Alright I guess I have to chime in here.
I would class myself as an elite level shooter as is Keith and a few others here on this board.I've shot against/with Keith, have been coached by him and Linda on the CF Bisley team and respect his skill and him as a person.
I have always professed that its the man behind the gun instead of the gun itself that wins or loses competitons.Training is what has won me 13 provincial service rifle championships and a lot of other gongs at high end competitions all over the world.
HOWEVER,with that said, in my humble opinion, when you reach an elite level in the SR game and are shooting scores in the 550s and above CONSISTANTLY in provicial and national level (read high pressure)competitions and are shooting against other elite level guys doing the same thing, there is something to be said for the "space gun".
Possibly it could be more an ammo and sight issue, in comparison to issue ammo and the old elcan, but I have no testing data in that department.But I do feel that there is an advantage to be had from a 24 inch barrel, a fish gill style muzzle break, handloads and a better sight than the elcan.
Yes I realize that NSCC has different classes and the issue guns have their own class,however I seem to remember that the National Champion is the guy with the highest score at the end of the day,issue gun or otherwise.
Lets look at NSCC 2008 for example. I want to make it clear that I'm not singling out Keith or anyone else.I just want to make a point about the benefits of certain rifle attributes at an elite level.
First off lets look at the matches.
Match 1 is prone as is match 5,6,7,9 10,and 11.Elements of match 12 have prone in them as well.For arguments sake lets say that 2,3,4,8 and half of 12 are not prone and therefore nulify the supposed advatages a space gun might have.
Still,nearly 2/3's of the matches are prone.It does not matter if the rifle weighs 50lbs in these matches as it is rested on the mag.It doesn't matter if its a snap or a rapid.A heavy gun has zero effect on the shooter.As a matter of fact a heavier rifle may benefit the shooter in managing the recoil.
At NSCC 2008 in the 3 deliberate matches that take place at 200, 300 and 500m Keith shot a fantastic 50-9v/50-10v, 50-8v and 50-9v making a total score of 150-27v out of 150-30v possible.Awesome shooting and I enjoyed carrying him off the range.
The closest person shooting a 20 inch issue type rifle with an elcan and standard ammo(another elite level shooter who owns 7 Queen's medals,who is also a multiple time Bisley shooter and well on par to Keith's skill)was able to muster 48-2v, 48-5v and a 49-3v.Still an awesome score by anyones account and totally on par with what can be produced by such a rifle.
Both shooters with equal skill and training.Both using hand loads.One had a 24 inch barrel and efficient muzzle break and the other had a standard 20 inch barrel and an elcan.Did one have a bad day and the other not?
Right there there is a point difference of 5 points and that's only after 3 matches out of 12.Only 5 points you say.What's the big deal?National championships and Queen's Medals are won and lost(I should know) on small points spreads exactly like that.
What I'm saying is that a rifle with certain attributes can give elite level shooters that advantage.When you are shooting 20 or 30 points less than the top guys you probably might not notice it.But when you are within 10 points or less it does make a difference.
I might add that Keiths final V tally after stage 2 that year was 81v.I was the next highest with 59v.He also shot 6 possibles out of 12 in that competition.That means 6 matches he shot a perfect score out of 12 total.That is amazing!Next highest was 2 possibles out of 12.
Did training make a difference that day?Hell yes!But I think there were other factors at play too.
I can go on about other matches and different benefits but I think you might get the idea.
Personally,and this is just my humble opinion,shooting like that isn't possible with ANY 20 inch barrel.National match,government profile or anything else.If it is I've never seen it in all the years I've been competing.Those kinda scores lend themselves to longer barrels with efficient muzzle breaks to manage recoil,better ammo,definately a better sight with more magnification and better glass.
What does all of this mean?It just means that from what I have seen at a high level these attribute CAN make a difference when you are talking about a handfull of points to win.
Will I go out and use one of these in a match?No.Not my thing.I'll stick to being a close second or third with my issue C7 and IVI ammo and the knowledge that when we are talking a handful of points, I'd be right there.
