Custom Rifles from the 2011 NRA Smallbore Championship
NRAblog 11.04.11
Walking around the 2011 National Smallbore 3-Position Championships, you couldn’t help but notice the different rifles competitors were shooting. Wood stock, metal stock, off the shelf regulars and customized specials. Which raised the question as to why the different guns and the difference in performance. So we went to Jessie McClain of the NRA Competitive Shooting Division.
“The customized rifles, like the Anschutz you showed me, can make a real difference in a shooter’s performance,” explained McClain. “I went from a decent shooter to making the varsity shooting team my freshman year because of the rifle.”
As Jessie explained, one new feature out there is the adjustable stock, which she called the Porsche of the shooting world. Fully adjustable from the butt plate to the check piece to the hand stop and risers and bolt knobs, this component is fully customizable to the athlete … which can be a huge advantage.
“Every person is different,” said McClain. “Big or short, lank or tall, a customizable rifle fits anyone. A rifle team can purchase four of these and field a shooting team for years.”
The one warning she did have is that these are not for the novice shooter. Get a couple of years of shooting under your belt and then think about moving on to a customized rifle. That way, you can learn the basics before investing in the high dollar equipment.
“You wouldn’t give your 16 year old a Ferrari for his first car, would you?”
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