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Why do folks like benchrest competitions?

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Plan B said it best I equate benchrest to golf. I don't have the time or patience for it. I shoot run and gun tactical matches and hunt, when I get to the point I have to slow down I'm sure I will shoot benchrest only way I will be on a golf course is to shoot bunnies..... lots of time and patience and a methodical approach to bench rest to be good sure a guy can show up and get lucky every now and then but to constantly win takes a lot of work and some really great equipment. ...I would like to see a hunter class competition where you have to stand and shoot off only sticks no tripods no wind indicators no shooting jackets
 
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I would like to chime in here. I belong to a Bench Rest Shooting Club, North Florida Shooters Airguns. We have matches designed for folks to introduce them to shooting in competition. For example October 15, 2016 there is a match for old guns made between 1964 and 1974, pistols, rifles, standing off hand 15 yards, 24 targets 30 minutes. I will not shoot this one , Grandson getting married that day, I would use my trusty Crosman 400 with cast trigger, and dead on accurate.
There are several of these type of matches just for fun, and of course a trophy or prizes. Look us up on FaceBook, we have fun.
Fred Voisen
 
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Sounds fun, fritzalee! I really like the idea of stock classes. For standing offhand, for example, it would depend more on technique than equipment. You could have a $3K airgun, but the better shooter would win with a $100 one. 

AZBOBCAT, you and I are of the same mind. It shouldn't get to the point where a person could effectively BUY a higher score through superior equipment.
 
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Hey Joe, what are you doin' with that gun in your hand? Just jokin, but you are going to be surprised at how many slow poke FWB 300's show up at the Nationals. The springer class seems divided up between the old - slow but accurate rifles, and the souped up modern hot-rods that are professionally tuned by an airgunsmith, type springers. That is one of the beautiful things about benchrest, the diversity that exists among these shooters. As an example, my HV rifle is the newest generation of RAW with a brand new "Indexable barrel" and all the latest whatever you can get. But my mainspring on my old barrel is too light and could not get the proper factory spring in time...It now sports a Marauder "cheapo deluxo" spring. It is exxxxxxxxtreeeeeemly consistant, at least until I get to Oxnard. See you there Joe, bring Duct Tape!
 
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Chiming in... First off I'm a hunter and a competitive BR shooter. I'm 44 years old and almost 100% of the time I'm the youngest at the range. Most of my partners and competitors are retired or close to it. I've been shooting since I was 8 years old, my first rifle was a Daisy 880 power line I think it, I still have it too!!. About 2.5 years ago I purchased a Condor SS and joined North Florida Airgun Shooters, a club local to me. I showed up with my Condor and was hooked on airguns again. I'm very competitive person so I started modding the condor.

i shot it alwhile and always saving my cash for upgrades, or more accurate guns. I then purchased a R10 and had it tuned with it I broke into the 730's and it is a spectacular hunter.

I shot it and broke high 735-740 scores. Like I said I have a competitive personality so I saved money, sold a few things and got a Raw Bm500, now I'm winning matches and scoring 747-749's. My point is... Being able to shoot with what you have and have a great time. A person can go out and spend 3k on a setup and be competitive?? I don't think so, shooter has to be seasoned with airguns. Why do I like BR so much?? Because I have great friends and teachers to shoot with.



 
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"Kim"Salty with all due respect, the equipment you show could be used to make the opposite argument. ie, about $4K investment (rifle, scope, front rest, rear bag, pellets, flags, etc) and you have a match-winning setup.

That said, outdoors in windy conditions the shooter's role is significant and it takes skill to win.

Kim
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yes, but i didnt start out like that... i learn to shoot with less expensive equipment, thw shooter was built before the equipment was...
 
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Ken, I've been following your progress and you are an amazing shooter no doubt. I'll agree with Kim, the equipment really helps when you get to your level. Gotta spend a little money to hang with the top dogs. I'm no where as skilled as you or the guys you shoot with but I have seen higher and more consistent scores with my Thomas on my home range than with any of my other air rifles? I remember when I first started and thinking how hard can it be to shoot a 250 card at 25 meters? Huh, it's pretty damned hard.....haven't done it yet! LOL

Keep at it brother and give ol' Frank a fit when he gets back from Oxnard for the rematch ;-)

Jimmy

 
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"CampFussell"Ken, I've been following your progress and you are an amazing shooter no doubt. I'll agree with Kim, the equipment really helps when you get to your level. Gotta spend a little money to hang with the top dogs. I'm no where as skilled as you or the guys you shoot with but I have seen higher and more consistent scores with my Thomas on my home range than with any of my other air rifles? I remember when I first started and thinking how hard can it be to shoot a 250 card at 25 meters? Huh, it's pretty damned hard.....haven't done it yet! LOL

Keep at it brother and give ol' Frank a fit when he gets back from Oxnard for the rematch ;-)

