TOP actions of the SS

jim casey said:
I have been in this game for a few years. When I had good eye sight with good barrels and scopes I could compete with the best. I have always found Jim K. to be fair and impartial to any question I asked him. In early days I spent a bunch of money for barrels, actions, and scopes. I found none better than March scopes and the actions Jim and his company sales. Who among us can blame a person for being proud of the product he produces and sales? I wish my eye sight was as it was 10 years ago then you a.. holes would be want more of Jim's products and less of this horse sh'''''' comments about it. Different items / equipment works better for each shooter. get what works right for you and disregard the rest. Just as a side comment. How many hall of fame members have commented on this thread?
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Jim C, lets start a classification and call it Blind Benchresters!!

As to actions, I've never shot a BAT, never owned a March even though I could probably get both. Right now I have 6 Pandas 5 LCS's and none of them shoot as well as they did 10 years ago when I could see!!

Barrels, I've never had a "hummer" hat would shoot ONES by their selves. On the other hand I have never had a really bad barrel...except a 15.5 twist I tried one time. It did shoot great at 100 with Ed Watsons 65 grainers made on 750 Jackets, but at 200, forget it!

I think A moral of all this equipment discussion was written in the John Denver song "Some Days are Diamonds..."!!
 
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Jerry, sometimes we can shoot like we know what we're doing and them other days, it seems like we don't have a clue. I must have been shooting the same lot of Ultras at last years Best of the West as Ron was shooting. It seemed so easy to shoot in the .1's. Then next matches was brought back to reality after running out of the bullets I was shooting.
 
adamsgt said:
I guess I don't understand why some shooters are called lemmings because they look at what is succeeding and see that they don't have to re-invent the wheel to get started. Is there some idea that you have to "pay your dues" by starting with crap and working the sows ear into a silk purse? I started out by buying a used Grizzly II actiioned rifle at The Whittington center and a couple of used Bat actiioned rifles over the next couple of years at the Whittington center as well. Does that make me a lemming? I have a large fount of ignorance concerning benchrest shooting that I'm trying to shrink. I've bought and read the books by Precision shooting, Tony Boyer and Mike Ratigan. I've downloaded Neary's videos as well. I realize that what you glean from books means nothing until you press the trigger. Trigger time is where the rubber meets the road. There's an old saying that "practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect". In order to have perfect practice you have to have a plan.If you don't you're just burning powder and wasting expensive bullets. That's where I'm stuck at the moment. I don't have a good enough plan that verifies how something went as planned or helped me identify why something went awry. Anyway, I'm working on it. Don't know that I'll ever win a match but I'm enjoying the journey. And that's my two cents worth.
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Sorry, just reading old post and liked this one. Sounds like something I would say. Trust me this has nothing to do with any thing. Just reading back posts.
 
Top Actions of the SS

I have been a mediocre BS Shooter since 1974. Still shoot. I have long contended that the winner could probably won with MY rifle! It's something else that's different.
RBC
 
R.B. Carl said:
I have been a mediocre BS Shooter since 1974. Still shoot. I have long contended that the winner could probably won with MY rifle! It's something else that's different.
RBC
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Well...next match, ask one of the guys that's in the top three to swap rifles with you. If they say they won't, then ask the fellows that are last to swap. Either way, you'll learn something that you would never know otherwise. By "otherwise" I'm suggesting that you're not taking my word on it - and I'm perfectly OK with that as long as you have something to go on. Actually, I'm OK with whatever you do and believe, but I really don't think you understand the differences in rifles - that may have the same parts.

I tried to word the above such that I'm not attacking anything. Please don't think that I am. I just believe that folks don't understand clearly why others win. Better said...why THEY don't ever win.
 
Top actioopns of the SS

Wilbur:

I thought the implication was clear that I DO understand what makes a winner.
 
OK, I just didn't understand. I thought you were saying that the winners knew how to shoot better than others. My bad!
 
