New bench rest rules

[Brian.Samson]

What is the justification of not being able to turn the illumination on and off in HFT as the target requires it? None I would say.

One of the core rules in HFT is that you are not allowed to make scope adjustments during the competition. If you were allowed to make some adjustments (turning on and off reticle illumination) but not others, then it would be very difficult for a marshal to see if you were cheating, by adjusting PA for some shots when you shouldn't be.

Believe it or not, there is a small minority of people who will cheat at HFT given half a chance, and those people can be very inventive.

Sometimes it's not easy or obvious to see a reason for a rule, but that doesn't mean there isn't one - that's probably the case with this magazine rule in Bench Rest.
Something I've discovered about BR since I started to test the water recently is that the sport and rules are in disarray - even worse than FT!.

[rhyslightnin]

Believe it or not, there is a small minority of people who will cheat at HFT given half a chance, and those people can be very inventive.

I always find this hilarious, in this respect; if the cheater spent all the time they used thinking up and implementing devious plans to gain more points in a competition, practicing, adjusting thier kit and even earning more money to buy better kit, they might actually end up getting good enough to win!!

[lensman57]

One of the core rules in HFT is that you are not allowed to make scope adjustments during the competition. If you were allowed to make some adjustments (turning on and off reticle illumination) but not others, then it would be very difficult for a marshal to see if you were cheating, by adjusting PA for some shots when you shouldn't be.

Believe it or not, there is a small minority of people who will cheat at HFT given half a chance, and those people can be very inventive.

Sometimes it's not easy or obvious to see a reason for a rule, but that doesn't mean there isn't one - that's probably the case with this magazine rule in Bench Rest.
Something I've discovered about BR since I started to test the water recently is that the sport and rules are in disarray - even worse than FT!.

I agree with you Brian. I know of at least one quite well known character whose gun always seems to be very close to the limit, on the wrong side, . But the illumination, not that I turn mine on!

A.G

[Steyr]

I agree with you Brian. I know of at least one quite well known character whose gun always seems to be very close to the limit, on the wrong side, :eek:. But the illumination, not that I turn mine on!:D

A.G

As far as I understood....you could turn it on so long as you didnt change it after the first shot. Sihoutte targets are called that for a reason. And sometimes...you cannot see the crosshair. The rules may have changed since I last shot FT and HFT.
If you shoot a mag rifle like an HW100...it is actually easier to have a full mag and replace the one shot. Getting a 14 shot rotary mag to line up on the right slot is not easy.
An air arms or daystate mag is sequential so easier.
I guess it doesnt really matter as a rule applies to everyone and choosing your kit can be made bearing rules in mind. When they change mid term....well thats just tough tits.
And yes....people do cheat.
I went to Halfords to buy a bike and you can get adrenaline packs and anti doping kits now to name just one sport where cheating is every day...

[lensman57]

As far as I understood....you could turn it on so long as you didnt change it after the first shot. Sihoutte targets are called that for a reason. And sometimes...you cannot see the crosshair. The rules may have changed since I last shot FT and HFT.
If you shoot a mag rifle like an HW100...it is actually easier to have a full mag and replace the one shot. Getting a 14 shot rotary mag to line up on the right slot is not easy.
An air arms or daystate mag is sequential so easier.
I guess it doesnt really matter as a rule applies to everyone and choosing your kit can be made bearing rules in mind. When they change mid term....well thats just tough tits.
And yes....people do cheat.
I went to Halfords to buy a bike and you can get adrenaline packs and anti doping kits now to name just one sport where cheating is every day...

No, they haven't changed. It is still either on or off.

Like the last line of your reply, LOL.

A.G

[ljgolf]

come to woodend on a wednsday or friday we cant shoot for laughing all oaps we have a brilliant time ,enjoy thats the name of the game.

[gwyn]

[QUOTE=noz1;7319917]I wonder if any of you shoot in your local bench rest league.
Many of us at my local club do and we have just been informed of a new rule for next season as follows;
Any rifle with a magazine MUST only be loaded with ONE pellet at a time!
Many of us use AirArms, Bsa's and Wiehrauchs and to try this with some guns is quite difficult.
Now, we all only do this for fun, some of us are on limited fixed incomes and some single shot adapters are not cheap for some makes of rifle so this is unpopular to say the least.
The other thing that we struggle to understand is what is the point of this rule; in target shooting, the gun is always pointing downrange; it is not as if we move between shots, is it?
I know that some members have already said that they will not shoot in the league next season solely due to this rule change.
Anyone in any other areas having this rule change, please?


