.22 benchrest
- Thread starter guidom
- Start date
I'll give you some advice..forget it...unless your willing to spend 4 figures for a rifle,,400 up for a scope..buy a front windage rest w/ a good rear bag..and the you can spend $7 to $20 a box for ammo , depending on what you new rifle likes to shoot..no to mention a close 50m range..because you are going to have to practice..practice..practice. if all you want to do is shoot little bug holes at 50m an Anschutz MPR is a good start ( new) or a used Anschutz 54 variant are good choices.to really compete in benchrest..think custom gun. Benchrest is one thing..shooting from a bench is something else..for just putting holes in a target..the cz is a good choice
It depends on what class you want to play in. Serious benchrest takes a serious custom rifle with (usually) expensive ammunition, a high quality front rest with a high quality rear bag (or a 1-piece rest) and a decent scope. It is very easy to spend $3000 for the rifle, $1200 (or more) for a scope, a $1000 for the rest/rear bag and $20 per box for ammunition that your rifle likes. Reading the wind and developing your shooting technique takes lots of practice which equates to a chunk of change in ammunition. You can start for less with a used rifle, a Weaver T36 scope, a $300 front rest and a $100 rear bag with $50 of heavy sand in it but you will still spend major bucks.
I have a CZ 455 which is a nice rifle but not competitive. I tried a Kimber 82G and a Remington M540XR but neither of them were competitive. I really don't think there is a factory rifle out there that is. I have a friend who bought a brand new Remington 40X from the Remington custom shop last year. After he rebarreled it with a brand new Shilen barrel, it became competitive. You can have fun punching little tiny clusters of holes with many rifles, but if you want to compete, it takes equipment and lots of practice.
Cort
I have a CZ 455 which is a nice rifle but not competitive. I tried a Kimber 82G and a Remington M540XR but neither of them were competitive. I really don't think there is a factory rifle out there that is. I have a friend who bought a brand new Remington 40X from the Remington custom shop last year. After he rebarreled it with a brand new Shilen barrel, it became competitive. You can have fun punching little tiny clusters of holes with many rifles, but if you want to compete, it takes equipment and lots of practice.
Cort
We shoot savage Mark 11 in our competitions. Benchrest at 50 yards under the lights sometimes.
1st, 2nd,3rd, 5, and more shot Savage Mark2s.
1st, 2nd,3rd, 5, and more shot Savage Mark2s.
Been there- done that with a CZ 452. Nice gun and pretty accurate.
But it will cost you a fortune learning how to shoot real benchrest competition with a rifle that won't hit point of aim. We see folks start with Savages and CZ's all the time and spend money testing different ammo (endlessly) and buying better triggers and fashioning fore-end plates etc..
If all your buddies have guns like these then you won't need a real benchrest gun to win but the first guy that buys a 1913 Anschutz will put the kabosh on that and soon everybody will need one. Of course alot of this depends on exactly what discipline you will be shooting but benchrest usually means small targets and a high X-count to win.
I strongly reccomend you attend a match or 2 and there are always shooters there that will let you shoot their rifles and you will quickly learn want you need and will save hundreds of dollars in the end along with months of misdirected effort. Trying to shoot a 4 pound trigger in a sporter stock moving around in the bags is good fun but just not competitive in most benchrest disciplines and you can't learn to dope wind and read windflags if your 22 can't hold them in an inch at 100 yards.
But it will cost you a fortune learning how to shoot real benchrest competition with a rifle that won't hit point of aim. We see folks start with Savages and CZ's all the time and spend money testing different ammo (endlessly) and buying better triggers and fashioning fore-end plates etc..
If all your buddies have guns like these then you won't need a real benchrest gun to win but the first guy that buys a 1913 Anschutz will put the kabosh on that and soon everybody will need one. Of course alot of this depends on exactly what discipline you will be shooting but benchrest usually means small targets and a high X-count to win.
I strongly reccomend you attend a match or 2 and there are always shooters there that will let you shoot their rifles and you will quickly learn want you need and will save hundreds of dollars in the end along with months of misdirected effort. Trying to shoot a 4 pound trigger in a sporter stock moving around in the bags is good fun but just not competitive in most benchrest disciplines and you can't learn to dope wind and read windflags if your 22 can't hold them in an inch at 100 yards.
Hi new member here.
I would suggest starting in the Barnyard shoot, 50 yards. A good .22 like a savage would work fine, that is what I use MKII. Most of the members in my club shoot these. I will caution that a wood stock will not make weight with a bull barrel.
