Benchrest Hall of Famer Speedy Gonzalez has prepared a comprehensive Guide to Benchrest Competition. It covers all aspects of the game: gear selection (hardware), reloading methods and tools, plus shooting skills and strategies. All of this is available on the web for free, thanks to Speedy and the Swedish Benchrest Shooters Association (SBRSA).
Speedy’s article is a gold-mine of info on shooting components and specialized reloading tools. It is also richly illustrated with high-quality photos showing gun components and reloading gear. Many of the photos show tools that have been sectioned so you can view the internal components.
Speedy also covers bullet design, and load tuning. There are thoughtful sections on Time Management and Target Management that will benefit all competitive shooters, no matter what their discipline.
One of our Forum members is new to the F-Class game, and he wanted some “reduced-distance” targets he could use at 300 yards for practice. There is an official reduced-distanced standard for 300-yard F-Class matches. This utilizes the NRA No. MR-63FC – F-Class Target Center which is pasted over the MR-63 target. It provides a 1.42″ X-Ring, 2.85″ 10-Ring, and 5.85″ Nine-Ring. (The dimensions of F-Class targets are found in the NRA High Power Rules, Sec. 22, part 4.)
To duplicate the 300-yard target, Forum member SleepyGator has prepared a printable version of the MR-63FC Target Center, along with a pair of training targets with two bulls and five bulls. The two-bull and five-bull targets mirror the scoring rings on the MR-63FC, but they display only the innermost three rings and two rings respectively. All three targets are Adobe Acrobat files that can be easily printed. You may need to adjust the scale (sizing) on your printer to get the dimensions exactly correct. As noted above, when printed, the 10-Ring on all three targets should measure 2.85″. This should provide some handy practice targets you can use between matches. Thanks to SleepyGator for providing these targets. You can download all three as a .Zip archive. After downloading the .Zip file, just click on the .Zip archive to extract the individual targets.
The 2011 Snipers’ Hide Cup took place from April 7 to 9 at the Rifles Only facility in Kingsville, Texas. The popular three-day tactical competition, organized by SnipersHide.com, featured a rich prize table with thousands of dollars worth of scopes and tactical gear. The match drew 63 of the nation’s best tactical marksmen in the civilian, law enforcement and military communities. The multi-stage event places competitors in a number of tactical scenarios with shooting out to 1000 yards. The vast majority of the shooting is done with rifles, but there is some pistol action also. This year, the match format involved “a lot of run and gun, positional, and movers”. The wind played a major role this year, exceeding 24 mph on some stages.
Top Two Finishers Use 6.5 Creedmoor
The overall match winner was Geordie Richardson of Weatherford, TX (via Australia), with a score of 1385/2300. Geordie shot well on nearly every stage, staying in the top three throughout the competition. One fellow competitor remarked: “I was two spots down from [Richardson] and watched the magic happening. He couldn’t miss.” Geordie’s match-winning rifle was a Surgeon Rifles Scapel chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor in a Sentinel stock with Atlas bipod. On top was a S&B 5-25x56mm with Gen2 XR reticle. Geordie shot Hornady factory 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, as did runner-up Tate Moots, as well as the fourth place and seventh place finishers.
Charles “Tate” Moots (Team FNH) took second place overall with a score of 1305/2300 points. Moots used a FN SPR A5M bolt-action rifle, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and topped with a Leupold 6.5×20 ERT scope. Finishing third was John Sommers, fourth was Rob Ormond, and taking fifth was George Gardner of GA Precision.
Match runner-up Moots was top finisher in the exciting Helicopter Stage, which required each competitor to engage a ground target from a flying helicopter with an FN SCAR 17S, and upon landing exit the aircraft and fire a five shot group with their precision rifle. Shown below is a helicopter stage from the 2010 Snipers’ Hide Cup. (Turn sound volume down at work.)
If you want to learn how to shoot accurately at very long-range, one of the very best places to learn is the Williamsport 1000-Yard Benchrest School. The next School session runs May 20, 21, & 22, 2011. Classes are held at the Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club Range, one of the best 1K ranges in the country. Classes are taught by top 1K shooters, including our Asst. Editor, Jason Baney.
While these Benchrest schools typically sell out, there were still eight (8) student slots available as of April first. If you want to grab one of the remaining slots for the 3-day school, don’t hesitate. To see what the 1K Benchrest school is like, watch the slide show/video below, produced by Sebastian Reist, an alumnus of the 2009 Williamsport 1000-yard BR school. Sebastian, a talented professional photographer, captured the highlights of his Williamsport 1K training weekend:
For more information or to sign up for the 2011 1000-Yard Benchrest Class this May, contact School Director Frank Grappone, or visit the Williamsport website, PA1000yard.com.
E. Arthur Brown Co., i.e. EABCO.com, has a neat, affordable conversion kit for the Ruger 10/22. This transforms your plain Jane 10/22 into an M1 Carbine look-alike. EABCO’s 10/22 M1 Tribute Kit includes a two-piece, M1 Replica wood buttstock and handguard with barrel band and front sling swivel. This stock is compatible with original factory sights. Installation on your Ruger 10/22 is an easy, drop-in fit. The conversion kit, less sights, is currently on sale for just $109.00.