Top Actions of the SS

That's OK Wilbur. I guess that was just my way of saying I have often thought I agreed with what Mike Bryant was saying in his post #5.
I've always had pretty good stuff put together by two really good gunsmiths the last of whom is a former National Champ and a HOFer.
I'm just reluctant to blame what I feel is quality equipment when I'm beaten by obviously
better shooters. The thing that inspires me to still compete is the quality, class and (pardon the expression "caliber" of my fellow competitors.

Thanks
RBC
 
I got a Bat and all that.
Shared a bench with another guy. Used his Farley and stuff. Oh, yea. Things improved.
The last 2 adjustments have been made to the front rest. We will see in the spring.
Everyone was really great about helping out..............something as small as a little too much sand......
 
Old thread but felt the need to comment

About 20 years ago I asked Jim Stekl to build me a HV BR rifle on a Stolle Panda action with a Hart barrel and McMillan stock. It had a Jewell trigger and I topped it with a Weaver 36x scope. I made some brass and developed some loads with VV133 of the day. I think I used Euber bullets and Fed primers. I did OK with the rifle. Absolutely the finest BR rifle I ever owned up to that time, maybe ever. I never won any matches but would finish in the top 20 on occasion and shot many bugholes at both 100 and 200 yards. I never questioned the equipment, I always questioned my ability. After about 500 rounds down the bore I ran into some financial difficulties due to divorce so I sold off all of my equipment. I sold the gun with the custom dies, cases, and bullets to a gentleman in Idaho for a reasonable price. After a few weeks he sent me a snail mail with his results. After setting up the rifle to his liking and shooting several matches he shared with me some pictures of the trophies he won. He won several BR matches with that rifle against some pretty stiff competition. I learned that even though I had the best available equipment of the day and the gun was built by one of the most well respected 'smiths here in NYS I still couldn't steer that gun as well as that gentleman in Idaho.

Now, after being out of the centerfire game for about 20 years I am getting back into it. I look at the equipment lists for reference and entertainment only. I bought a lightly used Hall actioned set up with a couple of barrels that have some life left in them for a very reasonable price. I am going to buy some nice windflags and get to practicing. I hope to shoot in the SS this year and hopefully a few other big matches. If I don't win I will be OK with that and will not blame my equipment.

As far as Mr. Kelbly bragging about his actions, good for him. He makes a fine product.

Jay
 
Welcome back to BR

Welcome back to benchrest shooting Jay. Sounds like you are a New Yorker. If so, please try to make some of our benchrest winter league shoots (mostly group) at the Camillus Sportsmen's Club. We meet every Sunday morning (start shooting at 9:30 AM). We will also be hosting an IBS registered group match this coming year (date TBD).
Good luck!
Bob Hamister
Camillus BR Director
 
Even though this is an old resurrected thread, time has not changed my opinion that the best BR Action out of the box is a Panda.
 
Although I shoot a used BAT (got from Joe Krupa), let me defend Panda actions and in particular Jim Kelbly. Both have withstood the test of time. The late Skip Otto told me to shoot a Panda and forget the rest. Well, Skip was very opinionated , but he was also right most of the time. Jim Kelbly does take pride in his products with good reason. As Jackie stated the Panda is ready to win right out of the box if mated with a good barrel by a qualified gunsmith. Jackie, like me, often shoots a brand other than Kelbly, but that does not mean that we cannot recognize the quality of Panda actions. The Kelbly's are good for Benchrest and I wish them success in the future. Good shooting...James Mock
 
Yea Dusty, they were out many years before his death. Skip just didn't believe in changing anything. He shot Panda actions, Shilen barrels (15 twist and fluted). All of his rifles were green....because they shot better:p. Good shooting...James
 
James M. said:
Yea Dusty, they were out many years before his death. Skip just didn't believe in changing anything. He shot Panda actions, Shilen barrels (15 twist and fluted). All of his rifles were green....because they shot better:p. Good shooting...James
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James, I think they were green because he must have had a 55 gallon barrel of green paint.
 
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