Kevin, I was googling up George Stidworthy and yall have a common thread,he won the NRA-U.S. Cartridge Company Trophy in `68,`69,&`71;you won it `08. I `m buying his 2- Karl Kenyon 37`s he won them with and was researching his past ,his daughter won it `77 &`82 do you think she used his rifles also ? Hey was you shooting Lupua in `08 and was that a rifle you built?
Slick:
Thanks for the post, it has been really quiet here!
George and his daughter were some of the very best prone shooters this sport will ever know. If you look at the records (unbroken) they have, it is just amazing. I honestly don't think we will see them challenged in our lifetime, and I have spent a lot of time wondering why. I believe we have better rifles / barrels (generally) - and I refuse to believe that the old "Paper Box" Eley was as legendary as I have heard.
I do know that Karl Kenyon did all of George's (and probably Mary's too) gunsmithing. Karl is another person who will never be replaced - what an amazing craftsman he was.
I probably helped that George (for many years) was an Eley distributor - I have heard the story told over and over among the older shooters regarding the extensive testing George did (all rumors, mind you!).
I would love to see someone of the upper levels of BR today, shoot (from a bench) an equal record score to Mary's in 1987 - 400-40x's with an additional 40 consecutive x's, same target, same distance, in even mild Perry winds. That is no slight to BR (you guys are amazing) - it is a tribute to just how amazing Mary was.
Yes (to answer your question), I have always built my own rifles. The rifle I used in 2008 was an Anschutz 2000 series action, Hart 17 twist barrel and Eley ammunition (my sponsorship with Lapua started just after Perry in 2008). I did win the Metric National title in 2010 with Lapua ammunition though! The Tenex lot number was 1006-01159 (of which I still have a case in storage!! LOL)
I have been building rifles (rimfire is almost all I do) since about 1995 - I just got really tired of waiting a year to have a rifle built! I am REALLY impatient! I found a great lathe and a mill and never looked back.
I don't have time to do it in quantity, but have always built guns for my friends (Paul Gideon won his titles in 2003 and 2006 with some of my work). Some people using Palma rifles I have built have also done well. In recent years, I find myself getting beaten by something I worked on on a VERY regular basis! LOL
Thanks again for the post, have a great 2013 season!
kev