Hi Bob;
Are you going to stop making the 30BR bullets?? I hope not 
Bert

Hi Gord;
Is the rest still for sale?
Bert

Suitty;
I'd be interested in the B&L scope separated from the rifle. What is your price on that?

HI Rick;
Can you tell us who made them?

Hi Rick;
As a fellow web master I know the work involved - a lot!
Many thanks and my best wishes for another great year.
Bert

Thanks John;
It sounds like this would work best if shooters had some training and practice sessions where the "worst possibles" could be addressed and the members of the team could "gel" as a working unit of like minded people who trust each other. I'm not suggesting the opposite - just seems to me to be a necessary condition of team shooting that would need to be worked on before venturing out as a team. This also assumes that all members are technically proficient - of course you wouldn't go to the worlds if you aren't.
In New Brunswick we regularly hold team shoots (in Fullbore/long range shooting) and I know it takes us several times together with with a coach/trainer before we can function as a supportive unit. There a just a lot of kinks to work out. One of them is that we are individuals who shoot and develop our loads and technique individually and we have to learn to be comfortable with letting go of some of the control over what we usually do ourselves and trust a wind coach to do it for us. A little different from BR shooting. But still - the trust factor would be there.
It's too bad we live in such a big country where it is really difficult to get together easily. I know from travelling to matches in the Maritimes that the costs in time and $$ really add up. This on top of equipment and component costs.
Bert

HI Vera;
You did some very fine shooting here - congrats!

I agree with Calvin that good competition at many levels does improve shooting and raises the level for everyone. In New Brunswick, matches at Petitcodiac are of this nature and you will see mostly serious competitors with serious equipment there. We still score up though and so matches are sometimes won by Xs.
On the other hand, local clubs and local "fun" shooters are the grass roots of our sport and rimfire shooting is a relatively inexpensive and low-maintenance way to get them involved. I'm all for increasing this and if some clubs stay away from higher level competition to do that - kudos to them.
We all know that gradually, over time, the level of shooting increases, the equipment becomes more sophisticated (and expensive), and methods (including rules) become more standardized. So I see some stiff competition, first regionally and then perhaps nationally, on the horizon.
Perhaps we could start mail shoots such as the DCRA has been doing with the rimfire prone shooters as a good first step.

No-one in New Brunswick - they are not allowed in matches so why practice with them?

BR50 is also very much alive and well in New Brunswick. We don't post equipment lists but most shooters are using Anschutz rifles (a variety from older Model 54 target rifles to the newest 1907 or square actions all in BR stocks). There are some Savage Heavy barrel rifle - amazing entry level performance! We shoot 2X the standard 25 bull target in Petitcodiac and another 2X targets (same target but reduced to 20 scoring shots per each) in Minto per month - so typically 2 Matches per  month. The Sporter class rifle is shot in Minto - again 2X targets. Our shoots are typically attended up to about 20 shooters from the first weekend in January to early fall when we have our Final Championships.
We allow 2 piece rests but not one piece. Tuners are OK. We haven't limited ammo. Our scoring is up - not down - resulting in encouraging scores and several perfect targets per year.
Results are posted on http://www.newbrunswick-benchrest.blogspot.ca/ - take a look.
Bert