I think this rule came about because i am told, the rules were drawn up by a group of prone shooters who were no longer able to physically compete prone.So the rule was ok because most were using single shot prone type rifles,i dont think it was envisioned it would be so popular and that other types of weapons would also be used,like sporting rimfires and air rifles,hence the problems about magazines and front stands.
Bench Rest has great appeal to a lot of regular club members of all disciplines so surely the fact that someone could shoot LSWR , Sport Air Rifle 10mtr Air Rifle and BR all with the two types of rifle should be encouraged.
It would appear the the NSRA has adopted the Yorkshire County Rules nationaly.
The rules though are advantageous to the person using a Match type .22 rifle, and could probably do with being re-written so as to cover the variety of weapons now being used.
The question of using an air rifle with a full magazine has just come up in the Leeds And District and has been given the go ahead for the winter comp season to see if it makes a difference to scores,this is because the person using a ,22 rimfire can load with one hand and little disturbance to his position ,but the air rifle user has to totaly break his position and will need both hands free to change his mags and then rebuild his position.
But an air rifle with a magazine is ok for free standing Sporting Air Rifle comps as are .22 rimfires with a mag in LSWR type comps
I beleive there are a few other BR leagues running, all different!
The most fun i am having is myself and a few of our club members are having an interclub BR shoot with a few members of another club
using spring recoiling air rifles,very frustrating!!! my AA S400 hardly gets a look in now!

[noz1]

[QUOTE=gwyn;7323734]

I wonder if any of you shoot in your local bench rest league.
Many of us at my local club do and we have just been informed of a new rule for next season as follows;
Any rifle with a magazine MUST only be loaded with ONE pellet at a time!
Many of us use AirArms, Bsa's and Wiehrauchs and to try this with some guns is quite difficult.
Now, we all only do this for fun, some of us are on limited fixed incomes and some single shot adapters are not cheap for some makes of rifle so this is unpopular to say the least.
The other thing that we struggle to understand is what is the point of this rule; in target shooting, the gun is always pointing downrange; it is not as if we move between shots, is it?
I know that some members have already said that they will not shoot in the league next season solely due to this rule change.
Anyone in any other areas having this rule change, please?


I think this rule came about because i am told, the rules were drawn up by a group of prone shooters who were no longer able to physically compete prone.So the rule was ok because most were using single shot prone type rifles,i dont think it was envisioned it would be so popular and that other types of weapons would also be used,like sporting rimfires and air rifles,hence the problems about magazines and front stands.
Bench Rest has great appeal to a lot of regular club members of all disciplines so surely the fact that someone could shoot LSWR , Sport Air Rifle 10mtr Air Rifle and BR all with the two types of rifle should be encouraged.
It would appear the the NSRA has adopted the Yorkshire County Rules nationaly.
The rules though are advantageous to the person using a Match type .22 rifle, and could probably do with being re-written so as to cover the variety of weapons now being used.
The question of using an air rifle with a full magazine has just come up in the Leeds And District and has been given the go ahead for the winter comp season to see if it makes a difference to scores,this is because the person using a ,22 rimfire can load with one hand and little disturbance to his position ,but the air rifle user has to totaly break his position and will need both hands free to change his mags and then rebuild his position.
But an air rifle with a magazine is ok for free standing Sporting Air Rifle comps as are .22 rimfires with a mag in LSWR type comps
I beleive there are a few other BR leagues running, all different!
The most fun i am having is myself and a few of our club members are having an interclub BR shoot with a few members of another club
using spring recoiling air rifles,very frustrating!!! my AA S400 hardly gets a look in now!

Yes, thanks, we have been notified that this rule has been stopped; common sense applied for once!
For me personally, air and rimfire should be separate classes anyway and .177 only for air but this is a start.

[gwyn]

Hi noz1,which league are you shooting BR in?
I did enquire of the county as to having a separate comp. or divisions within the comp. just for air but it fell on deaf ears.
Leeds and District did mark all air shooters with a prefix "A" so you had an idea about how you were doing against the rimfires but its not been done this season,i think it was the summer 2016 i counted the no number of A prefix shooters and there were enough to probably make around 6 divisions of 6.
I think a BR comp for air could be run if someone is prepared to volunteer to organise it !!!!!
I am not PC wise,to me a spread sheet is the thing i sleep on!!!!
I dont think there would be lack of entries.
If i were running it i would use the current rules except, the "front rest would be whatever suits your rifle best", and "rifles may be single shot or magazine fed.
If i wasn't match secretary at my club which is like a full time job! i would be happy? to give it a try.
let us all enjoy what we have,hopefully a happy and active club membership.
Don.

