FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

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FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by brett1868 » 11 Apr 2018, 10:57 pm

Woohoo...That time of year again where the sound of half inch gunfire fills the air. I'm driving down to Warracknabeal Vic tomorrow night for this years 50Cal titles where I hope to defend my best aggregate score and hopefully pick up a trophy or 2 on points. I will be competing in both the factory and unlimited classes this Saturday with the DTA & Bat50 then on Sunday with the Tik-Tac 6.5 Hipster. I've packed the ice for the shoulder along with the clip-on man bun and beard, hopefully there no rules against fake beards and buns giving an unfair advantage. Changes from last years setup is ammunition that is much closer to where I want it accuracy / velocity wise along with a new rear rest that's adjustable and rock solid. The field is fully subscribed so it'll be a huge weekend and Warracknabeal is one of my favourite competitions on the FCSA calendar.

Packed the big fella along with a choice selection of my finest reloads :)

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Hopefully Saturday night I can post some pictures of either my success or failure along with the groups. Warracknabeal has a flash electronic target system from https://www.silvermountaintargets.com/ that allows the shooter to see the shots on a tablet device along with the impact velocity.

Sunday I'll be shooting the 6.5 Tikka Tacticool 6.5 Hipster purely for the sake of it, I don't expect to be at the pointy end of the field using a factory rifle and ammo. The locals down there are excellent shots but ill do my best not to be last. The boy was going to come but has been sick all week with a viral infection so I'll be solo this time.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Bent Arrow » 12 Apr 2018, 7:39 am

Sounds like a hoot. Good luck and have a blast (pun fully intended)
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Gaznazdiak » 12 Apr 2018, 9:13 am

Good luck Brett, I'm currently a brilliant shade of green with gun-envy.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Gwion » 12 Apr 2018, 11:45 am

Have a great time and happy shooting, Brett. Good luck.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by AusTac » 12 Apr 2018, 12:36 pm

Damn it ! I was going to try and come up for that, i didn't realize it was this weekend :o anyway good luck Brett!
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 12 Apr 2018, 1:07 pm

Good luck mate
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by on_one_wheel » 12 Apr 2018, 1:59 pm

Good luck Brett

Hope you've got someone there to help you carry the coffin :thumbsup:
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by bigfellascott » 12 Apr 2018, 4:08 pm

Have fun Brett, do you know if Harb and Michelle are going?
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by YoungBuck » 12 Apr 2018, 4:41 pm

Bugger, it's a bit of a drive for me. If it wasn't so far I'd definitely be interested to go and watch some of the action.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by AusTac » 16 Apr 2018, 1:01 pm

How'd you go Brett?
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by sungazer » 16 Apr 2018, 4:43 pm

The weather was an absolute basket case I suspect.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by brett1868 » 16 Apr 2018, 5:33 pm

A bit long winded but bear with me....

Suffice to say it was an eventful weekend, Insults were made, accusations made of "buying" a win along with me being a "Cheat".

Before practise started on Friday during a friendly talk with a few other competitors the topic of wives came up, I mentioned mine wasn't happy about the time I spent away from home but was otherwise very supportive of my shooting. A person who I'd never met before made an absolute vial, expletive filled comment about my wife, in my youth I'd have punched his lights out but being old and more mature I walked away and made a mental note not to go near him again. Next up some other loud mouth upon seeing the BR50 come out to play made a crack about having too much money and I was buying a trophy. I've heard that stuff before and find it ironic as it's generally the smokers and drinkers making these type of comments. They burn half their cash and piss the other half down the toilet with nothing besides a hangover and emphysema to show for it, and apparently I'm the one with too much money.... :unknown:
I put that crap behind me and focused on the shooting, Strelok Pro suggested 23moa elevation to get from my 200yd zero out to 1000yds and 2 moa left to counter the 5 m/s wind from the 7 O'clock direction. These numbers were near perfect and within several inches of where I needed to be, I was on paper and within 2 shots in the black. The cost of that app was more then recovered by not having to fire several rounds @ $8 each to get on target. I continued to test the grouping of the 4 loads I took and was relatively happy with the size. The second load performed a fraction better but the third load was the winner. I then shot a personal best with that rifle of 5 shots into 7.78" @ 1000yds (pulled 1 slightly or it would have been 5.5"). I opened the bolt and walked over to the guys running the electronic target system to ask if they could save me a copy.
It was at this time that the organiser approached me and said that an objection to the legality of my rear rest had been raised. I asked who raised the objection (Suspecting it was the vial loud mouth from earlier in the day) or if they were even affiliated with the FCSA, I was declined an answer. The rule book then came out and after some debate, others joined in and offered their interpretation of the rules. Benchrest rules were quoted, F-Class rules were quoted and I think I heard a quote from the bible in there :) Just to prove my point I removed the rear rest and shot a 5 shot 11.5" group rapid fire. Then after more debate, the organiser sensing my growing agitation said that I would be allowed to compete this year but they will look to change the rules for next year (I took this as we'll let you cheat this year but we'll fix it). Then there was a discussion on exactly which class I was shooting in cause they didn't know what was on the registration papers.Admittedly I was very tired after having been awake 32hrs so rather then spit the dummy I went back to the motel to sleep on it. Woke up 6am and thought screw it, I don't need to waste any more time or money on this debacle so I headed home.
Spent yesterday cleaning the DTA & BAT 50, today I cleaned my brass ready to reload and tonight I'm heading out to the range so the boy can tick off a trainee pistol shoot on his path to full club membership. I've been in touch with the FCSA President in the US outlining why I withdrew from the competition, the circumstances behind it and that I can no longer justify the time, effort or funds to support their organisation in Australia.

