Bench shooter roll call. What caliber

crimsondave · February 12, 2010, 08:30 AM

do you use in your bench gun(s)? I just wonder how many use the BR target/match specific calibers and who uses standard calibers (i.e. .308. ect.)

David Wile · February 13, 2010, 02:07 AM

Hey Dave,

I'm not sure what you consider a "bench" gun, but I will tell you a bit about what I use for my "bench" gun. Back in the late 1960s, my father and I both wanted new rifles for bench shooting. Someone was selling Mark X actions and different Douglas barrels at the time for a pretty good price so we each ordered a Mark X action with heavy 28 inch Douglas target barrels. I bought a 30-06, and my dad bought his in a .257 Roberts.

We both argued about our choices in calibers: "You already have a 30-06..." and "Who would want a .257 Roberts?" And our arguing went on the whole time we made our own walnut stocks for the rifles. We made both stocks with wood we had cut and aged from the same walnut tree. While we differed in our choice of calibers, we both used the same basic pistol grip and cheek piece design that we used for hunting rifles, but our beaver tail fore stocks were really quite big and heavy. We made them for bench shooting rather than carrying in the woods. I was bluing guns at the time, so I polished and blued them after the stocks were finished and the barrels free floated.

We worked toward the goal of making our ammunition produce the smallest five round spead that we could make. When we finally had our ammo tuned to our rifles, we had our competition. There I was barely 20 years of age with eyes that would never be as good as they were then, and my father was thirty years older than I. How could some 50+ year old man out shoot me? We spend the day shooting about 100 rounds each, and I had a few targets where my five rounds were smaller than his, but at the end of the day it was quite clear my father with his 50 year old eyes was clearly a better shooter than I.

As the years went by and we continued our bench shooting, his eyes started to fail a bit. I received no edge out of that fact, however, because my eyes also began to fail, and mine failed faster than his. When he was 80 or 81 years of age, he could still shoot better than I for about twenty rounds. After about twenty rounds he could not take the recoil any longer, and we stopped at that point with my father still the better shooter.

I never had any children who were interested in shooting, so when my father died nearly 20 years ago, our two "bench" rifles sort of went into semi-retirement. I gave his rifle to my nephew, and I still take mine out a couple times a year by myself, but it is not the same as shooting with your father. And for all the times my father out shot me, I was never unhappy. I was simply amazed that he was so good.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

crimsondave · February 13, 2010, 11:55 AM

I'd say those would certainly qualify as bench guns in my book and you used standard calibers. I was just wondering how many people used standard calibers (ie 308, 30-06, 257, 223) compared to the Bench specific calibers (i.e. 6 BR, 22 BR, 6 PPC) for their bench guns.

ammo.crafter · February 13, 2010, 12:10 PM

Mine is a converted WW II 98k Mauser firing 6 m/m Remington through a Hart 26" bbl.

Mounted on a walnut/maple laminated bench stock.

langenc · February 13, 2010, 09:55 PM

Dave-great story. Get the nephew to keep on shooting Dads rifle. Dont let him set home and sure as hexx dont let him sell the rifle.

amamnn · February 14, 2010, 12:23 AM

If you are talking about real honest to gawd benchrest rifles, a good place to ask that Q is here:

http://www.6mmbr.com/index.html
--------the name of that site might give you a clue---------

and/or here:

http://www.benchrest.com/

Sam06 · February 14, 2010, 10:32 AM

I don't compete anymore but I still shoot against myself

I have a Remington 40X SA in 6mmBR with a tight neck and a Blueprinted Remington 700 PSS in 308. I shoot from 100-600 yds but mostly at 500 yds.

February 12, 2010, 08:30 AM	#1
crimsondave Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2009 Location: North Augusta, SC Posts: 490	Bench shooter roll call. What caliber do you use in your bench gun(s)? I just wonder how many use the BR target/match specific calibers and who uses standard calibers (i.e. .308. ect.)

February 13, 2010, 12:10 PM	#4
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,972	bench buddy Mine is a converted WW II 98k Mauser firing 6 m/m Remington through a Hart 26" bbl. Mounted on a walnut/maple laminated bench stock. __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

February 14, 2010, 12:23 AM	#6
amamnn Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2006 Location: WA, the left armpit of the USA Posts: 1,323	If you are talking about real honest to gawd benchrest rifles, a good place to ask that Q is here: http://www.6mmbr.com/index.html --------the name of that site might give you a clue--------- and/or here: http://www.benchrest.com/ __________________ "If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

February 14, 2010, 10:32 AM	#7
Sam06 Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: Fayettenam Posts: 1,086	I don't compete anymore but I still shoot against myself I have a Remington 40X SA in 6mmBR with a tight neck and a Blueprinted Remington 700 PSS in 308. I shoot from 100-600 yds but mostly at 500 yds. __________________ The two most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.

February 13, 2010, 02:07 AM	#2
David Wile Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2001 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA Posts: 585	Hey Dave, I'm not sure what you consider a "bench" gun, but I will tell you a bit about what I use for my "bench" gun. Back in the late 1960s, my father and I both wanted new rifles for bench shooting. Someone was selling Mark X actions and different Douglas barrels at the time for a pretty good price so we each ordered a Mark X action with heavy 28 inch Douglas target barrels. I bought a 30-06, and my dad bought his in a .257 Roberts. We both argued about our choices in calibers: "You already have a 30-06..." and "Who would want a .257 Roberts?" And our arguing went on the whole time we made our own walnut stocks for the rifles. We made both stocks with wood we had cut and aged from the same walnut tree. While we differed in our choice of calibers, we both used the same basic pistol grip and cheek piece design that we used for hunting rifles, but our beaver tail fore stocks were really quite big and heavy. We made them for bench shooting rather than carrying in the woods. I was bluing guns at the time, so I polished and blued them after the stocks were finished and the barrels free floated. We worked toward the goal of making our ammunition produce the smallest five round spead that we could make. When we finally had our ammo tuned to our rifles, we had our competition. There I was barely 20 years of age with eyes that would never be as good as they were then, and my father was thirty years older than I. How could some 50+ year old man out shoot me? We spend the day shooting about 100 rounds each, and I had a few targets where my five rounds were smaller than his, but at the end of the day it was quite clear my father with his 50 year old eyes was clearly a better shooter than I. As the years went by and we continued our bench shooting, his eyes started to fail a bit. I received no edge out of that fact, however, because my eyes also began to fail, and mine failed faster than his. When he was 80 or 81 years of age, he could still shoot better than I for about twenty rounds. After about twenty rounds he could not take the recoil any longer, and we stopped at that point with my father still the better shooter. I never had any children who were interested in shooting, so when my father died nearly 20 years ago, our two "bench" rifles sort of went into semi-retirement. I gave his rifle to my nephew, and I still take mine out a couple times a year by myself, but it is not the same as shooting with your father. And for all the times my father out shot me, I was never unhappy. I was simply amazed that he was so good. Best wishes, Dave Wile

February 13, 2010, 11:55 AM	#3
crimsondave Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2009 Location: North Augusta, SC Posts: 490	I'd say those would certainly qualify as bench guns in my book and you used standard calibers. I was just wondering how many people used standard calibers (ie 308, 30-06, 257, 223) compared to the Bench specific calibers (i.e. 6 BR, 22 BR, 6 PPC) for their bench guns.

February 13, 2010, 09:55 PM	#5
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	Dave-great story. Get the nephew to keep on shooting Dads rifle. Dont let him set home and sure as hexx dont let him sell the rifle.