Why I didn't get started in benchrest.

[nhkuehl]

There is a thread on 'why I did get in' and I enjoyed their comments and didn't want to make a negative post there so I started this thread and I'm sure I'll get 'roasted' but here goes.

I've belonged to a local range for almost 40 years and early on I was curious about benchrest shooting so I showed up one Sunday morning with my heavy barreled Ruger .243 and said I wanted to shoot benchrest. The group snickered and said they'd let me shoot, but wouldn't take my money. I soon found out why. All of the guys were older and several were machinists. All of the rifles were glue in heavy barreled .222 Rem rifles with higher power optics. After the relay one gentleman asked me to sit down at his bench and showed me everything and let me shoot his rifle while he watched the flags and told me when to shoot. He called 4 shots on one condition and I had one hole, then he asked me if I thought the wind mattered and I replied, "Not really." He told me he'd tell me to shoot when the conditions changed and that shoot left 1/4" of paper between the two holes on the target. I was INTERESTED. I got a lesson on loading and case preparation that day as well.

Life happened and I had to wait another 20 years and spent a couple years saving for a Savage .223 12 BVSS. I decided I'd like to at least try benchrest with my rifle so I called the guy in charge of benchrest to find out about rules, etc. and explained I was completely new to benchrest and wanted to get some experience and only had a factory rifle. I was informed I wasn't welcome to shoot up their backboards. I left my rifle home and went to watch and realized I couldn't afford to get in the game, but an older shooter told me he'd teach me anything I wanted to know and several others answered questions for me. Later when I encountered them on the range I could always get information from them and that elevated my reloading and shooting. Some of the nicest guys at the range are benchrest shooters, but so is the biggest jerk. This person thinks he owns the range and nobody else matters.

Bottom line. I've belonged to IBS for years for Precision Shooting and do my own customization work on factory rifles and shoot varmints. I'm trying F-Class F/TR and could get interested in score shooting in a factory class. There is quite a range of investment in F-Class.

I also have a mentor with custom rifles that has me work up his loads for him. So I'm familiar with cut rifled barrels, 2 oz triggers and Night Force scopes. Could I compete at benchrest(?). I'd say I'm a .25 MOA shooter and don't know if the limitation is me or the equipment. Would that be competitive, I don't know and I'm not going to find out.

I enjoy shooting, but it is recreation/hobby and family comes first, so I do what I can afford (I don't have an ATV, RV or big screen TV either) when I have the time. That includes summer classes at TSJC. When I can't shoot I read and research. - nhk

 

[Dave B]

It doesn't matter where you go in life, your going to find a few jerks have already beat you there. Just ignore them and have a good time.
Regardless of what you have heard you can compete with a 700 Remingtonand a new barrel. Ask Bob Brackney.
Real benchrest is about self improvement and not about where you fit in with others.
I ask a nervous new shooter I was working with who had won the last match he had attended. He answered that he didn't remember.
I replied that no one else did either.
Benchrest is about having fun and not necessarily about having the best equipment.

 

[JerrySharrett]

Real benchrest is about self improvement and not about where you fit in with others.

Benchrest is about having fun and not necessarily about having the best equipment.

I'll bet that if Dave's statements above were promoted more that the "benchrest shooters" population would grow noticably.

 

[Stonewall]

I KNOW that jerk !

I thought that he lived here.......
Must have moved.

He would play mindgames to make you angry when you were shooting groups during a match .

On the other hand I DO miss Al Mirdoch and his sense of humour !!


I have a few interesting storys about hunters shooting Benchguns for the first time.


So just sell a few things,do some research and buy-build a new rifle and go shooting.

Nuff Said !


Thank you for taking the time to write this post.

Stonewall

 

[Steve Grosvenor]

Remember, Being Negative is easy, certainly wouldn't let the negative loudmouths pick MY hobby.
Oh and I do compete with a trued up 700, If I lose I don't believe its because I didn't spend enough money.
During a match last year it was won by a Shooter using his trued up 700.

 

[Apollo]

One idea you might consider is to shoot in the 100 yd Score Postal Tournament. Many people have used the Postal as a way to "test the waters". Some then use it as a springboard into Benchrest. Your rifle would fit into one of the classes.

Stanley

 

[EricMI]

I would definitely recommend trying the Postal Tournament.

By no means do you have to have the most expensive equipment. It is more about the mind behind the gun (reading the flags and loading the brass). You don't even have to have your own flags. You can find a nice guy and ask if you can share their bench and flags.

Ignore the jerks and enjoy the sport. Too many people get wrapped up in the politics and forget what the sport is supposed to be about--making friends and having fun while shooting of course.

Eric