Hi Chris sounds like a good idea, the problem now days is new shooters look for rifles and gear anywhere they can. The thought at the time will be that the shooter will then come into shortrange and get involved in the sport. This may or may not be the case here is a real time exercise a few years ago now. 

I built a rifle from brand new Barnard S 6.5 x 47L with custom dies, custom stock brand new Night Force 12 -42 NP2 - DD scope no expense spared $6800 I supplied a rest bags loaded the ammunition and took it to registered matches . The only cost was they paid their entry and $50 to cover the ammunition which I loaded with 130 bergers, lapua cases. It was used a total of 5 times in two years and one of the shooters who used it last brought the rifle and gear for less then I paid for it, setting it up. 

I don't believe that selling gear at reduced costs will encourage shooters to this discipline. It will be seen as a place to get cheap gear they will then use in F class or the fly or other sports the internet is a hunting ground for cheap gear. 

A stronger thinking would be to have two complete set ups for use at the range and make it know there is gear available to try. I have a Rem bench gun in .222 that shoots fantastic and at all matches I usually have spare guns. Do I want to off load these NO but I could make them available but to new shooters only. 

The experience I stated earlier was overshadowed by the fact that only 1 person who used the rifle was a new shooter the rest were already shooters who just wanted to try the rifle and for $50 how could you go wrong. 

Good thread, hope others provide their thoughts.

Cheers and good shooting to all

Les

Chris,

Will you sell your factory unit for the amount you paid for it or what the market is offering? I know we are talking about a huge difference in value but the principal still applies. For what ever reason, our equipment doesn't depreciate as much as some other things and I think the main reason for that is that your Panda rifle, which is probably 25 odd years old still works today as well as it did when new and to replace the action alone would be around $3000 AUD. I stopped shooting a few years back with no intention of starting again so I sold all my guns bar 1 (just in case) and was chuffed that I could sell them for what they originally cost me. 

There are people who are prepared to pay more and those who will pay less. There are guns and equipment out there for both.

Good feed back . 
Hoping for some more thoughts.I probably should elaborate on what my thoughts were previously.

As an option let’s forget about what the cost of replacing an action and stock is from the USA and look at the rifles already in Australia and are sitting unused in many many safes.
I would love to get a true evaluation of how many Pandas,Teddys,Bats,Stillers etc are sitting in safes around the country that haven’t been used in years and could be potentially available at good prices.

As I said earlier it’s not about given good guns away it’s about selling a used item at a used rate 

Chris, when your at silverdale at the club shot, do many people come into the reloading shed and ask questions about trying SRBR? May we should ask SSAA to do a survey in their magazine ranking everyone’s thoughts on LR, fclass, fly, srbr etc etc to gauge the popularity of the sports. I have a feeling a lot of blokes are into the military looking rifles in chassis to shoot steel plates at a mile or whatever distance. It might be that srbr is too slow for them. I personally think it is, in competitions anyway. New shooters might come from sons of fathers or grand dads who shot srbr.