Sporter Hunter Standard v Open

[Martin]

I notice the Bundaberg-Burnett RC has advertised an open shoot in May with Sporter/Hunter divided into two classes: standard & open.

Is this just a local thing or has Queensland set-up some classification rules?

[Lithgow]

Just a local club or QLD thing.
SH was set-up to encourage normal shooters / hunters to try long range and hopefully progress into Target Rifle, Match Rifle or F Class.
Offering multiple classes in SH is completely against its inclusion in the sport and to be honest, only encourages PSR shooters with custom rigs to shoot SH Class.
PSR is already a recognised category so why water it down by giving multiple matches in one event....
The SH SSRs need to be amended before the category is ruined and its too late.

[KHGS]

Just a local club or QLD thing.
SH was set-up to encourage normal shooters / hunters to try long range and hopefully progress into Target Rifle, Match Rifle or F Class.
Offering multiple classes in SH is completely against its inclusion in the sport and to be honest, only encourages PSR shooters with custom rigs to shoot SH Class.
PSR is already a recognised category so why water it down by giving multiple matches in one event....
The SH SSRs need to be amended before the category is ruined and its too late.

Unfortunately the NRAA Board is not good at being proactive, so due to their reactive nature a great opportunity to advance the sport of target shooting may go begging.
Keith H.

[Malcolm Hill]

It didn't take long for the intent of sporter /hunter class to head down the path of F class standard did it. Just take a look at the equipment register that has been started on this forum. There's no standard Remington, Tikka, Lithgow to be seen there. Aftermarket target barrels, bits and pieces everywhere. Perhaps one club or association is trying to do the right thing and keep it to it's original intent so people can have some enjoyment in a class without it being allowed to develop into a money competition. Regards Malcolm.

[Weairy]

And around and around the argument goes again.

People seem to forget, it’s SPORTING/SPORTER Hunter. It promotes everyday-Joe with his deer rifle to come and have a go, sure, but it also promotes cross-pollination of disciplines.

So where do you draw the line? Factory only? No worries, go get a Lithgow LA105 which is even advertised as a “plate smasher” and an off-the-shelf entry PRS rifle, or a Tikka Tac, in a chassis from the box, or hey, moneys not a problem, get an AI and dominate. Or do we want to go back in time 40 years and restrict it to Remchester 308s with 3-9x scopes and 3000 round barrels that haven’t been cleaned like real hunters, and do what the sport has been doing forever and ignore any type of progression?

I have two rifles, both originally put together for PSR. Both are REM700s, one in the stock it came with from The Barn (Form stock) the other in a $500 used chassis. Both rebarrelled (one had less rifling than my under-over). Both fit completely in the rules. Both shot in SH competition with zero complaints from OTHER COMPETITORS. So many of the people arguing about these rules haven’t shot the class, have no intention of shooting the class, haven’t spoken to other competitors of the class or don’t want to see that it’s evolved from just a feeder class for TR/F Class into its own thing.

I agree that some refinement to protect newcomers (old mate with a Howa 1500 mini that he uses to barrel foxes wants to have a go), but why do that by excluding others? You’ll lose 1/2 the field or more straight away by doing that. I can think of two of the 11 competitors at Vic Kings with standard “hunting rifles”. The rest were some way or another modified or “tactical”. So we send 9/11 competitors home?

[Lithgow]

And around and around the argument goes again.

People seem to forget, it’s SPORTING/SPORTER Hunter. It promotes everyday-Joe with his deer rifle to come and have a go, sure, but it also promotes cross-pollination of disciplines.

So where do you draw the line? Factory only? No worries, go get a Lithgow LA105 which is even advertised as a “plate smasher” and an off-the-shelf entry PRS rifle, or a Tikka Tac, in a chassis from the box, or hey, moneys not a problem, get an AI and dominate. Or do we want to go back in time 40 years and restrict it to Remchester 308s with 3-9x scopes and 3000 round barrels that haven’t been cleaned like real hunters, and do what the sport has been doing forever and ignore any type of progression?

I have two rifles, both originally put together for PSR. Both are REM700s, one in the stock it came with from The Barn (Form stock) the other in a $500 used chassis. Both rebarrelled (one had less rifling than my under-over). Both fit completely in the rules. Both shot in SH competition with zero complaints from OTHER COMPETITORS. So many of the people arguing about these rules haven’t shot the class, have no intention of shooting the class, haven’t spoken to other competitors of the class or don’t want to see that it’s evolved from just a feeder class for TR/F Class into its own thing.

I agree that some refinement to protect newcomers (old mate with a Howa 1500 mini that he uses to barrel foxes wants to have a go), but why do that by excluding others? You’ll lose 1/2 the field or more straight away by doing that. I can think of two of the 11 competitors at Vic Kings with standard “hunting rifles”. The rest were some way or another modified or “tactical”. So we send 9/11 competitors home?

Because it's inception was to introduce newcomers to long range, not encourage custom builds or experienced shooters to 'drop back' to SH to achieve Kings Badges.
If the rules weren't so open to interpretation, the class would thrive.

[Malcolm Hill]

Maybe to help an Aussie manufacturer it should have been the Lithgow LA 105 hunter class where only standard unmodified factory rifles were eligible. No aftermarket barrels, triggers or accessories allowed, maximum 12 power scope and harris type bipod. Mick Punti to be the scrutineer with a yeah or nay to eligibility. The problem in this sport with trying to bring in new shooters in an affordable and competitive class is the amount of people that think it is acceptable to enter their 350 Monaro in the standard HQ Holden class. Regards Malcolm.