Making a start at benchrest

[Rich]

We are looking at expanding what we do at Shebbear Shooters and benchrest is a strong option. However, none of us have done it before and I'd be pleased to have a chat with anyone who has done - or preferably still does - benchrest with air only. We'll be shooting outdoors from a covered position as we can't get 25 yards indoors at the moment.

I've downloaded some material from the UKBR22 website and we're reading that now.

TIA

Rich

[Tone]

Rich

The UKBR22 air postal competitions are generally shot inside if you have a choice, but the open and national competitions which are generally held over a weekend are shot outside.

That often means that accuracy isn't enough to win the comp, your ability to read and shoot in the wind is just as important. That why wind flags of all descriptions are used in comps to give clues as to the direction & strength of the wind.

I think in someways to always shoot indoors until a comp comes along is a disadvantage because as soon as you get to the comp your scores go down because of lack of practice shooting outside.

There is a specific postal league for air outdoors organised by the UKBR22 - have a look at their site. I suggest you guys get some UKBR22 cards, get some frames made up for them and start practicing.

We are shooting the summer league at the moment but the winter league will be here before you know it and get yourself on that.

You could also do the sporter, light and heavy varmint postal comps but at least you know you willl be on a level playing field in the outdoors postal comp.

All the best

Tony

[Rich]

Thanks Tony

I've had an email exchange with Robb Harrison which is encouraging. He mentioned a club at Portishead and I guess that might be your home territory...

We simply don't have access to 25 yards indoors so we shall have to live with the outdoor option. We already have a windbreak screen which is made from two decks of wooden pallets standing on edge and fixed to posts and rails. We're planning to erect a parallel screen just one pallet high and about a metre and a half away, that will give us an avenue to shoot along, and will "still" the wind quite effectively.

Some of us will shoot with our LSR rigs and they would come under the Sporter category. The FT brigade will want to use their normal rigs I expect and that should be OK as a Class B Heavy Varmint if I read the rules correctly.

We're familiar with doing postal comps as we enter the NSRA LSR team and individuals. NSRA expect you to name your witnesses at the start of the season, UKBR22 seems to accept whoever is the RO at the time will sign the cards off. Something I haven't sorted yet is the gauging of 177 to 22. NSRA forbid the shooter from doing this, only the scorer is allowed to. I haven't found the BR rule yet.

Robb H had a look at our club's website (see my signature) and was content that we are an established outfit and he has approved us in terms of the UKBR22 constitution and rules, opening the way for our members to affiliate.

[Tone]

Nice one Rich, looks like you are taking it seriously.

Shame about the 25yrds indoors, Portishead is a great club and do hold competitions for both Rimfire and Air, mainly on the national circuit.

I travel a little bit up the road to Glevum near Gloucester http://glevumtsc.co.uk/
where we are spoilt for facilities, indoor out to 30yrds and outdoor to 50m.

You and your fellow shooters are welcome to visit, just let me know when but Saturday or Sunday mornings are normally best.

You are right about the weight classes, and interms of gauging, Robb does the scoring and is generally OK with the odd gauge and certainly doesn't take the same attitude as the NSRA.

The UKBR22 Nationals are in August (you may be able to still enter) which will be shot outside so in someways you are not at a disadvantage not having an indoor range (although I expect it hasn't felt that way so far this summer), also all international comps are shot outside.

Have alook at this post if you havn't already, some more info here: http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....ight=benchrest

Cheers

Tony

[Rich]

Tony, many thanks. I will table your generous offer to our membership tomorrow. I can imagine a good take-up once they see the magnificent facilities your club has.

Ours is considerably more modest but at £24 a year and £1 a time range fee, that's no surprise.....

Is the indoor facility open for LSR air?
atb


Rich

[Romah]

Tony, you're talking yourself into a job my friend, I can see you doing very well as UKBR22 recruiting officer
Keep up the good work.
Robb H

[Rich]

Is he on commission???

[Tone]

Is he on commission???

No commission Rich (they just pay me a flat rate )

For me the whole Bench Rest thing is pushing the air rifle to its limits in terms of accuracy, its interesting to note that no one has yet achieved a perfect score on a UKBR22 card with and air rifle i.e. 250 & 25x's.

It was done some time ago with rimfire, but a few are getting very close to it with air, a guy at our club missed it by 2no. x's last month (there is a cash prize for the first to achieve it).

Alot has to do with the set up but also the concentration of the shooter.

And of course shooting outside is all about been able to read the wind, you FT & HFT guys should be good at that.

We do shoot LSR air indoors and shoot the in the Gloucester Association comps. I shoot LSR in the same leagues as the Rimfire boys, we just shoot different days.

Regards

Tony

[Rich]

My own view is that the airgun fraternity should be grateful for the consistency that the pellet manufacturers can achieve, but also cognisant of the fact that variations between pellets in the same batch will probably be more significant than variations in rimfire ammunition, all from the same batch.

We have a pellet that weighs probably no more than 16 grains and if we are shooting 177, closer to 8 grains. Holding that weight to a tolerance of say 1 percent either way has to be more difficult than holding a rimfire bullet to the same limits.

So the limit for me is set by the ammunition, which is why I am against stupidly small reducer targets in FT and HFT. Once the margin for error is set by the ammo then it's no longer a test of the shooter's ability.

Re the LSR, we shoot in the NSRA team and individual comps. We're not in the Devon County SBRA so we don't shoot in their league, but we do run an internal comp parallel to the NSRA team event. Anyone who is a member can take part, so long as they shoot a rifle to LSR spec. At the end of the season, blind pairs are chosen at random and the scores added together. You might get paired with an A grade shot, and you might not. It gives the lower grade shots a chance of a shared prize.

Re the wind, well yes we should be good at that. Our ground isn't nicknamed Windy Ridge without some reason for it........!

[Wadhill1]

I shoot 20 meter bench rest in the Midlands league. Our club started shooting the comp 18 months ago. To start with we all found it odd, and we few airgunners found it difficult.....................BUT......... boy what a challenge it is!

BE WARNED. IT'S VERY ADDICTIVE

ATb

Charles

[Rich]

Well, whereas I thought there might be 2 or 3 members willing to give this a go, it turns out that there are a dozen or more, champing at the bit. So we shall need to reconsider what size of facilities we put up.

Tone and Robb, it appears that we shall be consolidating the membership applications into one request to take effect from 1st September.

[Romah]

Rich, look forward to hearing from you.

Tony, I'll get the cheque in the post.