Looking for some guidance.

E

ehkempf

Guest
I have been shooting since I was 13 which amounts to some 47 years. I would like to get involved in IR50/50 shooting but I am looking for some guidance. I must admit that this sport seems to have evolved to a point that it is not affordable for all that would like to participate. This fact may not be true but I have come to that conclusion after reading many of the posts on this board and similar ones, and looking at the equipment and the sheer cost of the ammo. So my question is this: since there are basically three classes of guns, what are most popular brands that are used in each class that are affordable yet will still allow one to compete.
 
a suhl 150 is a great place to start. a friend of mine has one for sale in the classified adds now. i trust the guy and he is a great shooter. that is what i myself started off with and can say they shoot great!!! a br stock and tuner and you are set to go. a br stock isn't a must but it does help alot. the suhl he has for sale is supposed to be a shooter. well worth what he is asking. i purchased a suhl br stock from him and it is great.

really look into a suhl. they shoot great if you get one with a 1:16.5 twist.
 
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First you need to define "affordable". It means different things to different people. I don't want to discourage you but competitive rimfire benchrest is not an inexpensive pursuit.

If you want to shoot all three classes you need, at a minimum a 7.5 pound rifle that meets the rules. If you either swap scopes or use a variable (weight consideration) you can shoot that rifle in all three classes. Will you be competitive? A few shooters are, but not most. Next up is a 10.5 pound rifle again meeting the rules. Many competitive shooters use their 10.5 pounder and are very competitive in the 13.5 pound class with it.

So, you can do it with one rifle, but two makes it easier to be competitive.

Winning rifles are almost all custom built affairs. It is much more difficult to build a winning 7.5 pounder than a 10.5 pounder. If there is an off the shelf rifle capable of winning consistently I'm not aware of it. That is why I prefer ARA as there are no classes. One rifle gets the job done. My suggestion is to attend a match or three. Talk to the shooters and see what they are using and ask lots of questions. You will learn more than you can imagine possible as virtually all shooters at the match you attend will bend over backwards to help you out. It will give you an idea of what you are asking of yourself. Most important is to have some fun. bob finger
 
shooting

i think bob has it right. there is more room for experiminting in ara and less rules just go out and shoot.

i would start out with one of the rifles listed here on b/r central. will it be cheap no but at least used you can recoup your money if you find this game isnt for you.

i attended my first match last sat and had a great time got to meet some great shooters and some good advice.

after you buy your rifle then you ned a good scope a weaver t36 or equal always some listed in classified here.

i dont think you can get by with less than 1500 to 2k to start and then ammo you must buy the good stuff at no less than 6.00 a box for practice then up from there for competition.

oh i forgot the rest you will need a good one to compete with those guys they are very good shooters so you must at least be equal in your equipment.

frankly there is no hobby you can go into that will not cost you money. i would buy used and get started shooting asap.

bob
 
ehkempf,

Where are you? Put up a location, you are most likely near some rimfire matches. Don't buy anything until you've been to a match or two. I would, and do, advise buying a used rifle already set up for the game. Buy a 10 1/2 lb rifle that you can use in all classes except sporter. Most of us use the same rifle in 10 1/2, 13 1/2 and unlimited or ARA. You are correct about this not being an inexpensive sport. The again, most sports are not inexpensive, pick your poison.

Ken
 
Listen to Bob 'he is right on with his post. If you get a Suhl rifle understand that you will pay from $800.00 to $1000.00 for a stock rifle(as sold originally) After you have the stock rifle in hand you will need to change the original barrel to one of the newer made compitition barrels in order to be competitive. You will also need a bench-rest stock and that stock should be bedded and pillared for the action. You will need a Hoehn tuner that will take the Von Ahern weight system. AS you can see this is an expensive initial outlay just to get started. Some of the Suhl rifles are shooters right as they are and some need work to make them shoot. Initially you will invest between $1600 to $2.000 to get started . If this is where your passion is then I would encourage you to get started and I will say welcome to the club. garrisone.
 
sport

lets see i also have a suhl. i had to put a harrell tuner on it 150.00 plus weights, then i purchased a stith stock-had to send it to tom meridith for bedding then a weaver t36 scope.

here are the cost

500.00 rifle
250.00 stith scope
250.00 tom meridith bedding
175.00 for tuner and weights
20.00 rebore
350.00 t36 scope

i think almost 1600.00 then i need a new barrell to be competitive so you see starting with your own rifle isnt cheap. better to buy one ready to go from a proven shooter here.

these top guys are always moving up to the latest in order to win matches and stay that way.

mo more money than golf though and more fun to me
bob
 
Copied page from the article section

Written for centerfire benchrest but in part applies to any form of competitive shooting.

