Resources The Heart & Essence of Precision Benchrest

[Troy Bakel]

The heart of Precision Benchrest are the rifles and the craftsman, gunsmiths, and tuners that create each rifle's intrinsic character that defines its essence.

J. R. Langley, John Verhagen, Daniel Lilja, Rod Beyerle

Michael Niksch, William Piatt, Rod Beyerle.

The whole Precision Benchrest community (PCP & PB) may be small in number but it is huge in talent and I am honored to be a part of it.

 

[nomojo65]

Is that a Lee Six stock? (Or am I totally off base?) On your .22, it’s been awhile since my CF BR days

 

[Troy Bakel]

Is that a Lee Six stock? (Or am I totally off base?) On your .22, it’s been awhile since my CF BR days

It is a John Verhagen carbon fiber stock. What is strange is that all of Mr Verhagen's artwork, and it is beautiful artwork, is on the bottom of the forearm where one cannot see it. I so enjoy cleaning this rifle just so I can see his artwork.

 

[Hunter25]

It is a John Verhagen carbon fiber stock. What is strange is that all of Mr Verhagen's artwork, and it is beautiful artwork, is on the bottom of the forearm where one cannot see it. I so enjoy cleaning this rifle just so I can see his artwork.

I'm not part of your community,but I'll tell you this ,next year I'll be on some podium holding a 100yard bench rest trophy. I been shooting every day and getting better at it. So good luck to you guys. You'll need it.

 

[Loufish]

My 2010 Myers & newer Thomas.

 

[Troy Bakel]

My 2010 Myers & newer Thomas.
View attachment 508920

It must be awesome to shoot a Bill Myers built precision rifle. Did you know him?

I never got to meet or talk to Mr Verhagen nor Mr Piatt, which makes shooting their rifles sort of bitter sweet but very special knowing I benefit from their skill and craftsmanship.

 

[Loufish]

Yes, it's awesome. I didn't know Bill but Joe did and they talked often. I think he was one of Joe's mentors. This rifle is joes old back-up & I caught him at a weak moment. The ejection port is open & huge - it's RH or LH feed. Tracks well, great trigger, bbl is really easy to clean and the rifle is heavy. I don't run a dry patch so it's ready to go after just 4 foulers. With right ammo it's great. Starting in 2013 I used to do well in ARA - I don't shoot much ARA now. I'm a lucky man to have it.

 

[Longbow53]

Cant wait to get my Thomas 22 Slug gun. Have an older Thomas that has been an amazing rifle. I did have AZ make A 22 switch barrel and both barrels have full schrouds for zero noise. Am working on some gorgeous air rifle stocks in these Italian Laminate...they should look pretty awesome when done.

 

[Andre61]

My 2010 Myers & newer Thomas.
View attachment 508920

What caliber is the Thomas, please?

 

[cavedweller]

I'm not part of your community,but I'll tell you this ,next year I'll be on some podium holding a 100yard bench rest trophy. I been shooting every day and getting better at it. So good luck to you guys. You'll need it.

The wind is the master!

 

[beerthief]

I don't want tp own one as that might mean a serious person would not have it . But i would like to shoot a few rounds .

 

[Hunter25]

The wind is the master!

Both these are 5 shot groups with a 7mph wind at 100 yards. 50 grain pellets at 967fps. I aimed at top bull on first 5,bottom bull on second five,see poi shift cause of wind change. Those was ten consecutive shots. First 3 of mag was my zero. I'm learning my gun and to read the winds. Now I don't change my tune,found what works best in all conditions besides dirty barrel. Those pellets was straight out of tin. The high power scope helps me with groups,but makes it difficult to read the wind flags I have. This coming week I have a delta wolf coming to test. Along with 40 tins of ammo. I'm master at nothing but getting better every ten tins I shoot. I wonder how good those Thomas guns shoot at 100 yards.

 

[jeffhernandez]

Both these are 5 shot groups with a 7mph wind at 100 yards. 50 grain pellets at 967fps. I aimed at top bull on first 5,bottom bull on second five,see poi shift cause of wind change. Those was ten consecutive shots. First 3 of mag was my zero. I'm learning my gun and to read the winds. Now I don't change my tune,found what works best in all conditions besides dirty barrel. Those pellets was straight out of tin. The high power scope helps me with groups,but makes it difficult to read the wind flags I have. This coming week I have a delta wolf coming to test. Along with 40 tins of ammo. I'm master at nothing but getting better every ten tins I shoot. I wonder how good those Thomas guns shoot at 100 yards.

View attachment 512641

They shoot decent sometimes
Here is a group at 50 meters Thomas HPX 22cal.
The 9 ring of wrabf is around 0.5 inch if I really correctly. You can see more than half of that 9 ring after the group.

104 yds group when shooter does not get fooled by the wind
9 ring is around 1.25inch
Pretty decent I would say

This is the 30cal HPX at 100yds
Also decent

The shooter is pretty average but I keep trying.

 

[Hunter25]

Those Thomas guns shoot good looks like that's what it's gonna take to out shoot my panthera. Does anybody else have some 100 yard groups with a gun they are proud of? I'd like to see how these other high end guns shoot. That set up is very steady and easy to shoot from . Looks like a March scope from the retical design. I'd say your shooting in the 950s fps. That pellet getting there fast. Hole are hole and not torn to bad from pellet drop. What ammo are you using,custom made?

 

[jeffhernandez]

Those Thomas guns shoot good looks like that's what it's gonna take to out shoot my panthera. Does anybody else have some 100 yard groups with a gun they are proud of? I'd like to see how these other high end guns shoot. That set up is very steady and easy to shoot from . Looks like a March scope from the retical design. I'd say your shooting in the 950s fps. That pellet getting there fast. Hole are hole and not torn to bad from pellet drop. What ammo are you using,custom made?

The 22 is shooting the jsb monster redesign deep at around 980fps

 

[Hunter25]

Keeping that 30 info close ? Good.

 

[steve123]

My HPX was at 965 fps using the 25.4gr JSB 22 cal. It's the flyers that kill me, as well as I'm not great at reading wind, or BR in general for that matter.

Crappy bench I shot off of which might have caused a few flyers, or bad pellets, or combined, who knows???

The wind was down quite a bit that day at 100Y. A 35 cal plug was used with scoring.

This was at 90Y on a very windy day but sitting on bucket and resting off sticks using same ammo. No wind flags used. My observation is the vertical at 90Y has been unproportionately less than at 100Y.

If going for 100Y I'd do a 30 cal these days. It's easier to see holes and some have higher BC's.

 

[Centercut]

Jeff, at EBR you shot .22 RD Monster Deep at 50Y and 75Y, but at 100Y you shot .30 caliber due to flyer and spiraling concerns, correct? AEA 50.5 grain at ??? fps...

Steve, those were exceptional cards, but I remember you started to have lots of flyers/spiraling, and in fact did not shoot that gun at RMAC that year and bought a .22 Daystate Red Wolf HP to shoot instead....

 

[Loufish]

What caliber is the Thomas, please?

Hi Andre. It’s a 22 cal for 50 yards. You can switch barrels to shoot slugs as well. That pellet bbl handles commercial slugs really well too.

 

[Loufish]

Pace.. then redirect…