Optics can only go to 6.5 power. I use one of the new Redfields 4x12 I believe and set at 6.5. Great scope for the money only big draw back is no hash marks to set your turrets with. Really redfield how much could that have cost you guys.
A caldwell Rock BR front rest will work, or up one with windage would be even better. Rear bag what your wallet can stand I guess. Can only run ammo under 5.00 a box. Fun same principle, improve marksmanship.
I would suggest starting in the Barnyard shoot, 50 yards. A good .22 like a savage would work fine, that is what I use MKII. Most of the members in my club shoot these. I will caution that a wood stock will not make weight with a bull barrel.
Optics can only go to 6.5 power. I use one of the new Redfields 4x12 I believe and set at 6.5. Great scope for the money only big draw back is no hash marks to set your turrets with. Really redfield how much could that have cost you guys.
A caldwell Rock BR front rest will work, or up one with windage would be even better. Rear bag what your wallet can stand I guess. Can only run ammo under 5.00 a box. Fun same principle, improve marksmanship.
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
guidom said:
guidom,
Several good comments have been posted by others that should give you some insight into Benchrest Competition in Rimfire .22's. I compete monthly at out local Gun Club and several guys shoot the Savage MKII's and a bunch of different makes and models But something you have to figure out is how serious are you about this stuff and how much are you willing to invest. Now for me, I'm an accuracy freak and don't worry about what the others shoot in the competition. And some of these guys show up with their custom $3500 rigs and they are the ones who in the past usually took first or second place. And I have two Savages that got me seconds and thirds UNTIL, I bought me an Anschutz 64MPR ($1145) a mid level scope ($259) and a Harrel Tuner ($150) and that rig has gotten me 1st and 2nds all this year. Ammo is certainly a must to be a serious contender and my Anschutz loves Lapua Midas+ @$14.50 a box of 50 rds. On top of that, I have a custom built front rest and bags that I easily have $1,000 in. But that is not to say a Caldwell Rock model rest with bags won't suffice to shoot decent score for around $200. Just remember one thing, the shooter behind the rifle has to do his part and know how to shoot as well. And that takes practice and more practice.
So my message is simply this, figure out what makes you happy and forget what I or anyone else shoots. Get the rifle that fits your needs, but get good competition ammo for it. I've seen the various models of Savage MKII's shoot incredible scores, somewhere between 1800 - 2000 out of 2500 possible on an ARA (American Rimfire Association Target) used in competition. And when you compete, do as I do, compete against yourself and try to improve with each outting. Don't concern yourself about what others shoot, but watch them and learn. You might quickly find that some shooters talk the talk, but can't shoot the target nearly as well.
Have fun and enjoy.
i thank all of you for your advice. i'm involvd in centerfire benchrest, and groundhog shoots big time. the shooting season is now over, and i need something to do this winter. my local club has a .22 benchrest shoot that i would like to shoot in. like shynloco said, i'm only interested in shooting against myself. i just need something fun to do. i'm not going to buy a custom gun, but i do need to buy a decent one. i was thinking a savage or cz. want to shoot and have fun.
Caution: shooting rimfire is addictive and you are passing through to the darkside.
Alot of your gear selection depends on your local club and exactly what targets/disciplines they are shooting and what distances and a trip to the next match will surely save you a pile of money guaranteed! Most sanctioned matches like ARA and RBA and PSL shoot at pin dots at 50 yards and without the usual 36X scope you will be sucking wind but if you shoot larger targets at just-for-fun groundhog or silhouette matches it will call for different equipment.
As the other poster mentioned for benchrest even a low end Anschutz will cut your groups in less than half from a Savage or CZ and if your rifle won't hit point of aim it can be alot of long days. If shooting off-hand at farther distances any of them will out-shoot you for a while but benchrest shooting as you know is a whole different animal. Also if your gang shoots a discipline that doesn't allow windflags you can get away with less of a rifle as the wind will offset some of the accuracy needed (but not much).
Good luck your gonna love it.
Alot of your gear selection depends on your local club and exactly what targets/disciplines they are shooting and what distances and a trip to the next match will surely save you a pile of money guaranteed! Most sanctioned matches like ARA and RBA and PSL shoot at pin dots at 50 yards and without the usual 36X scope you will be sucking wind but if you shoot larger targets at just-for-fun groundhog or silhouette matches it will call for different equipment.
