Help Getting Started

V

VGW

Guest
Hi Everyone,

I would like to get into benchers shooting. I really have no idea how to get started. I understand that SavageArms has "out of the box" rifles that can be used for benchrest. Would these be adequate for the novice beginner? Can't really do much "running and gunning" IDPA anymore - knees won't cooperate. I've been a lifelong shooter and want to continue in the shooting sports.

What caliber rifle? 6mm ppc, 6x284, .308 ?
Optics, rests

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John Vance
VGW
 
VGW said:
Hi Everyone,

I would like to get into benchers shooting. I really have no idea how to get started. I understand that SavageArms has "out of the box" rifles that can be used for benchrest. Would these be adequate for the novice beginner? Can't really do much "running and gunning" IDPA anymore - knees won't cooperate. I've been a lifelong shooter and want to continue in the shooting sports.

What caliber rifle? 6mm ppc, 6x284, .308 ?
Optics, rests

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John Vance
VGW
Click to expand...

Looks like at least 20 have looked and don't care to get involved. Welcome to the site. If you hang around here and read a lot, you will avoid a lot of mistakes. This is not something you should rush into and start slinging $$.

Maybe the frist thing to ask is do you want to shoot long range (600-1000) or short range (100-300)? Next might be, do you want to shoot group or score?
It might help to know where you are. Then we could direct you to a match where you could see something about what's going on before you leap in.

Now to answer your specific question. Savage makes very good rifles and I own a few. But, that being said, with the possible exception of F Class, they are not benchrest (with a capital B as Jackie Schmidt Says). Yes, you can shoot in a match, but no, you won't win or even be competitive.

There, that gives you a start.

Rick
 
I came , i saw, i bought...
As was mentioned go see first, then worry about what to buy.
 
Benchrest rifle

Don't go the savage route they have nothing for the bench rest shooter. Pretty much long range .
Go check out a benchrest match . You can find pretty nice used benchrest rifles ready to compete .
That's what I did now I'm hooked ?
 
The best shooters in the world will be this month shooting at St. Louis Benchrest Club located Wright City, Mo. There will be used and new stuff for sale. That is where you should go.
Bill
 
John
This is a great place to come to ask questions. Sometimes the answers aren't what we want to hear.
But what works and what doesn't, is what you need to know.

Give us some more info on what type of benchrest you are interested in
 
Tim Singleton said:
John
This is a great place to come to ask questions. Sometimes the answers aren't what we want to hear.
But what works and what doesn't, is what you need to know.

Give us some more info on what type of benchrest you are interested in
Click to expand...

Not really sure where to start. My home range has a rifle range that only goes to 600yds. I guess short range? I really don't know. Going to go observe a match the next time one is scheduled and see what's involved.

Thx

John
 
http://www.ezellcustomrifles.com

Get with mike and check on the next UBR match. Those guys are close enough to you and have a lot of fun. You may want to ride to the nbrsa nationals next week in st louis and check it out. There youll see the latest and greatest in br shooting
 
Looks like my earlier post got lost in the update, so I'll do it again. AFAIK-there are no short range benchrest matches in the immediate Memphis area. However, there are several within reasonable driving distance. The NBRSA group nationals will be held near St Louis next week. That will be an excellent opportunity to see the best doing what they do, group shooting. We shoot Ultimate Benchrest matches at the Gallatin Gun Club, just north of Nashville, on the 1st Saturday of the month from March thru November. The October match will be the UBR national championship on the 3rd & 4th. This is score shooting. Also, there are UBR matches held on the 3rd Saturday of the month all year in Hoover AL (south of Birmingham) at the Brock's Gap Training Center (I think I got that right).
If you choose to come to Gallatin, get back to me and I'll see that you have a rifle to shoot.

Rick Fox
Gallatin Gun Club
615-405-8622
 
Greyfox said:
Looks like my earlier post got lost in the update, so I'll do it again. AFAIK-there are no short range benchrest matches in the immediate Memphis area. However, there are several within reasonable driving distance. The NBRSA group nationals will be held near St Louis next week. That will be an excellent opportunity to see the best doing what they do, group shooting. We shoot Ultimate Benchrest matches at the Gallatin Gun Club, just north of Nashville, on the 1st Saturday of the month from March thru November. The October match will be the UBR national championship on the 3rd & 4th. This is score shooting. Also, there are UBR matches held on the 3rd Saturday of the month all year in Hoover AL (south of Birmingham) at the Brock's Gap Training Center (I think I got that right).
If you choose to come to Gallatin, get back to me and I'll see that you have a rifle to shoot.

Rick Fox
Gallatin Gun Club
615-405-8622
Click to expand...

Rick would be a great resource for you. Great guy always wiling to help someone along

I would take him up on it

Tim
 
Greyfox said:
Looks like my earlier post got lost in the update, so I'll do it again. AFAIK-there are no short range benchrest matches in the immediate Memphis area. However, there are several within reasonable driving distance. The NBRSA group nationals will be held near St Louis next week. That will be an excellent opportunity to see the best doing what they do, group shooting. We shoot Ultimate Benchrest matches at the Gallatin Gun Club, just north of Nashville, on the 1st Saturday of the month from March thru November. The October match will be the UBR national championship on the 3rd & 4th. This is score shooting. Also, there are UBR matches held on the 3rd Saturday of the month all year in Hoover AL (south of Birmingham) at the Brock's Gap Training Center (I think I got that right).
If you choose to come to Gallatin, get back to me and I'll see that you have a rifle to shoot.

Rick Fox
Gallatin Gun Club
615-405-8622
Click to expand...

Thanks,

I just might take you up on your offer.

