Help With Two Questions

[Zero58]

Hi at my club we have just completed 25meter Bench Rest Shooting,with sporting Rifle .22 any sights,well a couple of questions have come up about equipment, I am hoping AGBB's members can clear them up.
First some rules relating to the 2 question thanks
1.Any type of front support can be used as long as it does not clamp the front Ie: a vise
Any rear support may be used but again no clamps
2.any type or make of .22LR ammo may be used
So question 1. Which is better to shoot off of front end wise
Bipod.Bag. Or adjustable front rest please give a reason why
Question 2.At only 25 meters is it worth shooting high price ammo such as Ely tennex or RWS 50 ??
Any feed back welcome my best Regaurds Frank

[tim s]

With regards to ammo, you may find that you get acceptable accuracy at 25 yards with cheaper ammo; not really cheap, but say Eley Edge or Match (or price equivalents from Lapua and RWS). Tenex should be sightly more consistent, but Match is made on the same machinery.

If you are batch testing (matching individual production batches to your barrel), then at Eley's customer test range you can only test Edge or Tenex, not Match. If not batch testing, I'm not sure that Tenex is worth the extra at 25 yards, as there is no guarantee that batch will match your barrel, although the difference between a good batch and a bad one is small, unlike at 50m.

[Zero58]

With regards to ammo, you may find that you get acceptable accuracy at 25 yards with cheaper ammo; not really cheap, but say Eley Edge or Match (or price equivalents from Lapua and RWS). Tenex should be sightly more consistent, but Match is made on the same machinery.

If you are batch testing (matching individual production batches to your barrel), then at Eley's customer test range you can only test Edge or Tenex, not Match. If not batch testing, I'm not sure that Tenex is worth the extra at 25 yards, as there is no guarantee that batch will match your barrel, although the difference between a good batch and a bad one is small, unlike at 50m.

Thank you for your reply Tim s.Yes I can see what you are informing me about at 25m as opposed to 50m so I'll give Eley Match a bash I'm using Eley sports at the moment getting some of the pin head bulls eyes but mostly just the 10s.
Well I'll pass on your advice to other members of my club (or I might keep it to my self) got to have a edge on them
Best regards Frank

[DazzH]

Hi Frank,

I have used Eley Tenex and Match in my Benchrest rifle and Match shoots alot better at 25m, as for the front support we tend to use an adjustable front rest something like a caldwell rock.

[tim s]

Is the Tenex batch tested? If not you may just have struck lucky with the Match. Still your wallet won't be complaining.

[Zero58]

Hi Frank,

I have used Eley Tenex and Match in my Benchrest rifle and Match shoots alot better at 25m, as for the front support we tend to use an adjustable front rest something like a caldwell rock.

Hi DazzH since first post I have tride Match, yes a very good bullet for my needs the over all type bullet test which I did , was won by Match I am also using Sports for practise but for the actual comps it as to be Match £8.50 a box is with in ammo Budget thanks for your advice
So adjustable front rest is best. Reason being it's "adjustable" more so then a bipod or bag am I thick or what!!!! I was given a remmington one a few years ago, will have to dig it out of "shed" clean it up and give it a go thank you once again for advice my best Regaurds Frank.

[Zero58]

Is the Tenex batch tested? If not you may just have struck lucky with the Match. Still your wallet won't be complaining.

My wallet always complains mostly when wife spots it I did the batch bullet test and my sporting rifle so loved the Match don't know how they are batch tested or the tenex ones perhaps DazzH can help you with that one best Regaurds Frank

[tim s]

Zero,

Batch testing normally means testing different production batches to find the best performer for your barrel. When I batch tested Edge last September the difference between the best and worst batches was 12mm at 50m (best groups 13mm -worst 25mm). This wss from nearly consecutive batches all of approximately the same speed.

Eley won't say exactly what the maximum group size for Tenex is before it becomes Match.

[Zero58]

Zero,

Batch testing normally means testing different production batches to find the best performer for your barrel. When I batch tested Edge last September the difference between the best and worst batches was 12mm at 50m (best groups 13mm -worst 25mm). This wss from nearly consecutive batches all of approximately the same speed.

Eley won't say exactly what the maximum group size for Tenex is before it becomes Match.

Thank you for giving me a insight in to your world of shooting,It's all fascinating knowlege.And I thought Black Powder shooting was "witch craft" testing factory batches to suite your barrel I'm amazed but jealous of course.
But does prove a worth while point 12mm difference that's a match loser.
I'm going to club Saturday I'll try and put up my target on here, but please don't laugh as I know I'm not in your league best Regaurds Frank

[tim s]

Hi Frank,

Those groups were shot with the action clamped into a very big steel vice. Some A and X class shooters will test from the prone position, but the vice takes out the human error as well as speeding up the proceedings.

Absolutely right about the difference in group size. At 50m on NSRA targets you need a group smaller than 21.6mm (edge to edge) to score all 10s, so obviously the 25mm group would be shooting 9s even with perfect shooting and wind. Groups smaller than that 21.6mm gives more leeway for errors in your shooting and wind doping. For really serious shooters, matches run to International rules score to 10th points so tighter groups mean more points.