This page is a work-in-progress, so check back occasionally for updates.

Although it’s common for folks to shoot from benches for sight-in purposes before hunting season, this page is devoted to rifle matches, shot from benches — i.e., “Benchrest.”

MATCHES?

They come in various forms, varying in the: (a) formality; (b) distance to the target; (c) type of target; and (d) type of rifle used. Except as noted below, the following comments relate to centerfire matches.

FORMALITY?
Some matches are “registered” with one of several sanctioning bodies, e.g., the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS), the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (NBRSA), Ultimate Benchrest (UBR), and others. Those are considered “registered” matches and adhere to the
rules published by the sanctioning body.  (Websites, with more detailed rules, for each of those sanctioning bodies can be found with Google.)

Some registered matches require membership in one of the sanctioning bodies. Some matches are “club” matches that don’t require any membership, don’t necessarily follow the rules of any sanctioning body (but they likely follow various safety rules), and may be closer to home and less expensive.

DISTANCE?
Short-range matches are typically shot at 100, 200, or 300 yds (sometimes meters); long-range matches are typically shot at 600 or 1,000 yards. Except as noted below, the following comments relate to short-range matches.

TYPE OF TARGET?
Except as noted below, the targets are those produced by the IBS or NBRSA.
Some matches are “Group” matches; others are “Score” matches; and others are
“Combination” matches.

Group matches use a target that has a sighter bull on the lower part of the paper and a “record” bull on the upper part. The matches involve shooting five (or more) shots at the record bull in a specified time period (e.g., maybe seven minutes), and the center-to-center
distance of the two farthest-apart holes is measured (to the nearest one-thousandth of an inch) and recorded. (Hitting the center of the bull or the ten ring is not important.) In addition
to those five (or more) shots, unlimited sighters can be shot on the sighter bull, within the aforementioned time period. Each target is considered a “match.” (Oddly, the entire event is also called, the “match.”)

The above is repeated a specified number of times (e.g., maybe five), all at the same distance; that’s called an “agg” (e.g., the 100-yard agg). The average of the recorded distances for an agg
is also called an “agg” (e.g., a .2001 agg), and the shooters are ranked base on their agg figure. (Oftentimes, all agg figures are stated in 100–yard equivalents).

Some matches consist of only one agg, some matches consist of multiple aggs — sometimes at different distances.

Starting at 2:53 in the video at post # 1 at https://benchrest.com/forum/threads/river-bend-benchrest-match-video.73843/ is a neat view of a group match (turn on your speaker).

Score matches use a target that has a sighter bull and five “record” bulls. (UBR targets have
two sighter bulls and six “record” bulls.) Each bull has a dot in the center and rings of varying
sizes (labelled 10, 9, 8, etc.) going outward from that dot. The rings count based on the value of the ring. Hitting the dot counts as a 10-X. (The Xs are used as a tie breaker when ring values are the same). Thus, a perfect score would be 250-5X. UBR scores the dot as an 11; thus a perfect score would be 66. The UBR dot and ring diameters are sized based on the caliber of the bullet.

The record bulls must be shot within a specified time period. In addition to those “record” shots, unlimited sighters can be shot on a sighter target, within the aforementioned time period.

Whether the dot or a ring is hit is based on whether any portion of the bullet hole touches the dot/ring.

The above is repeated a specified number of times (e.g., maybe five; probably four in UBR), all at the same distance; that’s called an “agg.” The total scores from each of the targets is also called an agg, and the shooters are ranked base on their agg score.

Some matches consist of only one agg, some matches consist of multiple aggs — sometimes at different distances.

Combination matches use a score target and each record bull represents a match; the bullet holes are scored based on group and score rules; thus, one bull (at say 100 yards) might be scored .135 and 50-X.

TYPE OF RIFLE?

Rifles used typically range from .22 caliber to .308.  They are classified as: custom; modified; unlimited (that might include rail guns), and factory.  Custom rifles are typically purpose-built for benchrest (e.g., light trigger pull, three-inch wide forearm, and relatively-easy-to-change barrels,  among other things).  Factory rifles might be hard to define, but generally anything that has not been modified (beyond a certain extent) and is not custom might be considered factory.  Modified rifles might be a factory rifle that has been modified.  Unlimited rifles include rail guns.

Other than UBR matches, registered matches do not have a separate class for factory guns; however, they can be shot in those matches.

In addition to the above-discussed types, registered group matches include the following classifications for custom rifles: “light” and “heavy” (i.e., weight limits of 10.5 and 13.5 pounds, respectively — including the scope).  

MORE DETAILS ON RULES? 

See the parenthetical sentence in the first paragraph under “FORMALITY” above.

LONG-RANGE BENCHREST

See HOW TO GET STARTED IN LONG RANGE BENCHREST | Forums – In Memory of Wilbur Harris
1949-2021 for information on getting started in long-range benchrest, by Mike Nagengast — an experienced LR Benchrest shooter.

RIMFIRE BENCHREST

See https://benchrest.com/forum/threads/rimfire-benchrest-rfbr.106348/ for information on getting started in rimfire benchrest, by Tony K. Harper — a well-known RF Benchrest shooter.

*** FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT ADDITIONS and/or CORRECTIONS ***