Looking to get into 22lr shooting

U

u289104

Guest
Looking to get into 22lr Benchrest shooting can anyone tell me where to find/buy new or used benchrest guns? Can someone give advice on which would be the most accurate? Would it be better to build a gun or buy an older gun and build off of its action? Who if building a gun would you have do it for you? New to the sport and looking for some advice.
Thanks for all your suggestions!
 
who is Gorham gunsmith for the top shooters?

who is Gorham gunsmith for the top shooters? how can I contact him?
 
Attend some local matches

Often times the competitors have more equipment that they need and are will to help you out. The classifieds are also a good place to start. Dan Killough of Killough Shooting Sports often has several good buys on his site.
 
Check your Private Messages

Left you a PM ! Check it out.:D Richard Gorham 918-231-7716<rgorham71@yahoo.com>
 
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A Great Place to Start!

Give Bob Collins a Call he lives in Georgia and he will help you find a rifle and the ammo to go with it. He just mentioned to me that he has a couple to sell and will probably take them to the PSL match.
(478) 952-8204

PS I live in SAV - where in GA do you live??
 
u289104 said:
Looking to get into 22lr Benchrest shooting can anyone tell me where to find/buy new or used benchrest guns? Can someone give advice on which would be the most accurate? Would it be better to build a gun or buy an older gun and build off of its action? Who if building a gun would you have do it for you? New to the sport and looking for some advice.
Thanks for all your suggestions!
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The top benchrest shooters know one thing the others don't, The top shooters know where to get and how to test rimfire ammo. The best ammo comes in evey few months -you have 3 or 4 days to get it ordered and tested and call back with your case order.

Second comes the rifle. you can have the best rimfire rifle ever built and not find the ammo it likes and any hunting 22 with eley that rifle likes will out shoot your benchrester.

The untold secret about Rimfire is all about the ammo..When Eley sends ammo to the USA anything that will win the big matches is gone in about a week. There have been chamionship rifles sold when their lot of Eley is gone and no more can be found. You have to spend a couple hundred dollars buying test lots and call right back and spend $1800 on a case "if" you find what your rifle likes.

Buying a nice used benchrest rifle for $1800 is only half the cost. To get the best ammo you are competeting with the best of the best rimfire shooters that already have first pick of the best ammo. If there is enough left over and a newbie is lucky enough to find it you may get some.

The best bench gun money can buy will not shoot with less than the best ammo. A stock winchester 52d or rem 40x with the best ammo will outshoot the best bench gun with just average ammo.

If targets have improved in rimfire over the last 20 years it is not the so called earth shattering revlations -it's because we have better/more consistant ammo now.

A turbo action, benchmark bbl glued into a fencepost with dirtdobber mud would win a psl match if it has the right ammo. The 3 most critical things about rimfire benchrest is AMMO, AMMO, AMMO. JACK CHASTAIN
 
Gee Jack, aren't you a beam of sunshine this morning. New guy wants in, and you about tell him it can't be done.:(

u289104,

You've gotten some good advice so far. I always reccomend a used proven rifle as the best buy. If that is beyond your budget, get an Anshutz, Suhl or 40x. You can build off any of them and have quality. Go to a couple of local matches before you buy anything. Ask questions and look at what is being used.

This goes against the grain around here but, don't worry to much about ammo. Buy good quality (Eley black box, Lapua Master) and shoot a lot. A new shooter wouldn't know killer ammo if he had it. Until you learn to read the wind you will not see the difference between good and great ammo.

Ken Henderson
 
JACK CHASTAIN said:
The 3 most critical things about rimfire benchrest is AMMO, AMMO, AMMO. JACK CHASTAIN
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And here I was thinking the 3 most critical things about GETTING STARTED in BR were :

1-Strong desire to be competitive in organized competitions against strangers [ as opposed to shooting against your buds ]. Without this you never make it to the first match. It helps to know that BR shooters are super nice at the matches. It's only on the internet that you get the jerks.

2-Willingness to spend the necessary money and work dilligently at improving your equipment and your skills over a long period of time . BR takes money. Being handy can save a lot of money. Being too frugal often leads to false economy.

3-Persistence to keep bulling ahead when you hit the inevitable setbacks or plateus. Persistence to keep working even when finishing last. Persistence to keep an open mind so you can learn the nuances. Persistence to keep pushing when the weather is constantly trying to beat you down :mad::D[ private joke ].