Jimmy



Thanks Jimmy! oh i wont give CK any room!!
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One of the best parts of BR is the willingness of others to help you . Whether it's picking out gear , reading the wind , or your actual shooting . I try my best to keep my ears open when I go to a shoot . But nothing beats time behind the trigger. Reading the wind has been my hardest challenge. Well that and realizing no matter how hard I want to try , a springer is not gonna hit the 10 ring every shot . There's always those " wtf" shots . Just part of it
 
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At 80 years old.Bench Rest Competition is the only available option,. Having been an Air Rifle competitor since early 90's I have done Field Target both riffle and pistol,
Air Rifle Silhouette rifle and Pistol, 10 meter Rifle and pistol. Before finding air guns I competed in High Power center fire and rim fire, both rifle and pistol.
While in the US Army I had the great experience with an invitation to attend the Advanced Marksmanship School at Ft. Hood, Texas. Like most shooting sports the
fellowship is what brings most back to any game. Many shoot for that and to beat their last best score. Any thing more than that could drive you crazy.

Bench shooting has a different skill set than other games. All of the above require the best equipment to place at the top of the pile.
A 2mm circle at 25 meters in variable wind conditions is as challenging as any of the above.

To win at some matches you can not miss more than a couple of shots on a 25 shot target. In Competition at USARBR in the season of 12 matches scoring your best
9 targets a 247/250 is a throw away score. It is about the wind and your ability to read it, to pick a condition and the patience to wait for it. You must be willing to take some
risk with other conditions or the clock will run out.

My motto is "keep em' in the middle"
 
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"AZBOBCAT"Plan B said it best I equate benchrest to golf. I don't have the time or patience for it. I shoot run and gun tactical matches and hunt, when I get to the point I have to slow down I'm sure I will shoot benchrest only way I will be on a golf course is to shoot bunnies..... lots of time and patience and a methodical approach to bench rest to be good sure a guy can show up and get lucky every now and then but to constantly win takes a lot of work and some really great equipment. ...I would like to see a hunter class competition where you have to stand and shoot off only sticks no tripods no wind indicators no shooting jackets
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Ya know AZ, that is one of the reasons I started shooting in the first place. Even before PCP switched me over to the dark side. I get outside and shoot and it feels good not to think about everything I have to do in a busy life. I just take a deep breath, ease it out and relax. I wait for that "feel" and ease on the trigger. You do that 40-50 times in the back yard and before you know it, you are calm and relaxed. :)

Crusher
 
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"Smaug"AZBOBCAT, you and I are of the same mind. It shouldn't get to the point where a person could effectively BUY a higher score through superior equipment.
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As many have said, there is something to what you are saying, all things being equal. But you have to remember that if I take my gun and give it to you, and I use one set up just exactly like it, I might still outshoot you. It is what others are saying. Even with thousands of dollars worth of equipment, the gun is still no better than the eyeball behind the scope, the finger on the trigger and the good sense to be able to tell which way the wind is blowing. 
Crusher
 
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Smaug - In my case, it's early stage Muscular Dystrophy. Early stages trouble walking (tripping down the sidewalk, anyone?) and very weak upper body.

​Bench gives me the chance to shoot really well, using what I've got left. Guns are good enough, even down to the Marauder, that when properly tuned can outshoot me. That means with the advantages of Bench Rest, if I miss, it really is me. I can't blame weak arms, or legs that shake a bit too much. It's really me.

I intend to keep shooting for years to come, and Bench will make it last a LONG TIME for me!
 
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While I will probably never make it to any competitions due to age and health, every time I shoot it is a competition to do better than last time. And as has been said many times, I am learning the gun, the ammo, the wind, and myself. It takes time, lots to time and concentration. Ted said he went through 10,000 pellets getting ready for EBR 2016. Look what he did last year VS what he did this year with the same gun. I don't think he or the gun shot any different from last year, but when you hear about the wind conditions this year, they were different from last year. Like they say in the stock market: "past performance does not guarantee future results."
 
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The more I do bench rest shooting, the more I understand the absolute must of repeatability in all aspects of the shot cycle. From how the rifle is situated on the rest, to how I sit, to every motion of my arm, trigger finger, to how I ground my feet on the floor and of course, breathing as well. Of course, this is true for all shooting discaplines, but since the difference between an X a 10 and a 9 are just so slight in bench rest, the results of any change in one's approach to a shot is immediately manifest. 

So, in some way, it's a very meditative process. One needs to be completely focused, yet relaxed. I think someone said in this thread that after some period of time shooting, they aren't thinking about their problems. I believe that's because the mind is totally occupied with the task at hand. 

I like bench rest shooting because it's just so cool to hit such a small target. It's kind of like magic!
Lastly, I like bench rest competitions because I like to be competitive and also, I really enjoy the guys I meet at the matches and shooting and learning with them.

Chas
 
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