The Basics
Benchrest shooting is a shooting sport in which demands a very high degree of accuracy while shooting at stationary paper targets at a fixed distance. The rifles used ride on a front and rear rest. The rests sit on a table or bench, hence the name "Benchrest." The shooter simply sits at the bench, in distinction to other shooting disciplines, where the shooter holds and aims the rifle without the benefit of a rest. The Benchrest shooter has to read range conditions and adjust the point of aim to compensate for variables. Most modern guns will outperform their operator. This is the challenge of shooting. Tuning your gun, your ammo, your breathing, your trigger control, your follow through, learning to read the wind, and adjusting for range variables all contribute to an interesting day at a match.At the Eustis Gun Club we shoot for score using Hunter Class targets at 100 and 200 yards. The 200 yard target and has a 1 inch 10 ring and a 1/8th inch X. The X on the 100 yard target is 1/16th inch. (A good scope is highly recommended).
Scoring
In this shooting environment (score shooting) each and every shot is scored separately. A complete match consists of 25 rounds fired at a Hunter Class target. We fire a match at 200 yards, followed by a second match at 100 yards. Each participant has 7 minutes to record 5 shots for score on the target. The participant can take as many sighter shots as they wish. Sighter shots are not scored. A normal match will consume no more than 80 rounds of ammunition. In essence, one could say that, for our purposes, score shooting consists of twenty-five one-shot scores at a set distance (in our case 100, and 200 yards). By this statement we mean that once the shot is fired, and on the target, there is absolutely nothing that can change the score. A score shooting target consists of 6 targets (a sighter target and 5 record targets) each having rings with a bull and center dot called an "x". The value of the shot is determined by the highest scoring ring touched. If the shot touches the center dot or "x", it is scored a 10X -- the highest possible score. The five record targets are added together to determine the match score -- highest possible score is 50- 5X. The sighter target may have as many shots on it as you need. The five matches are added to determine the day's score -- highest possible score is 250-25X.
Join Us
A score shooting match at Eustis Gun Club is held every second Sunday of the month. On Sundays when the Club SWAP meet is held, we do not hold Benchrest competitions. We begin promptly at 8AM and are finished by 12:45 PM. Entry fee is $10. At a normal match the competitor does NOT rotate benches. He draws a bench at the time of registration and stays there the entire match. This is an accuracy sport that the serious rifleman and hand loader can compete without giving up a complete weekend or for that matter an entire day. The format of a match is such that the rules governing score shooting allow coaching for the new and/or young shooter. We have a great group of highly experienced shooters and the matches are always fun. If you are interested in competitive shooting, are serious about your rifle, reloading, improving accuracy, and have limited time, come join us! You won’t regret it and you will have a great time.
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