This is an interesting post and some great points have been made. In St. Johnsbury, we decided after several years of great egg shoots to take it up to the competitive BR level. We joined IBS and started having score matches in 2005. Here's a few of my observations:
1. At the very first match, with great support from the ME/NH shooters, we had 18 shooters. We were total neophytes who had never even been to a BR match. On the range that day were several members of the BR Hall of Fame, past National Champions and some darned good shooters. For me, it was the equivalent of building a race car for the local short-track and getting there to find Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt in the line-up. The down side is that it's quite overwhelming for a new shooter. The upside is that the guys are helpful, willing to share and very accommodating to new shooters, plus finishing 7th in a line-up like that is something to be proud of.
2. "We have found the problem and it is us" (or something close to that!) ... benchrest is not the problem, the "new America" is the problem. IMHO we have raised up a noncompetitive video-game generation who has been "dumbed down" all the way through their lives and even when they have failed it was equated to them as success. I have been told there is a measure before the Little League board to do away with All-Star games because of the stigma against the poor chaps who don't make the team! There is the problem. Some of the lower levels of kids' sports do not record the scores so the poor little future world leaders won't have to deal with the concept of not winning (can't use the word "lose"). I have dozens of shooters at my range, most of whom have hunting rifles that will group a 1/4" all day long (!), who turn up their nose at the prospect of shooting competitvely because, quite frankly, their egos cannot face the prospect of not winning the first match they enter.
3. Although money is a serious consideration to me as a low-life retired blue-collar worker, my neighbors have dooryards full of $7,000 snowmobiles, $25,000 motorcycles and a whole assortment of campers and motorhomes that cost more than my house and vehicles combined. For the price some guys pay for an "elk rifle" they could get two good BR rigs and all the associated gadgets. Competing at the highest level of any sport can never be regulated down to a point of not being expensive. Cameras, ham radios, skeet, trap ... anyone of these done at a high level costs as much or more than BR.
4. I have long been a proponent of factory class shooting at BR matches. It is a good place to get introduced to BR shooting, get the hang of "bench etiquette" and get good ideas about where your interests lie. We had a factory class shooter all season this year and he already has his new VFS rig started for next year. At our last match he put up a 250/9 at 100 to tie the HBR winner and beat all other HBR and VH shooters. He's going to be a great addition to BR.
In summary, I don't see much that can be done to BR to make it more user friendly. It's the best of the best and if one isn't willing to do what it takes or spend what is necessary, I'm not sure what we could gain by encouraging them to participate. No matter how much we spend for our equipment or how anal our loading habits, the final score is our desire to compete against other shooters and/or ourselves to do the best we can do. There isn't any rule or regulation for that. My opinion on shooting for money is that it would be the end of BR. The color of money changes everything.
Have a great winter and God bless, ReedG
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