Shot My First Ever 600 Yard Benchrest Match Today

[michaelnel]

Well, I think I did pretty well for my first ever benchrest match. It was a 600 yard match at Sacramento Valley Shooting Center.

I won:

1st Heavy Gun score 1 target
1st Heavy Gun 3 target agg
2nd Two Gun Group 6 target agg
2nd Heavy Gun 3 target total
3rd Heavy Gun small group 1 target
3rd Light Gun small group
3rd Two Gun score 6 target total

The BAT rifle I bought from zfastmalibu performed great. I think the Bix'N Andy trigger helped too. I shot these all 100% free recoil. This was with 105 hybrids jumped .020, 32.5 gr varget, cci 450 primers.

Yep, I am patting myself on the back. Hope to do better next time.

 

[T 700]

Nice shooting!!!

 

[338 Mollett]

Nice work! Now your hooked ;D

 

[CaptainMal]

Sure you got a nice gun from a geat guy. Only thing it has to be you that shoots it now. Obviously YOU are the winner.

 

[dixieppc]

>> I shot all 100% free recoil.

Congratulations Michael. Two questions on the free recoil. What is the weight of the gun and how far off your shoulder was the butt?

My 17 pound properly balanced 6BR gives me a good hard jolt and upsets itself on the front rest when shot free recoil. It just might be that I'm used to shooting a 6PPC free recoil.

Regards,

 

[wapiti25]

Yes, nice shooting

 

[michaelnel]

What is the weight of the gun and how far off your shoulder was the butt?

The gun weighed in at 16.89 lbs. My butt is about 2 feet off my shoulder. Less if I slouch.

Actually, the rifle butt was about 1" off my shoulder. Each time I pushed the rifle back to the stop after firing it required only very minor adjustments to have the crosshairs centered again.

 

[JRS]

NBRSA event?

 

[michaelnel]

No, it was not an NBRSA event, local club shoot shot under NBRSA rules. First 2015 NBRSA event here is not until March. Sac Valley only has about 4 NBRSA events scheduled for 2015, and the Nationals have been moved for 2015.

There seems to be some animosity between our LR group and the NBRSA which is primarily focused on SR benchrest.

 

[KWeigel]

>> I shot all 100% free recoil.

Congratulations Michael. Two questions on the free recoil. What is the weight of the gun and how far off your shoulder was the butt?

My 17 pound properly balanced 6BR gives me a good hard jolt and upsets itself on the front rest when shot free recoil. It just might be that I'm used to shooting a 6PPC free recoil.

Regards,

Is funny you ask this because I'm going through it right now. My Dasher I shoot free recoil very well. Just got the rifle finished so that is what I have been shooting. Took out my 6br yesterday and had to make sure to keep contact with my shoulder. Free recoil does not work for this stock at all. Thinking about restocking this rifle to a st -1000 to match the Dasher.

 

[michaelnel]

My Savage 12 Benchrest with the 30" Criterion bull barrel in 6br doesn't like free recoil at all.

It's too nose heavy, and the Rifle Basix trigger is crap compared to the Bix N Andy in the BAT / ST1000F. Just pulling the trigger on the Savage upsets the rifle, and cycling the crappy bolt with the lousy PTG lift kit upsets it more.

The Savage BR stock is a strange design that is not well suited to free recoil either. That rifle likes me to hang onto it for dear life to shoot well.

 

[Raythemanroe]

Good job


Ray

 

[dixieppc]

Well, it is comforting to know that I'm not the only one that has to hang on to their 6BR vs free recoiling it. I had wondered if I had a balancing problem or something else. I never had this problem shooting my HV or LV 6PPC bench guns off the same rests.

My 6BR weighs in right under 17 lbs. It has a 28" barrel tapeted to .900 at the muzzle. It is pillar bedded into a 1990's Ventage Lee Six benchrest stock and balances right under the chamber with the help of two 1" diameter brass bars in the butt end. I am pushing a 105g Hybrid down the tube at ~2900 fps.

Right now, the rest setup has the rifle sitting on the front rest 2 inches back from the front of the stock and the rear bag sitting 2-3 Inches forward the butt plate. If I shoot it free recoil, the front jumps slightly from the bag and the butt whacks me a good one. FYI, the front rest top is the Sinclair Generation II Windage Top with a Protektor #3 Cordura Bag. The rear bag is a Protektor Two-Stitch Bunny Ear.

I'm having to shoot it with light right hand hold and my shoulder touching the butt plate. In other words, I am putting myself into the equation which I don't like to do. With my PPC's, all I'm doing is adjusting the front rest for conditions and touching the trigger.

Now, I understand that the bigger/ heavier the bullet going down the tube the more the resulting "Reaction" and that the 6BR is a bit larger than a 6PPC. But when I first had this 6 BR built, I had no idea that its "Reaction" would be so much more than a PPC.

Here's something for you to laugh at. First time I shot it (free recoil like my PPC's), I whacked myself between the eyeballs. I saw Elvis!

Regards....

 

[michaelnel]

I forgot to mention that my Dasher rifle has a Harrell's muzzle brake. I think that calms the tendency to bounce on the front bag, and removes some recoil too. It's LOUD though!

 

[dixieppc]

I forgot to mention that my Dasher rifle has a Harrell's muzzle brake. I think that calms the tendency to bounce on the front bag, and removes some recoil too. It's LOUD though!

I've been giving some serious thought to a muzzle brake.

Regards....

 

[dkhunt14]

A muzzle brake really settles down the little cartridges. Matt