Field Target is an arms race.

[Scotchmo]

A P15 ($400) and a decent scope is all that’s really needed in Hunter Division. Though I did switch to a LW barrel on mine. I’ve sold three of my previous national match winning airguns, each for under $400. It doesn’t need to be an arms race. It’s a choice. Any extra equipment (assuming it’s legal) that people want to buy and learn to incorporate is also fine. People spending money helps keep the shooting sports going. And leads to better equipment being developed and sold. That’s a good thing.

 

[Airgunoregon]

A P15 ($400) and a decent scope is all that’s really needed in Hunter Division. Though I did switch to a LW barrel on mine. I’ve sold three of my previous national match winning airguns, each for under $400. It doesn’t need to be an arms race. It’s a choice. Any extra equipment (assuming it’s legal) that people want to buy and learn to incorporate is also fine. People spending money helps keep the shooting sports going. And leads to better equipment being developed and sold. That’s a good thing.

Exactly right!!!
Most of the entry level equipment can be polished and tuned to shoot 3/4" at 50 yards. That' all the accuracy that is needed. After that, it's how the gun fits you and finding a steady position and follow through on your shots... and reading the wind... and experience in lots of different venues if you want to do okay in the AAFTA Grand Prix.

The rest of it is really good for the economy... and that's a good thing too Be a good consumer of air gun stuff.... most of it holds it's value anyway.. the wife can be sold that if you smile while saying it

 

[cavedweller]

Yep Scott. Traditional Field Target is HARD, and I find that turns many people away and leaves the hard-core competitors (or gluttons for disappointment missed targets).

This reflects why I like pistol EFT and HFT
It’s soooo frigging hard!

 

[Nofilters]

I disagree for several more practical reasons.
Limited facilities or dedicated shooting clubs are available that are willing to promote or even allow airgun related activities. Time and space conflicts prevail. Thus coordinating and scheduling Airgun activities in even a casual way is extremely difficult unless someone spearheads an Airgun program. CMP, civilian marksmanship programs are few and far between. Next up is the benevolent people who lease or acquire land or allow their land to be used to start Airgun related programs. Lots of these things I’ve mentioned also require community resources and zoning support and have other legal considerations. Also note that if people have to travel very far… they ain’t coming very often.
This is a multi faceted issue that needs multiple ways and numerous resources to “grow the sport of airguns” and thus grow field target. Yes community shoots are helpful as are active Airgun shooters being positive ambassadors who lobby for the sport.

 

[Nofilters]

They call me "No Filters" for a reason, so here's my take (apologies for the long-winded post!):

Stop judging others based on their gear or practice time. If you want the sport to grow, contribute solutions instead of just criticizing. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Focus on growing the sport, not just your own wallet. While making money is fine, perception matters. Remember, expensive gear doesn't guarantee skill. Dedication and practice earn respect, regardless of equipment cost. By showing up at any and all airgun matches you can, you are showing your support for the growth of this fun sport!

Here's how I have tried to contribute (I am far from perfect, but if we lead by example, the future will be bright for all forms of airgun competition): In 2015, I started with night practices, then brought the One Gun Challenge idea to EBR. The Southwest Airgun Challenge (formerly American FT at my location)

started with a core group of shooters and myself. Our first event was in September of 2020, and shortly after, we evolved the rules to allow slugs and rimfire, leading us to change the name to Xtreme FT. Even when faced with challenges like being financially pushed off the Xtreme FT name, I didn't give up. This bullying incentivized me to develop the ultimate fun idea and set the rules and format for Ultimate Field Target (UFT), where short and long-range FT are shot simultaneously on the same course, allowing sub-50 ft-lb guns to compete on both courses. The "Full Monty" option allows shooters to combine the two courses for a possible 72-shot match. With this new UFT format, we hope to draw more shooters, creating a more substantial presence at ranges and making it easier to schedule all airgun events. While the rules are based on AAFTA guidelines, there are significant differences, and the courses are a little more challenging, providing excellent practice for any level of shooter. Besides Phoenix Rod and Gun Club, Upstate NY and Texas are planning versions of UFT. I've even reinforced cheaper targets to withstand the 50 ft-lb challenge, and our first match this past November was a success, with results posted on AGN. This wouldn't have been possible without the support of my local crew, especially Cole (Franklink) Scott, Dan, and the grumpy one, Mike Smith. My point is, if you truly love something, you WILL find a way to make it better. I believe AAFTA needs help to evolve the sport, not be a part of its decline. So let’s all keep fighting and working together for the cause of airgunning! I hope everyone has a blessed new year. Everyone get out and enjoy a match or just plinking with family and friends!

 

[Scotchmo]

This reflects why I like pistol EFT and HFT
It’s soooo frigging hard!

You like hard? Then there’s pistol Limited FT. No shooting aids allowed. But not many want to try that.

 

[Motorhead]

You like hard? Then there’s pistol Limited FT. No shooting aids allowed. But not many want to try that.

