Beginner - Rimfire Benchrest

[Bagman]

Hi Guys,
I am new to the benchrest side of target shooting and was hoping for some advice from those who have a bit of experience in this game.

I have recently purchase a Sako P94 'range' to use off the bench. It currently has a 4-12x56 Tasco (jap) on it which will have to do until I can save some cash.

I took it along to my local small bore club on Sunday for my first go at competition. It was a nice still day and the blokes there were very welcoming to see a potential new member visit as it is a small club.
They set me up on a free bench and as I don't have a front rest lent me one of the home made club rests. It did the job but the front end wasn't steady enough for my liking.
I managed to score 189.6, 190.5 and 195.8 in the scoring matches. For a first go I was fairly pleased.

Other than practice, practice and more practice what would you suggest I look at to improve my performance.
I know I need a better scope, this will probably be the next thing I purchase. Open to opinions and suggestions here, I was thinking a 6-24 variable...
What would you buy next?
A decent front rest?
A barrel tuner?
Rimfire thickness gauge for ammunition?
Are all of these necessary items.
I am on a limited budget so adding all these thing will be a work in progress.

Appreciate any feedback.
Bagman

[Rinso]

mmmmmm 22 Benchrest ... what to do????

My advice is to sell all the 22 BR gear you have and invest in a nice solid brick.
Then every Saturday sit down in a nice comfy chair in the yard with said brick. At intervals of about 30 minutes smack yourself in the head with the brick.

You will find this is much simplier and cheaper than 22 Benchrest yet yeilds a similar result at days end.

[macca]

Aww Rinso that's mean.
22BR can be theraputic.

Seriously though Bagman,
the rest will help so I'd get that first.
If you have a brand of ammo that the sako likes then the gauge next.
Don't rush, just save and buy the best you can afford each time.
Practice is the key to success in any sport.So wear that barrel out.
Have fun and keep a few coldies to put on the lump from that brick.
Macca

[Knackers]

Rinso you barstard, I laughed for five minutes.
Welcome Bagman, I love shooting benchrest rimfire. Go with what Macca said and get a good front rest and a rear sand bag. Take any swivel studs out of your stock so your rifle doesn't jag on the bag or rest, save up and get a quality scope. IMO the scopes with the target dot in the fine cross hairs make for steadier hold on target. Try heaps of different ammo before you get yourself a gauge. My two bobs worth.

[Mick]

I hear of a top quality bedding for rimfires. I'm unsure if you should be using using rapid set or a structural grade of "bedding compound".

[stinkitup]

Pretty much everyone else has said it, get a good front rest, don't have to spend a fortune but it will make a big difference. Then buy packs of every ammo you think is suitable and test it all you never know it might like something you wouldn't have considered before.

As most are aware I think rimfires are huge amount of fun but sometimes can be very frustrating. Although my brno results in alot less brick smashing than my brothers old savage

[chris.tyne]

Bagman,

I think Rinso has given you the scoop.....................
................Nah not really but pretty close at times .Unless you are between 14-16 years old and as keen as the novelty of measuring rim thickness's will wear thin pretty quick...........and it doesn't eliminate all the flyers anyway,try as many different brands as you can until you find what your rifle likes then............................purchase as much of that lot as you can and then when it's all gone you can start the process again starting to sound like fun isn't it.
I have found that once you get to around the $10 a box ammo measuring the rim thickness is a waste of time altogether.........others mileage may vary.
As you have said "practice,practice,practice is good and you have a more than capable rifle to start with but and that's a big BUT try to shoot over some type of wind indicating device/windflag and learn to interpret what they are telling you,you will shoot better,waste far less ammo and be able to use the knowledge in centrefire as well.
I have found that tuners are another variable for average joe and the not so average joe as well and a longer thinner barrel responds more to a tuner than a shorter thicker barrel................worry about one towards the end not at the start of the learning curve,a decent rest and rear bag is a definate plus.
Dont forget about some quality cleaning gear and a bore guide,scopes are a matter of personal preference and budget,if you can find someone to tutor/mentor it may fast track the learning curve as well..............................most of all have fun and remember this advice is worth what you paid for it......


Regards Chris.

[Rinso]

Well I suppose I should make a more helpful contribution here.
The fact is that IMO you can have the best rifle,rest,scope ammo etc etc thats available but, and its a pretty big but ...
If you cant read wind it means squat.
You can get away with so much but the shooters that seem to always be "lucky" are in my experience the ones that have put in the hours, learned to read the wind and there wind indicators.
Isnt it funny how practice makes you luckier.
The one thing not on your list is wind indicators, I would put them at the top. If you are serious they are essential to success.
Rimfire ammo is an anomoly you can get it to shoot brilliantly in your rifle but you will still get fliers no matter how many ways you sort and check it ... just accept them as part of shooting rimfire.
Technique at the bench and good wind reading will effect your results far more than anything else (all things being equal of course)
Good luck (if you need to down the track I can recommend a good brick supplier )

cheers
Rinso

[Bagman]

Thanks Rinso,
I got the bricks covered.
Comfy chair is now set up in the yard with two bricks for good measure.

Thanks for all the advice guys...

