Some of us have missed our usual quarterly Bench-Rest Silhouette matches, that have been regulated to second-fiddle this season in favor of allowing more TEXtreme Field Target matches/practice for the 2025 TEXtreme Grand Prix and State Championships. Despite unfavorable weather forecasts we had five shooters make the slog to (and during) Saturdays match to work out their BRS rigs; the five shooting a total of 13 scorecards distributed between three classes. Thankfully the Central Texas Rifle & Pistol Club’s bench-rest range is well covered from precipitation; not so from gusty, swirling winds. Also thankfully, precip kept temperatures in the 80s.
Having arrived during the previous rimfire Bench-Rest Silhouette match results meeting, upon hearing their high score posted on the same course, distances, and 1/10 scale silhouette targets was 35/40, I commented “We’ll beat that” (with airguns). I was close.
Eric Pianori won the 100 Pound Pellet class by tying aforementioned best rimfire score with an excellent 35/40. Eric shot a Nightforce NX8 scoped Scout Evo, firing 45 grain AEA pellets 905 FPS to take the Match Winner hat pin. Great Shooting, Eric!
John Tafoya was second in 100 FP Pellet with a 30/40., shot with an Element Optics Nexus scoped .30 Daystate Delta Wolf firing 50.5 firing AEA pellets 936 FPS. Good shooting, JT.
I chickened out of shooting the 35 Foot Pound Pellet class after about 30 practice shots in the gusty winds at 100 yards. That left only two shooters to contest the whiffle-ball… I mean, 35 foot pound class.
John Tafoya prevailed for the wind… correction, WIN with an excellent-for-conditions 25/40. His Tract Optics Toric scoped Red Wolf shot 21 grain AEA pellets 865 FPS. Good shooting, JT.
Ron Robinson won the (100 foot pound maximum) Slug Class, also posting a 35/40. My .177 QB/Gauntlet hybrid project now spans almost a half-century of evolution, starting with the custom stock I had built in the late seventies (for a Crosman 160). A decade ago that stock found its way to a Chinese-made QB77 Deluxe that I purchased brand-new for $159 about Y2K; that rifle capturing a field target national champion title in 2009 after conversion from Co2 dual-cartridge power, to regulated HPA bottle. Power upgrade a couple years ago virtue of a Gauntlet valve transplant transformed her into a small-caliber, tack-driving slug-gun. FWIW, to this day she retains the original Chinese Co2 rifle barrel and action.
The only (five-shot) shot group shot Friday night to check my zero at 100 yards (.80" center-to-center)-
Ten-shot ‘group’ shot in Saturday’s match, good for a ten-in-a-row rams hat pin—
The .177 QB/Gauntlet slug-gun fires 16 grain H&N slugs 868 FPS, for a whopping 26.8 foot pounds. She wears a vintage 4-18X Bushnell Trophy scope (set to 16X for BRS).
Jim Byrd came second in Slug class with an excellent 33/40. He also hit ten-in-a-row pigs. Jim’s .22 Skout shoots 36 grain Corbin slugs 930 FPS, and is topped with an Athlon Midas Tac scope. Good shopping, Jim.
Many thanks to the shooters that made the drive. Hope y’all enjoyed the match as much as Maggyy and I.
Happy Shooting,
R & M
.
Having arrived during the previous rimfire Bench-Rest Silhouette match results meeting, upon hearing their high score posted on the same course, distances, and 1/10 scale silhouette targets was 35/40, I commented “We’ll beat that” (with airguns). I was close.
Eric Pianori won the 100 Pound Pellet class by tying aforementioned best rimfire score with an excellent 35/40. Eric shot a Nightforce NX8 scoped Scout Evo, firing 45 grain AEA pellets 905 FPS to take the Match Winner hat pin. Great Shooting, Eric!
John Tafoya was second in 100 FP Pellet with a 30/40., shot with an Element Optics Nexus scoped .30 Daystate Delta Wolf firing 50.5 firing AEA pellets 936 FPS. Good shooting, JT.
I chickened out of shooting the 35 Foot Pound Pellet class after about 30 practice shots in the gusty winds at 100 yards. That left only two shooters to contest the whiffle-ball… I mean, 35 foot pound class.
John Tafoya prevailed for the wind… correction, WIN with an excellent-for-conditions 25/40. His Tract Optics Toric scoped Red Wolf shot 21 grain AEA pellets 865 FPS. Good shooting, JT.
Ron Robinson won the (100 foot pound maximum) Slug Class, also posting a 35/40. My .177 QB/Gauntlet hybrid project now spans almost a half-century of evolution, starting with the custom stock I had built in the late seventies (for a Crosman 160). A decade ago that stock found its way to a Chinese-made QB77 Deluxe that I purchased brand-new for $159 about Y2K; that rifle capturing a field target national champion title in 2009 after conversion from Co2 dual-cartridge power, to regulated HPA bottle. Power upgrade a couple years ago virtue of a Gauntlet valve transplant transformed her into a small-caliber, tack-driving slug-gun. FWIW, to this day she retains the original Chinese Co2 rifle barrel and action.
The only (five-shot) shot group shot Friday night to check my zero at 100 yards (.80" center-to-center)-
Ten-shot ‘group’ shot in Saturday’s match, good for a ten-in-a-row rams hat pin—
The .177 QB/Gauntlet slug-gun fires 16 grain H&N slugs 868 FPS, for a whopping 26.8 foot pounds. She wears a vintage 4-18X Bushnell Trophy scope (set to 16X for BRS).
Jim Byrd came second in Slug class with an excellent 33/40. He also hit ten-in-a-row pigs. Jim’s .22 Skout shoots 36 grain Corbin slugs 930 FPS, and is topped with an Athlon Midas Tac scope. Good shopping, Jim.
Many thanks to the shooters that made the drive. Hope y’all enjoyed the match as much as Maggyy and I.
Happy Shooting,
R & M
.
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