Re: Rifle build for national match competitions
Don't take it the wrong way, but IMHO an Internet Forum is not going to give you a lot of the answers that you honestly need if you are going to pursue your stated goals in High Power.
You REALLY need to get out to a club / range / match so that you can put your hands on stuff, try stuff, and talk to the shooters who can keep you from learning things the hard way and wasting a lot of money.
What works well for one person may not work well for you, espcially when it comes to High Power and personal items like a coat, gloves, sling, sights, etc. Asking on the Internet will get you a response, but it may not be the one that is going to work for you.
Very common mistake in High Power, shooters buy stuff before they have a chance to try it out or shoot with it. When they actually get on the line and try to use it, they quickly figure out it is too big or small, wrong height or length, doesn't work with their eyesight, and the list goes on.
Unfortunately, most of the High Power activity is done for the year, buy your local club / range may still have some active shooters.
As much as you may want to start buying, I would honestly have to say that you need to get hooked up with some local High Power shooters and try whatever you can before you start spending money.
I am making these recommendations because I still have a closet full of what turned out to be useless items that I bought when I first got into High Power. I need to get around to selling it, because there is probably over $1,000 worth of stuff sitting there that never got used beyond 1 or 2 matches!
Try Before You Buy!
Best of Luck,
M Richardson