Some Benchrest Remembrances

[Hunter]

In the past, my long-time hunting and shooting buddy and I occasionally went to various state-controlled, rifle ranges (WMA range) to shoot our deer and/or varmint rifles at paper targets approximately 100 yds. downrange. (Getting a three-shot group under an inch was a noteworthy accomplishment.) A few days prior to one of those trips, I saw on the internet that the Elbert County Gun Club (Gun Club) was having something called a “benchrest match” the same day we planned to shoot at a WMA range. The Gun Club was not too far from the WMA range to which we were going so we decided we’d drive over to the Gun Club after shooting at the WMA range, just to see what a benchrest match was all about.

I don’t remember how many shooters were at the match (maybe a dozen or so); as I recall, they were shooting score (probably at 100 or 200 yards). My buddy and I were both VERY impressed with the rifles (several of which were custom benchrest rifles), the high-power scopes, and the scores that were being shot. It didn’t take us long to realize those guys and their equipment were WAY beyond us and our equipment.

Less than two months later, the two of us went back to the Gun Club and shot (in factory class) our first benchrest match -- a score match at 300 yds. Our scores were not good, but I got a good lesson in parallax that day. That was the beginning of benchrest for me; it’s been fun.

I'll share other benchrest remembrances later; however, in the meantime feel free to share your own such remembrances.

 

[Hunter]

Over the 14 months following my first benchrest match at Elberton my shooting buddy and I shot several more matches there, then we discovered the monthly club matches at River Bend. We shot in factory class at River Bend for a few years and enjoyed the competition with a few other factory-class shooters. During that time period I met Steve, a River Bend member who shot in the custom class, and we became friends. One of the many things I learned about him was that he had been a Top Gun pilot in the Navy.

Two or three years after I met Steve, the Big C arrived in his life. He had spent much of his youth in Texas and wanted to move back there to die. I bought some of his shooting stuff (including his benchrest rifle and a factory rifle) and helped him pack for the move. One of the nick-nacks he gave me during the packing-up process was a small , chipped dish (for kitchen use); my wife and I think of Steve most every time we pick up that dish — which is frequently.

A couple of months after he moved, I learned that he was getting near the end; I drove out to the Dallas area to see him. I got there the day before he died and got to visit with him; he may have known that I was there. The next day, one of his friends and I were sitting in Steve’s living room (Steve was in bed in the next room) and I noticed some notes from a Bible study in which he had been involved. Shortly thereafter, he died — it was Dec. 7th. That seems like a fitting day for a Top Gun to fly away.

I think about Steve frequently, including most every time I shoot one of the rifles I got from him.

 

[Hunter]

My First Exposure to a Registered Group Match — My shooting buddy and I had been shooting (in factory class) the club matches at River Bend for over a year when we heard about an upcoming two-day, registered group match at that club; we decided to go watch the first day.

There were 25 shooters there (most of whom were from out of state), including some HOF guys, a Super Shoot winner, a well-known maker of very nice stocks, and a shooter from as far away as IL. Some of them drove VERY expensive-looking motor homes or pulled very expensive-looking travel trailers. Some of those guys' performances and their equipment were WAY beyond anything we’d seen in the benchrest world; we were impressed.

 

[Hunter]

My First Experience as a Shooter at a Registered Group Match — The year after the above-described match, my shooting buddy and I signed-up to shoot, along with 30 other shooters, including: (1) a HOF and World Team shooter; (2) a Super Shoot winner; (3) a well-known former gun writer; (4) a well-known maker of very nice stocks; (5) some well-known bullet makers; and (6) a shooter from as far away as IN. As in the previous year, some of them drove VERY expensive-looking motor homes or pulled very expensive-looking travel trailers.

There was not a factory class; however, that did not stop me from shooting my factory rifle — off of my bean bags. Two of the highlights of the weekend were: (a) my wife went with me the second day; and (b) I lost the race for last place. I enjoyed it.

 

[Hunter]

My First Shamrock Shoot — The year after the match described immediately above, I decided to go to the Shamrock Shoot. I was excited about the trip, and my wife agreed to go also. When we got to Dublin we went into town to a gun store to pick up some primers for my son. I told one the employees there that I was going to the Shamrock Shoot; he had never heard of it! I was surprised that such a “big” shooting event was not on the radar screen of the gun store folks.

We stayed in a motel near the interstate. One of our most enjoyable and memorable experiences of the weekend was meeting and visiting with Manny Garcia and Clarence Hammonds in the motel’s breakfast area the first morning; what a pleasure that was. I haven’t had contact with Clarence since then; however, I saw Manny a few times at other shoots, and he always acted as though he knew me — he was a real a gentleman.

At the range, I saw/met a lot of other shooters for the first time, some of whom were big-name shooters, some of whom I had never heard of before; and some of whom drove VERY expensive-looking motor homes or pulled very expensive-looking travel trailers. Again, I shot my factory rifle — off of my bean bags, and again lost the race for last place. I enjoyed it.

 

[Hunter]

My First Super Shoot — The year after the above-described Shamrock Shoot, I decided to go to the Super Shoot. I was excited about the trip, and my wife agreed to go also. My plan was to shoot the first two days and leave, unless I was in the upper part of the results list after those two days. We left home mid-afternoon and spent the night near Cincinnati; I told a guy who I saw in the motel there (who, as I recall, had some interest in shooting) that we were going to the Super Shoot — he was clueless.

We got to Orrville mid-afternoon the next day (the day before the shoot started); we unloaded our stuff at a motel in Orrville and headed to Kelbly’s to see what was happening. I had trouble locating the range and stopped at a fire station to ask directions — the guy there was clueless also.

Some of my most memorable experiences of that Super Shoot were:

1. seeing the expansive firing line, the loading barn, the camping area and the VERY expensive-looking motor homes and travel trailers, and the vendor area outside the loading barn;
2. meeting Jim Kelbly (what a pleasant guy, and he always acted as though he remembered me whenever I spoke with him afterwards) and Joe Maisto (with whom I enjoyed a friendship for a few years);
3. going to the Smucker’s Store in Orrville and seeing a large, framed picture of a Coke bottle — with a caption that said, “Smucker’s is to Orrville What Coke is to Atlanta”;
4. meeting some more big names in the game, including Walt Berger, Tony Boyer, Lester Bruno (who had made one of the guns I was shooting), and Dwight Scott;
5. having a trigger problem on one of the day-two targets and being able to put only one shot downrange. When the targets were posted on the wailing wall I noticed Faye Boyer looking at that target (it had a very tiny hole in it); I walked over to her and she said, in jest, something to the effect of, “I bet a lot of shooters were studying that target through their spotting scopes.” That tiny hole didn’t fool George, Jr. — he scored it a “4”;
6. After another occurrence of the trigger problem, Dave Holmes gave me enough rounds to shoot the final target of the day with my other gun — and I shot the smallest group that I shot at the Super Shoot those two days (it ranked # 8 on that match); and
7. Reliving the memories on the drive home.