Where is the Bullseye in Benchrest?

E

Eludium

Guest
I am new to the longrifle competition shooting world and have been reading fourms and websites learning about the many different diciplines. I've been sadley surprised to find how difficult it is to EASILY dissearn the differences in rules, regulations and scoring procedures of different competitions. I am intirested in the following competative characteristics and was hoping you experienced shooters could tell me which competitions contained them.

Characteristics I'm looking for:

1. Point of impact must be consequential to scoring (shooting for bull not just for group size)

2. Shooter must contact the gun stock when shooting (so no free recoil technique allowed)

3. Shoot from a benchrest (my physical condition does not accomodate prone or prolonged standing positons.

4. Allows the utilization of a scope

Which longrifle competitions combine these characteristics.
Thanks for your input.
 
Hunter Benchrest, Varmint For Score and 600yd-1000yd competitions fill all your bills EXCEPT that all allow free recoil.

you of course don't have to shoot free recoil.

al
 
Most rimfire BR targets are pretty sticky about point of impact since they are usually one shot per bull and score worst side of the bullet hole. Of course rimfire BR is mostly free recoil too. As Al points out that doesn't mean that you can't hold the rifle when shooting, but that most shooters don't touch the rifle any more than needed to fire it. Handgun BR would fit the requirement for having to hang on, but from what I've seen handgun BR matches are pretty few and far between.
 
Larry,
There is some hope for his being competitive in rimfire benchrest...not shooting free recoil. A friend in Southern California that is very accomplished in this field, does not shoot free. This is not to diminish the truth of your statement; it is just some additional and I hope encouraging information, for Eludium.
Boyd
 
Thanks for your input gentelmen that's set me in the right direction.
 
I would like to know, just for my own information, what's the deal with having to have contact with the Rifle?.

As for the question in your Post's Title, the "bullseye" in Benchrest is a little 1/16 diameter dot in the middle of the 100 yard target, and a little 1/8 dot in the middle of the 200 yard target.

True, for score purposes, the ten ring is considered the "bullseye", but when the Range Officer says "commence fire", it does not take you long to realize the true reality of the game.........jackie
 
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bullseye is only important in SCORE shooting, in GROUP shooting your group can be anywhere INSIDE the big box...
 
What I get from the thread starter is that he would prefer to shoot in matches where one is trying to hit a specific target, where scoring is dependent on that. I would remind you that it is only the first shot of a group that may be placed anywhere in the scoring area. After that, shot placement becomes more critical for the remaining shots of the group, than it is for score. ( Now that should get 'em going ;-)
 
Eludium

In looking over the characteristics you are interested in, I know of no benchrest competition where free recoil is not allowed. Many rifles shoot better free recoil (some do not), so if the rules permit it, as all benchrest rules do, there will be competitors shooting free recoil.

If you want to compete off a bench, you'll have to abandon this requirement.

Secondly as Boyd pointed out, the first shot in group is an "anywhere" shot. The rest are not, because if you let them fall any distance from the first shot, you will lose. Still, it seems to most of us you would be happier with score shooting. In 100 yard centerfire, you are shooting for the X-dot. A 49 score -- or even a 249 score on a five-target aggregate -- will guarantee you a low placement. Typically, it takes over 20 X's out of 25 shots to get in the top three.

In the Mississppi Delta, you are probably in the Gulf Coast region for the NBRSA, which just began a score shooting program. There are also a couple of ranges in Alabama (Southeastern region); as best I remember, they only hold group matches. But you could check.

I think the best advise any of us could give you is to go to a match and see what happens. Don't prejudge too much what you will like or dislike. A goodly number of us are old, infirm, or both, and as with all things in life, have to put up with what the good Lord still allows us.

Good luck to you.
 
It's my opinion that group shooting is more precise than score. (That's what Boyd said and I'm agreeing with him. Jump on him if you don't agree.) ;) ;)

Think about it. If you are shooting a 30 caliber in Score your shots can be as far as .330" apart, center to center, and you'll still clean the target. In Group, .330" center to center will get you only sympathy, and not much of that.

