This new proclamation makes sense, since 99 percent of Metal Madness participants are shooting rimfire guns, mostly due to the lower costs involved. The move to rimfire only will surely streamline match administration processes, making it easier to conduct matches so the focus can be on shooters having a good time.
There's also the speed factor. Metal Madness is largely a speed game, and as such, the speed of a rimfire gun is ideal for it.
The founder of Metal Madness, Ed White, provides additional details on this change to .22 LR.
Says White: "When Metal Madness started in 2014, we allowed .45 ACP and smaller for classification The larger calibers forced us to make the targets heavier, to prevent damage to the steel. The heavier targets made it nearly impossible to hear the rimfire rounds strike the targets. As Metal Madness progressed, more of our participants were switching to rimfire to offset the ammo cost, also finding that the rimfire firearms were faster than the centerfire ones."
Keeping the cost of entry to any shooting sport is always going to be a good thing. Since target frames and steel are damaged more by centerfire guns, the elimination of them from the sport should help increase the lifespan of the equipment necessary to conduct Metal Madness matches.
There will still be lanes for centerfire use at Metal Madness events, but no classification or bracket information will be recorded.
For more information on Metal Madness, click here.