Comming out announcement

M

MarkR

Guest
Comming out of the closet today...
as far as shooting BR goes. I have purchased a used LV rifle from a member here out of the classified ads. After much bending of his ear and listening to him, I took the plunge. It is not the highest tech rifle, a 40 XBR complete rebuild and re-barrel by Kelblys a few years ago as yet unfired in 6PPC .262 neck. The stock is in fine shape and it has a 2 oz. trigger (Kelbly) and came with a 36X scope and an extra 22 PPC barrel with a few rounds down the tube. It came with the appropriate dies and 50 fired brass from one of his other rifles chambered by Kelbly with the same reamer. I have since bought a good front rest with 3" bag and a mini gator rear bag. I have purchased 300 new Lapua brass (to have some to weight sort from) and a selection of highly recommended bullets and powder H322 and N133. I also have all of the things necessary to properly neck turn the brass and to accurately measure and throw powder charges. I do not nave an extra barrel to pre-fireform my new brass. I have also bought the Benchrest primer and have been reading that for the last few days.
I have experience in competition shooting in smallbore, both 50 ft and outdoor 50 and 100 yds, service rifle matches (M1A) and three pistol competition. I have been reloading (or helping my dad) since I was about 8 yrs old and I'm now going to be 56 later this month. I have considerable exsperience forming my own brass for various wildcats of 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25, 6.5mm and 30 cals. I am no stranger to very accurate rifles and own quite a few, mostly varmint rifles now
I live in Kentucky and would like to attend a match or two to see how things operate and to observe the cadence or rythm of the shooters during a match, while during this time I would be fireforming brass and developing some loads for this rifle and getting ready both mentally and physically to enter a match. I have also sent in my application to the NBRSA.
I am looking for suggestions on where to go from here and to possibly hook up with someone close as a mentor.Thanks in advance
MarkR

PS...I don't expect to win my first few matches, second or third would be fine for a start... :D
 
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Welcome To Benchrest

Since you are certainly no novice to shooting, you will probably catch on pretty quick to the ins and outs of what we do.


You did not mention Flags, but I assume you know about that, since you have been pretty thourough in everything else.


A good mentor is an invaluable resourse, a lot of things that seem strange now can be easilly answered. And, as you say, going to a match and seeing first hand how all this stuff works is trully a case where a "picture" is worth a thousand words............jackie
 
MarkR said:
Comming out of the closet today...
as far as shooting BR goes. I have purchased a used LV rifle from a member here out of the classified ads. After much bending of his ear and listening to him, I took the plunge. It is not the highest tech rifle, a 40 XBR complete rebuild and re-barrel by Kelblys a few years ago as yet unfired in 6PPC .262 neck. The stock is in fine shape and it has a 2 oz. trigger (Kelbly) and came with a 36X scope and an extra 22 PPC barrel with a few rounds down the tube. It came with the appropriate dies and 50 fired brass from one of his other rifles chambered by Kelbly with the same reamer. I have since bought a good front rest with 3" bag and a mini gator rear bag. I have purchased 300 new Lapua brass (to have some to weight sort from) and a selection of highly recommended bullets and powder H322 and N133. I also have all of the things necessary to properly neck turn the brass and to accurately measure and throw powder charges. I do not nave an extra barrel to pre-fireform my new brass. I have also bought the Benchrest primer and have been reading that for the last few days.
I have experience in competition shooting in smallbore, both 50 ft and outdoor 50 and 100 yds, service rifle matches (M1A) and three pistol competition. I have been reloading (or helping my dad) since I was about 8 yrs old and I'm now going to be 56 later this month. I have considerable exsperience forming my own brass for various wildcats of 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25, 6.5mm and 30 cals. I am no stranger to very accurate rifles and own quite a few, mostly varmint rifles now
I live in Kentucky and would like to attend a match or two to see how things operate and to observe the cadence or rythm of the shooters during a match, while during this time I would be fireforming brass and developing some loads for this rifle and getting ready both mentally and physically to enter a match. I have also sent in my application to the NBRSA.
I am looking for suggestions on where to go from here and to possibly hook up with someone close as a mentor.Thanks in advance
MarkR

PS...I don't expect to win my first few matches, second or third would be fine for a start... :D
Click to expand...
First off, welcome. Here in KY do you live?

