Probably a non-wanted question, but...

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

The big qualifier in the OP was- I just don't understand..... Admitting ignorance and then issuing the blanket statement that there is no skill involved in shooting tiny groups at 72 yards kind of clues one in to the intent of the post.

In the interest of civility and the hope that maybe one can be brought to understand why some find an aspect intriguing, many answers have been offered that completely justify bench resting.
Whether the OP takes that info and modifies his stance remains to be seen.

Or, perhaps go try to shoot those 72 yard groups in a switching variable wind.
Skill?? Nah..........

 

[dens228]

I must be in the middle. I shoot off a bipod but no rear support other than my shoulder. And as I stated earlier, shoot how you want and do what you enjoy.

 

[Gerry52]

WHY IS IT that the Original Poster (who poses a "question" that has initiated a LARGE number of responses OPPOSING his viewpoint that any shooting other than freehand requires no talent) hasn't joined back in on this lively discussion? There was a post the other day about having the COURAGE of one's conviction. I don't see that happening here. I applaud Dave (Ezana4ce) for trying to give the OP the "benefit of the doubt" but it's obvious to most of whom responded that it was a put down of ANYONE who doesn't shoot as the OP does. C'mon dude, have the cojones to defend your point or let us understand where you're coming from, otherwise you come off as a curmudgeon with nothing CONSTRUCTIVE to add. Convince us that your purpose was the pursuit of knowledge & understanding & NOT a proclamation of how much better you are than the rest of us!

 

[dens228]

He was logged on this morning. I'll keep my judgement on his personality to myself but we've all met them.

 

[Mrmetals]

I'm kinda under the impression he did this just to ruffle feathers. And yes, mine got ruffled.

 

[MikeVV]

Whoa...wastes time..?!

For a little information for you, the world, does NOT revolve around you, nor does this web site
If you MUST know, within hours of writing that question, I was headed for the airport to see a friend 400+ miles away that had a heart attack.
IF...that's ok with you...OR not !
So...for the last coupla days, I've had little time to play on the computer...sorry ! Have I looked in on this site, yeah, have I looked in on my question...no. No because I haven't really been in the mood to deal with smart assed comments, (If your comment is indicative of others comments).

So now, if I have your permission, I will start reading the bad mouthing (again, if I read your comment to be similar to others that comments on my question) that I received to my question. When complete, I'll comment as appropriately as I can. Maybe one, maybe more comments.
This MAY...not be tonight, depending on how many comments there are, and what they say, as my time is somewhat short this evening.

I hope this answers your question as to where I've been

Mike

 

[Ezana4CE]

@MikeVV That is certainly understandable. Take your time. Great to read about you taking the time to see about your friend.

 

[MikeVV]

Back in town and on my computer.

First page read.
Thank you all for your comments. I actually expected some...bashing, but so far so good.
And yes, I understand and agree with the above comments. Everyone has their own preferences, and liability's. Those preferences not including "constant" table shooting !

Actually on my original comment, I did mean to add that I also understand personable liability's, as My Mom was in a crash in her late teens, and finally after my brother was born, needed to have one leg removed, because of internal complications. So I do understand these inconveniences. But I also know that she'd park her car at the "far" side of the grocery store parking lot to keep from getting it dented, scraped and scratched from incapable drivers.

Have a couple things to do, and I'll get back to reading the second page.

Mike

 

[Healthservices]

Because I'm a wuss. And have thin sticks for arms..

Allen

 

[BackStop]

Question to those that shoot with their guns supported by other than the shooters hands.

Why is it that folks think it's SO...cool, wonderful, amazing, astonishing, etc., that a modern, quality pellet rifle (you name the caliber and gun brand) when said gun shoots dime sized groups at 50 or even 100 yards...when used with sand bags, bipods or tripods to steady the shooter and his/her gun ?

Yeah, I tried it once, to see what the difficulty is. I'm quickly coming up on 72 yrs old, and yeah...EVEN...I can shoot dime sized groups at 75 yards (that's the distance I shot) with my RTI Prophet Compact, in .22 .

So...WHAT's the attraction ? Nothing's been proven, very little skill involved..!?

Sure, I fully understand supporting the gun for sighting in the new sight/scope of your choice. It's much faster than sighting in, supported, than doing it free hand. I'll give you that. I also understand the help in finding possible problems that a gun may have recently exhibited.

I don't get it. Please counsel me on crutched shooting, so I can understand the possible misunderstood .

And...yeah, no...disrespect intended to anyone. Just don't understand this type of shooting.

Mike

Wow, just found this thread.

Well Mike, lots of us simply can't hold a rifle of any kind steady enough to shoot it off-hand with any consistent accuracy/precision.

If YOU really can do that at 72 years old then more power to you!

However, you ARE the exception. ("I can shoot dime sized groups at 75 yards") So, maybe you should just appreciate that you are able to do it and not condemn those of us who can't.

Actually, I doubt you really can do what you claim. (smile)

Prove it with witnesses and on video. LOL!

No offense. Just prove your boasts. And that is really what this is about isn't it?

p.s.


I am 62... and almost a half! (chuckle)

And I shoot nearly ALL of my shots with some sort of rest because I want to make sure I hit what I am aiming at with the MOST accuracy/precision I am capable of.

 

[BackStop]

How about reading wind?

