Air Rifle Bench Rest Competition Shooting

[Hooty]

Calling all serious 25m benchresters - I would like to know what the consensus is on the best dedicated benchrest competition air rifle. There is very little info online, including the UKBR22 website where the air rifle section is still in Italian! Apparently the Italians have been doing BR air rifle for years, but only recently have the UK .22 rimfire leagues opened up to .177 air rifle. I've been using my pro target in the Yorkshire leagues (you aren't allowed a rear support bag for these comps) and whilst the PT is grouping quite well at 25m indoor (average 4mm to 6mm centre to centre with the very occasional 'same holer') averaging 11.4ft lb with sub 8ft per sec variation, this is still found wanting when you are trying to obliterate a set of 20 tiny 2mm aiming marks.

I've tried all the tricks of pellet washing, sorting, weighing, pellet sizing, lubing, mucking around with barrel harmonics, regular barrel cleaning (VFG kit) prayer, cussing, deals with the devil etc, but I still get the odd flyer, ruining an otherwise respectable card.

I know Anschutz do a dedicated BR air rifle (8002), but are there any others commonly accepted as the best guns to use for BR?

If there are any of you out there who are seriously into 25m BR, I would be grateful for opinions on best equipment and technique.

Thanks!

[norm]

I am just getting into benchrest. Story so far.... I am experimenting with a FWB 300s with an uprated spring (kindly supplied by Wonky Donkey) and a Tasco 6-24 scope and a bench and rest that I made myself. Its beginning to come together. I also tried my unmodified Walther LGR yesterday with a 3-9 scope and this looks very promising. If you look at the UKBR22 results for the winter 2007 series, far and away the most successful guns were the AA S400 in the sport class and the FWB P70FT in the unlimited class. The results spreadsheet is most usefull as it gives all guns used along with pellets, scope and even benchrest details. However, its a bit scary when you see that the sport section was decided on X's with the first two both scoring possibles (1250 out of 1250). Are you entering the NSRA/Eley comps, benchrest section?

[luddite]

The Feinwerkbau P70 is the most accurate sub 12 ft/lb air rifle I have ever used. I have put in a couple of 5 shot groups at 25 yards indoor which an unfired pellet (JSB Exact) would not drop through.

[Hooty]

Nice one gents. Norm, I want to improve a little more before raising my head above the parapet for the NSRA/Eley comps! I'll have to see if I can borrow a FWB (left-handed) to try. Do you wash, sort, size, generally muck about with pellets or are you finding those amazing results with the P70FT with JSB's straight from the tin?

[luddite]

Nice one gents. Norm, I want to improve a little more before raising my head above the parapet for the NSRA/Eley comps! I'll have to see if I can borrow a FWB (left-handed) to try. Do you wash, sort, size, generally muck about with pellets or are you finding those amazing results with the P70FT with JSB's straight from the tin?

I use JSBs straight from the tin, I just give them a visual before putting them in the breech.

[Gary C]

If anybody knows anything about airgun benchrest shooting could you drop me a pm?

I am looking to visit a club to have a go for a new AGW series.

[Falcon25]

The Feinwerkbau P70 is the most accurate sub 12 ft/lb air rifle I have ever used. I have put in a couple of 5 shot groups at 25 yards indoor which an unfired pellet (JSB Exact) would not drop through.

Is this the FT version or 10m, would 6 ft/lb group Ok at 25yd indoors. I have on a good day shot 9mm c/c groups at 50m with a P70 ft rested on a sandbag. I think it is hard to beat for ultimate accuracy.

[simmmo]

I score the club targets in the UKBR22 postal league and have seen peoples scores and the way they score ie no. of 10x's as opposed to just 10's improve over the last two seasons. Most people have shot S400s at one time or another and upgraded to supposedly better kit to find their averages drop. Unless you want to shoot unlimited (stock puts you at a disadvantage and nothing else in my opinion as the trigger is workable) an AA S400 will take some beating.(Why have I just bought aSteyr?) It makes the weight for all classes but time will tell if I need to go back to the 400 which due to getting it regged imminentley disqualifies it from my main two classes.

The rules on the UKBR22 site under the airgun section explain what you can use for the different classes.

Find a routine if your rifles not regged that maintains your sweet spot and watch that parrallax/head position. The right pellet for your barrell is really emphasised when shooting these targets as single hole groups need to be really tight and one pellet on a target really shows up any shortcoming in pellet fit. Good glass. Discover your rifles accurracy quirks.

Andy

[pennineway.fswo]

Could anyone confirm the distance in the NSRA/Eley comp.bench rest competition
Is it 25 yards or 25 metres?

Also in the Eley bench rest competition, are the airguns and rimfire guns in the same class?

My club have just commissioned a new 25 yard indoor range for 25 yard rimfire and 20 yard Sport Rifle and Air Pistol. Air rifle bench rest sounds appealing especially to older guys(like me) who find prone rimfire too much hard work and tough on the elbows

Any info regarding this discipline would really be appreciated(in the thread or by pm)
Thanks
John

[luddite]

Is this the FT version or 10m, would 6 ft/lb group Ok at 25yd indoors. I have on a good day shot 9mm c/c groups at 50m with a P70 ft rested on a sandbag. I think it is hard to beat for ultimate accuracy.

It was an FT version.
Not sure about the 6ft/lb version but I think it should be ok as I have shot a 5 ft/lb air pistol at 20 yards successfully.

[pellet god]

I shoot a air arms hft 500 in benchrest it has won me over twenty comps in the last three years I use jsb premium short skirt 8-44 grains

[AD_K]

You can shoot the Hendon League Benchrest with an Air Rifle. I do it myself.

Only limiting factors are that it has to be .22 calibre because competitors are also welcome to use rimfire .22 l/r. (no bipods allowed)

Funny enough last season I kicked a lot of the rimfire guys asses with my .22 bog standard HW100 !!

Gary... if you are ever down London, Surrey, Kingston, way... I have 24 hour access to the club. You are more than welcome mate.

Cheers

ADK

[Dr Bob]

In the Yorkshire league we can shoot .177 but it is marked by using the .22 gauge so we don't lose out. Gary the Bradford Pistol and Rifle Club shoot in many bench rest postal leagues and most of the committee members are retired and live local so if you are going to be in the area give me a PM and we may be able to open up for you. Oh yes forget to mention we have a bar


Regards, Bob

[simona]

I have to agree that the P70FT is a one-hole machine. I have one in a P700 chassis with some minor mods and it's incredibly good at 30 metres indoors and it seems very flexible pellet wise. I would feel quite confident that with half decent JSBs at 25 yards this gun would not miss a 2mm target. The barrels on these must be good, I shot a load of reject JSBs out of the P70 and they still were one-holers, it doesn't need cleaning either. Cocking a P70 might make it move on the bags though.

Perhaps the most accurate thing I ever used at 30 metres was my much fiddled Walther Dominator when it was fitted with a hammer-forged poly barrel. I only changed the barrel because it was poor at longer range, only doing inch groups at 50 yards. It was so good out to medium range that it almost defied comprehension.

Having said all this there is no reason why your PT shouldn't produce results. What barrel shroud set up does it have? Is the crown OK? Does it throw the odd one whatever pellet you use?

I hope this sport goes somewhere, I've got a mint Baush and Lomb 36x40 BR scope ready and waiting.

[simmmo]

Nice stock http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537...Gun+%28pics%29

Andy