Resources Tirrell/Thomas Death Star

[Troy Bakel]

This past Sunday I had the privilege of shooting a Tirrell/Thomas rail gun.

My close friend and bench coach set the POA and I put three .177 pellets down range 25 yards.

The gun returns to battery automatically so you only touch it to reload it and if the return to battery micrometer does not indicate zero.

When the wind set is what you want, you very gently place your thumb on the remote trigger release and she fires. The trigger pull is less than that of my TOZ free pistol, as such you feel absolutely nothing.

I did not touch the point of aim nor look through the scope. I concentrated only on wind indicator set.

The end result was a very small clover leaf.

Mr. Nlksch and Mr. Tirrell built a very, very fine precision instrument and I am honored to be one of a very few to have the privilege to shoot it.

 

[thomasair]

Troy, very few people are actually able to appreciate real benchrest….hence the reason there have not been any other responses on this thread. Real benchrest is about absolute repeatable precision and the ability of the shooter to read the wind and make the appropriate compensation for it. Most of the world thinks that benchrest is when you take an ordinary gun and shoot it off a bench. Real benchrest will never be popular because there are only a handful of people that even understand it. Unlimited class BR is an even more rare bird.

Mike

 

[nomojo65]

Return to Battery Rigs are pretty cool, years ago I watched some unlimited rail guns compete at 100-200yd (6ppc). It was amazing to watch these guys set up the guns on target study the flags, wait for their condition, then shoot 5 shots as fast as they could open and close the bolt.
It was interesting because most didn’t even have the scope over the bore! It was offset and after the first shot they may not look through the scope again.

 

[Troy Bakel]

With a March scope and black rings - the Death Star.

 

[nomojo65]

Beautiful!, very few in this hobby (at least on this forum) will appreciate this.

 

[tommyb]

Troy, very few people are actually able to appreciate real benchrest….hence the reason there have not been any other responses on this thread. Real benchrest is about absolute repeatable precision and the ability of the shooter to read the wind and make the appropriate compensation for it. Most of the world thinks that benchrest is when you take an ordinary gun and shoot it off a bench. Real benchrest will never be popular because there are only a handful of people that even understand it. Unlimited class BR is an even more rare bird.

Mike

Have to say……

Even though I don’t shoot f2f bench rest competitions like RMAC or EBR; I have to agree with this sentiment. You can’t possibly excel at bench rest with an air rifle; if you cannot read the wind.

My best guess, “many are called but few are chosen.”

 

[thomasair]

Tommy….EBR and RMAC are where people who don’t shoot real benchrest competitions go to pretend to shoot real benchrest competitions.

 

[L.Leon]

Tommy….EBR and RMAC are where people who don’t shoot real benchrest competitions go to pretend to shoot real benchrest competitions.

No need to denigrate… while I can appreciate the precision of those “real” benchrest PCPs. If it cannot be carried and shot normally? Zero interest for the majority of shooters. Taking out the human variable, but for “wind calls”? Not looking through the scope for each shot? Clinical to say the least, and what’s the practical value? If it can’t be carried afield, what’s the point? I get that the “one trick pony” benchrest wonderguns do great off the bench, bolted down, micro adjustments, etc. But the majority prefer to handle and caress their guns, and shoot them off the bench too. Can you handle/manipulate one of the “real” benchrest gun, doesn’t seem so… If you’re shooting off a table/bench and your gun is “rested”? It’s still bench rest, just not at the highest, anal, levels…

 

[thomasair]

Actually, real benchrest matches always consist of multiple cards shot from multiple benches at multiple times. The reason for this is because if anyone shoots 6 cards…they will have a range of scores. Shooting multiple cards removes the chance factor and the best shooter always arrives at the top due to the average. At most 6 card benchrest matches….you will have 4-5 individual card winners….but the person with the highest 6 card aggregate wins. Shooting 1 card matches like ebr is nonsense in the real benchrest world. That fact alone makes EBR a fun shoot. As I said originally…real benchrest will never be popular because there are so few that understand it. Real benchrest has been going on for probably 100 years. It’s shot probably everyday somewhere in the world . Making up a completely different event and calling it benchrest doesn’t make it benchrest. Shooting ordinary guns off a bench has never been benchrest…except to those that are ignorant of what benchrest really is.

