![JGA1903-BR50](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/JGA1903-BR50.jpg)
Benchrest shooting is a
shooting sport discipline in which
high-precision rifles are rested on a
table
Table may refer to:
* Table (furniture), a piece of furniture with a flat surface and one or more legs
* Table (landform), a flat area of land
* Table (information), a data arrangement with rows and columns
* Table (database), how the table data ...
or
bench — rather than being carried in the shooter's hands — while shooting at
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...
or
steel target
Steel targets are shooting targets made out of hardened steel, hardened (martensite, martensitic) steel, and are used in firearm and airgun sports such as silhouette shooting, cowboy action shooting, practical shooting, practical/dynamic shootin ...
s, hence the name "benchrest". Both the
forearm
The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is most often used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in ...
and
buttstock
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attache ...
of such a rifle are usually fully supported by
bean bags, a
bipod
A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix ''bi-'' and Greek root ''pod'', meaning "two" and "foot" respectively.
Bip ...
/
monopod
A monopod, also called a unipod, is a single staff or pole used to help support cameras, binoculars, rifles or other precision instruments in the field.
Camera and imaging use
The monopod allows a still camera to be held steadier, allowing t ...
(front/rear) combination, and/or a specially designed
fixture device called shooting rest (which may be one- or two-piece depending on competition rules), so that the gun can remain stably pointing at the target without needing to be held by someone. When shooting, the shooter simply sits/stands comfortably behind the table/bench, operates the
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
and pulls the
trigger, without needing to worry about carrying any weight of the gun. This is in contrast to other shooting disciplines, where the shooter has to bear at least part of the gun's weight while holding it steady to aim, even when using support devices such as bipods,
tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The three-legged (triangular stance) design provides good stability against gravitational loads ...
s or
shooting sticks
Shooting sticks are portable weapon mounts commonly used with rifles to brace the weapon on the ground, walls, and other features of the local terrain in order to provide a stable resting position to shoot from; reducing user fatigue and increa ...
.
Shooting guns from stable benchrests may also provide a stable platform for
sighting in less specialized firearms, including even
handguns,
shotguns and
muzzleloaders, as it eliminates most of the
human error
Human error refers to something having been done that was " not intended by the actor; not desired by a set of rules or an external observer; or that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits".Senders, J.W. and Moray, N.P. (1991) Human ...
s that can
confound the sighting-in process.
Benchrest shooters are notoriously detail-oriented and constantly trying to further the accuracy potential of the rifle through experimentation. Nearly all benchrest rifles are custom-made and many shooters do their own
gunsmithing
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very ...
. Nearly all shooters in
centerfire
Two rounds of .357 Magnum, a centerfire cartridge; notice the circular primer in the center
A centerfire cartridge is a firearm metallic cartridge whose primer is located at the center of the base of its casing (i.e. "case head"). Unlike rim ...
competition
handload their ammunition in order to tune it perfectly to their rifle. In contrast, handloading ammunition is strictly prohibited by the rules for
rimfire benchrest competitions.
The post-
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
era "double rest" rifles were one early form of "benchrest" rifles. The
World Benchrest Shooting Federation
The World Benchrest Shooting Federation (WBSF) is the international governing body for benchrest shooting, with disciplines for both centerfire and rimfire ammunition. WBSF was formed in 2001.
Disciplines Rimfire
* 50 m or
* Teams (3 sho ...
(WBSF) is the main international governing body for benchrest shooting, and encompass both fullbore and smallbore competitions. World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation (WRABF) is a smaller international governing body focusing on smallbore competitions. The
International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) and Global Benchrest Association (GBA) are two organizations which are only active in the United States.
Types of competition
There are two major types of competition. The goal of the original benchrest shooting was to shoot five or ten bullets into the smallest group possible (all in one hole). Winning placement in competition is determined by how well each competitor achieves this goal or in other words, how closely the shots are grouped. This is termed "Group Shooting".
The other is a more recent development, "score shooting". The difference is that the traditional bullseye-type target with scoring rings is used. Winning placement is determined by each shooter's score results.
However, in competitions (
IBS,
NBRSA, and The Original Pennsylvania 1,000 Yard Benchrest Club), the competitor's target is scored for both group size and score. A competitor may only win in one category. If, for example a single competitor has the smallest group and highest score, they will be awarded only a win for the smallest group, the next highest score will be awarded the score win.
Additionally, there is growing interest in both rimfire and airgun benchrest. Currently, both of these competitions are of the score format only.
