benchrest competition shooting observations

[Therealld]

I think:

1. Nearly all competition airgun benchrest shooting is in the form of close range one-shot per scoring bull per target with pellet rifles.

2. Shooting is mostly done by small clubs comprised of middle aged to old men.

3.Most ranges (except in the West) seem to be 25 yard indoor ranges.

4. Many of the better airgun shooters are has-been or wannabe rimfire benchrest shooters.

5. Many, if not most of the top outdoor shooters Only shoot at their favorite local range and won’t compete on another club’s turf.

6. All top shooters are extremely interested in getting a better barrel, no matter how many great scores they have fired with current rig.

7. All top shooters are alway searching for better pellet lots.

8. New shooters often feel they can “buy better scores” with expensive equipment.

9. Experienced shooters know they can “Buy better scores”

10. New shooters always vocalize unhappiness with the rules.

 

[Bulletbob]

Pardon,

So what is the point?. So if the shooters are happy doing what they are. Is that not the aim?

God Bless

Bobby

 

[Jayson]

So I would give you a score of 10% correct, just way off and I know or have spent time with a lot of competition shooters that have mad skills!

I also don’t see the point of the misunderstanding? Unfortunately the whole list seems to be a little bit of a frustration rant? Sorry if I fed it

 

[Bruce54]

Mush for breakfast? This " old man " prefers something with more substance.

 

[Bruce54]

Mush for breakfast? This " old man " prefers something with more substance. I don't understand what you are trying to express. How are your scores in competition?

Bruce

 

[JohnnyPDX]

LOL. Just observations and the same in any equipment focused sport.

bicycling, archery and others

 

[whitefox545]

I must agree with Bulletbob, what is your point? All different forms of shooting sports have there own idiosyncrasy and things that people do to try to get better scores. As far as all of the guys being older , that may very well true but unless you have reached an age where you realize your physical abilities have limited you as to what you can and can't do you will never know why someone wants to shoot bench rest. Many people find happiness in trying to make a good shooting rifle into a VERY accurate rifle and if that makes you happy then that's great!! I could make the point that I can't understand what makes young guys all want to pretend that they are "Rambo" with their AR-15 rifles as they stand at the range and shoot up a box of ammo in a few seconds lucky to hit a pie pan from twenty yards but if that is what floats their boat so be it as long as I ain't paying for their ammo!! We all need to stick together no matter what kind of shooting we are into!! I myself enjoy several (MANY) forms of airgun shooting and can be happy doing about any of it as long as I'm with good people!! Just my opinion, J.L.

 

[steve123]

I think: LD, here's my thoughts.

1. Nearly all competition airgun benchrest shooting is in the form of close range one-shot per scoring bull per target with pellet rifles. Yep, backers are a hassle, right?

2. Shooting is mostly done by small clubs comprised of middle aged to old men. Yep, - video games substituted by the younger gens.

3.Most ranges (except in the West) seem to be 25 yard indoor ranges. Wouldn't know??

4. Many of the better airgun shooters are has-been or wannabe rimfire benchrest shooters. Sure, but a fair amount of rimfire shooters also shoot centerfire BR or did. 

5. Many, if not most of the top outdoor shooters Only shoot at their favorite local range and won’t compete on another club’s turf. They probably wouldn't travel unless there were good prizes but there are many other reasons, energy, health, short on money, prior commitments, the list goes on. 

6. All top shooters are extremely interested in getting a better barrel, no matter how many great scores they have fired with current rig. Yep they want to stay at the top. It's a common practice in most BR games even though AG barrels don't wear out. 

7. All top shooters are alway searching for better pellet lots. Yep 

8. New shooters often feel they can “buy better scores” with expensive equipment. Yep I "feel" yuh. Love my USFT BTW 

9. Experienced shooters know they can “Buy better scores” Happens...

10. New shooters always vocalize unhappiness with the rules. What do they complain about?

​​​​​​​I've been involved with quite a few shooting sports over the years but I'm getting older with the consequence of my energy waning so the BR game seems like the next logical step. It's not hugely fun to me but it's better than the thought of not competing.

 

[jps2486]

Where is your home range? This old fart wants to come out there and kick your butt with my Crosman CO2 gun.

 

[jps2486]

LOL. Just observations and the same in any equipment focused sport.

bicycling, archery and others

Then there's golf.

 

[wyshadow]

Are your observations based on watching YouTube videos and online reading? If you've been to any shooting competition, you would noticed almost everyone there loves to shoot and would never talk down to anyone who also shares their love of the sport. I've met some great people and have made great friends at these competitions. We has an online community are very small when it comes to other hobbies so it's a great feeling when you are surrounded by other like mind shooters.