How close to Johnson City, TN? We will have a 100/200 LV/HV group shoot there in April. If you are in Eastern KY that may be your best bet to start since most of us at that shoot end up in last place.

Getting ready mentally and physically? Nothing to it, we just sit on stools and shoot.

That gun sounds like it may have been one that George Kelbly Sr may have built for Lawrence Carpenter a few years ago.

As to weight sorting Lapua 220 Russian brass forget it. Spend your time at the range watching your wind flags even if you are not shooting all the time.

Wind flags?? Don't leave home without them!!

Weigh it with a scope on it and see if it will make the 10.5# (Light Varmint) class.
 
Thanks for the replys everyone. I did forget to mention the wind flags, yes I use them, but no I don't have a good modern set, mine are older and I don't think they are optimal at all for this sport. I'll get another set ordered this week. I just keep running the list and spending more money...I'm really glad I determined that I couldn't afford to shoot rimfire BR...:cool:
I was kinda hoping that George in Ky would pipe up, not yet though.
It sure would be embarrasing to go to Tennessee to get my butt whooped by a bunch of Hillbilly volunteers...:D but it looks like that might be my first chance at an indoctrination to a great facet of the shooting sports. Sooo I'll be trying to up tempo my perparation schedule some and just show up in Johnson city...
Any and all replies would be helpful and hey!...I was just kidding about the high placement in my first few matches...or any maybe! An older rifle and no experience usually don't add up to a great finish.
Mark

And yes FB, he did tell me that if I didn't shoot in the 0's and teens it wasn't the rifles fault! :D
Jerry, it does make 10.5 lbs, if the stock is filled with helium! I live in Lousiville about 100 miles south of Cincinnatti Ohio, 120 from Indianapolis Indiana and about six beers and a chew of tobacco from Tennessee! :D
 
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Be careful

This is a very addicting sport. I was bit by the bug last year, and since I have 4 boys, I'm thinking about selling one of them into slavery to pay for everything.

Seriously... it's all I think about. Getting a mentor is a must. They can help guide you into the right direction without you spending time or money on the wrong item. Another good thing I have picked up is to go shoot at the club with all the guys as much as you can. You can pick up alot just listening to the others. Hearing and seeing, for me, has always been the best way for me to learn.

Good luck on your new Journey. It sounds like you have a good foundation.
 
No offence to any of the BR Primer authors, but buy Mike Ratigan's book. Read it three times cover to cover. It is concise, and on the money. It is wayyyyy less helter skelter than the BR Primer.

The best I ever shot was after lots of practice. If your practice time wanes, as mine has, it is awefully hard to shoot well. The guys that will be winning this summer, are out shooting this winter. I'm sitting here like a toad!

Great bunch of people in this sport. Welcome!
 
MarkR,

Congrats on "taking the plunge". It sounds like you are well on your way and mighty prepared to start. I just hope you don't regret that 40X someday. Even a "re-worked" 40x can't hold a candle to a full custom action. I'm not saying that it won't be competitive, but it has a higher probability of not. I'd hate to see a new competitor fight the 40x demons and get discouraged and quit. When you go to your first BR match, you will see lots of customs and maybe not a single 40X. In the days the articles of the Benchrest Primer were written, the 40X was still being used quite normally, but times have changed.

