I got to fire a Benchrest Rifle!

[docone31]

Man, oh man. My pants just got shorter!
I mean, I got to fire one of the smoothest, best firing rifle I believe I will ever handle again in my life!
These are the benchresters. They keep to themselves, fire perhaps ten shoots in a day. They measure at the range, They take temp, wind, and have these dream machines.
One of them walked to me and said, "You can take a shot if you want."
I mean, WOW! I am a lefty, he is a righty, so I had to move a few things, but aside from that, I touched one of them off, and did the first bullseye in years.
That thing was sweet. The scope was amazing, It was on a Lead Sled.
It was in 6mm PPC. An awsome round. I was firing my .243 AI in the rifle I just got back.
It was a privilege, and I felt honoured. I doubt I will ever forget it.
An interesting item.
When I fired the rifle, The hole was almost as large as the scope lens on target.
I am thinking, that scope must have tremendous magnification. My shot was just touching the dead center, and the hole looked very large. The center was twice the size as the hole.
I mean, WOW!
Those guys have some neat toys, and once they start to open up, they have a lot to teach someone like me. I absorb it like a sponge.
I had never fired a Wichita action before. It was the classic straight line stock.
Awsome rifle.
Awsome.
I wish my wife had been there with me today. I like to let her fire those things. She came from Los Angeles, and she likes her Palma Rifle I got her.
A good day. No. A great day.

[dk17hmr]

I have shot a couple true benchrest rifles and was taken off guard the first time I touched a 2oz trigger.....someday I will have one.

[Doc Highwall]

I just picked up a Remington 40X in 6mm-BR that has a 2oz trigger. I am going to shoot some full length gas check bullets through it while I wait for my SAECO #243 85 grain bullet mould to come in.

[rbertalotto]

It's funny how we move in and out through different shooting disciplines.

I build and shoot seriously accurate BR rifles. I've been at it for years. Extremely technical sport, from cartridge reloading , to gun building, to wind reading, to trigger pulling. Everything is VERY scientific...........

http://images57.fotki.com/v505/photos/2/36012/9508083/DSC_22800-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v506/photos/2/36012/9508139/DSC_3000-vi.jpg

But recently I discovered Sharps rifles and 1885 Winchesters and a few 1895 and 1884 lever actions thrown in for good measure........Where BR requires a gun and shooter holding groups in the 1/4" range at 100 yds to even think of being competitive, to black powder cartridges shooting bullets I cast myself where 2" at 100 yards is a bragging target!

http://images32.fotki.com/v1045/photos/2/36012/9654765/DSC_2685-vi.jpg

http://images28.fotki.com/v1027/photos/2/36012/9730091/P1020549-vi.jpg

It's all fun in its own way!

[geargnasher]

Of all those fine rifles, I have to say that 1885 just made me say WOW out loud. Very nice. Cheek rest is on the wrong side, but still very nice.:wink:

For someone like me, shooting a fine BR gun is like slinging a Viper GT10 around the block, it's a big wow factor the first time, but for the road-race crowd who take them to (and sometimes beyond) their limits to average 160mph for 250 miles on regular highways, it's just a tool for a job in the hands of someone capable of making it perform as designed. I'm not one of those people!

Gear

[Doc Highwall]

Maybe I am greedy I like them all as long as they are accurate.

As far as shooting disciples go to be a good small-bore shooter you test for the best ammo and buy it.

For a high-power shooter you assemble store bought components and maybe swaging bullets.

For a cast bullet shooter you have to learn to cast bullets.

For a paper patch bullet shooter you have to learn to cast and wrap bullets.

For a black powder shooter you have to learn to cast bullets, compress powder, wrap bullets, and fouling control.

They are more things to do with black powder then most people appreciate and take for granted.

I did not go into all the details above just trying to hit the major points and assume that the shooter has all the skills of shooting.

The more you learn about the technical aspects of reloading the more you realize what you did not know and the adventure begins.

[felix]

Everyone on this board should be allowed to shoot a reasonably newly barreled BR gun at least once. Yes, they shoot where the muzzle points. Shooting a group will encourage one to go to weather man school because the gun at least will let the person know it was his error the group did not go into less than 0.10 inch. ... felix

[cajun shooter]

I am happy to hear that you had that experience as there is nothing more exciting , maybe rolling a 300 in competition that I was never able to do. I had a close friend that was a BR shooter and he shot one of the wildcat calibers of that time which was in the late 70's. They are really a tool that will place the rounds in one hole with as has been posted a trigger set in ounces and a odd looking stock. I have had a few rifles in my life that were close to that class. A McMillan made sniper rifle and a Anschutz model 64. The posting by Doc Highwall tells the story for me as that BP has a hard lock on what I do and think about for the most of each day.

[gray wolf]

Hey that sounds like a lot of fun, and those guy's sure know there stuff.
Some beautiful rifles too, I bet they cost well over a 1,000 $$

[felix]

Yep! ... felix

[docone31]

He had a 6PPC. His jacketeds were in the box with a grey powder. He loaded 5 at a time.
His press set up was interesting. The die looked like a micrometer, it had a top dial, and a lower dial. His press was interesting. The die was loose from the press. He removed the die to place the cartridge on the steel plate, which the press was on.
The press had a micrometer setting, the die had the two dials, he measured every case before loading, and he measured how deep each jacketed went into the bore.
He weighed each jacketed, trickled each charge, his primers were all weighed.
It was simply amazing.
I had never seen such casual precision before, and he told me he was just there for fun that day.
I would hate to see what he does when he is serious, if that is casual.
It really was an honour I will probably remember for a long time.
Oh, yeah.
He swabbed the bore in one direction, after each shot. He swabbed through the bolt adapter. I had never seen one of those either.
He told me he used Varget.

