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Welcome to the Bell City Rifle Club Benchrest web page. We hope that you find all the information you need to find out what short range Benchrest shooting is all about, but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us at the email address listed at the bottom of the page. The Benchrest matches at Bell City will be the first at the club and in Connecticut in a long time. We are hoping to get good turnouts, and continue to provide a great place to shoot. When it gets down to it, we hope that anyone attending the matches is having fun and being safe. That is what it is all about. Safety is something that cannot be understated, and EVERYONE is expected to follow ALL range rules at ALL times. We do not want to lose this venue because of careless errors or someone who didn’t know the rules. The Bell City Rifle Club has a long history of competitive shooting mainly in the high power and rimfire arenas. These will be the first Benchrest matches held there, and we look forward to having them be a regular addition to the match schedule. The matches, both the fun shoots and official tournaments, will be held under the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) rules and regulations for centerfire Varmint For Score (VFS), Hunter Benchrest (HBr), Varmint Hunter (VH), and factory/semi-custom rilfes. See www.internationalbenchrest.com for more details. As these are the first matches of this type at Bell City we are hoping to have a fun shoot or two prior to campaigning a full IBS tournament. On that same note it is very important to state that you do NOT have to be a seasoned competitor to have fun at these matches. They are meant to bring people together who like to shoot, and want to get the most accuracy possible out of their rifles. For those who are new to what is considered competitive Benchrest shooting here are a few FAQS that might help. What is a Benchrest gun? Here is a beautiful example of what a top-flight group Benchrest gun can entail : http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek018.html And here is an example of a pair of beautiful score guns : http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek082.html Do I have to have a custom $3,000 gun to compete? Will my factory savage, Remington, Winchester, etc have a chance? Here are the definitions being used at Bell City for factory and semi-custom rifles in the score matches: Factory class would be limited to Remington (non-40x), Winchester, Savage, Sako, Tikka or other major manufacturers. No gunsmithing allowed. There will not be a plaque for this category, but a certificate for the winner will be presented. There is no weight limit for this class. Semi-custom rifles are would any factory action that has a custom barrel, trigger, stock, or truing performed. Plaques for 1st place will be awarded and a certificate of achievement for 2nd place in each category. Do I have to be a member of Bell City? Can I join Bell City at the match? Do I have to be an IBS member to shoot? What will the cost of the matches be? What does a typical match entail? Group shooting is performed at 100, 200, and 300yds and involves a total of five targets with five or ten shot groups per yardage. The object is to put all five record shots into one hole. It does not matter where the group forms on the bull as long you are within the bounds of the rings. At the highest levels of competition there are those that can agg (that’s five targets with five shots on each target) with groups measuring center-to-center averaging under 0.2 inches. At 200 and 300yds the groups are measured in inches and then divided by 2 and 3 respectively, then calculated in an overall aggregate for Grand Agg’s (multiple yardages averaged together). The current go-to caliber is the 6PPC or .22-100PPC (.22 caliber PPC shortened by .1”) for group shooting. This is not to say that a different chambering couldn’t win, but if there was a better choice you can bet that it would be showing up at major matches. Official group targets: 100yds – center bull is ½”, but it isn’t about the bull…
Score shooting is also performed at 100, 200, and 300yds, but instead of putting all five shots into one hole you are aiming for the “dot” in the ten ring (outside measurement of the ten ring is ½” at 100yds, and 1” at 200yds). Official 100yd target
Each target has six bulls on it…one sighter bull (lower right) and five record bulls. A complete match consists of 6 targets…one warmup and five record targets. A perfect score is 250-25X, and though it has been done is not a regular occurrence. The current go-to caliber for score is the 30Br (6mmBr necked up to .30cal) due to its larger hole and the “best-edge” form of scoring. There are plenty of PPC’s out there that can still win matches, but again, at the higher levels of competition you want every advantage possible. The 30BR has shown it can be every bit as accurate as the PPC, but the increased recoil is felt to be a disadvantage in major group matches. Where can I go to read more about Benchrest? The initial matches (see dates below) at Bell City will be of the Score variety, and will most likely be contested at 100yds to start. However, if time allows and there is interest, there will be no hesitation to move things out to 200yds. The first match is scheduled for Saturday August 15th, 2009. We are hoping to have four new benches put in by the time the match comes around, and look forward to meeting all those who wish to attend. The match will start at 10a.m. – We suggest that you get there by 8 or 8:30a.m. so that we can begin shooting promptly at 10. There will be a range/safety orientation, and a description of the course of fire prior to the match. Due to an agreement between the range and the surrounding neighborhoods we are unable to start any sooner than 10a.m. If time allows, we may try our hand at 200yds as well. Things you may want to bring to the match: 1)An adjustable stool – there are stools provided, but they are wooden and at a set height. We fully intend for anyone who attends these matches to: 1) Feel welcome 2) Enjoy their time before, during, and after the match 3) Not feel intimidated by the level of competition from other attendees. There is NO one who hasn’t been to their first match. Poor scores don’t mean anything. It’s all about having fun and learning! 4) Leave the match with a sense of accomplishment and belonging to something new as well as improving your shooting skills. 5) Have Fun!!! If these initial matches prove to be a success, and there is interest, we have the means of making a moving backer system which would enable us to offer group matches as well. It will all depend on the turnout of the matches and the interest expressed in the attendees. Any offers to volunteer to help at the matches are welcome and incredibly appreciated. The more people that are willing to help at the match the more efficient the relays will be, and the more we can do in one day. As of right now this is a one man operation, but with time we know this will change.
Please address all inquiries to: Match Director is Mike Suhie, bellcitybr@yahoo.com – please include the words Bell City in the title of your emails. Click on an image |
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Bell City Rifle Club, Inc., P.O. Box 722, Southington, CT. 06489, 860-628-7041 --- Copyright 2006, Bell City Rifle Club, All Rights Reserved |
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