Bench Rest Pistols

V

Vince

Guest
Howdy ,
After a recent thread about Encores and Bench Rest , I am wondering ...How many of you have / shot Speciality Pistols in Bench Rest . I know back in the 80's there was a movement ... , To get these Pistols involved in the Bench Rest Main Stream , both 22 RimFire and some CenteFire Classes ...This didn't last long but I know alot of guns where built and still exist ..I would be very interested in hearing / seeing pics of these and the history about this attempt ....
I really love these hand guns and am always looking for them , and the history behind them .


Thanks
 
Vince,
A few years back..or several. When John Gammuto (SP?) ran Shooters News, he started/sponsored (I don't know who else was involved), a long-range pistol BR championships for two years. There was a lot of interest and one of the shoots was piggie backed on the SuperShoot. The format and rules were updated/changed between the two years and was shot at 100 and 200 yds. When Shooters News folded, so did the pistols. A lot of them (like mine) were built and Kelbly's even built a Panda verision call the CUB. I really love shooting these pistol and shoot one every now and then at the local matches I attend. I have a couple of rifles to try out at the locals and then I'm dusting the old pistol off and shooting it again.

P.S. If someone has better or more correct info than I posted please correct me. I have the Shooters News Mags at home that cover these but I winging this off of memory.

Hovis
 
The first ever Long Range Pistol Benchrest tournament was held in PHX in October 1998. About 25 shooters attended, from all across the country. The program called for 10 five-shot groups at 100 yards and 10 at 200 yards. As I recall, at least two "ones" were shot that weekend.

I did not attend any of the eastern matches that followed but we did shoot two or three times at Visalia CA. Turnout was so low that the discipline eventually died out.

The first pistols were actually Benchrest rifles with the butt cut off and the barrel shortened to 18". Most were chambered for the 6PPC, naturally. They shot just as well as the rifles once the bench techniques were perfected. On more than one occasion, pistols actually beat LV rifles in head to head competition.

Kelbly and RFD both produced pistol actions. Rifle actions were strictly taboo. Remington XP100 actions predominated but there were also a smattering of Contender and Witchita pistols on the line. McMillan made stocks especially shaped and weighted for pistols.

After those first few years, tournaments for pistols ceased.

Ray
 
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Long Range Pistol BR

Suppose it depends on what you call "long range". Back in the early 1990's I lived in the Denver area and shot with the Colorado Long Range Pistol Shooters Association. Pistol BR competition at 500 meters. Ten shots each at various sized and shaped rectangular and round steel plates for a total of 40 shots. The driving forces behind the association were the Bower brothers, John and Don. There was a write up in the American Rifleman about the Bowers and their pistols a number of years ago. Classes were bolt guns and "others". There were a few bolt guns and falling block actions, but most of us shot Contenders. Don Bower designed a series of wildcat cartridges most based on the .307 Win case and used rechambered factory T/C barrels.. I shot a 7MM JDJ#2 custom SSK Contender barrel and placed in several matches. I shot for a couple of seasons and was transferred overseas and never got back to Denver, so don't know if the association is still active or not. Sadly I understand both Bowers are deceased. Vic
 
Thanks for the info Cheechako. I knew it was in that timeframe but couldn't remember. I think the match at Kelbys was dropped to 5-5shot groups but I could be wrong. The Pistol that Tom Libby had (pictured in Shooters News) is the one I have.

I never could figure out why they called it Long Range Pistol because other disiplines had been shooting further and around a lot longer. Kelbly's actual has a pistol mold for Xp and their Cub. They will still make the stock and action if you ask, at least that is what Jim told me about a year ago.

I'd like to see them make a come back but with the cost of traveling, and the drop in attendance now at a lot of shoots, I don't see that happening. If they could somehow piggy back rifle matches, maybe it would draw more pistol shooters and then draw some of their interest to BR guns. Wishfull thinking but probably just that.

Hovis
 
Howdy

Nice to hear from you all , I hope more will chime in ,I know theres a lot of pistols out there still .
Vic ... I shot with Don and John at Wakins for a long time ... we probably have met , I was involved some with the long range club ,but never joined , never had a patch or jacket ... But have spent many hours talking and shooting with the Bowers back then .
John has passed for your information , several years ago ,but Don and his wife are still around ..80's now . He is is reasonable health althought he has Alzheimers...His long term memory is good but short term not so good , gets confused etc ....But he doing ok ....when I see him ,soon , I will let him know people are still thinking of him ....
thanks
 
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