Only those who can shoot pistol in DEADMAN position in the limited class generally can hang with and many times beat the hunter seat & stick shooters.
Yea it is a LOT harder to be stable, but Limited gets the option to click turrets easing the hold over difficulty when unstable anyways. ( Some click, some holdover )

 

[Scotchmo]

Only those who can shoot pistol in DEADMAN position in the limited class generally can hang with and many times beat the hunter seat & stick shooters.
Yea it is a LOT harder to be stable, but Limited gets the option to click turrets easing the hold over difficulty when unstable anyways. ( Some click, some holdover )

I use a UTG 12x on my FT pistol. I bought that scope for $100 years ago. It definitely is not good enough to “click” with.

 

[Franklink]

I use a UTG 12x on my FT pistol. I bought that scope for $100 years ago. It definitely is not good enough to “click” with.

Careful here. For the typical ft competitor, that's the beginnings of the process we've been talking about for pages.

 

[cavedweller]

Careful here. For the typical ft competitor, that's the beginnings of the process we've been talking about for pages.

Some tidbit factoids from the latest WFTF Worlds. In terms of $ spent on the top 20 competitors.

Delta Stryker 5-50 was the winner took the #1 spot with a very modest price $1530.00
March scopes were the most popular and generally are the most expensive, (8 in play) they placed 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 18th
March scopes in play ranged from $2300. to over $3500.00
4 Niko Sterlings, 2nd place, 10th place, 13th, 19th place $600.00
4 Falcons, they took 11th, 15th, 16th, and 20th place $1100.00
2 were Sightrons S3 = 3rd place and 17th place $1579.00.
1 Kahles took 8th place $3400.00

What one could infer from this list of the top 20 WFTF Worlds is that Paying the most for glass e.g. March Scopes = (arms race) did not result in a podium spot.

Above was about glass (scopes) but looking at the top three podium spots for the Rifles used in PCP:

The AA XTI50 took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and it costs $4000.00.
An oddball, an ISP Airstream MK3 took 4th place
A Walther LG400 took 5th place
An FX Impact took 6th place
The Thomas at a very similar price point to the AA XTI50, grabbed 7th, 9th and 11th places.
A Daystate Redwolf took 8th place
A Steyr LG110 took 10th place

quite the mix!

 

[Franklink]

Some tidbit factoids from the latest WFTF Worlds. In terms of $ spent on the top 20 competitors.

Delta Stryker 5-50 was the winner took the #1 spot with a very modest price $1590.
March scopes were the most popular and generally are the most expensive, (8 in play) they placed 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 90th, 12th, 14th, 18th
March scopes in play ranged from $2300. to over $3500.
4 Niko Sterlings, 2nd place, 10th place, 13th, 19th place $600.
4 Falcons, they took 11th, 15th, 16th, and 20th place $920.
2 were Sightrons S3 = 3rd place and 17th place $1750.
1 Kahles took 8th place $3800.

What one could infer from this list of the top 20 WFTF Worlds is that Paying the most for glass e.g. March Scopes = (arms race) did not result in a podium spot.

The lowest $$$ scope you're listing is $920.

That's a grand Rudy.

Taking a gander at the average income in the US, arguably one of the more wealthy countries in the world (of course, after the gubment takes their slice) and we're talking about a substantial chunk of change for the average joe to be able to afford even the cheapest scope you're mentioning.

Not long ago, a $920 was a mortgage payment, and might still be in certain parts of the country.

We covered earlier that there's a basic performance level that must be achieved before a guy can be competitive. That goes for the scope and the gun. Mentions of $400 guns were made, WITH LW rebarells mentioned by one guy, and another guy mentioning tuning and tweaking. That's arms race, either buying a better barrel and/or paying people to tune the gun to make it competitive. Great if a guy can make those improvements themselves, but they're still improving their equipment to try to get to a minimal performance standard.

A Nissan Versa can be driven in a race, but it sure isn't going to win that race if going up against a Formula One race car. And that's gonna be the outcome, regardless of how good of a driver the dude in the Versa thinks they are.

 

[GeneT]

That was the WFTF Worlds. It probably cost most of the shooters more than a grand to be there. The point though, was that even spending $3500 on a scope wasn't the determining factor in terms of who won.

GsT

 

[Franklink]

That was the WFTF Worlds. It probably cost most of the shooters more than a grand to be there. The point though, was that even spending $3500 on a scope wasn't the determining factor in terms of who won.

GsT

Or that a guy needs at least a $1000 scope to even be in the hunt?

Yeah, World's and travel to and fro is another $$$ aspect. Most of those guys are serious enough to not be bringing a Versa (even a Versa with a new motor) to such a big competition.

 

[Bramezy]

Disagreeing with folks is part of life.

I'll counter with how many Sighttron SIIIs are being used in Hunter class at 16x now.

