Olympic Air Rifle Benchrest?

[TWebster]

All they heavy hitters out there that make Olympic air rifles offer a benchrest model based on one of their air rifle actions with match sights and a benchrest stock - like the Anschutz 8002 S2 Benchrest.

My question is, is there an ISSF sanctioned BR match for 10 meter guns? And if so, how do I find the rules, targets, etc? Or, are these companies offering BR match air rifles just to change up their line a little bit?

Thanks in advance.

[David Levene]

My question is, is there an ISSF sanctioned BR match for 10 meter guns?

Simple answer, no.

There are however several other organisations with sets of rules such as:-

http://www.wrabf.com/rules/WRABF%20&%20 ... 202021.pdf
http://usbr.benchrest.net/rules.htm
http://www.usairriflebenchrest.com/rules/

I'm sure that a deeper Google search will find more.

[BigAl]

having shot WRABF BR most of the 10m guns are not a good match for those rules, nor any of the other more usual US based BR events. Most of these events will also be shot using telescopic sights, and using higher powered guns, at around the 16J/12FPE level, with 4.5mm rifles running at 770-790 fps with an 8.4 grain dome head pellet. FT guns seem to be the most popular source for BR builds, rather than the 10m rifles. When I was shooting WRABF rules BR in the UK the Air Arms S400 series rifles were the most successful rifles, consistently outshooting any of the 10m guns. But you have to remember that these competitions are normally shot at 25 yd/m, and for internationals they are usually shot outside.

What these rifles actually seem to be aimed at is a Veterans (over 55 I think) 10m air rifle match, that is still shot in the standing position, or seated on a high stall, but with the front of the rifle supported on a rest, to reduce the weight that the shooter has to lift. The rests seem to be very similar to those used for loading in the standing position. The only real difference in the stock seems to be an extended forend. I have also seen rewards extension of the sight rails to allow a squarer than normal position. I think the Germans refer to these as rested matches, but it seems as if they add bench to the translation to english.

Alan

[Andre]

For instance, the Mac I USFT regulated bottle gun would be a good benchrest air rifle.

[Lstratos]

There are only a few different parts between STEYR CHALLENGE and STEYR CHALLENGE BENCH REST. The conversion kit allows an inexpensive conversion from STEYR CHALLENGE to STEYR CHALLENGE BENCH REST or vice versa.

Moderator note: The user has been removed (as a spammer) but this post, which was a cut & paste from the Steyr web site, has been retained as it might be of interest to others.

[JSBmatch]

The German Bundesleague sorry about the spelling run a very successful veterans class for bench rest air rifle, although its not quite bench rest, the shooter stands up but as a previous post said the barrel is rested on a sort of tripod, I tried it but could not stop muzzle saw from side to side, not as easy as you think.

[TWebster]

I do shoot WRABF Benchrest with a 16j field target rifle, and know that these 10m match rifles would never be able to compete with a 16j or higher power rifle with a 36x scope at 25 meters.

I guess that is why I was asking why Anschutz, FWB, Steyr, etc... all offer their match rifles with bench rest stocks and match sights? I thought that maybe there was some international sanctioned bench match using a 7j rifle with match sights instead of telescopic sights that I was unaware of... Guess not!

I wouldn't think that it would make much business sense to offer a BR rifle that is in no way competitive in BR sanctioned matches! Even if you scoped one of these rifles with a bench rest quality scope, the power would be way too low to produce good results at the distances shot during a typical BR match. But, I guess there are enough people out there that want that configuration for there to be some market for them.

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it!

[BigAl]

I do shoot WRABF Benchrest with a 16j field target rifle, and know that these 10m match rifles would never be able to compete with a 16j or higher power rifle with a 36x scope at 25 meters.

I guess that is why I was asking why Anschutz, FWB, Steyr, etc... all offer their match rifles with bench rest stocks and match sights? I thought that maybe there was some international sanctioned bench match using a 7j rifle with match sights instead of telescopic sights that I was unaware of... Guess not!

I wouldn't think that it would make much business sense to offer a BR rifle that is in no way competitive in BR sanctioned matches! Even if you scoped one of these rifles with a bench rest quality scope, the power would be way too low to produce good results at the distances shot during a typical BR match. But, I guess there are enough people out there that want that configuration for there to be some market for them.

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it!

The thing is that in Germany the Bundesliga (which translates I beleive into Team League) is huge, and not just for Football! (our type) Apparently the supporters are even more vocal/noisy than at ISSF world cup finals. Germany is probably the world's largest market for 10m guns, so specialist conversions, which are actually really simple forend extensions, and rewards extensions for the rearsight are a very easy way to sell more guns, they use the standard stock anyway, and keep the older shooters in the game. It's a bit like dealing with the US in reverse, generally the US is such a huge market it is worthwhile building special guns just to suit the market, even if you are unlikely to sell many/any in the rest of the world.

Actually the WRABF AR sporter class is for 6 fpe rifles, so a 10m match rifle could do well, and I believe that the forend radius rule would be OK as it's the standard factory stock, the weight limit would not be an issue in AR, as the rules allow heavy rifles, so that springers are not ruled out, at least that used to be the rules when I was shooting competitively. different weights for PCP/Spring would actually be a good idea for BR. The only fly in the ointment for the aluminium stocks would be that they would possibly fail the provisions for the butt shape/size, and you would have to shoot them out of the shoulder, a "standard" aluminium 10m stock would never ride the back bag in a BR comp. In competitions that do not allow a back bag they would be great.

Alan

[dc.fireman]

It's funny, I was actually watching videos from this young lady yesterday:

https://youtu.be/qHSfuO7EIoI

She's part of this 'Bundesliga' you speak of, and apparently medaled in one of the series.