Bench rest
| Highest governing body | World Benchrest Shooting Federation (WBSF) |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No |
| Equipment | Rifle |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | No |
| World Championships | Yes |
| Paralympic | No |
Benchrest shooting is a shooting sport in which very accurate and precise rifles are shot at paper targets. The rifles ride on a front and rear rest, the rests may or may not be joined, depending on the rules of a particular competition. The rests sit on a table or bench, hence the name "benchrest." The shooter simply sits at the bench, in distinction to other shooting disciplines, where the shooter holds and aims the rifle without the benefit of a rest. The post-Civil War era "double rest" rifles were one early form of "benchrest" rifles.
Benchrest shooters are notoriously detail-oriented and constantly trying to further the accuracy potential of the rifle through experimentation. Nearly all benchrest rifles are custom made and many shooters do their own gunsmithing. Nearly all shooters in centerfire competition handload their ammunition in order to tune it to their rifle. In contrast, handloading ammunition is strictly prohibited by the rules for rimfire benchrest competitions.
World Benchrest Shooting Federation, World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation and International Benchrest Shooters are three international governing bodies for benchrest shooting.
The bench rests may also provide a stable platform for sighting in less specialized firearms.
There are two major types of competition. The goal of the original benchrest shooting was to shoot 5 or 10 bullets into the smallest group possible (all in one hole). Winning placement in competition is determined by how well each competitor achieves this goal or in other words, how closely the shots are grouped. This is termed "Group Shooting".
The other is a more recent development, "Score Shooting". The difference is that the traditional bulls eye type target is used, with scoring rings are used. Winning placement is determined by each shooter's score results. This is termed "Score Shooting".
However, in 550 and 910 metres (600 and 1,000 yd) competitions (IBS, NBRSA, and The Original Pennsylvania 1,000 Yard Benchrest Club), the competitor's target is scored for both group size and score. A competitor may only win in one category. If, for example a single competitor has the smallest group and highest score, they will be awarded only a win for the smallest group, the next highest score will be awarded the score win.
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