(a) Sleeveless leather, vinyl, heavy fabric or multiple layered vests that may be considered or construed to be
unnecessarily heavy or to provide artificial support are permitted if they can be closed over a gauge made
from 4 inch thin wall PVC pipe, not less than 30 inches in length, passed through the entire length of the
vest, and opened or vented from the bottom edge to a point two inches above the crest of the hipbone

s o a hardscrabble vest could be considered under this rule. i have one and love it. my question is about the vent to 2" above the hip bone. do the opened velcro strapped sides cover this rule or does the zipper have to be unzipped up to about belly button.

i am on the cusp of taking over the stat shack at my club and sometimes these questions pop into my head.

thanks for your input
dave

If anyone protests a vest (see this years Winnsboro or last years Nationals) it's going to be because the vest is zipped/strapped what is presumed to be too tight. If so protested you will be escorted from the line with the presumed offending vest in the same zipped/strpped condition that the range officer finds it and the pipe applied. It should be noted that some folks can appear to be rather tightly wrapped in, but upon application of the pipe and a bit of standing up straight and "sucking it in" the pipe passes through. The rule appears to be simple on the surface, but it's not quite as easy to rule on as it might appear.

Hope this helps, but is NOT intended to generate antoher debate over what is within the spirit of the rules or isn't...I've heard it all over the course of the years and am in a decided "Don't care" mode concerning this particular aspect of the game.....At the end of the day, you still have to pull your trigger, the other guy has to pull his.

Kitty

silhouette13 wrote:(a) Sleeveless leather, vinyl, heavy fabric or multiple layered vests that may be considered or construed to be
unnecessarily heavy or to provide artificial support are permitted if they can be closed over a gauge made
from 4 inch thin wall PVC pipe, not less than 30 inches in length, passed through the entire length of the
vest, and opened or vented from the bottom edge to a point two inches above the crest of the hipbone

s o a hardscrabble vest could be considered under this rule. i have one and love it. my question is about the vent to 2" above the hip bone. do the opened velcro strapped sides cover this rule or does the zipper have to be unzipped up to about belly button.

It means the vests should not have straps tied below the point two inches above the crest of the hipbone. You will notice some of the older vests (non hardscrabble) and some of the ones Mexican shooters use (made in Mexico) that may have the third strap rolled and held with rubber bands so it can't be used.

The rule specifically states 'vented', which most modern designed silhouette vests are, at the sides.

The zip length done or undone is immaterial, unless, I guess the vest is worn undone ?
In which case it would not be construed to be too tight, and would have no problem with any pipe.

I have a custom vest that is heavy, but vented to above my hip to the bottom of the two velco straps, but I don't like it tight anyway, for comfort,
so a pipe passed through is no problem.
(Just gotta watch as you put on the beef to loosen the straps a bit !)

Might be a bit of a job though getting the pipes down the front of some of the big girls vests, (who would want to be a pipe tester !!!)

I have only seen one instance of a shooter being disqualified,
by wearing a tight leather zipped jerkin under a loose fabric coat.
(Obviously for (perceived ?) offhand upper body support !)

cheers,
SS

thanks that is what i was thinking, i just needed some verbage to defend my self i ever had to make a ruling.

cheers
dave