Look Before You Leap

Before we jump into the nuts and bolts of competitive benchrest, some uncomfortable details have to be addressed – Right here, right now. There may be folks that visualize themselves playing benchrest shooter without a full understanding of some prerequisites. A couple or three questions need to be asked and realistic answers are recommended.



1) Do I have the time?



The possibility exists that sanctioned Benchrest Shooting is not something you can do. Attending a sanctioned match will very likely (if not always) require traveling hundreds of miles and the expense of a weekend from early Friday afternoon to late Sunday night. In many locations, that would be a minimum. Do some homework to determine where you will have to go to compete.



Later, there will be a suggestion to travel to a match just to look around and get a feel for “things”. If following that suggestion gives you the slightest heartburn then perhaps a re-think of the whole idea is necessary. A “problem” with time resources is not a show stopper in some cases but a significant consideration in every case. Don’t fail to factor in family commitments - both real and perceived



2) Do I have the money?



The purpose of this question is not to have you evaluate your relative net worth. Trust me, you have ENOUGH money. The real question is whether or not you have THE money? I talked with a spectator at a match one Sunday and he stated that he would dearly love to get into benchrest shooting but just couldn’t afford it. Later, I was cleaning my rifle and saw him driving away in a brand new custom painted chrome plated pickup truck pulling a real nice trailer. There was a four wheeler in the bed of the truck and three more on the trailer. I figured the 4 wheelers were a family thing and that was how his priorities aligned. On the way home that night my Caravan shuddered past 170K and I paid the light bill plus late charge on Wednesday. It was either pay the light bill or get my wife’s partial plate fixed. It all worked out well at the time because I bought a jug of powder and all we could afford was soup and mashed potatoes anyway. Money is not a show stopper either. Just give it some direct thought before you end up taking a loss on your purchases.



3) Am I a competitor?



Last but by no means least is the will to win and a tolerance for losing. It’s OK to have a little internal bleeding because your last shot knocked you out of a 3 Gun win at the nationals. That’s the way it should be. Try not to let it trickle to the outside. It’s not OK to be satisfied with less than the win nor is it OK if warts grow on your lips if you don’t win. Nobody wins every time and nobody is expected to win every time. If you already know that you can’t laugh it off or don’t believe that you can win then pass on Competitive Benchrest Shooting. This IS a show stopper. If you are so disposed, you can't have fun and it's the fun that keeps you going.
 
Thanks

First off I want to thank all that have replied to my original request for information. I do realize that this hobby, like most others has a cost associated with it. I have two rifles that I feel should be a good start. I have a Rem. 541S that out shoots all the other.22lr I have ever owned, with the exception of the Anschutz 1808 EDS that I also have. The Anschutz will have to be restocked. I saw a Kelbly bench rest stock for Anschutz on ChampionShooters web site that I believe will work. I agree with the suggestion of attending several matches in the area to get a feel of what is involved and what I might need to take up this sport. Again, thanks to all that replied.

Ed
 
Ed,

Check your pm's. Give me a call, we are neighbors.

Ken Henderson
 
Ed,
See if you can get together with Ken. He's a great guy (least that's what Cherie says) and he'll give you some no-bull info.

I go to the matches in Salem NY, so maybe I'll get to meet you there.

Hope you can work out a way to get into this sport.

Best,
Michael
 
Ed,
You've got some good rifles to start with, and you've got 3 ranges shooting IR50/50 within an hour of where you are. Add in the fact that you can follow Ken to those ranges, and you are in about as good a position as anybody wanting to get a start in this game!

Good luck,
Todd
 
Ed,
You're in luck, Ken and Todd are both great guys and great shooters as well.
They can fill you in on the basics, and save you money in the process. Lots of good shooters in NY! Buying the same type of equipment two or 3 times can get expensive, because you got the wrong thing to begin with. Hook up with Ken and listen to those guys and you will be off to a great start.
 
Almost everybody around here as in anywhere else kind of grew into the sport. As has been posted you have three ranges on either side of Syracuse and if you go to one or two matches you will get a feel for everything and probably get a line one a couple guns for down the road. That's about as easy as it can possibly get.
 
Ed,
See if you can come to Salem on Sunday. You can shoot your 541 for the sporter class. I always pack my backup Suhl. You are welcome to use it in the 10.5 and unlimited classes.

All you need are a front rest and rear bag.

Best,
Michael
 
If you can make it to Salem on Sunday, I've got front and rear rests you can use. I've got a spare Suhl, too, but Michael's shoots better.
Todd
 
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