Ray
 
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Larry Elliott said:
Most rimfire BR targets are pretty sticky about point of impact since they are usually one shot per bull and score worst side of the bullet hole.
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Hijacking this thread for just a moment -- is this correct? We shoot some fun RF matches using the IBS 50-yard rimfire target. We've been scoring best edge. I did a google search for IBS rimfire rules, and found nothing. Looked at the IBS rulebook, and found nothing on rimfire. Have we been scoring the targets wrong?
 
not......just my 2cents worth......if group was measured from the center of the target we could have a disscussion...but it is not, so in group you are still aloowed to MISS with your first shot, and then just continue MISSING the same after.....score has no such bandaid..all must be in the middle to be competitive...
shall we stop this now ??

mike in co

Cheechako said:
It's my opinion that group shooting is more precise than score. (That's what Boyd said and I'm agreeing with him. Jump on him if you don't agree.) ;) ;)

Think about it. If you are shooting a 30 caliber in Score your shots can be as far as .330" apart, center to center, and you'll still clean the target. In Group, .330" center to center will get you only sympathy, and not much of that.

Ray
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I've always said that Score shooters were nothing more than Group shooters with an attitude. ;) ;)

Don't forget, Score shooting started out with one target, five shots on the target. As rifles and ammunition became more accurate, it became harder and harder to score and so they went to five seperate targets. So, in reality, Score shooters really do shoot for group, only on five bulls rather than one.

While it can be said that a group shooter is allowed one miss, most do not begin their group with that intent. They shoot multiple sighters, the same as a Score shooter does, with the intent of making the first record shot exactly where they would like to see it placed. The fact that they pick their aiming point somewhere other than dead center doesn't change the fact.

And, I shoot LR Benchrest where both score and group count. So, IMHO, it's a far harder discipline than either of the point-blank. Plus, it's at 600 and 1000 yards!

JMHO

Ray
 
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Cheechako said:
It's my opinion that group shooting is more precise than score. (That's what Boyd said and I'm agreeing with him. Jump on him if you don't agree.) ;) ;)

Think about it. If you are shooting a 30 caliber in Score your shots can be as far as .330" apart, center to center, and you'll still clean the target. In Group, .330" center to center will get you only sympathy, and not much of that.

Ray
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What's really funny about that is that I don't recall the last time that a 25x match was shot with a 6MM of any kind. If you only have to shoot a .330, what's the problem? Why don't all these teen agg ppc's shoot 250-25x targets regularly? They don't because, agree or not, it's tough to hit that dot with any caliber 25 times out of 25. It's a tough sport, as is group shooting. Score is outgrowing group right now and it's certainly not because it's so much easier to win in score.--Mike
 
I don't shoot IBS but I thought that 6PPCs were winning their share of VFS matches. Am I wrong?

Ray
 
Then I stand corrected. I thought that shooters were taking their LV rifles, as is, and winning VFS. Not all the time, but a fair share.

Ray
 
I've shot VFS matches for seven years, mostly at Buck Creek and Gallatin, but a few other places as well. I don't remember a 6PPC ever winning one. There were a few times that one was in the top three in one yardage or another, but that's about it. Of course I could be mistaken, once you reach a certain age, memory is an iffy thing.

Rick
 
Charles E said:
Hijacking this thread for just a moment -- is this correct? We shoot some fun RF matches using the IBS 50-yard rimfire target. We've been scoring best edge. I did a google search for IBS rimfire rules, and found nothing. Looked at the IBS rulebook, and found nothing on rimfire. Have we been scoring the targets wrong?
Click to expand...

Charles, I've never shot IBS in either centerfire or rimfire, but the rimfire BR I've shot, and read about in PS all seemed to be scored worst edge. But as long as everyone's being scored the same and it's not for a (national) record I don't think it'd make any difference. Maybe I'm not as crotchety as I've been told.:D
 
Larry Elliott said:
Charles, I've never shot IBS in either centerfire or rimfire, but the rimfire BR I've shot, and read about in PS all seemed to be scored worst edge. But as long as everyone's being scored the same and it's not for a (national) record I don't think it'd make any difference. Maybe I'm not as crotchety as I've been told.:D
Click to expand...

Larry, you are one of the few I have ever seen publicly to make the correct analysis of the "worst edge" vs "best edge" scoring system. I know you may not see the signifigance of this, but it is priceless. Thank you.
 
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