Quote Originally Posted by simmmo View Post
I think it is a great idea to get some sort of Benchrest League going within the UK however in previous posts it is obvious that there are too many different rules going about.

At Buxted we shoot UKBR22 and find them accommodating towards air rifle shooting.

As the first World Championships took place last year using these rules and the new World rules are currently being drafted (based largely on these) so as to standardise it in the World arena don't you think it would be sensible in an effort to get the sport to grow that the country as a whole adopt the same set of rules. This years nationals will be using these rules.

I appreciate that there are current regional leagues in existence using their own rules. I would love to enter another competition other than the UKBR22 ones that I currently do each month but I would suggest a different target would be the best way to go with a standardising of the rules across the country.

If you want to do benchrest seriously then you can spend a lot of money and time sorting your kit. Front rests can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. If you are shooting different classes you need different bags unless you have an adjustable top. This part of the rules could be a major stumbling block nationally. You must I feel go for the most liberal view so as to encompass most people because what we want is competition. The most competitive shooter at Buxted at the moment is using a bipod.

Equally classes and divisions let like shoot against like equipment and ability wise, so don’t be afraid to have air competing against air and live fire against live fire. I think if you study the UKBR22 scores section you will see that the rimfire scores are on their targets predominantly more consistent. Don’t read this as more accurate because I don’t think there is much in it. But what they have is an advantage in their propulsion at the standard of Tennex and the like is much more easier to control than in an airgun with power curves and fill pressures etc..

Even UKBR22 has daft rules like .177 and .22 competing against each other plugged with calibre specific gauges, still cannot get my head around that one.

I'm sure we could put 3 or 4 teams into such a competition.

Good luck with whatever you achieve.

Andy


hi Andy

Many thanks for your very constructive views

I think you and i are thinking along the same lines and thanks for your proposal to put 3 or 4 teams into this competition

For an open shoot, it would be easy to shoot different classes such as in the UK22BR postals .

However for the postal league some of the Midland clubs have just a handful of members, some use air and some .22 rimfire. So seeding into divisions would probably be based on a team average (as we do for our 11 LSR Divisions) and the team members can use either air or rimfire

Shooting a good air rifle at 25 yards indoors i recorded an average of 99.1 ex 100 using the standard NSRA 25 yd targets over the winter months which is only slightly less than my rimfire 25 yard benchrest average on these cards. However when using the air rifle each pellet had to be selected/treated with care and examined just prior to use,whereas on the rimfire rifle i used just mid-priced club ammo.
I have occasionally shot 100's with even the cheapest 'Club' .22 rounds however putting cheaper pellets in the AA400 would be a complete waste of time and end in tears and frustration.
I have also found to my cost that even slight damage to a pellet can cost you 10 points. Not so with the rimfire bullet.

As said above, it is outdoors where the poor air rifle really struggles against the rimfire rifle even at 25 yards.

I also, like you, am confused by the UK22BR rule of guaging to calibre
and I look forward to any review and revision of the current rules

ATB
John