IBS Issues New Rules for Bolt-Handing and Begg's Skeleton Stock
On the eve of the new competitive shooting season, the rulemakers of the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) issued two decisions that will affect the short-range benchrest game.
On March 31st, the IBS Executive Board took the following actions:
Modification of Bolts-Out Rule
In order to safely allow competitors to check seating depth, et. al. in the loading area, the E-Board voted to allow the allow insertion of bolts in the loading areas. However, placing the bolt in the gun while in the loading area is permitted ONLY under the following circumstances (read carefully).
1. Competitor strips the bolt of the fire control system.
2. Competitor uses a dummy round without primer or powder.
3. Competitor inserts a NRA “chamber flag” or other IBS-approved indicator inside the bare bolt.
4. Competitor displays all of these items to those around him.
NOTE: Violation of the above rules will result in an immediate disqualification from the tournament. According to the IBS Executive Board: “The change in the bolts-out rule will not take effect until we establish the exact type of bare bolt indicator that will be readily available to competitors. A likely date of inception is June 1, 2009. Until that time, the existing ‘bolts-out rule’ applies.”
Approval of Current Beggs Stock
An IBS member asked the Executive Board to rule on the legality of the Gene Beggs’ modular stock for competition. This stock (shown below) features a separate, clamped bag-riding forearm rather than a conventional one-piece stock. The Excutive Board determined: “After consulting the Group and Score Committees there was a consensus among board members that the rules really did not envision a stock of this type. In the interest of not inhibiting innovation, the E-Board approved the Beggs Stock as currently configured, for HV, LV, SP, and VFS (as appropriate) competition in 2009. So that similar innovations can be more readily assessed, the Executive board will do a comprehensive review of the stock configuration rules prior to the July 1 deadline for agenda item submission.”
FOOLED FORUMS…
