Competitive Sporter rifles for ARA

R

--rock

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Are there any factory sporter rifles which might do well in the new ARA Sporter competitions starting next year. For example: Anschutz 1416 HB, Remington Custom Classic 547, Weatherby Mark XXII, Cooper 57, Ruger 77/22, CZ 452/453/455, etc. Thanks
 
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I assume if they are factory sporters, then they would be legal. If they are CUSTOM, I have my doubts. Have you compared them to the rules?
 
rock, the most accurate sporters I've seen that make weight is the remington 541s, I have seen 2 that have shot mid to upper 240's on ir 50. imop the 541s is the most accurate sporter ever made. it would take a very accurate rifle from what you have listed to be competitive with the new 8.5lb ara sporter.
 
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--rock said:
Are there any stock sporter rifles which would be ARA competitive? For example: Anschutz 1416 HB, Remington Custom Classic 547, Weatherby Mark XXII, Cooper 57, Ruger 77/22, CZ 452/453/455, etc. Thanks
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It depends on what you call competitive. Tony Meade just won the first sporter match shot in ARA indoors with a score of 2250. He was using a fully custom ULA with a Broughton 5C barrel. I believe he was 25-50 points ahead of second and the scores dropped off pretty quick and I'm pretty sure everyone shot a custom built rifle. So, to answer your question I would say no. But, that doesn't mean you can't try a factory rifle, who knows, with the right combination of gun, ammo, scope and ability a factory rifle could be competitive.
 
martyh said:
rock, the most accurate sporters I've seen that make weight is the remington 541s, I have seen 2 that have shot mid to upper 240's on ir 50. imop the 541s is the most accurate sporter ever made. it would take a very accurate rifle from what you have listed to be competitive with the new 8.5lb ara sporter.
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I think I know where one of them resides!
 
First, it was not the first ARA Sporter match. It was an informal pick up designed and executed to allow anyone who has not shot a sporter before to perhaps get a taste. Scores were not recorded for ARA. No rifles were put on the scales. Most of the guns on the line were IR 50 or RBA sporters with higher powered scopes. Tony, in winning the match was using an RBA legal rifle, including the 6 power scope (if it was a variable, then I'll need to be corrected). Oh for young and good eyes!

Me, I brought my IR50 sporter with a 30 X Leupold on it. Rifle weighs less than 8 pounds so equipped. Two of us shot it in the Friday evening match, neither winning anything...I'm not even sure what the scores shot were. I did shoot a 2350 with it on Thursday evening in the barn testing ammo....four different lots of black box on the one card. Maybe I should have tested that ammo on Friday evening...oh well we shot off bench 1, a real tough place at night right next to that cold wall and curtains. Anyone who says it is easy to shoot good scores in the barn ain't been there very often. Several 2500's shot on Thursday afternoon and early Friday before the crowds arrived. As you already know there were no 2500's during the match. bob
 
Rock,
To simply answer your question, NO. No, if you are going to have to compete with custom actions, custom stocks, and superior custom muzzle weighted barrels. However, now there just might be a rare exception where you could take a super shooting factory barreled rifle and do ok on your best day, but it'd be a long shot at best. If you shot a factory rifle against the crowd I shoot with in IR5050 you probably wouldn't fre very well.

Bob, Youre right! Nothing easy about shooting "consistently" in the barn. Some folks manage to do well, and more don't.
 
I do not want to discourage a potential new shooter. However the custom sporters we shoot in RBA and IR50/50 will compete with the unlimited guns despite the 6.5 power scope limitation. I doubt the situation will be any different in ARA
 
Do not confuse the word "sporter" with "factory sporter". Many clubs have a "factory sporter" fun match. In 50/50, RBA & ARA "sporter class" is the same ole' equipment $$$ race.

sorry,

Al Kunard
 
A factory barreled Anschutz 54.18 msr in a custom stock could be made competitive,I have shot one the last 3 yrs in IR5050 but it doesnt hold a candle to these new custom sporters out there now.I did pick up a new shilen profile 2 barrel at the barn that im excited about putting on her.
 
Stiller 25x

Has anyone built a rifle based on the Stiller Lonestar action yet? Although it’s not at the moment available, I’m thinking of building a sporter based on the 25x action (magazine fed) – just wondered how the Lonestar is performing as there were two or three 40x’s that did OK at the Barn.

Brian
 
Regarding the 25X:

The one major thing I didn't like about the 25X was the 40X threads in it. I thought that to be a step backwards. There was a Hall sitting right next to the ones I saw and there was no comparason, visually, as far as I am concerned :).
 
Pete Wass said:
The one major thing I didn't like about the 25X was the 40X threads in it. I thought that to be a step backwards. There was a Hall sitting right next to the ones I saw and there was no comparason, visually, as far as I am concerned :).
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Thanks Peter, I appreciate they may not be the best looking actions in the world but does anyone know how they shoot. I see there was a Falcon action on the list which didn't fair too well, but that could be for other reasons.

Brian
 
Those lists can be very deceptive. The Falcon listed at the bottom was only shot on 3 of the 4 targets. The gentleman shot another rifle on his first target, bad switched to the Falcon for the next 3. He did not stay for the second day, so it's hard to compare a guys score for 4 targets with someones total who shot 6.
 
Bob,
I have a Falcon sporter. I'm pretty sure there will some available after the first of the year. Mine has a right bolt/left port and uses a 52 Winchester magazine, six oclock firing pin bolt. The stock I used was a bit light. The rifle weighs in at a trim 6lbs and 14 ozs. decked out with a 6-18X40 Leupold scope.
It is a really nice action and it shoots as good as it looks so far in testing. Just got too darned cold to shoot!
 
Kent Owens said:
Those lists can be very deceptive. The Falcon listed at the bottom was only shot on 3 of the 4 targets. The gentleman shot another rifle on his first target, bad switched to the Falcon for the next 3. He did not stay for the second day, so it's hard to compare a guys score for 4 targets with someones total who shot 6.
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Let me apologise, I was working from memory when I said a Falcon didn’t fair to well. Having now checked the list more closely I see there were several Falcons, with the top one finishing 15th, which has been pointed out and yes, that’s very good.

I’ve spoken to Don and he’s told me about his reasons for not completing the six cards, also told me he is a fan of the Falcon.

The Falcon is certainly the better looking of the two actions. Kent, if you catch up with Leonard anytime soon can you ask him to check his emails, I have been told he now has an export license which, if true, is good news for those of us outside the US.

Brian
 
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