As the other poster mentioned for benchrest even a low end Anschutz will cut your groups in less than half from a Savage or CZ and if your rifle won't hit point of aim it can be alot of long days. If shooting off-hand at farther distances any of them will out-shoot you for a while but benchrest shooting as you know is a whole different animal. Also if your gang shoots a discipline that doesn't allow windflags you can get away with less of a rifle as the wind will offset some of the accuracy needed (but not much).
Good luck your gonna love it.
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
750k2 said:
WELL, thats not necessarily so.....if you buy one and want to move up, just go buy another one and keep the economy going. And if that one doesn't work or you want to have more, go buy a third. No need to cry. Just play with all your toys. And remember one thing...this rimfire stuff is addictive as heck, but also very rewarding and total fun. Thats what I told myself four rifles ago and thats when the wife took the checkbook and credit cards away. God bless wives!
I don't want to start any fights here, but with all the expert knowledge here, this seems to be both the time and place to ask.
With CZ Rifles winning all sorts of Tournaments across the Great Pond where the Annie is also a rifle of choice, why aren't the CZ series of rifles used over here?
Lets take the shooter out of the equation and concentrate on the Shooting Setup. Consider all shooters to be of equal capability and Ranking.
What is it about the CZ that make them so inferior to the Anschutz, Remington, Savage, etc? What if one got serious about Benchrest Shooting and takes a CZ-452 or 455 rifle, bought some of the best expensive ammunition, a high quality front rest with a high quality rear bag (or a 1-piece rest) and spent $900 + for a decent scope - maybe a Unertl or Weaver - and all best other stuff he/she may need. The only difference with their Setup would be the CZ Receiver and Trigger and maybe not the Trigger. Why would he/she not be able to compete with the other set ups?
Keep in mind that not all of us are financially independent and have to be careful in our spending, The CZ would immediately save one up to $500 + just in its cost. About the price to purchase a nice BR Quality Barrel. Now what would be wrong with that Setup? Seriously, for the life of me, I don't understand it.
How many 0.000" Targets have been shot in Competition? Shot period over 25yds?
How many shooters or prospective shooters need $10,000 to start shooting at their local Ranges.
Please tell me why a CZ or other relatively inexpensive Rifle be made to shoot with the higher priced rigs?
With CZ Rifles winning all sorts of Tournaments across the Great Pond where the Annie is also a rifle of choice, why aren't the CZ series of rifles used over here?
Lets take the shooter out of the equation and concentrate on the Shooting Setup. Consider all shooters to be of equal capability and Ranking.
What is it about the CZ that make them so inferior to the Anschutz, Remington, Savage, etc? What if one got serious about Benchrest Shooting and takes a CZ-452 or 455 rifle, bought some of the best expensive ammunition, a high quality front rest with a high quality rear bag (or a 1-piece rest) and spent $900 + for a decent scope - maybe a Unertl or Weaver - and all best other stuff he/she may need. The only difference with their Setup would be the CZ Receiver and Trigger and maybe not the Trigger. Why would he/she not be able to compete with the other set ups?
Keep in mind that not all of us are financially independent and have to be careful in our spending, The CZ would immediately save one up to $500 + just in its cost. About the price to purchase a nice BR Quality Barrel. Now what would be wrong with that Setup? Seriously, for the life of me, I don't understand it.
How many 0.000" Targets have been shot in Competition? Shot period over 25yds?
How many shooters or prospective shooters need $10,000 to start shooting at their local Ranges.
Please tell me why a CZ or other relatively inexpensive Rifle be made to shoot with the higher priced rigs?
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
Well the answer to your question is actually simple, in my experiences, the CZ's and inexpensive rifles simply do not shoot as well and as accurately as the Anschutz do. And that is not to put down any Savages, CZ's. Remington's, Rugers or any other manufacturer because I'm not into putting anyone else's equipment down or the notion of buffoonery because I happen to shoot an Anschutz in competition. I happen to also own 2 Savages and a Remington that are Rimfire Rifles as well. I enjoy shooting them all, but the Anschutz produces more consistency and tighter groups. Try and keep in mind the old adage that you get what you pay for. I don't think it is reasonable to think that a $400 - $500 dollar will perform as well as an $1100 - $1200. If you want to compete seriously or are an accuracy freak (as am I) you want the best you can afford. But separate of that issue, barrel quality is a key ingredient of accuracy. The quality of Anschutz barrels is very high and superior to most average Rimfire rifles that cost half the price. It is like the difference between buying an average general production barrel as compared to a Match Grade barrel that serious competitors use. The construction of a rifle such as a Savage is also an issue because the barrel is not easily (pressed and pinned as opposed to threaded/screwed on) changed and usual costs as much, if not more than a new rifle.
