M
Macky Locklin
Guest
At the end of this month, the 10th annual ARA National Championship will be held at one of the most shooter-friendly ranges in the country, St. Louis Benchrest Rifle Club. It is a chance to compete with some of the top competitors in the country and see the latest in winning equipment, talk with your friends, make new ones, immerse yourself in the rimfire culture and just have FUN!
There is still plenty of time to register for the event. Don’t miss your chance to win the 6th ARA Project Rifle, this year gunsmithed by Brian Voelker. It is built on a Turbo action and from the pictures I’ve seen of it, it is another beauty that will make the lucky winner always glad he made the decision to attend.
I realize that everyone is concerned about the high cost of fuel and the expected additional cost of simply getting there. That will probably play a factor in the attendance this year, as it will in traveling anywhere that isn’t an absolute necessity. But, keep this in mind: most of us have at least one target rifle, some of us have several and the costs add up to many thousands of dollars in specialized equipment meant specifically for rimfire benchrest competition.
It would be a shame for this equipment to sit idle during one of the most important events in the rimfire world because of an extra $50 or $100 in travel costs. You’re probably also having to swallow unprecedented high costs for target ammo, too, but again, those target rifles need it. If you have a case of target ammo, capable of making you competitive in this ever increasingly competitive sport, you probably paid anywhere from $1,000.00 to as much as $2,000.00 for it. An extra few dollars for travel at this point is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the overall investment needed to compete these days.
Also, for those of you who have looked at the online Sign-In form and seen the words “no refunds”, don’t be alarmed. It has always been that way with the St. Louis club, but it true only to an extent. I personally believe that statement has always scared off lots of people that want to attend but might have concerns about their ability to attend and who fear the possibly of losing their money if they don’t.
Anyone can withdraw up to one week from the date of the event. After that, the machinery has already been put into place as to your name, competitor number, bench assignments, the targets have been labeled, and scoring programs set up. Even then, under the worst of circumstances, such as a family emergency, there would certainly be some consideration given to a withdrawing competitor.
So, join in on one of the biggest, most important and prestigious events in rimfire benchrest competition. There is still plenty of time. I hope to see you there.
Macky Locklin
There is still plenty of time to register for the event. Don’t miss your chance to win the 6th ARA Project Rifle, this year gunsmithed by Brian Voelker. It is built on a Turbo action and from the pictures I’ve seen of it, it is another beauty that will make the lucky winner always glad he made the decision to attend.
I realize that everyone is concerned about the high cost of fuel and the expected additional cost of simply getting there. That will probably play a factor in the attendance this year, as it will in traveling anywhere that isn’t an absolute necessity. But, keep this in mind: most of us have at least one target rifle, some of us have several and the costs add up to many thousands of dollars in specialized equipment meant specifically for rimfire benchrest competition.
It would be a shame for this equipment to sit idle during one of the most important events in the rimfire world because of an extra $50 or $100 in travel costs. You’re probably also having to swallow unprecedented high costs for target ammo, too, but again, those target rifles need it. If you have a case of target ammo, capable of making you competitive in this ever increasingly competitive sport, you probably paid anywhere from $1,000.00 to as much as $2,000.00 for it. An extra few dollars for travel at this point is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the overall investment needed to compete these days.
Also, for those of you who have looked at the online Sign-In form and seen the words “no refunds”, don’t be alarmed. It has always been that way with the St. Louis club, but it true only to an extent. I personally believe that statement has always scared off lots of people that want to attend but might have concerns about their ability to attend and who fear the possibly of losing their money if they don’t.
Anyone can withdraw up to one week from the date of the event. After that, the machinery has already been put into place as to your name, competitor number, bench assignments, the targets have been labeled, and scoring programs set up. Even then, under the worst of circumstances, such as a family emergency, there would certainly be some consideration given to a withdrawing competitor.
So, join in on one of the biggest, most important and prestigious events in rimfire benchrest competition. There is still plenty of time. I hope to see you there.
Macky Locklin