My Rest setup
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This was their main objection
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My defense - Rests are not connected by any means to each other and can be moved / removed independently. The rifle isn't in the picture but take my word for it that it can be lifted freely from the rests. Also, there is no means to reduce the recoil other then the amount of leather in contact with the butt stock which is legal.
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Their argument - The board constitutes a means of attachment of the stands to each other.

My Argument - The board is no different to using the ground or indeed a proper bench (I use a board cause the ground isn't level there). We can't use benches at Warracknabeal due to regulations relating to range profile and the use of baffles to limit muzzle angle.

My defense of using the board
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The board could be considered to be a personally owned shooting bench which is permitted in the "Unlimited" class.

That's when the discussion arose around what the actual classes being shot were...
Here's the registration so I'm at a loss as to how there could be any doubt by the class being shot... :wtf:
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In summary, the comp was a waste of time, effort and money but at least I got home early and can go shoot with the boy tonight :)
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by juststarting » 16 Apr 2018, 6:09 pm

Thing is, Brett, regardless of who won now, the winner, in the back of their mind know that they could have came second, they won't feel like a winner and this will bother them for the rest of their life. While you go shooting with your kid. It's a win win really.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Member-Deleted » 16 Apr 2018, 6:49 pm

Geez Brett don't know you personally but reading what you have wrote and how you write it it sounds that you are twice the man
those pricks are
But a bit sad they made it so unbearable for you not to finish but what you did saved you quite a bit on not wasting ammo
And a bit of an anticlimax for you though but chin up mate hope things work out for you
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by AusTac » 16 Apr 2018, 6:53 pm

And that why i don't shoot at ranges :roll:

Tough break mate i know little snippets of how hard you work to get all that s**t shooting straight at crazy distances thanks for the summary though always like hearing about some gun gossip/drama :lol: surely this doesn't mean you have to give up the 50's though?
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by sungazer » 16 Apr 2018, 7:02 pm

Real shame to hear that Brett. You go to a lot of effort to put together the gear and for the Organization. I could see those rear rest rails being a problem for someone. In F Class at some of the top competitions things can get a bit petty to the point of being stupid. So far I have never had to be in a circumstance like that, never a threat to anyone. That circling the entry form is just crap its not like they are using computer read entry cards to take your registration. Really disappointed in the shooting community hearing that. I thought we were all big boys that could get along and had a code of honesty and a fair go like are old diggers had, seems that's not always the case these days.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Daddybang » 16 Apr 2018, 7:55 pm

juststarting wrote:Thing is, Brett, regardless of who won now, the winner, in the back of their mind know that they could have came second, they won't feel like a winner and this will bother them for the rest of their life. While you go shooting with your kid. It's a win win really.


Js is . on the money ..EFFEM!! Shooting with the young fella has to be more rewarding and satisfying than dealing with a bunch of jealous effwits!!! :thumbsup: :drinks:
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by bigfellascott » 16 Apr 2018, 8:36 pm

Yep that's the reason I don't bother with comps and ranges anymore, too much BS for my liking, got better things to do with my time these days anyway.

Sorry to hear it all turned to s**t Brett, not sure I'd both with em again after that little bitch fest.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by COLLECTOR 1 » 16 Apr 2018, 8:59 pm

Having read all that the only thing I can say...and it's based on experience just like yours is that your the winner.... I've seen this sort of crap over 40 odd years of shooting.... narrow minded people with narrow minded ideas. They wonder why the sports dying and shooting disciplines are struggling.....

Your better than me... 50bmg is no lightweight.
Go near my missus.... you may live but I doubt it
Wise crack at my misses... your broken in half........ but you may live

Your having a bad day at the bench.... suck it up...the man with the 50 is all over you... so shoot better dick head....

