I have bolded the key things that you have to consider. Its getting people out shooting, and using a budget hunting rifle people are actually looking at buying or have already to get out there is what I would see this as vs the "
serious contender". People get scared of this thought and run away from it vs trying out the sport when it comes from "people in the know". Who knows, you might even see the aftermarket world get into the 783 one day and this thread be something we all try and search for one day.
Allowing people to take something that they have, that the didn't know they could and go do an event is way better then telling people you can't do it with what you have you need to look elsewhere. Again this is why I left F-Class.
Yes I do have 3-5k rigs but I worked my way to this and learned what I needed as I went. This way when it came time to take things "seriously" I knew what would work for me and I had built the skills to know how to use that high end gear. My dual purpose rifles soon became more purposeful in specific events and I worked and saved for it once I knew what I needed vs what worked for someone else. I believe it was you who mentioned that there are no two rifles on a PRS line that are the same, each one is tailored to the individual.
Let people try it, and if they like it then look into going further. They can always sell that pre-fit barrel to the next guy looking to try it, and then it returns their 783 to a hunting rifle again leaving them to look into a dedicated PRS build. If you look at this as he is misleading people then I think you are looking to deeply and taking the PRS sport to seriously as long as everyone is safe and having fun then it doesn't matter what they use.
Look at this as; "some person with a hunting rifle who wants to try out a discipline being able to spin on a barrel to what he already has and is used to using in field and improvised shooting environment under stressful conditions (what hunting is, kinda sounds like PRS too
) and trying an event out" Let them decide if they want to become a serious contender and move on from there.
Pro Patria
baker42, thanks for GETTING IT !!!!
This is not a new story... I have seen it over the last 10yrs in F class. Now we have a shrinking audience with all the "cool" stuff. Newbies ask "how much does it cost to start?"... they point to their very good but very expensive gear... newbie walks away. I have competed and still compete with a Savage Stevens 200... next to my very expensive and exotic Titanium single shot.
The price difference in massive... the performance on target, not so much.
PRS has quickly become a very expensive sport. Was carrying around $1000 worth of CF tripod really the intent of the sport? or needing a rifle that is 5 digits to play with the cool kids?
PRS has done in a few seasons what F class took a decade and that is price shooters right out of the game. Video after video shows up some of the nicest rifle kit you can imagine.. yeah, I know, I sell alot of this stuff. But like watching exotic cars, everybody wants one... precious few can afford one.
I keep hearing this thing about "you don't compete, how could you possibly know?" What is so wonderfully different about a mag fed bolt action rifle used in PRS vs all the thousands that have been used in Sniper/Tactical matches over the last several decades?
Maybe there is some magic that I don't see in the pictures and videos but they sure look like A5 style stocks to me or alot like the chassis I can sell you.
I totally get that we move up our bling as we get more and more involved in a sport.... note the Titanium receiver and ubber expensive scope that I own and compete with. BUT that is not what is truly necessary and all too often those in any sport forget that. I keep my Stevens around so that newbies can see an entry point. No, it is most certainly not fancy or pretty or blingy BUT it will get you on the podium if you LEARN HOW TO SHOOT.
And learning how to shoots first requires a shooter to get into the game.... and then be able to afford to shoot, and shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot.
a shooter with the basics I have outlined will be miles ahead with this competitive rifle under $2000 and $5000 available for extra barrels, reloading supplies, trips the range, trips to matches. How many can start at $7k then add a couple of thousand to reload, a couple more to replace the barrels consumed each season, and whatever they spend to go practise?
As I have mentioned before, the real tech that I see in PRS are those amazing bags.... AND learning how to use them so you can get stable. Sure, the rifle has to function, it has to feed, it has to be accurate enough, it has to fit you... but is the fanciest bling the only thing that works? Skill comes from hours of practise and lead sent down range.
So I haven't been to a PRS match.. yet. But the story is nothing new and the end game, not surprising.
If a sport only favors ever increasing costs to "win", that sport will get real lonely real fast.
The Rem 783 is an action that, with a little investment, be transformed into a fully functional rifle. There are just enough parts to make that happen:
Boyds provarmint stock.. if you like A5 style stocks.. done. And any competent gunsmith can inlet into a "flat top" stock, it really isn't that much different from a Rem 700
PTG makes the DBM.. inlett into the Boyds above, you have a DBM set up.
MDT LSS chassis... yeah, not my fave but it is a chassis. Bug MDT and likely in 1/2 a day, they can export that CAD file into the ESS which I am sure many more will favor.
Match prefit barrels from a number of sources...and a good barrel is what makes a rifle accurate. Cost to completion, about 1/2 the cost of traditional installs.
tune the trigger, swap the bolt knob, change the firing pin spring, spin on a match barrel.... learn to reload and shoot and this rig is 1/3 minute capable. Will it feed, function and fire accurately? Mine sure do....
Is this the end all? Of course not... but it is one possible entry point that is functional and affordable. If there is interest, parts will come. Look at how far the "despised" Savage SA has come the last decade. Look at how fast the Tikka is gaining traction.. how many aftermarket triggers are there for that action?
Want to go Rem 700 or custom clone? No problem, happy to help you kit it out but that can get more expensive.
My posts and pictures and testing are to show real world results to back up what I am saying. I don't intend nor expect it to change any sport.... just give shooters an option and exposure to looking outside the box.
If shooters want to play along, great... more shooters, more parts. At the rate that Big Green is pushing the Rem 783 into the consumer market, we may have more owners looking for bling sooner rather then later. The investment they have made in its production indicate a serious platform for years to come. This rifle has only been on the market for 4 yrs.... I think it has done well for what support it has garnered so far.
Time will tell if the Rem 783 will gain any market acceptance... but at least those reading this post are aware of what it can do.
And if that drives more options in affordable performance, we all win.
Jerry
PS spending a bunch of money on a factory rig dressed up in fancy clothing is false economy when you spend even more money fixing all the flaws.
