Factory class etc... aka "leveling the field"

W

Wilbur

cook and bottle washer
A factory rifle class for benchrest shooting has been cussed and discussed without progress for many years. Some good ideas have been proposed as well as some solid thoughts concerning the viability of those good ideas. As I see it, the greatest issue with a factory class is defining a factory rifle and maintain the concept or intent. I submit that such a definition is not necessary and that the field can be leveled regardless of equipment and available cash money. We drew the box around equipment and never ventured outside that box.

If Joe Haller didn't invent the following concept I'm going to give him credit for it anyway. Leveling the equipment field can be accomplished with the target. Below, is such a target and the rules are simple. Record target left, sighters on the right. Think about it for a while in terms of a level field and then let's talk....

Rules:
Shoot anything you want.
Shoot anywhere you want.
Quit shooting anytime you want
If any shot touches black (plugs black) anywhere on the record block, your score is zero.
One shot per bull. No penalty for extra shots but they don't count.
You have 30 minutes.
Viewing other's targets while shooting is encouraged.


blackdeath.jpg
 
What distance

is this target designed for? And only 30 minutes! The folks who clean after ever 10 or so shots won't have time to do all of that in 30 MINUTES ! :p
 
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Wilbur

What am I missing here.

Is a perfect score 75?

How does this "even the field"?? Would not the most skilled shooter with the most accurate Rifle still have the best odds of winning??........jackie
 
jackie schmidt said:
What am I missing here.

Is a perfect score 75?

How does this "even the field"?? Would not the most skilled shooter with the most accurate Rifle still have the best odds of winning??........jackie
Click to expand...

Not if you touched the black trying to hit one of those little ones.....and you would. The guy that knew his limitations could easily win with a score of 5.

If you touch the black you get ZERO...total score ZERO. Hit every one but the last one dead center and touch black on the last shot - ZERO.

Thing is, if I look at your target and you've got a higher score I'm gonna keep shootin'. When I get a higher score than you I'm gonna quit forcing you to shoot again...one of us is gonna hit the black. The skilled shooters with the accurate rifles will force each other to zero...perhaps all of them if there's enough in attendance to make it difficult to keep track of when to quit. The guy that has no chance of hitting the smaller circles hits what he can and quits.

Play it a few times in your head, add a little wind and play it again. Consider more than one relay.
 
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New Score Target Format

This new format would seam to lend itself to the 6mm's and 22's rather than the 30's
 
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And if you have one of those 'migrating' bullets you are toast. Fortunately the 'migrater' I had last Saturday was on my first record shot so I got to chase it and end up with a .5 instead of a 2.5.

The first bullet was headed southeast. Jamaica I guess:mad:
 
Oh, I see

It makes no diffrence how well you do all any of them, one shot touching black and YOUR OVERALL SCORE is zero. I was thinking that the individule bull was just the "zero"

Heck, I don't think I would even have the guts to shoot at one of those on the right. Talk about "sudden death".............jackie
 
Seems to me it will be more about strategy than shooting. Everyone swiveling around to see what everyone else is doing.

Maybe you should require a minimum number of record shots. Say 10. That would eliminate the lurkers who are waiting for the good shooters to eliminate themselves, and cut down on the swiveling and looking time.

I suppose it's possible that there could be no winner. I seem to recall a fun match that we shot in PHX one time where nobody won. Back to the drawing board.:rolleyes:

Ray
 
put a dollar limit on the class.....somthing like the cost of a basic rem 30'06.

scope is open...not in the cost.
 
mike in co said:
remember it is a STOCK FACTORY CLASS....
Click to expand...

It's unlimited. Stock factory rifles have as much chance as rail guns if enough people show up. There's the rub! If there were just a few competitors it would still be weighted toward the more accurate rifle.
 
Wilbur said:
It's unlimited. Stock factory rifles have as much chance as rail guns if enough people show up. There's the rub! If there were just a few competitors it would still be weighted toward the more accurate rifle.
Click to expand...

guess i got mis-led by the title.


i'm still hoping for a stock class...with stock rifles.


mike in co
 
Thank you Ray

Cheechako said:
Seems to me it will be more about strategy than shooting. Everyone swiveling around to see what everyone else is doing.

I suppose it's possible that there could be no winner. I seem to recall a fun match that we shot in PHX one time where nobody won. Back to the drawing board.:rolleyes:

Ray
Click to expand...

Thanks for realizing that strategy would play a BIG part.

If it came to a sudden death shoot off and you had to shoot first of three competitors....which size would you choose?

It depends.... doesn't it?
 
Zero for the target is too harsh. Have a shot touching the black and you get minus the points of the closest bullseye. This way you could have the chance to redeem yourself on that target OR on a windy day the least minus score would win :D
 
Its easy enough to define a stock class. A stock rifle is one that is not custom made, or made from custom parts, is readily available to the general public, from one of the major manufacturers, and at least 1000, must have been produced. No major modifications allowed, or custom aftermarket parts not available throught the manufacturer. You could also throw in a reasonable weight limitation, and restrict caliber to not greater than 30 caliber.
Bob
 
There's no need for another...

target. It just complicates things. We've run factory class in Harrison since 1991 and the simpler you keep things, the better.

You really have to divvy factory class up into two classes. One is for completely stock guns, another for guns that have been modified in any way.

Make sure it's understood that the match is for bolt action or single shot guns only. This is benchrest and should be respected as such. If you want to tune up your cape buffalo gun or your over-the-course semi-auto, you are welcome to do so... elsewhere.

Any modifications to these rules should be up to the club putting on the match. However, they are to be discouraged. I don't think that there should be rules made by the national organizations.

Should you be match director, administrating Factory Class will drive you nutz.
I have heard, "I know my guns got a Hart barrel chambered by Borden and a 45X Leup. But Bubba's got a Jewell trigger and that ain't fair." a million times. It has given me a vocabulary that makes a Marine drill instructor blush and a disposition like a 25 year old housewife with a hormonal imbalance.

However, one shooter out of every so many that start in Factory Class will like what he's doing and get more serious and buy a real bench gun within a year or two. He'll start travelling to matches, go to the Super Shoot, etc, etc.

The above works and it has been proven for nearly twenty years.

Dick Wright
 
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