SIII Field Target10-50x60 IR

Built for precision target shooting applications up to and exceeding 1000 yards. The Sightron SIII 10-50x60 Field Traget Long Range rifle scope with Illuminated reticle delivers superior optics and accuracy when it counts.

sightron.com

For anybody that didn't follow the link, the SIII's are going for the budget friendly price of $1759.99. Likely find a deal on one somewhere for less than MSRP though. Heck might even get it all the way down to $1500 if a guy shops around and waits for a sale.

I'm not new to field target, just in the habit of calling a space a spade.

What's also telling is that you're calling a $1200-2100 rig "low-dollar."

While I have one of these scopes (got it in a package deal), I actually prefer my Hawke Sidewinder SFP for Hunter. Ive even thought about trading the S3 for 2 Hawkes! But now Im exploring other classes and kind of need the 50x the S3 offers so its not costing me anything to have it or play in other classes.
Have to say my favorite setup so far has been my Marauder with Hawke scope. Accurate enough to play with the big rigs in Hunter. Kind of want another to toy with it at 12fpe and see how she does.
I love shooting FT but also like toying with different guns so I find myself changing setups every year lol. 2025 with be my 3rd season and already have a different gun setup for it than i had for 2024 lol! Leaves a lot of frustration out there for myself since I cant stay put but I haven't found that magic setup just yet that I absolutely love in all aspects. May never. Arms race...maybe. I just think people like buying shiny things and if they have the money to burn, they will. I would too.
Theres so many different guns id love to try but the price tag prevents me from doing so.

 

[Franklink]

.........Arms race...maybe. I just think people like buying shiny things and if they have the money to burn, they will. I would too.
There's so many different guns id love to try but the price tag prevents me from doing so.

100%

 

[cavedweller]

You like hard? Then there’s pistol Limited FT. No shooting aids allowed. But not many want to try that.

well there's hard and stupid hard.... i'll stick with hard.

 

[Franklink]

Pistol limited FT is stupid hard. Easily the hardest ft class I've competed in.

 

[cavedweller]

The lowest $$$ scope you're listing is $920.

That's a grand Rudy.

Taking a gander at the average income in the US, arguably one of the more wealthy countries in the world (of course, after the gubment takes their slice) and we're talking about a substantial chunk of change for the average joe to be able to afford even the cheapest scope you're mentioning.

Not long ago, a $920 was a mortgage payment, and might still be in certain parts of the country.

We covered earlier that there's a basic performance level that must be achieved before a guy can be competitive. That goes for the scope and the gun. Mentions of $400 guns were made, WITH LW rebarells mentioned by one guy, and another guy mentioning tuning and tweaking. That's arms race, either buying a better barrel and/or paying people to tune the gun to make it competitive. Great if a guy can make those improvements themselves, but they're still improving their equipment to try to get to a minimal performance standard.

A Nissan Versa can be driven in a race, but it sure isn't going to win that race if going up against a Formula One race car. And that's gonna be the outcome, regardless of how good of a driver the dude in the Versa thinks they are.

Sir, you must remember that price is relative to ones income and spending habits...
i know plenty of underemployed peeps rocking the latest $1k plus cellphones who hit starbucks everyday.
i try not to limit my perception of others material acqusitions, like (the average joe), based on my perceptions of what is expensive to me or other people. For many, a grand up front is nada issue yet for some it's a trip to the moon. Shooters gonna shoot what shooters wanna shoot and that's a good thing.

 

[thomasair]

I've said this before...but people find ways of getting the things they want if it's important to them....even if it appears completely irresponsible from a financial perspective.

Mike

 

[Bramezy]

Toby Keith stole my line when he recorded, “I’m not as good as I once was, but I am as good once as I ever was”.
That line fits me to a tee.
80, next August, I am competition for no one, except myself.
There are FT shooters in our mist that no one, repeat, no one will beat.
There are some golfers like that too.
Until….Father Time arrives on the scene.
I look at FT the way some golfers look at that sport.
You are competing against yourself.
There just happens to be others in the area.
I think we would all agree Tiger Woods would still have had a stellar career, regardless of the club or ball manufacturer that he was using.
Exercise, fresh air, camaraderie.
This is what FT is to me.
I shoot my TX200s with no drop data except what my feeble mind can remember.
I do not have ChairGun or access to it.
I shoot 50% as always.
I do not have (without hindering other shooters) a long enough space to develop drop data.
But (and this is most important for me), I am having fun.

Agree. I lose sight of the fun factor when im not doing well as I get competitive. Its something I have to work on but I shoot with others that are fierce competitors so it kind of bleeds over and over shadows the fun. I like all aspects of it. I have made more friends in the airgun shooting community than anywhere else. I enjoy getting trigger time, being outside, playing with my toys and hanging with the boys and girls (of all ages). Im finding the older crowd I shoot with are of the same mindset. Age has presented some challenges which prohibit some from staying top end competitive. They still love to compete to but enjoy getting out! Im crazy enough to shoot in about any weather and will be shooting in the snow this weekend for some FT. Its just nice to get out and see if the changes Ive made are good or not and how things are working. Practice.