Where are the shooters?

T

Tom Bieri

New member
I have relocated from the midwest to SE Florida. Since here I have been to many gun shops, indoor, and outdoor ranges trying to find other people that have interest in benchrest shooting. I have been pretty unsuccessful so far. There are many people interested in shooting just not in Benchrest. Apparently Benchrest shooters/experimenters are truly rare. Could I really be warped and obsessed like my wife says?
 
Last edited:
Yes, Benchrest Shooters, (that's Benchrest with a capital B), are a rare breed.

Here in Houston Texas, arguably one one of the largest "gun friendly" zones in the entire Country, public ranges are packed. You can hardly get a membership in s Private Club. There is a Gun Show somewhere about every other week end.

But, go to a Benchrest Match, whether it be a Club Match or a Registered Match sanctioned by the NBRSA, and the number of shooters certainly does not reflect the huge numbers of shooting enthusiast in the area.

Benchrest has always suffered this predicament. Explanations as to why vary.

Big named Matches still draw good numbers, (I think), so that satisfys many who don't shoot local matches but do make The Cactus, Supershoot, Nationals, etc.

But does that help draw in new shooters? Probably not.

This year in the Gulf Coast Region, we have a lot of Matches, both Group and Score. We are fortunate.
 
BR Shooters in FL

Perhaps FLMAC from Titusville will chime in. Titusville club has monthly VFS BR matches.

Manatee club near Bradenton/Sarasota has hosted a NBRSA shoot titled "The Winds of Manatee" in Feb.to start the season; dormant last year or two.

Some famous & infamous BR shooters live West coast of FL and regularly post here.

Shamrock shoot (NBRSA) in Dublin, GA draws a lot of FL shooters as well.

Here in SC, VFS dominates with Palmeto Gun Club @ Charleston & Miid-Carolina @ Orangeburg, SC being close.

See SE NBRSA schedule as well.

Bill
 
From talking to Joe Krupa and the Jerrets(Margret and Jerry). There is only one BR match a year in FL.
Manatee. But, last year there was no match. This year who knows.
Now if you drive up I-75 to about Monroe, MI. You will be in the 3 hour drive of WWCCA, Holton Gun and Bow Club, Kelbly's Range, Chippewa, Shelby County Deer Hunters Club. Heck, Monroe County has about 9 shotgun ranges and a couple gun ranges of the nice verity.....
Now along the way up to the Great White North(Yep we got some snow last night).....There are some gun clubs in Tenn. and Kentucky............
Find a club and start some Benchrest down there.......
Tim B.
 
Most seem to shoot F-class (belly benchrest). I'm a member at Port Malabar Rifle & Pistol Club (PMRPC) about 3500 members. East coast just below Melbourne. No benchrest shooting matches but do have benches on the 100-200 yard range. We have a 600 yard range but only NRA matches there (F-class and across the course position shooting). Check the website and see if you might be interested in any of the 600 yard matches. BIG match this week and weekend.

... Larry S.
 
Last edited:
I am planning a trip to Titusville in the future need to make some new brass for my 30br and since I no longer have my lathe I need to get a neck turner. I am looking forward to shooting again and meeting new fellow shooters should be great fun.
 
Tom Bieri said:
I have relocated from the midwest to SE Florida. Since here I have been to many gun shops, indoor, and outdoor ranges trying to find other people that have interest in benchrest shooting. I have been pretty unsuccessful so far. There are many people interested in shooting just not in Benchrest. Apparently Benchrest shooters/experimenters are truly rare. Could I really be warped and obsessed like my wife says?
Click to expand...

Tom - There are a lot of Benchrest shooters in Florida, but NONE of them seem to want to get anything started. I shoot bench rest at the Eustis Gun club. There are a few others there that also shoot bench rest, and they all talk about getting something started, but they never do. As a result, we just go to the club, put up some targets, and shoot 40 or 50 shots for fun. As for me, I've never been to a benchrest match in my life and know absolutely nothing about how to get a match started and what the rules are. Some of our experienced shooters need to step up and get the ball rolling. Another thing that has to be considered, the majority of shooters in Florida are over 65 years old. They just won't drive a long distance to shoot anything. If it isn't within 20 miles of home they won't go, again, no matter what it is. These opinions are just mine. I hope I'm wrong, but it just is the impression that I get from talking to them.

Best regards

27-T
 
27-T said:
Tom - There are a lot of Benchrest shooters in Florida, but NONE of them seem to want to get anything started. I shoot bench rest at the Eustis Gun club. There are a few others there that also shoot bench rest, and they all talk about getting something started, but they never do. As a result, we just go to the club, put up some targets, and shoot 40 or 50 shots for fun. As for me, I've never been to a benchrest match in my life and know absolutely nothing about how to get a match started and what the rules are. Some of our experienced shooters need to step up and get the ball rolling. Another thing that has to be considered, the majority of shooters in Florida are over 65 years old. They just won't drive a long distance to shoot anything. If it isn't within 20 miles of home they won't go, again, no matter what it is. These opinions are just mine. I hope I'm wrong, but it just is the impression that I get from talking to them.

Best regards

27-T
Click to expand...

you are not wrong.

A match can be as simple as hanging some score targets on the frames, have someone with a clock say commence fire, and when the 7 minutes is up, call cease fire.

Or, it can be as complicated as Registering the Match with a Sanctioning Body, ordering appropriate awards, installing a moving backer system for group shoots, pay a target crew, have an individule call the match, and run the Match under the formal rules as laid down by The Sanctioning Body.

Since I have been in Benchrest, I have seen Matches come, and go. The single biggest culprit is nobody wants to do the work and take on the responsibility that it takes to unlock the gates and hold a Match.

Burnout among Match Directors is pretty common. I have seen the cycle repeat several times at our own club in Tomball.

I run the Club Matches at Tomball, and Dwayne and Richard Pullum run the Registered Matches. The work involved running the 5 Club Matches is miniscule compared to what it takes to put on the two Registered Matches.

So, if you just want to get started, get with your home club, and see if they will allocate you a few dates to hold some one yardage Club Matches on a convenient morning.Keep it simple, don't burden the effort down with a bunch of rules, (without compromising safety), and have some fun.
 
Last edited:
Jackie,
You are right, after being in benchrest shooting for 15 to 20 years you get burnt out. You can’t get anyone to work a match. If you have 5 or 6 people working you can shot a scope match in about 3 hrs. (one yardage). At your club matches no one loads on the line, and we stop the relay when everyone completes their target, this cuts time off the 10 mins.

john
Mims, Fl.
 
Lakeland Fl.

I got out an old copy of Precision Shooting they youst to have matches at Lakeland Fl . Acording to the article 7 or 8 people would show up. Hope that helps .
 
27-T said:
Tom - There are a lot of Benchrest shooters in Florida, but NONE of them seem to want to get anything started. I shoot bench rest at the Eustis Gun club. There are a few others there that also shoot bench rest, and they all talk about getting something started, but they never do. As a result, we just go to the club, put up some targets, and shoot 40 or 50 shots for fun. As for me, I've never been to a benchrest match in my life and know absolutely nothing about how to get a match started and what the rules are. Some of our experienced shooters need to step up and get the ball rolling. Another thing that has to be considered, the majority of shooters in Florida are over 65 years old. They just won't drive a long distance to shoot anything. If it isn't within 20 miles of home they won't go, again, no matter what it is. These opinions are just mine. I hope I'm wrong, but it just is the impression that I get from talking to them.

Best regards

27-T
Click to expand...

We old guys have to stop & pee pretty darn often, so it's hard to drive a long distance :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top