[Brian.Samson]

Yes, thanks, we have been notified that this rule has been stopped; common sense applied for once!
For me personally, air and rimfire should be separate classes anyway and .177 only for air but this is a start.

Why .177 only? - you'd be marking with a .22 gauge anyway after all (otherwise you'd have to redesign the target sizes)

[Jezzer]

Why .177 only? - you'd be marking with a .22 gauge anyway after all (otherwise you'd have to redesign the target sizes)

Exactly, we shoot .177", .20" and .22" all scoring the same with the .224" scoring gauge.

[I. J.]

Have a go at the Midlands postal league. You can use the magazine, use a bipod and a rear bag as well. Teams of three enter so you will need two buddies.

Thats me knackered then.

And some of us are disabled so bench rest is one form of shooting where you can compete on equal terms

Totally agree. Due to 'Arthur' in my bleed ravaged lower and upper joints (only my brain seems to have been unaffected ) I can no longer carry a heavy rifle across rough ground to shoot prone HFT type competitions. Yes, I know I can shoot the targets from a standing position but thats not equal.
At Rochdale Gun Club they have a 50m bench resting competition every month for which Ive dusted off the old HFT gun. Its fun, light hearted and in the dry/warm. Ive shot pretty well to with a first and a second so far.

ATB
Ian

[noz1]

Hi noz1,which league are you shooting BR in?
I did enquire of the county as to having a separate comp. or divisions within the comp. just for air but it fell on deaf ears.
Leeds and District did mark all air shooters with a prefix "A" so you had an idea about how you were doing against the rimfires but its not been done this season,i think it was the summer 2016 i counted the no number of A prefix shooters and there were enough to probably make around 6 divisions of 6.
I think a BR comp for air could be run if someone is prepared to volunteer to organise it !!!!!
I am not PC wise,to me a spread sheet is the thing i sleep on!!!!
I dont think there would be lack of entries.
If i were running it i would use the current rules except, the "front rest would be whatever suits your rifle best", and "rifles may be single shot or magazine fed.
If i wasn't match secretary at my club which is like a full time job! i would be happy? to give it a try.
let us all enjoy what we have,hopefully a happy and active club membership.
Don.

Hi, Don, I am shooting in the Leeds and District. It appears that now mags are to be allowed.
Regards, Mick.

[Mr.Fixit-Norm]

I wouldn't ever knock any form of target shooting, it can all be fun if the set up is correct.

I don't shoot in any competitions and 99% of my shooting these days down our club is done on the 50yrd indoor range on table using a bean bag as a rest, mainly because I struggle too much getting up and down off the floor with a combination of arthritis and cramp

One of the things I enjoy is using a home made .177 target rifle to ring a particularly small bell target at 50 yards - the target has a metal plate about 200mm in diameter with a 6mm ( yes that is correct ! ) hole !!

That may sound easy but believe me it's not, the best I've managed is 4 rings in a row I did manage it once with a highly modified air converted King Ratcatcher in .22 ( and it was witnessed ) but I think that it was more of a fluke than anything else.

The other challenge I like is using an original 75 fitted with a 4 x 40 scope to split an edge on playing card at 35yrds. Even though this gun is only 6ftlbs and the twin opposing piston mechanism is superb it's still not the easiest's of shots even on a bench off a bean bag.

Several people down the club who regularly shoot and do well in FT comps. have tried these two targets and even they don't get them every time, mind you they are shooting standing or sitting

Bench rest shooting to me is every bit as challenging as pigeon and rabbit shooting with my FAC Hornet on a windy day. The key is to make the targets smaller

Norm

[gwyn]

Good evening Mick, i shoot in Leeds too,it started with this e-mail from the Leeds organiser to eighteen match secretary's,"I have been asked to permit air rifle shooters with a gun that has a magazine that has more than one pellet loaded to be used in bench rest competition.This is because it requires more than one hand to take out the mag and replace it,so putting these competitors at a disadvantage to the 0.22 shooters who load with one hand.This will apply for the winter season as an experiment to see what effect if any it has on results".
Some one has had their cage rattled?
Personally its an outdated rule,i cant see that anyone can gain anything out of it?And with an air rifle you will be up against a big butch 13lb Anschutz or Walther with heavy match barrel firing Tenex off a Cognoscenti front rest anyway!
So good luck Mick,mind you don't break any rules!!!!
Don.