The intent of this and subsequent pages in this series is to offer some insight into competitive Benchrest Shooting - insight directed mostly toward those that haven't had the pleasure of participating. Specifically, the subject will be 100/200/300 yard sanctioned group shooting. The goal is to provide enough information to assist folks in an endeavor to participate successfully with minimal effort and expense. I suppose that the intent could be satisfied and not the goal or the opposite. Hopefully both can be achieved in time.
The term "benchrest shooting" has a spectrum of meanings. On one corner of the spectrum it simply means shooting from a bench and then ranges four dimensionally from there. No attempt will be made to define the other "corner" of the spectrum because of its nebulous nature. This corner is not unlike the fabled creature Bigfoot. Folks swear that they have been there but their pictures are blurry. I believe this is where Fox Mulder's sister is lost.
Somewhere in the mix, we find Competitive Benchrest Shooting and within that relatively small niche we find 100/200/300 yard sanctioned group shooting - the "game" if you will. The meaning of the term "benchrest shooting" for this area can be loosely defined by stating the object of the game:
SMALLEST GROUP WINS
More specifically defined, small group wins but there are rules concerning equipment and procedure and these rules ARE the definition of the "game". Certainly, there are many aspects of the game that can't be found within the rules and that's where the fun lies.
Links to the rules: |IBS | |NBRSA|
The reason for all this "defining" business is an attempt put the reader in the right place. Experience from monitoring the Benchrest Central forums for these years indicates that folks who have never participated in sanctioned competition have little or no conception. No offense intended there but it's a valid observation - an observation supported by having been without said conception my own silly self.
While the subject of conception is on the table this would be a good place for me to throw out the scant qualifications behind the writing. A listing seems appropriate:
1. There is no competitor that I haven't beaten.
2. There is no competitor that hasn't beaten me.
3. 16 years experience with the first 2 items.
That's it!
Again, the intent is to provide information to those interested in benchrest shooting. The next installment will concern how to get a smooth start. Beyond that it's easy street. We'll paint by the numbers for a while and then get into that fourth dimension you thought was a typo earlier.
I'll end this with the first bit of advice just to show good faith. Any religious connotation is coincidental - credit given to the original copyright.
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Beware of false prophets!
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Wilbur