I don't read it. But sometimes I smell it... like the OP... (chuckle... um... heavy sigh... LOL!)

 

[BackStop]

I agree that doing anything offhand is more impressive but shooting an MOA group at 100yds with a pellet gun from a rest still takes a decent amount of patience and skill. There's skill in tuning the gun properly, skill in reading small changes in wind, skill in pulling the trigger properly, or just plain skill in knowing when NOT to pull that trigger. Give an inexperienced shooter a .22 M3 and a tin of pellets in even a light 5 mph crosswind. I'm willing to bet that group isn't going to be all that noteworthy.

If hitting the target is the prime objective and resting the gun is available, only a macho braggart would NOT take that advantage, especially when it is a living target in question.

I shoot pests, but I do everything I can to make clean kills. Off-hand shooting is not something I consider for accuracy and precision. If the OP wants to boast that he is THAT good, then the rest of us will judge him by our own experience.

I don't know how to say it better, but I hope someone will. (smile)

 

[dens228]

It's very clear the op is extremely egocentric, trying to make a point with him or show the other side is pointless.

How do you identify an egocentric person?




Focus on own perception and opinion.

 

[beerthief]

Question to those that shoot with their guns supported by other than the shooters hands.

Why is it that folks think it's SO...cool, wonderful, amazing, astonishing, etc., that a modern, quality pellet rifle (you name the caliber and gun brand) when said gun shoots dime sized groups at 50 or even 100 yards...when used with sand bags, bipods or tripods to steady the shooter and his/her gun ?

Yeah, I tried it once, to see what the difficulty is. I'm quickly coming up on 72 yrs old, and yeah...EVEN...I can shoot dime sized groups at 75 yards (that's the distance I shot) with my RTI Prophet Compact, in .22 .

So...WHAT's the attraction ? Nothing's been proven, very little skill involved..!?

Sure, I fully understand supporting the gun for sighting in the new sight/scope of your choice. It's much faster than sighting in, supported, than doing it free hand. I'll give you that. I also understand the help in finding possible problems that a gun may have recently exhibited.

I don't get it. Please counsel me on crutched shooting, so I can understand the possible misunderstood .

And...yeah, no...disrespect intended to anyone. Just don't understand this type of shooting.

Mike

interesting i thought sort of the same @ why do this ? when i first started shooting UNTIL i really started doing this !

 

[M0ist0ne]

Unfortunately the question posed by the OP is bigger than just airguns. See it in all avenues of sporting or almost anything involving tech and design.

It's more of a general outlook that I can use a rest/bag/bipod/tripod/quadpod/table/chair/pillow/"crutch" because, well, I can. The OP can shoot dime sized groups at 75y offhand, great, he can. Would the odds be in his favor of more consistently achieving this accuracy with shooting aids--statistically speaking, yes.

Take golf--if you apply the logic of technological advances and accessories being bad--we would still be swinging wooden headed clubs with steel shafts and solid blade irons.

How fun would modern day Formula1 be to watch without the technology, teams, and systems to irk out every ounce of performance?

This applies to almost everything--airguns, archery, powder, heck, life in general.

I respect the POV of the OP, but do not agree with the negative connotation implied to those that cannot shoot dime sized groups at 75y offhand. It's a lifestyle choice (in this case relating to shooting aids), but the intent was an underlying slam to those not as skilled as the OP in offhand shooting. I'm not requesting video footage or proof, but more if one's skillet is that developed, why not use it to win some stuff? There's some serious money to be had or put the learned skills to good use and actually teach others vs being a keyboard warrior to those that do not possess that level of control.

 

[Emu]

1.- If what he says is truth, then wow.
2.- If it not truth, then he is a lier. There's no so much sense in getting angy for what a líer may say.
3.- Being truth or not there is no much sense in talking of other people as stupids. So not much sens in giving attention to some that feels himself superior. That just mean that he is unable to detect all his own miseries (that should be abundant), that means that he is a kind of handicap.
4.- If he is some sort of mental handicap, then there is not justification to give him much attention not to insult him.

 

[airmagic1951]

When I was younger I could shoot off hand pretty well. Now that I am older I shake way too much holding the weight of a rifle. So I shoot off a rest as target shooting is all I do with the pellet rifle. Some people just have the need to brag about what they can do. I do what I can do so I don't take what they say personally. I think some need to grow a thicker skin so they are not offended by someone elses comments. We are all good at what we can do and perhaps better than the OP.

 

[heavy-impact]

My father owned a bar many years ago before he passed. A coworker was visiting the people who lived about 100 yards on the opposite side of the highway from the bar. As my coworker stepped onto their front porch the guy's wife said "I'm so sick of those guys peeing beside their cars at the bar, look at that guy." My coworker replied "it's so far away I can't tell what he's doing." The guy's wife said "here, look through these binoculars."

To each his own.

 

[Joedirt199]

On a side note.

Did you guys hear the crap they are pulling in Hawaii. They made it illegal to laugh out loud.









Apperently they prefer aloha.

Now back to the world crippling debate of shooting supported or not.

 

[Ezana4CE]

And after ruffling a bunch of feathers , OP still disregards the thread lol

@CTairgunner1288 Consider giving him a chance to respond in his own time. He already responded claiming that he was visiting an ailing friend. I think that definitely takes precedence over our discussion. I don’t see a need to press him like this. You’ve made your point. Let’s give him an opportunity to support his.