An article to liven things up in here

[bubba]

http://www.saubier.com/smallcaliber/boyerschool.html

How many of you are bench shooters?

For beginers, do you have to go out and spend lots of money on a gun to accurize it or one that is already set up? Can you just use the benchrest methods on an accurate rifle and slowly work yourself into this sport? Just curious.

 

[The Big Dog]

Hi Bubba,

I've tried shooting bench rest with the long range bench rest boys and am not impressed. I'm a varmint hunter and thought I give Bench rest shooting a try. We have a 500 meter and 1000 yard range close by and I thought I would use it as a tune up between seasons. I did learn a lot about reloading for long range. The biggest thing I noticed is that these guys aren't interested in hitting the target, They're more intrested in their small groups. Any varmint hunter will tell you that group size doesn't matter if you can't hit the target. All I got from these guys was grief. I was using the wrong gun, the wrong bullets, the wrong scope, the wrong rest, I wasn't shooting the right way. It seems to me I must have been doing something right. I took six 1st places, four 2nd's, one 3rd, and one 4th. I ended up taking 1st place for the year. I was shooting in the light gun class. Now they've changed the rules so that they only count group size.
This group acts like a bunch of yuppies. They're more interested on who spent the most money. Who built there gun. How much they spent on there scope. I've asked about bringing in a class for standard hunting rifles and a class for varmint rifles as well. There answer to this was NO, we're not bench rest rifles. These are not sanctioned matches, they're only fun type matches. Now they're complaining they're now getting a big enough turn out.
I used to run the 600yd fun matches at our local range. Anyone who had a gun was invited to shoot. We were there to have fun and see what it was like to shoot 600yds. We all had a lot of fun and the new people had a chance to see how there hunting rifles did at the longer ranges.

The Big Dog

 

[smokin54]

I am not a benchrest shooter .
I have shot next to the benchrest shooters many times and have got to know a few of them. They have awnsered questions I have asked very nicely and have given very little unsolicited advice or negative attitude .
It is true they only care care about how small the groups are and It is important to them who built the gun but overall they are a good bunch .
I have picked up some fine points from them and applied it to my technique for load devolpment of my latest hunting rifle and have worked my new .223 to five shot sub 1/2 MOA groups but I do like to see my groups dead center in the bullseye . From what I have seen a group that is .250 at 100 yards is a bad day for these guys and they start getting happ when they are half that size and smaller.
A compettitve rifle is going to set you back a pretty good way and the specialized reloading equipment they use can cost you also . The typical rifles they use is not one that you are going to want to carry afeild to hunt with either . I would suggest that you go down to the range when they have a practice day and shoot with them under a relaxed condition and ask the questions as they pop into your head.