Good luck.
 
goodgrouper said:
MarkR,

Congrats on "taking the plunge". It sounds like you are well on your way and mighty prepared to start. I just hope you don't regret that 40X someday. Even a "re-worked" 40x can't hold a candle to a full custom action. I'm not saying that it won't be competitive, but it has a higher probability of not. I'd hate to see a new competitor fight the 40x demons and get discouraged and quit. When you go to your first BR match, you will see lots of customs and maybe not a single 40X. In the days the articles of the Benchrest Primer were written, the 40X was still being used quite normally, but times have changed.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

goodgrouper...
Thanks for your reply, and I believe that you're probably right about the "custom" versus the 40XBR to a great extent. I am not a naysayer at all to the custom actions, as I already have palns to order a Stiller later this winter...but I needed something to get started, and this will be it for right now. By the way, this wouldn't be the only time that I showed up to a match shooting a 40X international or a 52E Winchester and everyone else was shooting Anshutz... I really don't have the expectation of winning, but I do have a desire to not be on the bottom of the list. A "great rifle" will enhance a great shooter, it won't do much for a medeocre shooter, on the other hand a great shooter will help a less than perfect rifle to be able to compete. I have been involved in the shooting sports for quite a few years and I have seen the "best equipment" ghost terrorize many shooters that are chasing good performance with the "best" equipment only to come up empty when it came time to claim the wood! I will not be haunted by the ghost of what could have been had I spent another thousand dollars, I do not live or die by not winning a particular match, but rather choose to maximize my abilities and shoot the equipment that I have, rather than to chase the dollar demon from the start!
As i've said, I'm 56 years old, and I can't get into and out of the positions to compete in smallbore any longer, nor do I have the desire to! As well, I just don't feel like getting my one brain cell bashed in by an M1A or big bore rifle anymore! I do have the desire to compete in some shooting sport and you guys are just unlucky enough to have me land in the BR game, at least for a while...:D
As well, I have the desire to get aquainted with a bunch of damn nice people in the shooting sports and I've heard that you guys are just that...just don't let me down on this one.
Mark
 
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MarkR

Listen to Duane and Goodgrouper.

Welcome to the fold. Most of us are old, but friendly.

I have a Viper drop and love it. Sometimes a guy needs to shoot fast!!!

Get Ratigan's Book > its excellent. Many questions will be answered or if not ask them here or search the archives > as most questions have already been asked.
Once again WELCOME. Watch the wind flags.

Marty
 
If one of you nice people

would let me in on the particulars on the April Johnson City 100/200 match
I'd like to start making arrangements to shoot there.
Thanks
Mark
 
Rattigan's Book

Another vote for Mike's book. Read it through several times a year_ a Great, valuable tool, Thanks Mike!

His very simple wind vane type flags have really simplified the wind "seeing", now for the "doping"

Bill

www.fowlerbullets.com
 
Welcome to Benchrest!

I also recommend Mike Ratigan’s book. It is the best and most comprehensive text on modern-day benchrest competition.

You should investigate the Blue Grass Sportsmen’s League website:

http://www.bgslinc.com/

http://www.bgslinc.com/modules.php?name=BGSL_Division_Rifle&file=page&load=Home.html


They are located just outside of Wilmore and they have an excellent benchrest range. They hold unregistered BR matches on a regular basis. I’ve shot at that club many times. It is definitely a nice facility.

You are probably a step up on the learning curve since you’ve already competed in other shooting disciplines, and you recognize that good gun handling and trigger control is of utmost importance…even when shooting a benchrest rifle.

Your 40x rifle will be competitive as long as it is bedded correctly, with a good barrel installed. You must have good bullets available to you – along with the ability to read wind flags and tune the rifle. 40x actions don’t operate as smoothly as the custom benchrest actions, and don’t hold their resale value as well. If the rifle was “reengineered”, it could be a problem. Usually if the ignition system hasn’t been dickered with, the barrel is installed tightly, and the scope bases/rings are in good alignment, you won’t have any accuracy problems with that rifle.

Greg Walley
Kelbly’s Inc.
 
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