Replica Sights for 10/22 M1 Conversion EABCO also offers two iron sight kits, both of which improve on the Ruger’s factory sights. As shown in the large photo above, the $69.00 TechSights 200 model has a winged NM post sight in the front and a shielded rear peep with circular, AR15-style adjuster. This system provides 7.5″ more sight radius than original factory sights. For $59.00, EABCO offers the even more authentic Replica M1 Carbine Sights. The Replica sight kit features a functional flip-up rear peep sight, on a base that screws into the 10/22’s rear scope mounting holes. The Replica winged-style front sight assembly slips over the front sight barrel band and is secured with a set screw. These sights look and function just like the original M1 sights. They work great for Appleseed events.
The Story Behind the M1 Carbine Ruger 10/22 Tribute, by Eben Brown
One of the most satisfying things about business is the way trying something different can lead to greater opportunities than just the original idea. My friend Andy approached in 2009 with his concept of doing an M1 Carbine styled stock for the Ruger 10/22. Like any 10/22 lover, I thought, “Neat”! But as a businessman, I was thinking, “The 2-piece stock is going to be expensive to make and by the time you add in the sling, oiler, and sights, it could get pretty expensive. Will customers want to buy it?”
Well, I liked the idea enough to pursue it and gave Andy an order for the stocks. I began looking around for sights, sling, and oiler to complete the project. The M1 Carbine Sling and Oiler can be found in a wide variety of conditions and prices. We found some that were brand new WWII war surplus selling at up to $60 to gun collectors — too expensive for this project. After a couple of months we finally found some brand new production M1 Carbine Slings with Oilers that we can sell for only $19.
Next, I found a company called TechSights that has the exact, military style sights that we needed. The TechSights folks revealed their 10/22 retrofit sights are very popular with shooters involved in Project Appleseed. This is a basic rifle marksmanship training program that typically employs the Liberty Training Rifle, a low-cost 22LR concept usually built on a Ruger 10/22. They also shoot centerfire rifles.
Editor’s Note: Project Appleseed is an activity of The Revolutionary War Veterans Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to teaching the nation’s heritage as well as traditional rifle marksmanship skills. The Appleseed Project has expanded rapidly. It organized over 1,000 shooting events in 2010, including “Adaptive Appleseed” clinics for physically challenged individuals.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) will host rifle, pistol, and High Power rifle beginning- and intermediate- level coach’s courses at Fort Benning, GA this fall. The Rifle Coach’s Course will be conducted Sept. 10-11, the Pistol Course Sept. 17-18, and the High Power Rifle Coach’s Course will be held Oct. 1-2, 2011.
Certificates Awarded to Class Graduates
Cost of each course will be $125.00. Classes start at 8 am each day and conclude at 4 pm. Upon successful completion of the course, each participant will be eligible to be awarded a NRA Level 1 Coach Certificate. Each participant must provide their own transportation, lodging and meals.
To learn more about the Coaching Classes, contact Coach Richard Hawkins at (706) 545-7022, or email richard.hawkins [at] usaac.army.mil or rnh1953 [at] aol.com. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, Michael.Molinaro@usaac.army.mil or www.USAMU.com.
In our Shooters’ Forum one member asked for an explanation of the free recoil shooting method. This style, or some variant thereof, is used by many successful short-range (100/200 yard) benchrest shooters. However, we must point out that there is a difference between “pure free recoil” and what you may actually see on the firing line of a registered benchest match. Different shooters may employ a slightly different style — perhaps shouldering the gun a bit, or maybe laying a thumb lightly behind the tang. Technically speaking, that’s no longer free recoil. Remember, there is no “best” technique for every caliber and every gun. And to shoot with a “pure” free recoil method, i.e. touching only the trigger, and not contacting the stock in any way, requires a well-balanced rifle and a highly optimized set-up of front rest and rear bag.
Tony Boyer Video
In the video below you’ll see Hall of Fame shooter Tony Boyer shooting his gun at the Shamrock tournament in 2009. Tony only touches the trigger, but he does index his right hand on the side of the stock. Note: there are some audio problems with this video when you view it at 360p resolution and the playback speed seems slowed down slightly. If the audio cut-outs bother you, try viewing at 720p (HD), or just turn down the volume and focus on Tony’s technique. The slight “slow-motion” effect actually makes it easier to see what Tony is doing. The video does seem to run best at 720p, if you have a high-speed connection.
Introduction to Benchrest Video In this second video, Birgir Runar Saemundsson of Iceland demonstrates free recoil technique near the start of the video. If you watch carefully you’ll see that only Birgir’s index finger touches the trigger. The rifle’s butt is not contacting Birgir’s shoulder when he pulls the trigger. This 11-minute video is part of an introduction to benchrest shooting that Saemundsson offers through his BRS Custom Rifles website. Birgir is a skilled shooter who set a 10-shot 200-yard IBS world record at the Kelbly Range in 1988. At right is Birgir’s 10-shot record target.
