Bell Target Shooting.

[zooma]

Hi Plinker,

I like the idea of Bell target shooting, but I admit I find it hard to believe your claim that shooting at 6 yards on a Bell Target is harder than shooting at 10 meters on a 10 meter paper target - it makes no sense to me at all and defies all logic.

As far as I know the "bull" on a Bell Target is 3/8" - quite a bit larger than the "bull" used on targets at 10 meters ( a comparitive pin head) - so how can the bigger target at a shorter distance with a bigger bull be harder to hit? I am guessing you are comparing these two distances when using similar rifles?

Both disciplines are shot "free standing" ( not leaning on a table as you mention), so whilst I think it is good to promote the sport of Bell Target shooting, I am not too sure about the authenticiy of comparing it with the 10 meter air rifle discipline as a more difficult target to hit.

Maybe the pressure of shooting in a Bell Target match is what you mean?.this I can understand as 10 meter rifle shooting is seldom a live team event shot in a comparitively noisey and distracting club or pub with both teams watching the shooter perform - that kind of pressure would make it harder to perform - but it would not make the bull any smaller or the distance any longer.

We are also lucky to still have a good supply of 300S rifles ( and similar types) at £200 or less and have not seen any offered at the quoted regular asking price of £350 that you mention in your reply - if they were that expensive to buy, and if 6 yard shooting is more dificult to shoot than 10 meter shooting, then I think some of the "fun" aspect of Bell Target shooting can be lost when trying to promote the sport.

Fortunately, good used working match rifles can still be bought for £200 or less, and most think hitting a 3/8 hole at 6 yards is easier than hitting a pin head at 10 meters, and are happy to tackle it with a less expensive rifle.

[thimblehouse]

You will learn. Remeber too many restrictions will put people off. The wider to coverage and appeal the better to keep the fun going. My club will have a christmas shoot shortly and replace the guns for rubber sucker ones just for fun.

[Jimlad]

Hi Plinker

I am sorry to disagree with you again, 10 metre easier than bell target? You are having a laugh! The skill required to compete even at club level at ten metre is far superior to that required in bell target. I have shot bell target and ten metre for 40 years plus, and I can guarantee you that 10 metre is a lot more difficult, there is a different pressure with bell target, but the skill required to shoot 60 shots free standing at a pin head at ten metres just don’t relate, if you find ten metre so easy maybe you should be shooting for your county/country , I think the last Gold medal score was 598/600 that is 58/60 pin heads at 10 metres, what type of scores are you recording at bell target? 3/8th” hole

Jim

[thimblehouse]

Of coarse 60 shots is harder than 6 or 10. Wrong comparison.

[Jimlad]

Hi

I stand by my statement, your quote ' When doing indoor ranges at Game shows we are often asked which is the easiest always reply the 10m. They look at you mad, then after trying the Bell at 6yds and stopping them leaning on the table they then agree with us'. even over six shots shooting at a pin head over 10 metres, or a 3/8" inch hole at 6 or 5 yards, the 10 metre will be more difficult.

With regards to the Pcp over the single stroke pneumatic, you are right in saying that many shooters can hold their own with the 300s etc against the high cost full modern match rifle, but put two equal shooters in experience and capability against each other, over a few matches and there will be only one outcome. The fit, balance, trigger, the fact there is no effort in loading will all tell, and what have Feinwerkbau been doing over the last 50 years wasting their time?

Jim

[thimblehouse]

It was explained to me recently, by a British 10m campion why he did Bell Target and most came off saying Bell is harder.
Its all down to mechanics. Unless you have amazing eye sight or use magnification seeing the 1/2 mm dot in the centre of a 10 diagram clearly
is near impossible. So when using ring front sight as most do, you put the who black of the diagram in the ring to shoot for the bull.
You then do the same with Bell. The bell black centre is smaller when looking through the sights and as such appears more difficult.
He also added he did Bell as it was more of a chalenge shooting by yourself than in a row with no one checking every shot.
This putting him in good practice for 10m.

Weather you get a bull at the end of the day is another thing.

[RobinC]

I'm not biased against any branch of the shooting sport, if its with guns I like it, my wife and I do smallbore prone (used to do 3P .22 and fullbore) still do 10 mt air, but come on guys get realistic, bell is equivalent to shooting at the 6 ring (7 at best!) on 10 mt.

Were not demeaning it, Ok its fun, a great sport, but its not difficult compared to 10 mt. And the pressure of a live shoot? There are many live 10 mt shoots, did one this week end. Look up Sonja Phfeilshifter on You Tube shooting a 400 ex 400 at 10mts in a German Budesliga team event, in front of a screaming, stamping crowd and also with pop music playing!!! Sonja incidently is "probably" the best air rifle shooter in the world, men or women and shoots 400's regularly.
Good shooting
Robin