[Houndog]

Yep!
That's what people in Benchrest call settin the hook! I don't know of the times I've done exactly the same thing over the last 30 years. Sometimes the sport gains another shooter, and more often than not I gain another friend in the process. Benchrest IS a very technical shooting dicipline and CAN be expensive, but just like the folks here most competitors will go out of their way to help you. I've loaned a rifle, needed rests, and even supplied reloading components to get someone intrested, and I'm not alone in doing so.

[Hickory]

I bet they cost well over a 1,000 $$

I think a good BR rifle will start at about $3200 not counting the extras.

[Von Gruff]

I used an X R 100 in 204 as a basis for my rabbit rifle which is a 20 VarTarg. When I was doing the load developement, admitadely with 3 rather than 5 shot groups, I had many in the teens and 20's with a best of .08 with a 35gn Berger at 3735fps. Had a 24x scope which has now been replaced with a 4-16 Monarch for field use in a more portable stock I made. Put the .08 on the wall and keep it as a reminder of what can be achieved (once). Very satisfying indeed.

Von Gruff.

[wallenba]

Beware! He wants to get you hooked on it. Then he pushes the hard stuff like.."I can sell ya my old rifle...cheap!" "We can go to matches together, I'll even let you drive." Yadayadayada.:bigsmyl2:

[No_1]

I shot Turboman's 6PPC. Like Doug, I was not aware of the 2 oz trigger the first time I touched it. Shot a 3 shot group in the 3's first time with the rifle. Was lots of fun and something I would consider if I could ever thin the herd that grazes in my safe.

[frankenfab]

Congratulations, docone. I would love to shoot such a rifle. I have always thought the BR rifles were beautiful. I have drooled over the Nesika actions, both for what they are as objects, and for their fine machine work and design.

And +1 on what Hickory said.............

[stubshaft]

He had a 6PPC. His jacketeds were in the box with a grey powder. He loaded 5 at a time.
His press set up was interesting. The die looked like a micrometer, it had a top dial, and a lower dial. His press was interesting. The die was loose from the press. He removed the die to place the cartridge on the steel plate, which the press was on.
The press had a micrometer setting, the die had the two dials, he measured every case before loading, and he measured how deep each jacketed went into the bore.
He weighed each jacketed, trickled each charge, his primers were all weighed.
It was simply amazing.
I had never seen such casual precision before, and he told me he was just there for fun that day.
I would hate to see what he does when he is serious, if that is casual.
It really was an honour I will probably remember for a long time.
Oh, yeah.
He swabbed the bore in one direction, after each shot. He swabbed through the bolt adapter. I had never seen one of those either.
He told me he used Varget.

The grey powder was probably Boron Nitride. Benchrest and long range shooters have been moving over to this from moly. I have some from a friend that I've been playing with in my 6TCU. It allows you to shoot alot without worrying about copper fouling. It is extremely slippery stuff.

[rbertalotto]

Boron Nitride.....I've been using it in BR for a year or two.....I'm surprised it hasn't found its way into boolit lube concoctions yet.....

[felix]

Lead shears more than copper at the same pressure. The best bearing between lead and steel so far seems to be some kind of cellulose such as a paper jacket. Slick does not work because of its hydraulic non-compression. ... felix

[LAH]

Benchresting is different. I shoot IBS long range. Great sport. I noticed last match a young man's tee shirt which said: Anyone can read a book but can you read this? And there's a picture of a wind flag.

White Horse Range
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/Creekerpics/Matches/IBS/White%20Horse%204-30-11/DSC00719.jpg

Light & Heavy
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/Creekerpics/Matches/IBS/White%20Horse%204-30-11/DSC00723.jpg

Light Gun, 284 Winchester
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/Creekerpics/Matches/IBS/White%20Horse%204-30-11/DSC00730.jpg

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I just have to add my thoughts on BR shooting. First let me say that if someone enjoys shooting, supports the NRA, votes the right way, in my opinion of course, then let him have at it. As for me, people who bother with all that minutia of case weighing, trimming, primer measuring and whatever other black art they indulge in should be paid by the hour and paid well. I spent many years competeing in muzzle loading matchs. At the range where I shot the cast bullet benchresters shot on the same day we did. One of the men I competed against had a son who shot with the benchresters. The dad told me he thought he had failed as a parent. I had to sympathize with him. The son told me that he loaded the bullets in the order they were cast, after they were weighed weighed naturally. Of all the pictures posted on this thread, the ones I like are the 1885 Winchester and the 1874 Sharps. I own those two myself. The various blue and pink bolt guns make me feel a little ill. As for the rail guns, forget it. To sum up, there is nothing in shooting to match the thrill of hearing a large hunk of lead hit a steel target a few hundred yards away. I do envy Mike Venturino being able to shoot in all those black powder cartridge matches. I don't envy him those Montana winters though. Now you may not agree with what I have written here, after all many people take the wrong path in life. Just admit your mistakes and seek help. After you have come to your senses, buy yourself a large single shot of at least 38 ca. You will thank me for this advice one day.

[pmer]

The closest thing to a BR rifle I shot is my F class 6.5 -284 Norma. Winchester short action, 32 inch barrel, 6.5 X 20 Nikon and trigger work to the stock trigger. No trouble keeping 7 shots or so under a 1/2 inch. Lapua brass, bench rest primers, neck turning, fancy dies for seating bullets and sizing necks and case bodies.

The work though is in reading the wind and mirage. And practice practice practice. The throats can shoot out in as few as 1200 rounds - then back to the smith...