Mark, should we be concerned that someone running a shooting organization doesn’t know the difference between the 5th Amendment and the 2nd Amendment? I’ll just assume that was a brain fart on your part and move on. But, a sincere thank you for jumping into a leadership role with the USARB. I know how much time and effort it takes to keep matches and organizations running smoothly. Here’s my opinions on USARB and the sport of benchrest.
1) I wish that all benchrest in the US would be under one organization and therefore one set of rules. I understand that N50 may have been born out of the lack of interest in 50 yard events with USARB clubs. And the major 100 yard events all use different target sizes and rules. Getting everyone on the same page for 100 yards would be great. The 100 yard events also do the dreaded one card final, which is not much better than a coin flip among the top 15-20 shooters. I understand the reasons they do that, but I’d like to see a 3 card total be used. But, if all of this can’t be merged into one organization, and I seriously doubt it will, I think it would be best for the USARB to focus on 25M/25Yards.
2) Regarding classes. I think those participating in the USA Open and Unlimited classes are more likely to be migrating to N50 since the rules and power limits for those classes seem more geared towards 50 yards. So, I don’t mind those 2 classes going away. But, I don’t think any changes should be made to LV and HV. The rules for those are WRABF rules and if we intend to send more people to worlds, those are the rules that we’ll be needing to prepare and practice for. I think it’s a great idea to add LV Sportsmen and HV Sportsmen classes. I already see many, especially those that are new to the sport, start out with a bipod and a bag or 2 bags or other configurations that aren’t WRABF compliant. Having those additional classes would encourage participation and people will move up as they progress. Now that I think about it, maybe leave the USA Open class intact so we wouldn’t turn someone away that hasn’t tuned their gun down (or for someone with a 1-piece rest or an electronic trigger). And leave the one piston class as it is.
3) Regarding equipment. I don’t have any issue competing against guns with electronic triggers (even though WRABF doesn’t allow it), as long as the trigger is built into the gun in a traditional place and configuration. Heck, my RAW breaks at around 2.5 oz, so I don’t see the point of the restriction. But, a separate switch removed from the gun should not be allowed. LV and HV airguns don’t really move when fired, so I don’t really care about restricting weight. I don’t think I would shoot any different if I added 10 pounds to my gun. I don’t really see a good way to restrict certain guns (like a Thomas) to a certain class without creating a lot of hassle and confusion. I wouldn’t mind seeing someone with a Thomas, a bipod and a bag shoot in a sportsmen’s class their first couple matches, but if they place near the top, I think the match director should nicely encourage them to move up to LV/HV. Anyone that drops 4k on air gun is likely to be able to afford a WRABF compliant set-up and likely will buy one if they find USARB events to be fun. Also, with the low power we are shooting at and the low number of shots per card, I don’t see why anyone needs to tether.
4) I would be interested in a national event, but it would probably need to be very central US for most to consider going. The idea of trying to fund some or all of the travel expenses associated with going to the worlds is a good one. Hopefully one day we can all be competing to be one of the top few sent to the worlds with all expenses paid. Having the “all expenses” or even some expenses carrot dangled in front of me would make me much more likely to attend nationals.