And finally..... the time you have with your young man just shows how much of a father you are compared to the narrow minded people with the narrow minded ideas ".........and like I said it's based on experience....just a different discipline and 40 years apart....

I'll get off my box now...lol

PS... my boy is now 24 and out shoots the narrow minded people alllllllll dayyyyyyy

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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by brett1868 » 16 Apr 2018, 10:04 pm

I appreciate the support guys, I did feel a bit like a dick by packing up and leaving. I swapped a few messages with Wylie27 and thought to hang around and let the results do the talking but after a good nights sleep I figured there'd just be more stupid comments. I used to compete years ago and gave up due to this exact same type of behaviour. I won't give up on the caliber, still plenty of feral cats out there needing to be vaporised :) A couple of positives came from the trip, I got some good chronograph data to analyse, I met the owner of Reloaders Haven (Nice guy), put some faces to names of people I've dealt with on the ART&T Facebook page and I didn't get a wet ass having to shoot on Saturday :) Just disappointed that the dik head factor has infiltrated what I considered one of the most friendly and social comps of the year though probably my biggest disappointment was the trial by other competitors and lack of decisiveness from officials.

The boy did well tonight, didn't shoot himself or an RSO and I was even complimented by the RSO on his technique and control. Won't be long and he'll be smashing chickens with myself, Wylie27 and the gang :)
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by sungazer » 16 Apr 2018, 10:26 pm

I was just to write something along similar lines Brett. Put aside the personal insults and jibes that is just bad manners, sportsmanship and just stupid.
However they way it was handled by the organizer was absolutely wrong and again very poor. I have never heard of a protest before an event has begun. The organizer should of asked the complainant what his concern was and told him if he still felt the same way after the event to put in a protest. The organizer should then of come to you and had a private word telling you that there were concerns over such and such. it could of been discussed perhaps a compromise made. At least a suggestion made that if it was done in this manner it would be much clearer under the rules if a protest was made.
Very unprofessional handling of a competition.
Personally I know rules can become very pedantic to the point of senseless. I am more about the spirit of the rules especially when making any judgment if a line has been crossed.
In the recent competition between Australia and New Zealand a protest was put in again about a rear rest or more the plate under the rear rest which the rules state"must be no more the 2 inches bigger on each side of the bag" well the guys bag was not perfectly square or rectangle through design and use. and it was a bit thiner at the front than the back but the plate was rectangle. the silly thing here is that there is not size specification on the rear bag rest it could be 4*4 or 8*8 and the plate under it can be 2 inches bigger on each side. the was no specifying that the bag had to only have 4 sides if it had eight sides according to the rules the plate could be bigger by 2 inches on each side. The problem was the guys bag was old and did not have well defined sides. Thankfully the protest was thrown out.
How the guy making the protest could make such a petty claim astonishes me, what was there to gain?

Anyway sorry to hear it happened to you Brett and it was so poorly handled. It will be a bad memory that will take a long time to heal. It would eat me up. perhaps that's the game plan of some of these bogans and hacks. It does the sport no good at all. I am sure that they are jealous that you meticulously put such a good rifle together.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by brett1868 » 16 Apr 2018, 11:26 pm

Technically in "Unlimited" class there is only 1 rule.....Why there was any debate about anything remains a mystery to me. Get the calipers out, measure the bullet and leave me alone.

From the rule book for "Unlimited Class Fifty Caliber"
Any barreled receiver that fires a bullet with a diameter of .510/.511 inches and that's it....no other rules apply.

The rules they were pointing at were for an entire different class - "Hunter Class".
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by sungazer » 17 Apr 2018, 8:17 am

That makes it even worse. When looking at the American site I thought some of those shooters must be in another class altogether some look like the Benchrest Unlimited class (The rail gun) some really big heavy guns with small ladies behind them not shouldering the gun.
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Bent Arrow » 17 Apr 2018, 9:35 am

What a bunch of sooks. Sad to hear
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by bigfellascott » 17 Apr 2018, 9:36 am

brett1868 wrote:Technically in "Unlimited" class there is only 1 rule.....Why there was any debate about anything remains a mystery to me. Get the calipers out, measure the bullet and leave me alone.

From the rule book for "Unlimited Class Fifty Caliber"
Any barreled receiver that fires a bullet with a diameter of .510/.511 inches and that's it....no other rules apply.

The rules they were pointing at were for an entire different class - "Hunter Class".


Yeah sounds like it - hopefully they will get their s**t together. :thumbsup:
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Re: FCSA 1000yd Australian Titles 2018

Post by Gwion » 17 Apr 2018, 12:48 pm

Well.... i guess they saw 5 shots into less than 8" at 1000 and just sh@t themselves! :lol:

Very disappointing fir you Brett. Why is it that shooting comps attract so many petty whingers who mistake their ambitions for their abilities!??! :unknown:
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