Benchrest shooters attempt to achieve the ultimate in rifle precision; records for single , ten-shot groups are as small as (84 μRad), the record for a single five-shot group is (32 μRad) (there are no ten-shot competitions at 600 yards), while ten-shot groups are around (28 μRad), and 10-shot groups are around (27 μRad). Five-shot groups are significantly smaller. Groups are measured from center-to-center, thus negating the variations of different calibers. To accomplish this, the group is measured across its overall widest dispersion, then the diameter of the bullet is subtracted for the result. For example, a group measuring is scored (.375"-.243") for a 6 mm (.243") bullet. Matches are shot from with rimfire rifles, up to for centerfire rifles.
In competitive group shooting at , shots often land very close together making only one ragged hole in the target, therefore a method for verifying the required number of shots (five or ten) is used. This consists of a motorized single roll of paper stretched across and moving behind the targets which will record the number of bullets passing through each target.
Equipment
Since benchrest is a sport requiring the highest possible
accuracy and precision, the highest precision equipment is required if a shooter is to be competitive. The rifle is the most obvious cost; the most accurate guns are custom built, and can cost thousands of dollars. Handloading equipment is also essential for centerfire shooters (rimfire rounds are generally not handloaded) to allow tuning the ammunition to the rifle. In order to achieve extreme accuracy, the guns must be fired from a stable platform called a bench, which is a heavy, solid table usually anchored into the ground. Benches made of cinder block with a poured concrete top are commonly used in competition. Wooden benches are still used on some ranges. For most rifles, rests are required to provide a stable shooting surface, and most shooters use some method of judging the direction and/or velocity of the wind on the range.
Rifles
![Benchrest mauser rifle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Benchrest_mauser_rifle.jpg)
Rifles are usually custom-made with extreme
accuracy
Accuracy and precision are two measures of ''observational error''.
''Accuracy'' is how close a given set of measurements ( observations or readings) are to their ''true value'', while ''precision'' is how close the measurements are to each oth ...
in mind. Shooters might use heavy stainless steel barrels, scopes with high power magnification, and handmade stocks of graphite, fiberglass, or carbon fiber. Triggers are usually set to a pull of only a few ounces.
Benchrest shooting grew from
varmint hunting
Varmint hunting or varminting is the practice of hunting vermin — generally small/medium-sized wild mammals or birds — as a means of pest control, rather than as games for food or trophy. The targeted animals are culled because they are c ...
, where the shooters would aim for highly accurate rifles, using mostly .22 caliber cartridges. Initially, competitors could use just about any gun they wished. Eventually, classes of guns were created to enhance the sport's competitiveness. For example, the two long-range classes are a maximum Light Gun, and an unlimited weight Heavy Gun. Short range () centerfire group shooting encompasses the "Light Varmint" (maximum overall), "Heavy Varmint" ( overall), "Sporter" (, and or greater), and "Unlimited" classes.
The Unlimited class comes very close to living up to its name—just about any single-shot rifle qualifies, up to and including "
rail guns
A railgun or rail gun is a linear motor device, typically designed as a weapon, that uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles. The projectile normally does not contain explosives, instead relying on the projectile's high s ...
", which are rifle barrels and mechanisms built into a machine, or return-to-battery (RTB) rest. With rifles such as these, some initially argued that no shooting skill was involved and was simply a test of the gunsmith's craft. However, shooting a RTB rifle requires a set of skills different than conventional marksmanship. What is removed with the return-to-battery rifle is the need to physically aim the rifle for each shot, and evaluation of how any mirage will affect the shot. Judging the wind is as difficult and important with RTB rifles as with the other rifles. Given their mechanisms, it is arguably harder to compensate for ever-changing wind conditions when using a machine rest; the usual technique is to wait for what seems to be an identical condition rather than holding for the wind. Holding for the wind is quite common with the Light and Heavy Varmint rifles, and does offer certain advantages.
Benchrest matches involve careful reading of wind conditions to compensate for bullet drift, and the rifles and ammunition must be of the highest possible quality. However, claims of the superior position of machining over marksmanship skills in RTB rifle shooting are bolstered by the fact that competitors build their own rifles, and nearly all handload their ammunition to tune it to the rifle.
Sights
Precision sights are also a requirement. High quality aperture
iron sights could be used, but nearly all benchrest events allow
telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a '' reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate ...
s. High magnification scopes are generally preferred;
magnifications of 24×, 36×, or higher are common when allowed. Generally scopes will have turret adjustments to allow the scope to be easily adjusted for various shooting conditions.
For benchrest shooting, scopes with a second focal plane (SFP) reticle and click adjustments of
moa
Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand.
The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as
Kale moa and Moa Samoa.
Moa or MOA may also refe ...
