How do you slow your benchrest rate of fire down?

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Skgreen

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I'm sure some of y'all are thinking, "Buy a BOLT GUN!!!"

Well, that's what I'm shooting now, A 223 Savage 12 w/Criterion 'Varmint' barrel.

I load 1 round at a time. After each 5 shot string, I wipe the case necks down and stick the brass back in the box.

I reload and have a tendency to bring plenty of rounds to the Range.

I tend to load-shoot-load-shoot without stop, and sooner or later, barrel gets a bit hotter than I'd like to see,,, (Hotter than what I'd like to squeeze/hold on to for more than a second or so)

Of course, a 'pencil barrel' (like those on a couple of my ARs) run waaay hotter than that, and perhaps 'it ain't really THAT hot', but why do I seem to keep getting 'fixated' on nothing but load, aim, fire, repeat?

Does anyone have any 'special routine' or methodology to help you SLOW DOWN?

(Was joking with a good friend at the range today about this same thing. Told her I might keep all the ammo in the truck, Take (1) round with me to the Bench, shoot, go back to the truck, grab another round,,,,,)
 
i bring more than 1 rifle. i bring another one to shoot when the barrels get hot. usually a 22 with my savage 12 or m1a or shoot pistol as well to slow down rifle bullet consumption. i only load 4 at a time in the savage and 5 to 6 sometimes 10 in the M1a. never 20. I stop to pick up the brass after each string to slow things down also.
 
223 heats up the barrel a fair bit, especially if you're using a thin barrel (I have a varmint and it gets quite warm!). Try spending a minute between shots. Concentrate on your breathing. Maybe try some dry firing between shots?

I shoot with both eyes open, so sometimes I just sit behind the scope and just concentrate on my breathing etc.
 
Other than load development and sighting in, I really don't do much shooting off a bench.

It seriously bores me to tears and my AADD sets in.

Now I have my on range that goes out to 760yds, so I bang away at steel from positions. Before when I was restricted to a private club, I'd still make it a habit to shoot from positions, often using reduced scale paper silhouette targets. IF you want to slow down your firing, I'd go to the range with a practice plan VS sitting at the bench shooting group after group.
 
After every shot get up and do some pushups. Then go back to the rifle for the next shot.
 
Run a couple patchs down the barrel after each shot first one with CLP, then a dry one ...
 
I tend to think just sit back and breathe a minute... you got all day, don't you? Got binoculars? Spotting scope? Got something to drink? Got paper and pencil... sketch pad, maybe?
 
At what number of successive shots do your groups begin to open?

My single shot gets warm too. I have one hundred and fourty-ish rounds before I must clean. I have shot that many in a trip before, but I tend to bring a hundred. And shoot them all. It doesn't wander with heat.

Human skin is frail. And is a poor indicator of temperature.

The detrimental heat occurs for every shot. Cold, warm or hot barrel. The plasma removes and firechecks the bore's steel. That will always happen.

Of course, no one wants to hold an uncomfortably hot rifle, nor put it away in a plastic, foam or synthetic case.
I have a rack to stand warm rifles. It sits next to the rack of Twenty-twos that I shoot waiting for "The One". They almost never get hot. Almost.:)

Sorry. This was to be advice on how to slow down. I guess I don't.
Bring more guns. Keep shooting.:thumbup:
 
Exactly. Have you ever seen people usually load just Four Rounds...into a 20-rd. AK mag? I switched to Action Pistol ranges, only use handguns + AKs., seldom use a bench unless raining. With such guns, who needs 100 yards?

With Four rds. in a much larger mag, think about (A) how much longer your ammo lasts, and (B) you have less thermal stress inside the bore.
Only a guy/gal craving the need to put a video on YouTube needs to fill an AK mag with ammo-unless you are hunting feral pigs in the US or joined the Peshmerga to hunt feral swine overseas.

Being retired and living just 12 min. from the club motivates me to stretch out ammo, even though I always keep multiple .50 cal. cans full of 7.62x39.
 
Ignition Override said:
Exactly. Have you ever seen people usually load just Four Rounds...into a 20-rd. AK mag? I switched to Action Pistol ranges, only use handguns + AKs., seldom use a bench unless raining. With such guns, who needs 100 yards?

With Four rds. in a much larger mag, think about (A) how much longer your ammo lasts, and (B) you have less thermal stress inside the bore.
Only a guy/gal craving the need to put a video on YouTube needs to fill an AK mag with ammo-unless you are hunting feral pigs in the US or joined the Peshmerga to hunt feral swine overseas.

Being retired and living just 12 min. from the club motivates me to stretch out ammo, even though I always keep multiple .50 cal. cans full of 7.62x39.
Click to expand...

This is how I usually shoot as well. Grab a handful of ammo, shoot it up, grab a handful of ammo, shoot it up...

If you are paying by the hour, you probably want a bunch of loaded magazines ready. But when I shoot, I've got nothing but time. It's a pretty natural way to shoot revolvers, 22s, milsurps, etc, that hold 10 shots or fewer anyway, and I have never found myself wanting high capacity for something like the ARs.

Anyway, my suggestion would be to get a manual-loading 22 of some kind. If you don't have one you like, here's an excuse to buy a new toy. CZ 455s are nice if you've got the money, maybe a Mossberg 802 if you don't, maybe even a Henry lever action if you want something different - whatever floats your boat. Shoot a handful of ammo through it then go back to your Savage for another shot.

On a side note, if anyone really wants to slow down and reduce their ammo bill, get a single action 22 like a Single Six or Heritage Rough Rider. Even a $4 box of 22s starts lasting quite a while.
 
Last edited:
Simply stretch your handgun shooting costs by mostly using a .22, instead of just .380, 9mm etc.
Bought the M&P and Ruger Mark IV Standard last winter-my first .22 handguns (age 63).

Mosin Bubba: We pay a Very high entrance cost at MSSA (applicants must be approved by mgmt.), but then pay dues per year.
 
Set your mind for precision and not the rush of volume. Enjoy the sky, the scenery, the time. Make the time between shots as enjoyable as the shooting - slow it down in your mind - relax - what is the hurry? The fun is not the shooting, the fun is the mindset of shooting.
 
Ignition Override said:
Simply stretch your handgun shooting costs by mostly using a .22, instead of just .380, 9mm etc.
Bought the M&P and Ruger Mark IV Standard last winter-my first .22 handguns (age 63).
Click to expand...
This is what I did. I just brought a .22 handgun to the range, put out a plinker target or two, and allowed myself to get distracted with those for a few minutes.
 
Or, you switch to shotguns and start shooting FITASC, ZZ Birds, or live box pigeons - the latter two races of 20 or 30 targets can take all day depending on the number of contestants.....:thumbup:
 
I am with the bring another gun crowd. Generally I take at least 3 to the range minimum. But I am weary of taking so much. As soon as I lay my hands on another bolt gun I will bring 2 for just bolt gun days.
 
As jmorris showed, benchrest and target shooters will fire rapidly to get their shots off under the same wind condition. That IS hard on their barrels but it is a price you pay for a good score.

I am in the "take two rifles" crowd. A rifle in a vertical rack with the bolt open will cool down pretty well.

P.S. I was watching that video and did not realize the beeping was onscreen. It didn't sound JUST like the burglar alarm but I was reaching for a pistol anyhow.
 
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