Certainly some food for thought Les.

Hi all 

to be honest I would be happy to set some of my flags at matches in places I want them.

The issue is that not all shooters have the luxury of turning up days before the comp to set up their flags .

Would one assume that an individual’s flags are set up primarily suit the owners shooting preference!!

I am left handed so 99% of the flags are set up to suit right handed shooters 

Most of the time the bench draw is not known until late on practice day so the whole idea of every shooter supplying 5 flags doesn’t seem feasible.

If I arrive on the Friday evening would everyone agree with me removing flags and setting up my flags to suit my preferences and seat positioning.

The range flags we use at Silverdale are always being shot by the general shooters for fun. after purchasing some bits and pieces at little cost they are generally easy to repair.
But if we all want add more cost to the already high entry fees so be it for me to disagree.
Do a costing on the all the components that make up a flag and you might be surprised.

Wind flags. I have a set of 35 flags for benchrest, a couple of years ago I was interested in buying a full set of BRT flags and could not buy a set, I still have about 12 BRT flags anyway, so I decided to make a set, big job, poles at different lengths and many tails.

We have 6 to 8 great people on my flag rotation, there are 3 LH shooters, I for one, the great thing about having several people on my rotation is that they help putting up the flags and pulling them down.

I can see positives for charging $10.00 for the people that don’t have flags and for damage, this is ok for people having the BRT flags but for us that have made our own you can not replace them. I used my BRT flags at a shoot one day and finished up with two flags that was not mine, my vanes my tails but someone else’s pivots but both pivots were broken, (some low life), they can not do this with mine now. I also believe that the people shooting on my flag rotation should not pay the $10.00 in question.

I really believe that the people that use someone’s flags should offer to help put them up and help pull them down, shooters that intentionally shoots someone’s flags should be removed from the range.

I think the people that supply flags do this for the sport of benchrest because there are many people have done a lot for the sport of benchrest.

A very interesting thread and some good points, just to clarify some though firstly getting to a match is a luxury one that i have to take two days holidays from my primary employment then re schedule lawn jobs from my own business in the prime time of earning some extra cash, and in addition block out the time so i don't get called from TAFE NSW (3rd job as a trainer / assessor) to attend a match to help set up the range, move backers, generators etc over the lunch breaks even clean up the loading room, wash dishes so shooters can enjoy their sport. It is a luxury. 

As for the bench draw it is posted when the rules say it needs to be some pull out some come along it is a balancing act there a no exacts in a sport of volunteers. As for setting up flags on Friday that is exactly what i did and will continue to set my flags up after practice in preparation for the match reason is shooting come with no zero different scope swap barrels trying different things. 

As you have stated chris you are left handed and the flags appear to favour the right handed shooter so please bring your 25 flags and place them on the right hand side of the bench. I can assure you give or take a 2 degree off set is not going to make one bit of difference. 

Mark having built great flags, thats fantastic if you have the time and equipment to do so the rest just buy them and away we go. I like the idea of placing the flags exactly where the owners likes them i will certainly entertain that from now on. 

Looking forward to as many flags as we can get out in the field the more the merry.

Good shooting to all.