Prologue-BR dreams. You WANT to shoot organized BR. You WANT to have trick rests, cool guns, cool gadgets. You WANT nice windflags. You WANT to shot 10's and X's. You REALLY WANT to shoot a 250 or 2500. You WANT to order 100 targets to practice on. You WANT to be a part of BENCHREST. Without this 1 through 3 don't mean nuthin. I think there is way too much discussion about how to attract new shooters to BR that overlook this point.

I should back button this but I'm going to hit submit:rolleyes:
 
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Don't kill the messenger. Getting ammo that shoots lights out is not easy nor quick.

I'll explain with a personal story. I called my ammo supplier and ordered about 15 different lots of Eley black and red box. It was a new rifle and I did not know where to start so I had to shotgun. Out of those 15 lots there were two lots that shot well enough to purchase more. The best lot was already spoken for after my 8 days of transit/testing time. I bought all he had of the second best lot. Then sold a case of it to a fellow shooter who just HAD to have some. (we shooters share, sometimes) I have since found another lot that shoots very very well but was only able to get half a case of the stuff. This was all within the last ten months. Now that lot of killer ammo shoots well in ALL of my bench rifles.....but its almost all gone so I have to test again soon. At least this time I can focus on one machine and one speed range.

I also have a really good lot of cheaper stuff....Wolf....that shoots on a par with the best of the black box...and it was by luck or chance that I got it. I use it for practice...but if it were all I had I might give it a go in a tournament, maybe not. But I was only able to buy that one case. I could not find any more at ANY supplier when I realized how good it was. I have one rifle that I cannot shoot this stuff in. It leads up the throat in about 10 shots and makes the rifle useless.

And I have one lot of Lapua that shoots really well...I go to it when other stuff does not work on a given day. I was lucky to get two cases of this and I use it very sparingly. My rifles were all chambered for Eley so is this a fluke? Another lot of this ammo purchased at the same time ain't worth a sh** in any of my rifles. Go figure.

Sorry for the long story. Those of you who have read this far need to realize that it really is all about the ammo if you want to have a chance to win against the best of the best. I'm still trying to beat them....that is where the fun part comes in. Enjoy the journey. bob finger
 
Welcome

u289104 said:
Looking to get into 22lr Benchrest shooting can anyone tell me where to find/buy new or used benchrest guns? Can someone give advice on which would be the most accurate? Would it be better to build a gun or buy an older gun and build off of its action? Who if building a gun would you have do it for you? New to the sport and looking for some advice.
Thanks for all your suggestions!
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Hi u289104, Welcome to the forum and your interest in Benchrest Shooting.
I think the best advise given here is to reach out to some of the other boys down in your neck of the woods and get out to some matches and don't sweat any of the other details, ammo etc... others are posting on here at this time. I've not met Bob Collins nor Doug Weeter, but both very well respected in the benchrest community and been at this game for a very long time, both Georgia boys, who can give you great advise and definitely going in the right direction.

Good Luck,
Les Williams
 
Welcome

You've been given good advice, don't let the ammo thing intimidate your decision to move forward. You have some great shooters in your state, go to a match, talk to them, listen to their advice and make your decision.

If i was just starting, I would agree with Ken, find a used proven rifle, they are out there. Your end results are based on how much time and effort your willing to put forth. It is frustrating at times, be patient and if one can, Keep It Simple, enjoy the process, and have fun.

Good luck,

Joe
 
Yes I am digging up an old thread, but I have some issues with whats been discussed......or rather NOT been discussed.

The first question that should have been asked is "What is your skill level?" "Are you a beginning/novice shooter or are you experienced?"

If the answer to these adds up to low skill and experience, then there never should have been talk of ammo at all. FUNDAMENTALS, ideas for good drills, mental images to help focus the shooter such as "aim small miss small", and above all else PRACTICE......thousands of rounds of practice should have been discussed. First practice using generic bulk ammo, learn to be accurate with the "worst" equipment and beginners skillset, then move up in equipment as the skillset outgrows what you are using. A $5000 benchrest gun in the hands of a beginner is no more accurate than an off the shelf 10/22 carbine.

Personally I own a 9422 with a $25 bsa 4X32 scope. I can hit anything fist sized using any 40gr ammo out to about 150 yards 95% of the time. I know for a fact that to get to 99% the improvement lies within ME. the other 1% lies in the equipment.

