Just being a very good marksman isn't good enough at that level of competition. I don't care how good you are, if your rifle won't shoot any better than 1.5MOA, you simply will not compete, let alone win. In order to compete, one must both be an outstanding marksman AND have equipment capable of shooting better than the least accurate rifle on the firing line. The point is that the Savage team won not one, but many trophies, with the same rifle that you or I can buy off the shelf, against everyone else shooting custom guns most of us could never hope to afford. I have no doubt that the members of the Savage team are excellent shots, just like every other competitor at that level of competition. The point is that their rifles were able to compete as well, which for a $1200 factory rifle, says a LOT.

Mike