Edit: Just noticed you posted a lot of benchrest results. It's sad you feel this way when most of us here would love the opportunity to shoot at these competitions as much as you do.

 

[JohnnyPDX]

LOL. Just observations and the same in any equipment focused sport.

bicycling, archery and others

Then there's golf.

Oh my Gosh. I forgot the biggest one, golf.

 

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

Ummmmmmm



LD did not form his opinions from watching YouTube videos man, the screen name Therealld belongs to Larry Durham, look him up as he is the real deal.

He is known for having opinions, and for not being shy about voicing them. 



The above opinion was formed after many years of online forum interaction, not from videos....

 

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

LOL. Just observations and the same in any equipment focused sport.

bicycling, archery and others

Then there's golf.

Oh my Gosh. I forgot the biggest one, golf.

Freaking golf man, another bottomless rabbit hole..........



Fortunately it did not take me long to figure out that while I can hit the ball a ton, getting it to go where I want it to is not my forte.

I drank a lot, had fun, and learned to drive right past the course on my way to go fishing!



I still rule at Mini Golf though!!!

 

[Therealld]

The point here was to express my opinion regarding the divergence between old establishment benchresters in relation to a current trend toward a plethora of different gun models now popular with folks in THIS section of the Forum. It was to show that many established benchrest guys will not switch to use of large bore airguns firing slugs outdoors at long range to ever-changing rulesets, ESP if they had already dropped out from the rimfire game. It was to show the CURRENT group of oldtimer bench guys (at least in USA) are not very interested in shoulder to shoulder competition with rimfire shooters, depite yammering from some here wishing it so.

Now, I too am old, but am not truly cut from the same cloth as the airgun benchrester I’m stereo-typing.

1. I started shooting airgun matches ay 50yds for GROUPS when nobody was formally bench shooting past 30yds, esp for Groups! And yes, I had also dabbled in a few rimfire matches as early at the late 70’s.

2. I started shooting good groups with slugs decades ago using a .45 cal. Airgun of my own design and construction. I also made my own swage die setup and swaged decently accurate .310 slugs for an airgun back around 30yrs ago. But didnt like the huge air use, the need for really heavy backstops, and then nagging knowledge that MOST of the centerfire rifles I was using were way more accurate at long range, and handier to use too. 

3. I have traveled to shoot airgun benchrest at numerous matches, doing ok at some and not as well at others including State, National, and World Championship. There were five ranges hosting airgun benchrest matches in southern Calif a decade ago, but its reduced to under half that now.

4. I have my own range, and a small group that regularly shoots here. We can, and HAVE fired all sorts of equipment, distances, and styles over the last 20 years, and have sort of settled in general on what we can safely do here, and how and when we want to do it.

5. I have observed that the growth of competitve games in (as often as not) have been steered and nurtured by makers and sellers of airgun stuff. Not a bad thing, since we are in the heyday with respect to the availabity of a much wider variety of neat airgun stuff than any time in history. But I caution that the BR customer base is pretty tiny, so marketers should avoid following all over themselves competing for slices of a tiny pie.

6. I recognize most readers on these pages are stretching the term airgun benchrest match pretty thin.

 

[Therealld]

Pardon,

So what is the point?. So if the shooters are happy doing what they are. Is that not the aim?

God Bless

Bobby

The aim of most serious airgun benchrest shooters is to shoot better scores than most others. Its fun, but looking up and down the line during the matches, smiles are rarely seen, and there is usually a fair amount of quiet cussing going on.

Scored targets are usually posted atm big matches on the board for all to see. The board is called. “THE WAILING WALL”

 

[jps2486]

The whole point is to poke a hole in the center of the target. If the match director says it’s.177/22 at 25 M, that’s what I bring. If it allows larger ones at longer distances, then I take the appropriate rifle. I’ll shoot shoulder to shoulder or postal. I don’t care. I do enjoy competition.

 

[Therealld]

Mush for breakfast? This " old man " prefers something with more substance. I don't understand what you are trying to express. How are your scores in competition?

Bruce

Bruce,

I get lucky sometimes. I took 4th two-gun aggregate in the World Championship Benchrest Airgun match some while back, and got lucky not long after and won the First Extreme Long Range matches hosted by AOA. I used guns I designed myself.



LD

 

[Therealld]

Where is your home range? This old fart wants to come out there and kick your butt with my Crosman CO2 gun.

JP2486,

BRING IT! My range is at the top end of the Temecula Wine country in Southern Ca. 

If you look ok in warmup, I’ll bring one of My many co2 guns and see who kicks higher. Talk is cheap.. come show us what you can do. 

LD 

 

[Therealld]

Steve M.



Great point about airgun barrels! Firearm guys could claim they NEED a new barrel every 600-2000 rounds, depending. But I doubt wear is even much issue with rimmies!