Thx
John
 
Find Experienced BR Shooters Near You as Mentors

Before going out and spending any of your hard earned cash, on equipment, find a local club with experienced BR shooters. It will save a lot of dead ends and wasted cash. You need to learn about the different classes and styles of BR shooting. You need to see and (hopefully) have the opportunity to actually try different rifles, cartridges, rest setups, scopes, loading gear etc. with a knowledgeable person standing next to you.

Competition BR shooting is a cash intensive precision sport, not for the faint at heart or cash challenged. While the rifle is important, it is only a small part of what you need to have and learn before you can succeed.

I was fortunate to have Russ Haydon (Russ Haydon Shooter Supply) as a neighbor and friend, when I decided to have my first serious centerfire BR rifle built. His advice has been invaluable in keeping me from going overboard before figuring out exactly what I could hope to achieve. I also have a large number of other experienced shooters as friends whose advice continues to help me improve my skills. As a result, I decided formal competition is not in my future, while still enjoying learning skills such as load development, reading the wind and the care and feeding of fine rifles. But that's just my decision.

Finally, I suggest you attend a few competitions in the disciplines you are considering, being aware that short range (100-200 yard) and long range (600-1000 yard) competition require very different rifles and other gear. Look at the equipment you see the experienced shooters have on the line and you will know what is most likely to work for you as well. For example, most short range shooters now use 6PPC as the preferred cartridge, while long range shooters use a variety of other cartridges.

PS: Do not expect to win or even be in the top half of any formal competition right off the bat, no matter what equipment you buy. Nothing can substitute for experience in what I already mentioned is a precision sport, with many variables you need to learn to tame.
 
Slowshot said:
Before going out and spending any of your hard earned cash, on equipment, find a local club with experienced BR shooters. It will save a lot of dead ends and wasted cash. You need to learn about the different classes and styles of BR shooting. You need to see and (hopefully) have the opportunity to actually try different rifles, cartridges, rest setups, scopes, loading gear etc. with a knowledgeable person standing next to you.

Competition BR shooting is a cash intensive precision sport, not for the faint at heart or cash challenged. While the rifle is important, it is only a small part of what you need to have and learn before you can succeed.

I was fortunate to have Russ Haydon (Russ Haydon Shooter Supply) as a neighbor and friend, when I decided to have my first serious centerfire BR rifle built. His advice has been invaluable in keeping me from going overboard before figuring out exactly what I could hope to achieve. I also have a large number of other experienced shooters as friends whose advice continues to help me improve my skills. As a result, I decided formal competition is not in my future, while still enjoying learning skills such as load development, reading the wind and the care and feeding of fine rifles. But that's just my decision.

Finally, I suggest you attend a few competitions in the disciplines you are considering, being aware that short range (100-200 yard) and long range (600-1000 yard) competition require very different rifles and other gear. Look at the equipment you see the experienced shooters have on the line and you will know what is most likely to work for you as well. For example, most short range shooters now use 6PPC as the preferred cartridge, while long range shooters use a variety of other cartridges.

PS: Do not expect to win or even be in the top half of any formal competition right off the bat, no matter what equipment you buy. Nothing can substitute for experience in what I already mentioned is a precision sport, with many variables you need to learn to tame.
Click to expand...

Thx. Sounds like a plan
 
If you are not already. Join the NBRSA and read the match results and equipment lists in the Precision Rifleman magazine. They have years worth of editions in electronic format on the members only section of the site

Bat and Kelby actions seem to be the dominate actions. Going to a match with Rick Fox and shooting a custom action will show up really quickly why they are winning. You have to be able to shoot pretty fast and fighting a hard bolt lift upsetting your gun just won't do.
The rifle is just one component in your shooting system. The rest bags, wind flags loading equipment optics are all important to your system.
I wish I had a mentor when first starting. Would have saved hundreds my be thousands of dollars and a year of time at least.
Go shooting with Rick
 
Last edited:
Tim Singleton said:
If you are not already. Join the NBRSA and read the match results and equipment lists in the Precision Rifleman magazine. They have years worth of editions in electronic format on the members only section of the site

Bat and Kelby actions seem to be the dominate actions. Going to a match with Rick Fox and shooting a custom action will show up really quickly why they are winning. You have to be able to shoot pretty fast and fighting a hard bolt lift upsetting your gun just won't do.
The rifle is just one component in your shooting system. The rest bags, wind flags loading equipment optics are all important to your system.
I wish I had a mentor when first starting. Would have saved hundreds my be thousands of dollars and a year of time at least.
Go shooting with Rick
Click to expand...

Absolutely!

When I had Russ build my short range BR rifle, we went with a BAT SB action, Krieger barrel, Jewell trigger and a Kelby FBHC stock. Add a Weaver T-36, a Protektor rear bag, a SEB NEO front rest, a Haydon arbor press, Wilson hand dies Then add all of the other brass care and reloading gear and I have at least $4,000 invested in everything I needed to get the best out of my rifle and my level of skill. Fortunately, I have other rifles for which all of the related gear is also useful or it would be a bit over the top for one rifle.

Here is my left handed BAT action rifle, with a T-36. sitting on a Sinclair front rest and a Protektor (very heavy) loaf rear bag:



Here is a (not really competitive) 5-shot. 100 yard, sub-1/4" group that I shot with that setup, while fire forming brass:



I am not trying to scare anyone away from competition centerfire benchrest but it's good to know what you are getting into. I came to realize I am too blind, slow and old to compete successfully in that game. My overly competitive nature will not allow me to be mediocre at anything I do and I do not have enough years left to develop the skills I see on the line. Still, I am not sorry I had the rifle built and have no interest in selling such a fine tool.
 
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