I’ve been thinking for quite sometime now, how we can modernise benchrest score, adding air rifle into the sport also making a challenging event of adding 100m/yd IRB style target, these are my ideas below. Please feel free to comment, your thoughts, or what you like to see.

Modern Benchrest Score
(Changes for the future of sport)

Firearm Classes
Air Class:
- Heavy Air (Unlimited Scope and unlimited energy, tank tethering allowed)
- Light Air (25m match only, unlimited scope & max 12lb energy)

Rimfire Class:
- Heavy Rimfire (Scope Unlimited) (3” max stock width)
- Light Rimfire (Scope 6.5x max magnification) (2.25” max stock width)

Centerfire Class:
- Light Varmint - max calibre 6mm (.243) Scope unlimited, 3inch max stock width
- Heavy Varmint - max calibre 7.62mm (.30) Scope unlimited, 3inch max stock width

Targets:

Air & Rimfire:
25 scoring roundels
- 100yd/100m (New designed target, each roundel 5 rings & double the dimension of 50m target)
- 50m (Current IRB target)
- 25m (Use current IRB target)

Centrefire:
5 scoring roundels
- 100yd current target
- 200yd current target

National & State Championship
4 day event (1 day per firearm class) plus 2 practice days.

Air rifle and Rimfire:
4 targets a day. Single target total of 250.25 & 4 target total of 1000.100

Centrefire:
10 targets a day 5 at each distance. Single target total 50.5, yardage total 250.25 and class total 500.50

National & State Championships event schedule
Air/Rimfire
Day 1 - 25m Light Air rifle
Day 2 - 50m Heavy Air rifle
Day 3 - 50m Light Rimfire
Day 4 - 50m Heavy Rimfire

Extreme Air/Rimfire & Centrefire
Day 1 - 100yd Heavy Air
Day 2 - 100yd Heavy Rimfire
Day 3 - 100yd/200yd Light Centrefire
Day 4 - 100yd/200yd Heavy Centrefire

Awards & Patches
SSAA Medals:
- Single target Highest Score medal
- 4 target total score (1st, 2nd, 3rd place medal)
- Centrefire 1st, 2nd, 3rd medal for each yd and combined total.

Multigun SSAA Medals: (1st, 2nd & 3rd)
- 2 Gun Rimfire
- 2 Gun AirRifle
- 4 Gun Air & Rimfire (25m/50m)
- 2 Gun Extreme Air/Rimfire
- 2 Gun Centrefire
- 4 Gun Extreme Air/Rimfire & Centrefire

National Shields:
- Air rifle master shield (3 class total winner)
- Rimfire master shield (3 class total winner)
- Centerfire master shield (2 class total winner)
- Grand Benchrest Score Master (8 class total winner)

National/State Patches:
- Top 10 in each class event (Air/Rimfire)
- Top 10 in combined total of 100yd/200yd total score
- Top 10 in each multi gun class

National/State Speciality Patches:
Air & Rimfire class
- 250 score patch (One 250 target total), called 1/4 tonne patch
- 500 score patch (Two 250 target total), called 1/2 tonne patch
- 750 score patch (Three 250 target total), called 3/4 tonne patch
- 1000 score patch (Four 250 target target total) called 1 tonne patch

Centrefire class
- 250 score patch (single distance total), called 1/4 tone patch
- 500 score patch (dual distance total), called 1/2 tonne patch
- 1000 score patch (dual class & distance total) 1 tonne patch

Zone/Club level development for benchrest
Targets:
Use current 100yd/200yd score targets using existing rules.

Rifle classes:
Rimfire:
- Any production rimfire rifle chambered .22lr
Centrefire:
- Light Production Rifle - .223rem or .243win chambered rifles
- Heavy Production Rifle - any calibre not exceeding .30cal bullet size.

Note:
All rifles to be in factory configuration from manufacturer. Rifles must be fired off a front bipod and a pliable rear bag. Max scope power of 25x magnification, triggers can adjusted lighter. No muzzle breaks or barrel tuners allowed.

Any rifle that has an aftermarket trigger or barrel will be considered in Production class open.

I know some people might not have access to posting on forum I’m happy to receive responses via email.

tyrone.thompson@bigpond.com