Questions for .22 Bench rest shooters

The front rest is very important in benchrest shooting . They range in price from about $80 to well
over $1000 . The more steady the better . TrxR is right , the front bag should fit the stock snugly at
the place it contacts the stock where the gun shoots the best , you must experiment . The rear bag
is used to point the gun and by pinching the ears adjust the elevation . The Rock by Caldwell is a
good starter and costa under $100 . I still use mine . Heavier rear bags sit better on the bench and
are not accidentally bumped out of alignment . Practice , Practice , Practice . Today I was out shooting
my KIDD 1022 at 100 yards . Lots of fun , Best 5 shot group 13/16 inches , not bad for the conditions ,
-2 C , light wind .
 
very interesting thread!

i made a brute 10/22 and have it maxed out, really enjoyed making it and getting it zero'd in.

have moved on to a Savage bolt, didnt enjoy it as much as i thought i would.

im now considering a Annie or a CZ and tricking it out.
my plan is to pick up a rifle in jan/feb after some research and searching then some glass in march/april so i can hit the range with it in the spring and spend all summer trying out ammo and locking it down.

its definitely an addictive hobby!
 
I would possibly look at a Caldwell rock BR as it has windage adjustments. I would also look to see if a Protektor or Edgewood front bag will work with that rest. As for the rear I like the hard bottom Protektor bag myself.
 
Brocolt said:
what are the best options out there for a front rest under $250 then & a good quality rear bag as well? I'm looking at shooting USBR or ARA sporter class 8.5bls
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First off you should visit the range you plan on shooting at and see what they shoot . My club has modified the rules
to make it easier for beginners to get a taste of benchrest shooting without a large outlay of cash . Your club might
not have the same rules . See what others are using and what classes are popular . Maybe you can buy a used gun
and save some money . I started with Sporter Class , moved up to High- Dollar Sporter , and last year I bought an
entry level Unlimited Class rifle . I am hooked !
Our club has also restricted the front rest in lower classes , so they don't have windage adjustment and you are not allowed to adjust anything on your front rest after your sighters.
Cabelas just put The Rock on sale with front and back bags for under $100 . Good start .
Joining a club should be your first move . Maybe you can borrow a club gun to shoot until you decide where you want to start .
Talk to " the boys " , maybe they will offer you try their equipment before you buy .
 
Nikon from what I understand there is no club in my area that shoots rimfire benchrest only benchrest centerfire / F-Class & Jr. Rifle program.
Now I'm no stranger to shooting, building & selling guns. just never fallowed the benchrest sport hence the questions. Now the 6+ clubs in my area none of them offer this sport.
The closest that I know of is about 3+ hours away which means I'm going to do postal matches to start, then travel a couple of times a year to compete.

So the idea of checking it out & seeing what people are using won't work in my case, maybe for others reading this it might help them.
 
My Dad just added the Copperhead rifle I pictured earlier, this just arrived this week to go with it. He only competes against himself, shooting for smallest possible agg.'s with his equipment. He catalogs and tracks it all using an excel spread sheet. The good thing about the new rest is that I inherit his old Bald Eagle. lol Now he wants to start traveling to clubs with concrete benches instead of wood like they have at Silverdale. It certainly can be an expensive hobby, but tuning your equipment for the smallest 5 shot one hole groups at 50 yrds makes it fun.
BTW nikon 5 shots under an inch at 100 with a 10/22...awesome shooting. Love to see a pic of the rifle.
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Mission started with a number of shooters using one piece rests like the one above.
There are a few "Purists" using a front rest and a sand bag.
There are a couple shooting off a Harris Bipod and a sand bag.
We did split our shooters so there is now a sporter class but they can use any power scope.
Hopefully this will bring out more beginners. Those showing up with 3 - 9 X scopes rarely come back.
 
Brocolt said:
Nikon from what I understand there is no club in my area that shoots rimfire benchrest only benchrest centerfire / F-Class & Jr. Rifle program.
Now I'm no stranger to shooting, building & selling guns. just never fallowed the benchrest sport hence the questions. Now the 6+ clubs in my area none of them offer this sport.
The closest that I know of is about 3+ hours away which means I'm going to do postal matches to start, then travel a couple of times a year to compete.

So the idea of checking it out & seeing what people are using won't work in my case, maybe for others reading this it might help them.
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To bad you are so far from others with a like interest . My club in Canada doesn't offer any
club for rifle shooting . That is why I shoot in the US . You really don't have to shoot with
any rules if you plan on shooting alone . Buy a Savage , CZ , or whatever your budget allows ,
get some good ammo , a rest system , and have fun .

Does your club have 50 and 25m target ranges ? My Canadian club has 25 , 100 and 200 yd
ranges ( no 50 ) . We are working on a 50 yd range , but change takes time . I also shoot
centerfire benchrest but it is not as popular as rimfire benchrest over the border . Interesting
isn't it .
 
Just so you all know I'm located in Winnipeg, So if anyone is also interested in shooting maybe we can get this started.
I'm also very busy with work and have sh!ty hours so for me starting this & running it is not an option, But I can help.

As for a range I don't know of any good ranges around here that have a good set up or good bunches for 25 or 50 yard benchrest shooting. most are 100+ yards or pistol ranges.
if I was to say if anyone was close to the needs of rimfire Benchrest that would fit USBR - ARA rules, it might be Winnipeg pistol & revolver club they had a set up back in the day for the Pan-Am games.
My issue with this club is there politics & rules. they have a lot of one way thinking going on there with the executive board. It's all too much Cowboy action in the head & no open mind thinking for the future.
 
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TrxR said:
Watch out on club rules. I know the two clubs I shoot at do not allow 1 piece rest like the one above.
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This is why I want to get more info & details on sporter class this is a good place to start as I'm sure most can compete in 8.5lbs class.
As for rules I wanted to be as close to USBR or ARA rules as possible. so if we do any postal matches or live US/Can matches we are all on the same playing field.
I don't want to buy gear or shoot for a year postal only to find out when I go to a live match I get DQ'd.
I don't mind using sand bags as I could use them on gopher shoots like dog-gone-good.com
 
Either of those are good. Be wary of the FX3 as some have had reticle tracking issues. The Weaver T36 is excellent value and has one of the best reticle tracking systems as well as minimal backlash in the turrets.
 
dryfire said:
Either of those are good. Be wary of the FX3 as some have had reticle tracking issues. The Weaver T36 is excellent value and has one of the best reticle tracking systems as well as minimal backlash in the turrets.
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thanks for this info on both scopes But..... Weaver doesn't have a lifetime warranty & the warranty is only to the original buyer, that is why I wouldn't buy it.
Now Leupold does have a lifetime and they mean lifetime & then some, 100+ years I would go with the FX3 for that reason if it tracks or has backlash issues then I send it to Korth Group.

Has anyone here ever had a problem with Weaver target scopes & what are they like to deal with for service?
 
As an alternative to the FX3 , look around for a 35x or 40x Competition series Leupold or an older M8 36X or BR36X.
A nice feature of the Competition series which is shared with the Weaver T-series is 1/8 moa turrets.
A scope is a mechanical device and has such any of them can fail. Most aggravating and vexing when it happens. I've never had a Weaver tracking failure
but have had issues with Leupolds.
If you can manage the cost try a Nightforce - superb optics, 1/8moa adj. and tracking system. Also engraved reticles elimintae the chance of a breakage of a very fine reticle.
 
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