 

[L.Leon]

Actually, real benchrest matches always consist of multiple cards shot from multiple benches at multiple times. The reason for this is because if anyone shoots 6 cards…they will have a range of scores. Shooting multiple cards removes the chance factor and the best shooter always arrives at the top due to the average. At most 6 card benchrest matches….you will have 4-5 individual card winners….but the person with the highest 6 card aggregate wins. Shooting 1 card matches like ebr is nonsense in the real benchrest world. That fact alone makes EBR a fun shoot. As I said originally…real benchrest will never be popular because there are so few that understand it. Real benchrest has been going on for probably 100 years. It’s shot probably everyday somewhere in the world . Making up a completely different event and calling it benchrest doesn’t make it benchrest. Shooting ordinary guns off a bench has never been benchrest…except to those that are ignorant of what benchrest really is.

We understand, somewhat, you bolt a gun down, have minimal interaction with it and send at the perceived right time… Woohoo, it’s so real! They say “ignorance is bliss” but maybe “chasing perfection is folly”… and we firmly understand it’s all about the “pursuit”…

 

[thomasair]

Sounds like real benchrest isn’t for you. That’s ok….I’m not surprised. Very few get it…but I said that already. Your inability to understand what drives those to pursue it does not in any way detract from our enjoyment of doing so.

Mike

 

[L.Leon]

Its not “inability” just zero desire to bolt down a thing and shoot it remotely. No matter how precise…

 

[igolfat8]

Even though the rifle may be a rail gun or affixed to the bench in some manner it still takes a lot of human interaction and skill to make accurate and repeatable wind calls while shooting pellets at 25M, 50Y or longer in various wind conditions. BR isn't shot in a vacuum. Having a rifle that you can rely on the pellet to repeatedly go where you intend it is only half the battle. The wind is my enemy and trying to understand and beat that foe causes me to keep returning to the sport. I'll likely never be on a podium in a big match but I'll certainly have great enjoyment trying with my limited equipment and skill set.

 

[thomasair]

Tim, people that don’t get it will never get it no matter how much we try to explain. That’s why real BR shooters are few.

Mike

 

[tommyb]

Even though the rifle may be a rail gun or affixed to the bench in some manner it still takes a lot of human interaction and skill to make accurate and repeatable wind calls while shooting pellets at 25M, 50Y or longer in various wind conditions. BR isn't shot in a vacuum. Having a rifle that you can rely on the pellet to repeatedly go where you intend it is only half the battle. The wind is my enemy and trying to understand and beat that foe causes me to keep returning to the sport. I'll likely never be on a podium in a big match but I'll certainly have great enjoyment trying with my limited equipment and skill set.

I can especially relate to your last two sentences Tim.

On another note, my new Sightron Competition 36 x 45 mag arrived on Thursday from KSS and is now sitting on top of the .30 Paradigm. Ready to take on the wind, mirage, et. al.

 

[woogie_man]

True BenchRest is a fickle endeavor. If you go to a match and watch from the outside you will think there is nothing to it. BUT if you actually shoot you will understand there there is FAR more to it than just throwing down a rifle and pulling the trigger. Try to find a local bench rest shoot in your area and talk to the guys, either air gun or powder. There is a TON that goes into shooting well, WAY more than people even understand.

Heck in the powder world many of the things that we use today, were figured out by the bench rest community years ago and have a proven track record.

 

[Centercut]

View attachment 376137
With a March scope and black rings - the Death Star.

Those Rail Guns are super cool... Accuracy must be off the charts! Nice job!

 

[beerthief]

Tommy….EBR and RMAC are where people who don’t shoot real benchrest competitions go to pretend to shoot real benchrest competitions.

wait till it is all "AI "no human intervention , what is left to brag about then ?

" I shot a perfect 250 and 250 X'x last night " the computer waited till no wind for each shot , i woke up this morning and it was all done " WOW what a night !!!

 

[woogie_man]

There is no computer shooting the gun, you still have to be able to read the wind and understand how the rifle shoots.

There is still the human interface that is required for each shot.

 

[beerthief]

There is no computer shooting the gun, you still have to be able to read the wind and understand how the rifle shoots.

There is still the human interface that is required for each shot.

i was looking to the future when AI "could be adapted . I speak from experience in another hobby , Ham Radio , a friend looks at his monitor and clames he contacted 3 hard to get places around the world ,when actually it was his "AI" - computer logging the contacts while he slept.