For a limited time, McMillan has extended its free Marksmanship Training Program Offer. The two-day course, a $500.00 value, is conducted at the McMillan Range in Arizona, where participants can shoot out to one mile and beyond. The next class, scheduled for April 26-27, 2011 has filled up, but McMillan is taking reservations for fall sessions, to be held in October (dates TBA). Here’s how it works: Any owner of a complete McMillan rifle is entitled to attend a two-day Marksmanship course at no charge (food, lodging, ammo not included). Each McMillan rifle owner may also bring one guest, who also shoots for free (not counting food, lodging, ammo). The regular price for this course is $500.00.
McMillan Marksmanship Course Video (WARNING: Turn down speakers if at work.)
Course Title: FREE Marksmanship Training Course
Next Open Date: Fall, 2011 (October dates TBA)
Cost: Free for owners of McMillan rifles and their guests. $500 for non-owners.
Contact: Maura McMillan, (623) 582-9635
The McMillan two-day Marksmanship Training Course is free for owners of any McMillan rifle. Taught on McMillan rifle ranges in Arizona, the course covers the fundamentals of marksmanship, including properly sighting a rifle, adjusting your scope, and shooting out beyond 1,000 yards. The course will also cover the mil-dot system, doping the wind, competing with other participants in a long-range, timed event, and firearms maintenance and range safety. You’ll work one-on-one with qualified McMillan instructors engaging targets from a hundred yards out to a mile or more. And you will spend a memorable two days with fellow McMillan owners of all skill levels.
Here’s a simple device that can help you zero your rifle in two or three shots. The new Click Stick Pro Tool is an L-Shaped ruler marked with scales corresponding to 1/8 MOA, 1/4 MOA, and 1/2 MOA clicks at 100 yards. To zero your rifle at 100 yards, take one shot, then position the tool so the bullet hole is at the elbow of the unit (for 1/8 MOA clicks) or at the slotted elbow (for 1/4 MOA clicks). Then square the tool so it aligns with the vertical and horizontal lines on the target. Finally, read the needed click movement off the tool’s scales. Get the horizontal correction from the horizontal scale and the vertical correction off the vertical scale. This device works great, and is inexpensive. The patent-pending Click Stick Pro Tool is sold in a kit for $19.95, bundled with 10 sight-in targets (red center with heavy black lines — see below).
Sighting-In at 25 Yards or 50 Yards
With a brand-new rifle and scope combination, you may want to sight-in at 50 or even 25 yards. You can still do this with the Click Stick Pro Tool. For a 50-yard sight-in follow the same procedure, but multiply the scales’ click value by two (2X). At 25 yards, multiply the scales’ click value by four (4X).
Tool-less, Simple Sight-In Procedure
While we like the Click Stick Pro Tool, you don’t really need the tool at all if you can hold your gun steady while you click the windage and elevation knobs. First, put the center of your crosshair on the target and take one shot. Then, before you touch the scope knobs reposition the rifle in your bags (or on your rest) so the center of the reticle is on the center of the target. Make sure the rifle is secure in this position (have a friend hold the rifle if necessary).
Now, using your elevation and windage controls (while looking through the scope), simply dial the center of the crosshair to the center of the bullet hole — without moving the rifle. You are moving the reticle on to the bullet hole. Take a second shot. The second bullet hole should now be in the center of the target. Repeat the process if needed with a third shot to confirm your zero. This procedure works at any distance. See our explanation of the Simple Zeroing Procedure.
Need a diversion? Looking for an interesting shooting game you can play on an iPhone or iPad as well as your home computer? The Guns & Ammo Point of Impact Shooting Game lets you select a firearm type, then shoot it for accuracy in “virtual ranges” modeled after the Scottsdale (AZ) Gun Club. No this is NOT another Zombie Game, or First-Person-Shooter kill-fest. It is NOT based on the Point of Impact book by author Stephen Hunter. Point of Impact is a skill-oriented, arcade-style gun simulator presented by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). It lets you test your skills in target shooting scenarios, with a wide selection of virtual firearms and targets.
*WARNING: We are not aware of any issues with this software and it passed multiple virus scans for us. However, as with any software, installation of this program can take resources and slow your machine down. Also, a software conflict could cause other programs to crash or run more slowly. For these reasons, we recommend that you NOT install this software on a work computer. If you choose to install the computer version on your home computer, and you don’t like it, or you get bored with it, you should uninstall the program from your home PC or laptop.
Credit Research Assistant Edlongrange for sourcing this game report.
EABCO also offers two iron sight kits, both of which improve on the Ruger’s factory sights. As shown in the large photo above, the $69.00 TechSights 200 model has a winged NM post sight in the front and a shielded rear peep with circular, AR15-style adjuster. This system provides 7.5″ more sight radius than original factory sights. For $59.00, EABCO offers the even more authentic Replica M1 Carbine Sights. The Replica sight kit features a functional flip-up rear peep sight, on a base that screws into the 10/22’s rear scope mounting holes. The Replica winged-style front sight assembly slips over the front sight barrel band and is secured with a set screw. These sights look and function just like the original M1 sights. They work great for 
In this second video, 
Need a diversion? Looking for an interesting shooting game you can play on an iPhone or iPad as well as your home computer? The Guns & Ammo 
