasn't a by product of some of the things I posted earlier, basically something you reassured with your post. I can understand the drive to create a better mousetrap, that is just good old competetive human nature I am just not sure it helped in all classes. In your case I believe NBRSA doesn't shoot VFS? That may be the difference. I just know in my area checking match results recently there seems to be 1- 3 hunter shooters at each match when I stopped shooting a bit ago there were 8-10 just about everywhere I shot in Hunter. .
Once again however I think it is more evident on the IBS side where we also shoot VFS and the likeness of our guns in these classes the cost comparison and the fun of rigging (Junk) for weekend gunsmiths like me!
Anyway enough is enough on this subject I hope to run into you and a few of my old shooting friends out there this year.
Remember watch those tails.
Dale
Dale, and all, the general decline in Hunter Class participation at IBS events is probably due to a combination of "causes" and, though there are [technically] no Regions within the IBS, seems to be a "regional" problem. Here in Iowa, with the advent of the 1999 season, we began conducting IBS Registered score tournaments - ever since, our participation in ALL events/classes (Hunter; VfS; and Group) has steadily GROWN!
Over the course of a season, the Hunter stages, including the IA State Championships, probably average 20+ competitors. I attribute this growth to [the late] Dan Hackett's concept of the TWO GUN (combined 6X and VfS Grand AGGS), which the IBS regognizes only for Record. The Holmen, WI club also runs well attended TWO GUN events - usually 18+ for each Class. I've stated this before, but it's always worth a repeat: when I began the above practices, my Hunter peers accused me of desiring to "undermine" the Hunter Class: ditto the Group faction - I intended to destroy group shooting!
Here we are , EIGHT seasons down-stream, and, though I long ago departed the dictatorships, handing the heirarchy off to Ron Berg, we've experienced larger attendances EVERY season since we began shooting IBS Registered events: Group and Score! And subsequent to initiating the TWO GUN format, then having the IBS sanction the format (for RECORD only - there are yet NO official TWO GUN - 6x & VfS GRANDS - Championships), we've had individuals, who would never build a Hunter rig, well, get into HBR rifle shooting . . . some of them even enjoy it.During the rapid growth of custom actioned Hunter rifles at NBRSA tournaments, we experienced simultaneous and unprecedented GROWTH: attendance at the NBRSA Hunter Nationals has only been in decline for the last two seasons . . . I suspect that the apparent demise of both the original TcL (National Conference, founded and run by Bob Pease, then by Marcy Lyons), and the TcL American Conference (founded by Skip Gordon and ram-rodded to success by Don Deckert) has played a mojor role in the decline of Hunter Class participation - the Tcls were the connective tissue and life-blood of Hunter Class.
The strangest anomaly in the enigmatic Hunter Class world is the Van Dyne Sportsmen's Club, Van Dyne, WI, where, for the NBRSA Registered WI State Championships, Dick Baier and Co., continue to draw 35+ attendance- 40+ is not unheard of!
I don't know "the formula", but I am certain that declining attendance cannot be blamed on custom actions - it goes deeper that that.I COULD blame it all on Frank McKee**, who, if he hadn't attended the previously mentioned NBRSA WI State Hunter Championships, would possibly(probably??) never have gone "custom" . . . Mr. McKee "won" virtually everything [literally], "LOCK,STOCK, & BARREL (including a Stolle Kodiak, donated by Kelbly's) during the door-prize drawings conducted during [at least] four SUCCESSIVE [WI STATE] events!
But if I blamed Frank, he might send someone to break my legs! Keep 'em ON the X! RG** The REAL culprit was SPEEDY Gonzales!
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