Marine, we need to go fishing.
Everybody I know, and shoot with, knows my story; it's about shooting, not winning, or, in different terms, fishing, not catching!
When the 'shooting' part ceases to be fun, I will quit the sport, with no regard to the 'winning' issues; for me, how I spend a Sunday is important, and a good day with the dogs trumps a Trophy, won in stress.
This is my approach; pick your own poison!
I shoot single shot, falling block, rimfire rifles, with all their disadvantges; ie, 2 piece stocks, etc, almost exclusively; and shoot well, in spite of the handicap.
The only person I have to shoot against, is ME.
If I take a match, WOW! But if I had a good day, according to my personal 'bests', it's all I really came out to do, so I am not in any way, shape, or form, disappoiinted.
My gear is the best I can afford, but everybody has a budget, and mine is tight (I support three households), so there are those with better equipment, at the line. No matter.
On a good day, I will shoot with all of that money, and beat their scores, out of pure stubborness, and the intimate knowledge of my gear.
It ain't the gear, but the shooter.
To paraphrase, "It ain't the size of the dog, in a fight, but the size of the 'fight', in the dog!"
My little girl, Brandy, at almost 50 pounds, recently sent an overly agressive, 110 pound lab, to the vet, with 'marks' on both heels, and muzzle.
Stepson's lab, and a good, but mannerless, animal, but not real cognizant of his 'betters'. I had little dog, in the scrap, but the dog I had, had a lot of fight in her, thus the result.
Never apologise for your gear, simply learn it well, and make it work!
Brandy earns her keep, moving cattle 15 times her weight, and knows no better way to spend an afternoon; she will 'load' the meanest bull you've ever seen, into a trailer, in 90 seconds, or less, because she does not know this is an impossible task, for a 'normal' dog!
Friend, understand, shooting is a long standing hobby; my ACD's (Heelers, to most) are my life; the animals teach me far more than I have, to teach them, but what I learn, I share.
My dogs are 'rescues', so come seldom to never with papers, or pedigrees, yet work with the best stock dogs in the state; perhaps, knowing your gear?
Every one was a step from being 'put down', some, with serious behavioral problems, when they came to me; every one is 'productive', and manageable, today.
Now, this is working with 'junk equipment' at the highest order!
We were in Houston, at the China Air Freight Terminal, a couple of weeks ago, to pick up a box of airplane parts, and deliver them, to a local aircraft shop, for a 'downed' aircraft; first thing I heard, was that the dog could not be in the terminal; I offered that she was a 'service dog', my bodyguard, but, that, if it was an issue, my truck was parked, and running, the second stall from the entrance. If it was an issue, I'd collect my package, and he could move the dog to the truck, with two other dogs,in the cab. Offer declined, with apologies.
We did our business, and left.
My point is, to me, these dogs are 'familiar gear' and respond, often, without a word, to a 'situation' that we have dealt with, before; so a familiar rifle, regardless of pedigree, will respond to familiar hands, with no apology, or excuse, needed.