Again, I am not here to talk down CZ because they are very nice rifles. I've just seen the Anschutz outshoot them on a consistent basis in competition. The notion that just because CZ's are used "across the Pond" doesn't prove much because costs for Anschutz and other makes could easily be a reason. I'm not here to ruffle any feathers and just trying to give you some insight into the posed questions from my perspective. For more potential reasoning, consider taking a look at www.rimfirecentral.com where you'll find blogs for just about every conceiveable rimfire manufacturer where shooters chat.
Hope that helps some.
Again, I am not here to talk down CZ because they are very nice rifles. I've just seen the Anschutz outshoot them on a consistent basis in competition. The notion that just because CZ's are used "across the Pond" doesn't prove much because costs for Anschutz and other makes could easily be a reason. I'm not here to ruffle any feathers and just trying to give you some insight into the posed questions from my perspective. For more potential reasoning, consider taking a look at www.rimfirecentral.com where you'll find blogs for just about every conceiveable rimfire manufacturer where shooters chat.
Hope that helps some.
Your not starting any fights Wolfen - Just trying to save you some cash and headaches.
I started with a 10/22 money pit - ended up with 1500 in it - Next came the Finn - did better but 2000ish
by the time it maxed out. I Bought a well used Annie prone with Hart bbl., after upgrades 2000ish.
Just got done having a 40X build done with the works 1500ish by being fruggle and doin some work myself.
The Annie would win the one off target but this 40X will hang with the Turbo,copperhead crowd if the jerk
behind the trigger would learn how to read the wind better.
Cz lets say 400
bbl = 300
trigger work = 100
Stock = 200
Smith = 150
Your at the cost of a used BR rig and it would have a better trigger and action.
Savage ain't going to cut it.
Anything other than a Rem 37 or 40X dosen't make it either
As far as across the pond - no dissin them but the US takes the lead in the BR game.
It's all in how serious you want to be - If just wanting to be out with friends having a good time?
Anything will work - have at it.
But if you would like to win a target or match(other than a one off) would feel good - get a BR gun.
It's a slippery slope - spend once cry once
I started with a 10/22 money pit - ended up with 1500 in it - Next came the Finn - did better but 2000ish
by the time it maxed out. I Bought a well used Annie prone with Hart bbl., after upgrades 2000ish.
Just got done having a 40X build done with the works 1500ish by being fruggle and doin some work myself.
The Annie would win the one off target but this 40X will hang with the Turbo,copperhead crowd if the jerk
behind the trigger would learn how to read the wind better.
Cz lets say 400
bbl = 300
trigger work = 100
Stock = 200
Smith = 150
Your at the cost of a used BR rig and it would have a better trigger and action.
Savage ain't going to cut it.
Anything other than a Rem 37 or 40X dosen't make it either
As far as across the pond - no dissin them but the US takes the lead in the BR game.
It's all in how serious you want to be - If just wanting to be out with friends having a good time?
Anything will work - have at it.
But if you would like to win a target or match(other than a one off) would feel good - get a BR gun.
It's a slippery slope - spend once cry once
I really hate to go against the grain here but I started out with a Savage MKII lightly modded, Weaver T-36, a $300, front rest and rear bag, shot Wolf MT. I probably had less than 1K into the set-up and I actually won a couple matches against the Annies, 40xs, CZs etc... I normally would end up in the top 5 out of ten to fifteen shooters. I really never felt bad because I knew if I shot good with a few of x's I had a chance and I didn't spend 3-4K to get into it.
JohnMill
Gold $$ Contributor
I went Kimber 82G Tasco, 24X World Class(That was their Japanese one), Hoehn tuner, SKjag Pistol match. If you are meticulous with the process of setting the tuner,everyone will have to outspend you a bunch to stay ahead of you.
In my opinion the old B&L 24X scope is about the best glass you could use on a RFBR rifle. ou could go the 36X or booster lense but that could save you a bunch
In my opinion the old B&L 24X scope is about the best glass you could use on a RFBR rifle. ou could go the 36X or booster lense but that could save you a bunch
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