United Kingdom Benchrest Shooting

A new free on-line magazine for the Target Shooter - www.targetshooter.co.uk

Check out www.benchrestdirectory.forumup.co.uk for a new UK forum for centrefire & rimfire benchrest shooters

WBC 10 - 2009 SOUTH AFRICA - SEE 'NEWS, LINKS &COMPETITIONS' FOR FURTHER DETAILS

What exactly is benchrest shooting?

Benchrest is all about shooting 'groups' rather than attempting to hit the centre of the target - accuracy rather than marksmanship. Having said that, when your target is the previous bullet-hole, you need to be a very competent marksman.

AS the name suggests, we shoot seated at a solid concrete bench rather than prone off the grass. Benches are under cover so protected from the weather.

                      5-shots 300 yards                                             5-shots 100 yards

                                    

                                                            5-shots  1000 yards

The first formal recorded benchrest match was held at Johnstown, New York State, USA in 1947. The discipline spread rapidly in the USA but it took a few years for the rest of the world to catch-on. Benchrest is now very popular in Australia, New Zealand and many European countries and the first World Championships were held in France in 1989. Championships for 100/200 yard benchrest are held every two years and governed by the World Benchrest Shooting Federation. 

In this country, centrefire benchrest shooting at 100/200 yards is governed by the United Kingdom Benchrest Association (UKBRA). The United Kingdom Association of Rimfire Benchrest Shooting covers 22RF benchrest in the UK and this Association is also affliliated to the UKBRA.

Benchrest can be shot at any distance. In the UK, we shoot 50,(rimfire) 100, 200, 300, 600 and 1000 yards. Our centrefire shoots are centred around the fabulous Diggle Range complex in the north west of England and we have covered firing-points with concrete benches at all these distances. Shooting at 600 & 1000 yards is run by the Pennine Shooting Sports Association, managers of Diggle Ranges. The British Benchrest Club www.benchrest.co.uk organises shoots at 100 and 200 yards at Bisley Camp in Surrey and is affilated to the UKBRA.

The UKBRA is affiliated to the National Rifle Association of Great Britain and is a member of the World Benchrest Shooting Federation and the European Benchrest Shooting Federation.

Is the line ready? 145 competitors from 20 different countries prepare to shoot at the 2005 World Benchrest Championships at the fabulous Kelbly Range in North Lawrence, Ohio, USA.

Although we are always attempting to shoot small groups, benchrest is all about competing 'shoulder to shoulder' and like all shooting-sports, the real object is simply to beat the other guys!

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Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all competitors for supporting the 100 and 1000 yardBR shoots at Diggle Ranges, 20/21st June 2009.  Saturday was cold but Sunday was warm & sunny with light winds.

100 yards Heavy Varmint - Ian Dixon - 0.236 inch agg.

Small group - Martin Eldershaw - 0.134 inches

Factory Sporter - Darrel Evans - 0.4468 inch agg.

Small group - Laurie Holland - 0.344 inches

1000 yards Light Gun - Mal Roberts  - 7.678 inch agg.

Small group - Mal Roberts -  5.387 inches.

Heavy Gun - Les Holgate - 8.463 inch agg.

Small group - Les Holgate - 5.934 inches

Factory Sporter - Ian Kellett  - 11.693 inch agg.

Small group  - Ian Kellett - 8.151 inches

Full results can be accessed under 'News, Links & Competitions' and, following the demise of Target Sports magazine, there will be a full report in From the Bench which now appears in www.TargetShooter.co.uk due out July 1st

 

The Great Diggle Egg Shoot 25th May Bank Holiday

Thanks to all who turned out to support our annual Egg Shoot. For once it was absolutely beautiful but of course far from calm.

Two shooters managed to splatter a hen's egg from 500 yards with just one shot - no sighters. So congratulations to Darrel Evans shooting a 308 Accuracy International off the bi-pod and to Les Holgate shooting a 6.5x47 Barnard '07 - again off the bi-pod.

Steve Dunn was overall winner of the Groundhog competition with his 22BR scoring 63 points

Stage winners:

100 yards  Tim Finley 6.5x47 SYSS Surgeon     38 pts

300 yards  Steve Dunn   22 BR                           26

500 yards  Vince Bottomley  243 TGP BAT         17

Small groups:  

100 yards  John Dean  0.206 inches  6BRDX Rhino RPA

300 yards  John Dean  1.099 inches 

500 yards  Peter Wilson  0.714 inches 7WSM Walker BAT

Full results can be downloaded under 'News, Links & Competitions' and the new on-line magazine Target Shooter will carry a full write-up and pics in the July issue at www.targetshooter.co.uk

Membership of the UKBRA cost only £5.00 for the whole year.

Further details - e-mail me on vinceb@6ppc.fsnet.co.uk

You can find Diggle Ranges by putting the postcode OL3 5LB into your sat-nav or www.streetmap.co.uk

 

 

 

New Zealander, Graeme Smith is a long-time benchrest shooter and is President of the World Benchrest Shooting Federation. He has written three interesting articles on benchrest and kindly allowed the UKBRA to use them on this site. The articles are in pdf format and need Acrobat Reader to open them. Click here Article One Article Two Article Three

Visit the World Benchrest Shooting federation website at www.world-benchrest.com

A years membership of the UKBRA costs just £5.00. But - we don't do newsletters, membership cards, badges, T shirts or social events.

We shoot benchrest - pure and simple.

We believe in putting our efforts into benchrest competition and keeping the costs as low as possible for members.

If you would like to join you will be very welcome - just turn up at any of our shoots. At Diggle Ranges, you can turn up at any time on the day of the shoot if you just want to have a look at benchrest shooting. If you would like to shoot with us, you need to be there by 10.00am for our 100 yard shoots (put the postcode OL3 5LB into www.streetmap.co.uk or www.multimap.co.uk and you can print off a location map).

The British Benchrest Club (www.benchrest.co.uk) hold 100/200 yard shoots at Bisley Ranges on Short Siberia and start at 9.00am

If your interest is benchrest shooting at longer ranges - 600 or 1000 yards - again you are welcome to come along to Diggle Ranges for a look but if you would like to shoot, you need to be there by 9.00am for 1000 yard shoots and 10.00am for 600 yard shoots. 

Bring your rifle and about 50 rounds of ammunition. Bags and rests can usually be borrowed.

It's rare for shoots to be cancelled but any alterations will be posted on this site in the 'news' section.

Need Zircon sand for your back-bag? We have it! See Ian Dixon at Diggle - fill your bag and pay only for what you need!

UK accuracy nuts can keep up to date with all matters accuracy with the new free on-line shooting magazine devoted to accurate rifles.

Go to www.precisionrifle.co.uk

 

G & C CUSTOM BULLETS

Match-winning 6mm 66 & 68 grain flat-base bullets made exclusively in the UK with J4 jackets and manufactured with the finest Detsch  carbide dies. Contact  carl@fair-price.co.uk

MORE BULLETS!

If you are having problems obtaining benchrest bullets, try www.alpinbullets.com Flat-base bullets in 224, 6mm and 308. 

FOWLER BENCHREST BULLETS 

The famous Fowler bullets are back - in 6mm and 224 flat-base.  E-mail Claudia Fowler with your requirements on cfowler003@carolina.rr.com