Do you consider Bench Rest and Bipod Shooters Good shots?

[mr..plow]

Does it take More skill to shoot without a bipod or bench rest?

Does it take more skill to shoot without a Benchrest or Bipod.. Is equal accuracy achceived with and without the rest with minimal training.
Some say Bench and Bipod shooting is a crutch..I have never shot off a bench rest, so i dont know much about them.
So do you consider Bench Rest Shooters good shooters?

 

[BADUNAME13]

Good shots, naturally.

And some of them continue to be good shots in field environments...
Some are not.

 

[bensdad]

Like any other discipline, perfect practice makes perfect. Some have more natural ability than others.

With benchrest, the average joe might perceive him/herself as being closer to good than they really are, due to the nature of the beast (the difference between mediocre and great being only a matter of inches).

Anyone who thinks it looks easy should get out and compete. They may find out that it is, in fact, easy. Then again, maybe not. I'll never be good at it. I lack patience for cooling barrels and documenting loads/conditions. I also love caffeine and nicotine.

 

[CajunBass]

If it was easy, anybody could do it.

You better believe they're good shooters.

 

[dakotasin]

Do you consider Bench Rest and Bipod Shooters Good shots?

yep, i do.

 

[tmajors]

Some say Bench and Bipod shooting is a crutch..

People that call a tool a crutch are usually not any better with or without the "crutch". If that makes sense. Basically they call it a "crutch" to cover up their own lack of skill or ability. I see it in other places besides shooting.

 

[Torque]

It is a tool and I do agree that they are good shots. It just the same as using prone, kneel, and other shots that are made with the help of trees and large rocks or whatever for anchors. shuusshhh. What kind of silly question even is this?

 

[mnrivrat]

They certainly can be .

A good benchrest shooter may be a lousy wing shot with a shotgun , or have trouble hitting a barn on the move with open sights on a rifle, but that can work all sorts of ways.

 

[rangerruck]

considering a dude just shot a 2.6 inch 1000 yds group, with a 7mmwsm, I would have to say the guy can flat out shoot.

 

[swingset]

Here's the thing. Does using a rest or a bipod make a bad shooter better? Yes.

Do you think that a bad or even mediocre shooter can sit down next to a world-class benchrester, using similar equipment, and hang with his skill for even a second?

Not on your life.

That goes with everything else where competition lies - from benchrest to NASCAR. Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you can do it better than the guys at the top of the game. It's easy to do, very hard to do well (or perfect).

 

[Torque]

Shoot at some Snipes. Or even Quail. That will make you a good shot! Even with the gauge!

 

[Rabid Rabbit]

I don't think mr..plow is talking about benchrest sport shooters. I think he is talking about Joe Blow shooter going down to the range and always shooting off the bench. No I don't think those guys are good shots but its hard to tell unless they get off their bench and I rarely see anybody shoot unsupported on my range. I'm the opposite unless I'm working on a load or doing something where I should be supported like sighting in a new scope or rifle I shoot unsupported.

 

[Owens]

Rest versus no rest...

If we are talking about the average Joe Shooter, a rest can serve a purpose. Testing, scope zero, etc. Also it can help build a little confidence in certain aspects of shooting such as grip and trigger control. Just don't neglect the need for offhand practice, once a known accurate combination is found. Simply put, a rest eleminates variables and lets your concentration be focused on other things at the time.
As a sport, such as benchrest, it is another world. Tweaking of variables in a load that most of us may never consider as a variable. I have done some of this and it is a very flustering and rewarding activity. EXTREME accuracy is possible. A good benchrester can shoot groups that measure in the .100" range and less (5 rounds). Shooting at this level will show what just a breeze can do to a shot. A good source for info on this aspect of the shooting sports is benchrest.com/forums/
Personally, my main activity is accuracy testing and ballistics. Benchrest is a perfect vehicle for my interest.
Just my thoughts.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Shooting while sitting (bench resting) is just another way to help the shooter shoot more accurately.
Of course they are (can be) good shots.

I shoot a fair amount, one hand, weak hand, weak eye and shoot almost as well left handed as when shooting right handed.
I'm old school (1960's) when only sissies used two hands to shoot handguns.

So I could ask the same question.
Do you consider shooters that use two hands to shoot are good shots?

Of course they are.

 

[DMK]

When shooting from a bench, you still need to have good trigger control, follow through, breathing control, sight picture, finding the natural point of aim. These are required from any position

When shooting from a position, such as prone or sitting, you will still have a fairly stable rest if you are doing it properly and using your bones for support, especially with good sling technique. I have not found any difference in my accuracy between shooting a rifle from a bench rest or shooting prone with a sling. Maybe I'm just not good enough at the above factors to see the difference.

When shooting off hand, standing or kneeling, there is quite a bit more challenge as you have to add muscle control and balance.

 

[JWarren]

I dont' think the bipod or bench has anything to do with being a good shooter. It doesn't make one a good shooter or a bad one-- it is a tool, as has been stated.

