Some really unhappy custom owners with big bucks in their stuff, I bet. From another forum....



Factory rifle wins open custom category world championship
« on: April 15, 2008, 01:25:29 AM »

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The Hickory North Carolina Egg and Groundhog Shoot, considered by many to be the World Championship of Varmint Shooting, with targets at 100, 300, and 500 yards shot without any wind flags or sighting shots was won for the first time with an unmodified factory rifle – a Savage varminter in 223.

Shooters from every continent come to Hickory each April to compete. There have been many articles in Precision Shooting and other magazines from serious competitors on the custom rifles they have built to win this competition.

Always before there has been a factory and an open (custom) rifle category and winner. This time a factory Savage took both trophies.

This competition depends on a score based on concentric scoring rings on a life-size groundhog target (not group size) and on the ability to hit a real chicken egg at 500 yards. A Harris bipod or similar device is allowed. No sighters for vertical adjustment are allowed between changes of the three ranges (100, 300, & 500 yards). No sighters for wind and there are no wind flags.

First, second, and third place in factory category were all taken with Savage factory rifles. With the first place factory rifle also winning the open category.

Three boys from Savannah, Tennessee, brought three identical Savage rifles – all 223 Remington caliber with 7-inch twist.

Each boy took turns shooting each rifle (as is allowed). Each rifle was shot at all three distances by each boy without leaving the shooting range position. No one recalls what scope they were using. When asked, the boys did not know what ammo they were using and said somebody just handed the ammo to them before they left for North Carolina.

Many other shooters complained – especially Remington 40X shooters – saying that those Savage rifles had to come from Savage’s Custom Shop. Of course, Savage’s Custom Shop just screws/bolts together standard factory parts in combinations not available in the catalog, e.g., screw a factory blued barrel onto a factory stainless action. The boys insisted that the three rifles were purchased off-the-shelf in a gun store. The competition match director confirmed this personally the next week.

Many have said that those boys were just lucky because the wind was blowing so hard the day of the shoot and knocked the rest of the shooters off their game. Many said that on another day Remingtons would have won.

Shooters win matches. Rifles help them to do so.