Thanks,
Brian
 
I am a personal believer in the US Army's marksmanship training program. Unfortunately time constraints and impatience get in the way of it being implemented 100%. On paper though it is an excellent program. Qualification involves 1 or 2 popup targets ranging from 25 to 300m. 20 targets in prone unsupported, and 20 targets in foxhole supported firing positions. I also see value in the USMC approach. Adding 2 more firing positions AND another target at 500m or yds, im not sure which.

dry-fire drills which train you to squeeze the trigger while retaining sight picture, proper breathing. if all of the fundamentals have been completely covered and soaked up, grouping should happen with no more than 9 rounds, zeroing in another 9.

Now the zeroing in no more than 9 rounds is assuming that you are using a target with a grid that directly corresponds to the adjustments on your particular sights.
 
Brian - Have you ever been to a sanctioned benchrest match? The reason I ask is that some of your statements don't seem to fit with what I've seen there. A $5000 benchrest rifle in the hands of a squirrel monkey would beat an off the shelf 10/22 in the hands of an olympic gold medal winner - shooting sanctioned benchrest. Standing, at any distance, is a whole 'nother game.

For example, sandbag rests eliminate "proper breathing" and two ounce triggers eliminate squeezing the trigger while maintaing sight picture. Return to battery "rail guns" eliminate everything but the rifle's ability and the competitor's ability to "read" the wind. Actually, in a sense, successful competitive benchrest shooting is a matter of equipment, ammo and skill. Skill being a distant third.
 
Welcome! As a 2nd year rookie, I will 2nd Wilbur. Equipment 1 Ammo 2 Your listening to the veteran shooters, If your lucky enough to get tip's from them like I am. They Will save you alot of Time , Money,& Agrivation, & ofcourse bad scores.3 Then comes your skill level & desire to win. It's a tough sport to win at in the begining, But !!! It is a Sickness with symtoms that never stop growing. YOU WILL LOVE IT ! Good Luck my friend! Remember.....Listen to the veteran shooters, You are in a good place. Ed Longo .
 
No I havent been to any competition so I will admit that ive made some assumptions here. The first is that, from what you are describing, these competitions sound like a showcase for technology and money, and little to no shooting skill and experience. So my question from there is what is the point? Thats not a shooting, or shooter's, or marksman's competition, but a manufacturer's competition.

So apprently I did not realize what exactly "benchrest" really meant. Sorry for the confusion, but I personally see what you are describing as a cheap(not in terms of dollars), hollow shell of competition.
 
No matter how much a rifle and setup costs, it doesn't aim itself. Benchrest shooting skills don't really translate over to other shooting disciplines, and vice versa. Yes a lot of the game is in equipment and ammo, but man the best shooters make it look easy because of how much they practice practice practice.

You ought to check a match out, shoot a rimfire BR rig, and see for yourself. It's challenging but fun!

Just my two cents (from a relative beginner).
 
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Correction for katokoch........... Reading the wind and mirage transfers to every shootin sport, some more some less.
 
blades said:
Correction for katokoch........... Reading the wind and mirage transfers to every shootin sport, some more some less.
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Hence why I said "don't really translate" versus "have nothing to do with." Moreso with mirage, less with wind (thinking rimfire BR compared to say squirrel hunting).
 
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im sure it has its challenges and there are definitely skills involved, but I view shooting sports very much in the same way as I view auto racing, especially since almost all series are becoming closer and closer to being spec series.........which means that the cars are almost completely identical and with very little in the way of driver aids(traction control, stability control, electronic brakeforce distribution, active suspension, etc......) which means that if you want to win, you simply have to be a better driver than the rest. There was a time in formula 1 when there werre so many driver aids on the car that the driver simply had to press the gas to the floor when he wanted to go, press the brake to the floor when he wanted to slow down, and turn the wheel when its time to turn. all of those extras made the cars do AMAZING things, they made them unbelievably fast and able to adapt to almost any condition to its fullest potential, it was a sight to see. But FIA decided to ban all of those aids and the result was incredible. the best driver in the world could not handle the car because it was completely unpredictable and in fact he died in the car that just the year before had been so amazing.

My point is that what is the point of a shooting match where very few actual marksmanship (or driving) skills must be developed in order to be successful?
 
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