[Alaska Mike]

Mike,

If you can afford it go with a front rest, with a windage adjustment. That alone has really helped me in my consistency. I have a bald eagle front rest with a windage top. I started out with a #1 front bag. Worked fine except with the narrow stock fore end the gun was always rotating slightly. I just switched over to a #3 front bag which has a 3" spacing between the ears. I use a Hart accuracy assist plate that attaches to the stock through the old front sling stud hole. That way I can use the same front bag for a wider target stock or the narrow sporter stock on the cz. The hart plate is 3" wide so sits flat on the front bag. Now I can pull the trigger and slide the gun back forward and it is never canted and pretty much will go right back to being on target. For shooting groups this is outstanding.

If you like to shoot usbr targets the adjustable windage top is so nice. That way you just turn the adjustment over to the next target ring. No need to bump the rear bag around. You can get on target very fast and have more time to concentrate on your shot and the wind flags.

For the rear bag I went with the protector leather bunny ear bag with a donut bag under it. The donut bag is a pain to fill, but takes all the rock and rolling of the rear bag out. If you fill the rear bag full it will round out the bottom of the bag. Which won't make any difference with a donut bag as it will contact the bag only on the perimeter and raise the rear bag up around 3/4".

Just made some home made wind flags and they really helped my score the first time out. It was pretty gusty winds and I still beat my average on every target. I think I am a firm believer in wind flags now.

With a good solid front rest and rear bag you will be much more consistent and steady. Then you can experiment around with different grip pressure techniques.


Oh well, just a start. These are some of the main things I have learned so far. I got most of my starting information from a local competive shooter who owns a custom gun shop and has been very good with giving out advice and suggestions.

Have fun shooting.

 

[147]

The big thing is being consistent with your technique. I'm no expert with my benchrest technique, mainly just lucky to have a range that is fairly protected from the wind. I found that my Special shoots best with the rest either under the barrel lug or just behind it. It also doesn't do well with the rear bag so I have been just using the front rest. My gun seems to like a firm trigger hand and a bit of shoulder also. I glued a level to the front sight which has been working wonders with my consistency. With the round fore stock it will rotate in the bags easily and the level helps a lot.

Another aspect that works for all disciplines is to establish your natural point of aim. That includes setting up the rest, the bench and your position. Get your breathing technique down and learn to shoot when all the factors are right.

I need to get some windflags together to help on the days when the wind is not consistent. Right now I have no clue what the wind is doing to the bullets. Alaska Mike, what sort of flags are you using?

 

[Alaska Mike]

Brookie

I built mine from scratch. I haven't taken any pictures of them yet will try to do it tonite. They seem to work very well, very sensitive. Unless I just got lucky, I did extremely well the first time out with them. The wind was very gusty and was constantly changing. At least with the flags you can find out what it doing to your bullet in that type of condition. I will try and post some pictures of them tonite.

 

[Sailor]

Alaska Mike: I would like to see those wind flags also. The effect of the wind is still a big unknown to me.

Brookie: Do you not use any kind of support in the rear, only your shoulder? I tried that and shot pretty well, but thought it was supposed to work better with bags.

Thanks for the tips.

One more question, and this will really show my newness to benchrest shooting. What exactedly is an adjustable windage top? Thanks

 

[Tn. Hillbilly]

Sailor,
To add to the other guys' posts, I recently put my American in a Don Stith sporter stock. It has a 2 1/4" fore-end and works really well in a Protektor #2 bag. I use a Protektor heavy bottom rear bag with rabbit ears. There's a picture posted in this forum somewhere down the threads.

My rifle likes a firm hold with a fair amount of shoulder pressure or it will string shots vertically. I'm using a Sightron 36x scope and think you will be well served if you go with the T-36(great scope). I need all the help I can get in seeing those little bulls.

The adjustable top allows you to move the rifle to the left or right without re-positioning the rear bag. As everyone else has said, it is a good investment.

The right ammo will also make a big difference in your scores.

Gary

 

[147]

A rest with an " adjustable windage top" has a screw that moves the top left or right without having to move the rest. A great aid in shooting a row without having to set up from scratch after each shot.

As far as not using a rear bag goes, I just found that the gun seemed to work better without it. My best 50 yard score - 233- came when I first tried the firm trigger hand.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Here is a picture of my homemade wind flags. I just used stuff that I had around the shop. I had to go to lowe's hardware to get some misc. stuff.

 

[Alaska Mike]

wind flag parts

Here is a picture of the parts disassembled.

The base is made out of 1" square tube, plywood, short 2x4, piece of electrical conduit 6" long.

For the vertical I wanted it adjustable for height so I went with a 2' piece of 1/2" od tubing with some duct tape wraps to get a nice fit inside the electrical conduit. The orange fiberglass wand is a driveway marker I bought at lowe's hardware, also 2' long. I put two rubber washers on it that fit tightly and act as a friction stop slide.

On the top of the vertical fiberglass wand I drilled and tapped a 6-32 piece of all thread around 1 1/2" long, with 3/4" of it sticking out. I then put on a 6-32 nylon nut with a nylon flat washer. I capped the whole thing with a 6-32 nylon cap nut.

For the horizontal I used another piece of the fiberglass wand 11 1/2" overall in length with a 2 1/2" slot for the foam board flag. The flag is made out of foam board that I got at a arts and craft store, 12" long, 7" tapering down to 2 1/2". I hot glued the foam board to the fiberglass shaft with the slot. I then drilled a hole in the fiberglass wand for a nylon sleeve with a built in washer on one end, 1" from the 2 1/2" end of the foam. That way I have nylon pivoting on nylon which works very smooth with little resistance.

I used a 1 1/4" wooden dowel for my counterweight. I drilled a hole lengthwise through the dowel for the fiberglass wand. I then bought a eye screw and blunted the end and am using that as a set screw.

I used a 28" piece of flagging tape with a paper clip attaching it to the foam board.

I made a small box lined with cutout foam to carry it all together as a unit except for the bases which I just put in the back of the truck. They are very quick to put together and are adjustable in height from 2' to about 3'-6". I lay the assembled flag on it's side off the end of a shooting table and balance it with the dowel counterweight. That way it pivots with just a small breath on it.

Most of the above dimensions I stole from various wind flag manufactures. The proportions seem to work out great as they are very sensitive. I set one out about 10' from the bench, one around 25 yards and the third one a little before or after the target depending on which way the wind is blowing.

Hope I didn't go into to much detail and drag this post out for you.

 

[Kent Owens]

Mike,
Great job on the flags! Now I need to build me some too Reading the wind is the toughest thing at 50 yards. Most people will not believe how much it will effect a .22 bullet at 50 yards--but it does, as does head winds, and tail winds. It makes it fun --when you read it right and hold for it, it's gratifying to curve one in there now and then.