Claim money in shooting competitions....just a thought.

[Rembrandt]

In some classes of auto racing, competitors are faced with "Engine Claim rules". For example, if you win the race....your competitors can buy your engine for $500 (or whatever). This makes racing in those classes more affordable and eliminates the deep pocket $30,000 engine from dominating the field.

Wonder what would happen if shooting sports adopted the same principal?

 

[psyopspec]

I'd go back to tee-ball, or keep all my shooting solo.

 

[Zundfolge]

It would have the opposite effect of what you're trying to do ... the only people that could compete are those that can afford to lose a $3000+ pistol for pennies on the dollar if they win.

I bet in those classes of auto racing you don't have very many hobbyists any more (other than Doctors, Lawyers and owners of Software companies) and I bet the field is STILL dominated by the deep pocket $30,000 engine folk.

 

[rxraptor02]

My local range does something like that.

It is a poker game. You buy a target with a deck of cards printed on it. The one who shoots the best hand wins a pistol or prize. Right now it was some 1911 pistol.

 

[Rembrandt]

Makes me chuckle when folks puff out their chest and claim it's the skill level of the shooter....and then get into a spending race for equipment. Don't misunderstand, I like the nice stuff too and have put plenty into the "Blackhole" of equipment. Just wondered why no one has ever come up with a dollar limit on guns and backed it up with a claim process?

Not that anything will ever change in this regard. In automotive racing the old saying is "Money buys Horsepower". Probably the same could be said of shooting...."Money Buys Accuracy".

 

[CajunBass]

I used to think it was all about the equipment too. Then I started to shoot with a local IPSC club (about 20 years or so ago) and I quickly realized that I could switch guns with the top guns, and they'd still outshoot me.

 

[trueblue1776]

There are plenty of low cost guns that could be good IPSC guns, get an old Star mod B for $250. (Or a new Sigma for 50 cents.)

 

[Outlaws]

I used to think it was all about the equipment too. Then I started to shoot with a local IPSC club (about 20 years or so ago) and I quickly realized that I could switch guns with the top guns, and they'd still outshoot me.

Not that anything will ever change in this regard. In automotive racing the old saying is "Money buys Horsepower". Probably the same could be said of shooting...."Money Buys Accuracy".

Both equipment and skill will always work in tandem. All the horse power in the world won't do you any good if you don't know how to use it. Same thing goes for shooting, you need to be able to use the equipment.

 

[trueblue1776]

Yeah, IPSC isn't about shooting from a rest, it's practical shooting, as long as you gun functions as it should it will be fine.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Competition....

It's a question of "Money buys _________ " (fill in the blank) no matter what sort of competition you're in. And practice hones skills, the same way. And careful, fussy case prep makes hi-quality handloads possible.

The more of yourself you put into a competition the better you'll do. You think the guys with the $30,000 engines don't work 24/7 on race prep?

And if you don't have a native talent for that kind of competition, you're in it strictly to compete against yourself.

 

[plexreticle]

Skill = 90% of shooting ability

Equipment = 90% of drag racing ability

 

[sierrabravo45]

TruBlue,

I really don't think you could win Production Class with a Smith Sigma. The 12 pound trigger pull is good for double taps though.

 

[Lucky]

Up here claimers races were where you can buy the whole car for $100. The entire field was ford Tempos. Each slower than the last. Never caught one of those races, but they actually sounded interesting. However that's on a track where they also raced figure-8 - some things just don't translate to the gun world!

 

[Outlaws]

Skill = 90% of shooting ability

Equipment = 90% of drag racing ability

So you are saying that bench rest shooters would be competitive without their finely tuned rifles and finely tuned hand loads?

Any moron can be taught to look through a scope and pull the trigger and hit paper, just like any moron can be taught to drive a stick. All the skill in the world won't help you group .1 MOA if they rifle can't do it.

 

[Zundfolge]

So you are saying that bench rest shooters would be competitive without their finely tuned rifles and finely tuned hand loads?

Give me a finely tuned STI competition pistol and give Zak Smith a Hipoint and I guarantee you by the end of the day Zak will soundly outshoot me.


Equipment is more of a factor in racing than it is in target shooting.

I'm not saying that skill isn't a factor in racing, but it can be "bought" more readily than competition shooting skill can be.

This comes from someone that has done more racing (SCCA Solo II) than competition shooting.



Any time you try to "take the money out" of something, be it a sport, business competition or politics (stupid McCain/Feingold) you end up screwing the little guy 100 times more than the fat cats you were trying to level the playing field against.

 

[Outlaws]

Give me a finely tuned STI competition pistol and give Zak Smith a Hipoint and I guarantee you by the end of the day Zak will soundly outshoot me.


Equipment is more of a factor in racing than it is in target shooting.

My point is both are equally important because if you take two world class shooters and give one his custom rifle with hand loads, and give the other a decent rifle with factory ammunition, one of them has been severely handicapped.

 

[trueblue1776]

severely handicapped? nothing is THAT bad.

 

[plexreticle]

So you are saying that bench rest shooters would be competitive without their finely tuned rifles and finely tuned hand loads?

Any moron can be taught to look through a scope and pull the trigger and hit paper, just like any moron can be taught to drive a stick. All the skill in the world won't help you group .1 MOA if they rifle can't do it.

How did you get that from what I wrote?