(approximately 0.036
mil) are most commonly used. Scope models with 0.025 mil and 0.05 mil adjustments are also becoming more available. Lower adjustment values makes it possible to more finely adjust the sight towards the center of the target, but at the cost of more adjustments to keep track of. Some also participate with sights intended for hunting or practical long range shooting (i.e.
PRS). Sights intended for practical long range typically have a reticle in the first focal plane (FFP) and coarser mil adjustments.
Ammunition
![6mm BR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/6mm_BR.jpg)
Only the most consistent and efficient cartridges can provide the necessary accuracy for benchrest shooting. Initially, many chamberings were tried, with the .219 Donaldson Wasp probably being the most common. The
.222 Remington
The .222 Remington or 5.7×43mm (C.I.P), also known as the triple deuce, triple two, and treble two, is a centerfire rifle cartridge. Introduced in 1950, it was the first commercial rimless .22 (5.56 mm) cartridge made in the United Stat ...
dominated the benchrest world from the mid-1950s until around 1975, when the
wildcat
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...
6 mm PPC, based on a modified
.220 Russian case (which is in turn a boxer-primed derivative of the military
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
), took over as the most accurate cartridge. In today's benchrest competitions, short range group is mainly shot with the 6 mm PPC, while short range score sees more rifles chambered in the
.30 BR. In benchrest, the
6 mm BR Norma and a wildcat based on it, the
6 mm Dasher, are currently the most common chamberings. There is no dominant chambering in competition; choices range from the 6 mm BR and Dasher through the
.338 Lapua
The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm or 8.58×70 mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. It was used in the War in Afghanistan an ...
, with a host of 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, and .30 caliber chamberings.
Except where extremely rare competition rules stipulate factory-assembled ammunition, benchrest shooting relies exclusively on hand-loaded ammunition, which is user-assembled, round by round, with painstaking precision. Benchrest shooters'
primers, powders and bullets must be of the highest quality available if they are to achieve the shot-to-shot consistency necessary for competitive performances. Most short-range benchrest shooters use precision target grade bullets made by custom bullet makers. Long-range shooters split about evenly between factory manufactured and custom-manufactured bullets. Initially,
very-low-drag (VLD) bullets were preferred for long range, but both the difficulties in consistent manufacture and fussiness in consistent loading of VLD bullets have led to some compromise designs that have the promise of more consistent performance.
Rests
Unlimited class rail guns are just barreled actions (the top) that ride directly on a machine rest (the base), no additional rests are needed. The base of the railgun provides adjustable feet to provide a stable position on the bench, and the rifle is aimed with horizontal and vertical adjustments built into the base.
All other rifle types have recognizable stocks, and are fired from dual sandbags; a front bag on an adjustable mechanical platform (some costing half as much as the rifle) and a special rear bag. The stocks of benchrest rifles are designed to rest on the sandbags. With short-range rifles and the lower-recoiling long-range rifles, many competitors shoot "free recoil," where the rifle is not touched at all, save for the finger on the trigger. The sandbags provide all the support. By allowing the rifle to move freely backwards, the shooter hopes that the movement under recoil will be as consistent as possible. A few short-range rifles, and long-range rifles with heavy recoil must be firmly held, even though the aiming is still done with the positioning of the rests.
Wind flags
Wind flags are placed on the range between the shooter and the target, and allow a skilled shooter to judge the amount of correction that needs to be made to place each shot precisely on the target. Flags can be home built or purchased. They generally consist of a
wind vane
A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...
to indicate wind direction, and a cloth (or plastic) streamer and/or propeller to indicate wind speed (the higher the wind, the greater the angle of the streamer or speed of the propeller). Multiple flags are usually used, and they are placed at intervals along the path of the bullet from rifle to target.
Competitions
The Supershoot is usually held the week before
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
in northern
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. Approximately 360 shooters from around the world will gather to see who can shoot the smallest average of Light Varmint (5 groups each at ) and Heavy Varmint (5 groups/100/200).
World Records
The World Benchrest Championship is hosted in a different country every two years. On June 27, 2009 a world-record was set there at with a five-shot group measured center-to-center.
References
External links
Benchrest UK Website For All This organisation aims to promote the sport of Air rifle and Rimfire Benchrest shooting in the UK and throughout the world.
Benchrest Forum website*{{cite web, url=http://nbrsa.com/Rules/rules_rev37.pdf, title=Official Rule Book and By-Laws, revision 37, author=National Bench Rest Shooters Association, Inc., date=June 2008, url-status=dead, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117031510/http://nbrsa.com/Rules/rules_rev37.pdf, archivedate=2013-11-17
International Benchrest Shooters websitewww.benchrest.com websitewww.eurobenchrestnews.com websitewww.pa1000yard.com website
Rifle shooting sports