I've run thorugh a some 5 shot group tests with about 10 different low to mid priced target ammo and so far SK rifle match seems to be performing best (Lapua in the red tin did alright as well).
I haven't tried anything over about $10 a box yet as I am really just getting a feel for the rifle at the moment and will save missing with expensive ammo until I've had a little more practice.

There are no studs etc in the stock and I will be adding an aluminium plate to the front end of the stock this weekend to help keep it flat and steady on the rest.

The sako has heavy barrel and sounds like a tuner will just add another variable to the equation - I might leave this for further down the track.

Reading the wind and flags, sounds like this could be a whole lot of frustration and fun. Guess I had better get out to the range on the windy days for some real fun.

Sounds like a decent front rest is probably the best way to go next.
I've seen the pics of the fancy looking rests some of you blokes have, very nice but out of my price range.
Any mid priced suggestions ($400 approx) that will serve well for a couple of years while I get a bit of experience at this game?

Bagman

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day Bagman,
I dont shoot RF BR, I'm more polite than Rinso tho

However, wind flags, good rest and bags and good ammo then practice, knackers is right remove those swivel studs, hunt around you might be able to find a jewel trigger for the p94, but they do shoot extremely well anyway.

Ammo and from quality makers like RWS, Eley, and lapua all seem to shoot well even some of their cheaper hollow point stuff. Buy a wide range, test heaps; then buy a much of it as you can afford with the same batch number of the stuff it likes to eat and go practice.

And good luck and have fun.............when the fun stops find something else, lifes too short! THEN try centrefire BR and you will then understand Rinso's attitude!

Seriously, just have fun and dont get too technical with the whole thing.

Cheerio Ned

[Bagman]

Hey Ned,

Thanks for the encouragment.
Getting time to practice as much as I'd like to is the hardest thing, 2 young kids in the family makes things very busy and range time scarce.

A Jewel trigger would be great, although they seem as rare as hen's teeth. The current trigger is lightened as much as it allows and whilst it's not as light as my Tikka M55 is breaks nice and crisp. Like you said the P94's do shoot very well and a previous owner of this rifle who is a member on here has vouched for it's ability to shoot straight and he has a lot more experience in this game than I do.

I have set myself a goal of makeing B grade at the local club in the next 3-6 months which is achieving an average of above 196 out of a potential 200 - I feel this is achievable and yet still a challenge.
It's all great fun and I find it very relaxing

Cheers
Bagman

[Curtley78]

G'day Bagman,

Like most have said a decent front and rear rest are essential, as is ammunition.

By using a high grade ammunition you will be able to identify the cause of error, I would recommend RWS R50 or Tennex red box but then again every rifle is different and it may take you many days on the range to find the right make of ammunition that is suited to your rifle.

Whilst still in your early stages I would mainly focus upon developing technique i.e breathing, trigger pull (squeezing the trigger and not the stock) training your eyes, the means in which you adjust from the center tier, to the top and finally to the bottom of your target by either adjusting your front rest by winding it up/down or by moving your rear bag. The placement of your rear bag is very important.

The worst thing is picking up a bad habit and then trying to kick it.

You should be able to find within your club the indicator chart for the cause of flyers, most times they can be traced back to trigger pull, shoulder, bag placement etc.

You may find that your eyes get tired quickly, this is to be expected and you will overcome this in time.

The small bore comps are much harder in that there are limited flags to observe and are generally placed at the 10 and 40 meter marks, another good indication is to feel for the breeze on your ankles or face.

Having personally dissected, gauged the rim thickness and weighed both the powder and the projectile of many rounds and spending many days paranoid as to whether my rifle was on the way-out, in need of a clean or whether it was the ammunition or myself, a case master would only fuel paranoia, I have concluded that the inconsistencies are in the weight of the projectile. An RCBS case master is a good investment, however if you are using reputable and high grade ammunition then you really don't need it.

Barrel Tuners are purely cosmetic and pretty much a device used to intimidate and dazzle fellow competitors, they are just another gadget that you don't need and are generally sold by snake oil sharman.

Now... you have a very fine rifle and one that deserves a scope worthy to compliment it and I wouldn't go past an old Lyman if I could find one, a Weaver T36 or Leupold and I would only opt for a fixed power as mirage at 50 meters is nothing to be concerned about and finally....invest in a decent cleaning rod (one piece) and don't use brass brushes because over-time you may score the bore.

P.S Don't let anyone near your rifle with a torque wrench, these people can do more harm then good, at worse they can seriously damage a good rifle.

[Kenny]

Barrel Tuners are purely cosmetic and pretty much a device used to intimidate and dazzle fellow competitors, they are just another gadget that you don't need and are generally sold by snake oil sharman.

Sean you are a funny fella.....

KY

[steven]

Barrel Tuners are purely cosmetic and pretty much a device used to intimidate and dazzle fellow competitors, they are just another gadget that you don't need and are generally sold by snake oil sharman.

Thats why over 99% of rimfire shooters in the States use a tuner where it's legal....I can tell you now that a tuner will take out those little verticals flyers you get....might not happen with cheap ammo but will with the good stuff.

Steve

[Curtley78]

Damn this dial up. I must be the last bloke in Oz with dial-up. The modem dropped out whilst editing my post.

Kenny,

I was going to also suggest that he should not let anyone with a torque wrench near his rifle as these lunatics do more harm then good, fortunately they only frequent the range when the planets have aligned.