At Wurgabup RC, we had a falling membership for a long time (I am told, only been there a couple of years). We are now down to about 30 members, with probably 10-12 shooters that can fill their championship boards for the year.
Since I have been there (July 2006), there has been a very much increased interest in F class shooting. This is due to a number of reasons: older shooters (no offence to the old f4rts) having trouble with eyesight and holding rifle up, and also interest from young and new shooters.
In the last 18 months, the club had decided to go down the route of buying and maintaining a club rifle in 223R using an Omark action. This rifle was rebarrelled and tuned up to shoot the 80 grain sierra projy. So far, the rifle has cost WRC about $1,100 (new barrel + new scope) and has generated $hundreds for the club in reloaded ammo income (mostly from my family!!!!). I reload the ammo for the club, with the club just paying for the bits - Lapua brass, CCI450 primers, 2208 powder and SMK 80 gr projies.
This is just great for generating shooters with no shooting background. My wife had never shot a rifle over a range, and had done some shooting for rabbits and the odd parrot, similar story for my eldest son. Incidentally, my eldest son is only 12. Both he and Linda, my wife, are doing very well now after getting used to the idea of wind and bullet drop etc. I just laugh now when they drop one outside - no sympathy from me any more
The 223R is just about the perfect round for this duty, as the 308 just kicks too hard over a rest for younger and smaller shooters. The rifle and ammo performs well at 1000y, just as it does at 300.
So, now we have done some hard work and spent some cash on new members, we have probably 5-6 new members now signing up for the next year. 2 of these in TR (YAY!).
Even though I love TR, I just love shooting, and so do the other members. Gradually, we are ridding most members of the older views that previously prevented them from accepting F class as the way of the future.
Clearly, without FS, we would be a dead duck in a few years.
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