Bench Rest Pistols

V

Vince

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Howdy ,
I was looking for a little more info ,so moved this thread here..After a recent thread about Encores and Bench Rest,I am wondering..How many of you have built ,bought ,shot these Specialty Pistols in bench Rest .Most all where bolt guns ,very refined ...I know back in the 80's or so,there was a movement to get these Pistols involved in the Bench Rest Main Stream.Although mostly 22 Rim Fire, Center Fire definitely had a following also. This didn't seem to last very long but I do know alot of guns were built and still exist .I would be very interested in hearing about this time , Who did what , who made these guns , Pictures of course and the history and performance of these .I really love these Specialty Pistols .


thanks
 
Ah, you need to read here: http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/3826077864

There are many stocks and etc available for building custom bench pistols. I am getting ready to build one for deer season on a Savage action.

This photo inspired the stock design I will use:

gun1.jpg
 
I have four of them an one hog gun ( 35 Rem ). If Dick Wright would let me use them at Harrison I would!! All XP's with custom barrels an stocks! Great pistols!!

Jeff Aberegg
 
isn't making a pistol out of a rifle action a little bit illegal
 
I have 2 both XP actioned built in the mid 70s .1 is a 6.5x47 (6.5-222mag) the other is a 6.5 IHMSA.They were built in the Las Cruses ?(sp)N.M area they still have their original custom barrels on and still shoot sub moa. These were built for Sil. shooting though not BR.
 
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Howdy

Howdy ,
The use of rifle actions ,for pistols ... something that is or has been built as a rifle is illegal .You can't buy a rifle and cut it down to a pistol . The Savage Target actions ,when bought new are undesignated , and when purchased from the supplier , can be designated at that time as a rifle or pistol . now if that action is bought as a pistol but built into a rifle , it stays as a rifle....To my understanding this is what the ATF says , now the law is broad ,and its my understanding the Agents , have a wide latitude on the judgement... save all the receits and boxs..

thanks
 
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I thought you guys were talking about Benchrest Pistols as in Competition Pistols. A few years back there was an attempt to start a benchrest pistol catagory.These guns were built on custom BR actions andshotvery nearly as well as the rifles. Kelbleys prodduced a dedicated pistol action called a "CUB".Most of the ones I saw were chambered in 6PPC and shot very well. and then we heard nothing more.I felt it never caught on or got side tracked in some manner.I still have the pistol but it is on loan to the PD shooters. I always thought it was a hoot.

Mike Swartz
 
Mike

If I remember correctly, those things were just about single handidly pushed by the editor of the defunct Shooters News Magazine. There was a movement to have registered competition, just like the Rifles. It sort of died when that Magazine went under.

I can remember the write ups. I recall that aggs hovered in the threes, but some shooters shot some great groups.
I think most shooters looked at these as sort of a novelty. But you are right, they were a hoot........jackie
 
Xp-100

I built a custom XP in 30-338 Win Mag. It is very comfortable to shoot as long as you wear hearing protection. It has a 16.5" stainless match barrel that is 18" overall including the muzzle brake. I shoot a load consisting of 76.0grains of W760 behind a 125 gr ballistic tip. This load runs 3400 fps, and groups 2" at 500 yards. I have taken a lot of deer with this handgun out to 500 yards, and always with one shot. There is a write up on this gun along with a few other projects of mine in the Gun Digest 2000 on page 138.

Michael
 
excellent

Guys ,
Pictures would be great if ya can ....and Yes , I am talking the Bench Rest Pistols ...I am wanting to play in the 100 yd ,local matches but also am starting to shoot in the 1000 yd local also ...

Thanks
 
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Vince,
I posted these picks on the other thread. Why don't you copy some text about the history form the other thread. Here are pics of mine. It is Based on a Kelbly Cub Action, Kelbly Stock, Jewell Trigger. I use a variable 6x24 B&L to bust varmits and a 36x Leupold for targets. If a person thinks a rifle is picky about setup and bench technique....they need to give one of these a spin. Like everyone else says...it's a real hoot to shoot and I take it to the local matches every now and then.

Hovis
 

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HovisKM HovisKM is online now
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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
 
Cheechako Cheechako is offline
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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
 
vlcakc vlcakc is offline
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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
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HovisKM HovisKM is online now
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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
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#7
Old 09-08-2008, 06:02 PM
Vince Vince is online now
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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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sorry

Sorry about all this , still try'n to learn how this computer stuff works..

Thanks
 
Richard Milton's "pistol"

My traveling partner, Richard Milton, won both the "Nationals" at Kelbly's about 8 or 9 years ago. These "pistols" will shoot as well as many good rifles. He won the heavy pistol championship with a .22xx agg at 100 yds. and a grand of .25xx. I would say that these pistols will agg. He shot a Cub action with 18 inch Hart barrel in 6 PPC. Good shooting... James
 
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