Now, I can say to a person that shoots a 1/2 MOA group from a bench "Hey, nice shooting" or "That was a nice shot." I wouldn't be able to say he is a good "shooter," however.

How does he do without the bench or bipod? If he shoots decently in those conditions and others, as well-- sure, he is a good shooter. I'd look for a consistency of shooting over essentially any condition he may be faced with before I consider someone a good shooter. Otherwise, it is a good shot.

It sounds nitpicky, but I'm not trying to be. Frankly, I couldn't care less on the issue. I am justing thinking about how the people I've grown up with has always viewed it.

It you have to shoot something, and you take the shot in whatever situation you find yourself in-- and it hits where you need it to, you're probably a good shooter.

If it requires you to find a bench, a lead sled, appropriate sand bags, a spotting scope, and such to hit that same target, I would be less inclined to call you a good "shooter."

I guess what I am saying is versitility with the rifle. Sure, I bench shoot when I want a percision shoot. I bench when I am sighting in. Its accepted that you SHOULD be a better shot when you have all the proper support and advantages. I'd definately know that you are a BAD shooter if you didn't do better.


Now, of course I understand that there are competition shooters who ONLY bench shoot rifles. I'd judge them according to their sport. However, I consider versatility as a component to being a "good" shooter. If they are an excellent bench shooter and a decent versatile shooter, I'd say they were a good shooter. If they couldn't hit the side of a barn without the bench, maybe not.

But then, I look to the practical as my guage of measurement.


This isn't an attack on bench shooters or people who shoot from a bench exclusively. Its just the way I see it. And its something that probably doesn't matter anyway-- unless someone has a NEED that I see it otherwise.



-- John

 

[taliv]

it takes more skill to shoot without a bench rest or bipod.
with minimal training, far more accuracy can be had with a benchrest.

keep in mind there's more to shooting than lining up the crosshairs. you have to contend with wind, know your dope for different ranges, control your breathing and in benchrest, get rid of your pulse, just for starters.

 

[Jim Watson]

I see two categories. One is like Rabid Rabbit describes, they really aren't very good shots so they are going to hug the benches so they can do anything at all.
The others are good to excellent shots who take every available advantage. Maybe they shoot serious benchrest because they want to challenge their ammo loading and condition reading skills. I shoot F-class; NRA Long Range with scope and bipod allowed because I do not want to crawl back into coat sling and glove at my age. NRA thinks it helps, they cut the size of the target in half.

 

[ar10]

When I had my CCW class I came in with my 1 day old nib XD 40 4" the instructor asked if he could shoot it, He mentioned earlier about adjusting sights on new guns. At 25' using the small 50' target he put all 12 rnds dead center, One was just a little low because the target kept bouncing up and down. It pretty much proved to me I didn't need benches or sandbag rests to shoot accurately.

 

[Rem700SD]

The best rifle shot I know uses a bipod/rest. You can't expect to make descent 1000M + shots without one. I would also never bet against this guy without a rest either.

 

[Jim Watson]

That would be news to the Palma and other Long Range shooters of my acquaintance. Of course they are only shooting 1000 yards, the USA not having metricated yet.

 

[Im283]

I can only speak for myself.

If I am shooting my scoped rifle off a bench using a bipod I can shoot better than if I shoot the same rifle offhand.

I am not a fan of bench shooting because of this. I only do it to verify my cheapo scope is still lined up. I am not much of a fan of shooting scoped rounds anyway, much more fun and challenging to shoot off hand using the iron sights.

When I want a real challenge I pull out the old Model 60 that shoots 4 inches left at 100 yards using the iron sights. I find it a major miracle to even hit the target using that thing. But when I do make a few shots with it I feel good about my ability.

For me anything that makes shooting easier kind of takes the fun out of it.

 

[Wedge]

For a rifleman, I see no issue using a bench.

For a pistol shooter, I see no reason for using a bench. I will never use a handgun from a bench in a field so I see no reason to ever shoot one that way. Long range handgun hunting excepted.

 

[ArmedBear]

Bear in mind that real bench rest shooters -- BR competitors, varminters, etc. -- are shooting with absolutely AMAZING accuracy.

The objectives and the tools are different from, say, a Cowboy Action Shooter who is trying to hit a bunch of plates with a lever carbine really fast from a standing position.

Is a bench rest shooter or a CAS shooter a "better shot"? What they're doing is so completely different that there's no comparison.

 

[Baba Louie]

Good shots? Compared to... what? Combat shooting ala Alvin York or Audie Murphy? Hunting with a .30-30 w/ open sights? Shotgunners taking birds on the wing? Camp Perry competition?

The few I've met had been doing some shooting for a while and as my dear old departed Dad used to say, "Those boys can shoot a little". Which was/is about the single highest praise anyone could offer.

It's not JUST the man behind the tool, tho' I'd bet it's about a 70/30 proposition after they've been doing it for a few years. More the man than the tool. But even when hunting, getting a steady rest... good idea when time allows.