Bench shooters, the norm?

O

overland

New member
At my local range, about 95% of the shooters shoot off the bench. Only a select few use other positions to focus on marksmanship. I understand the bench for testing loads, sorting out a new rifle and sighting in, but what's the point after that. Lots of guys show up and fire away off the sandbags exclusively. How common is this where you are?
 
Pretty common.

I got frustrated with this when trying to practice for High Power because my club's 200m range has benches and an HP firing line. The benches are behind the HP firing line. So most of the times I'd try to go practice position shooting I'd find the bench line in use and so couldn't get in any practice.

(Several other obstacles accumulated to kill my participation in High Power.)

My club has several other ranges but I've never seen anyone shoot rifle from them using anything but benched or standing.
 
One of my ranges doesn't even allow standing shooting of a rifle. If you try and move one of their benches to the side to take up a prone or sitting position, they look at you like your crazy.

Field shooting is a lost art around here.
 
I shoot at the privately owned weapons range on an Army post which has a lot of Soldiers shooting. I see standing and kneeling more often than most I'd bet. Before I joined, yes most people shot from the bench at other ranges.

Keep in mind though, most people who shoot, shoot for recreation. Most people aren't concerned that they will ever need to shoot in some kind of position other than from a bench. It's just a fun afternoon away from all the stresses of life.

I would assume the main exception would be hunters. And for them, they are probably the ones that are practicing from other positions... or they are shooting from the bench just to make sure its sighted in and assume they will be able to shoot accurately enough from whatever position they end up in during hunting.

I'm glad there are people who still are interested in being able to shoot from multiple positions, but its perfectly OK for those who just want to shoot recreationally.
 
I was out at my range in the 80,s shooting from the bench with my 300Win Mag at 200yds with my 2x7 Redfield,just keeping it in the black. A couple of our members where on the 80 olympic small bore team but since we boycotted it did not go, but where shooting large bore at 200yd peep sight in the standing position with a palm rest, the scoreing went like this, X,X,10,X,10,10,10,X ect!!!!!!!!!!!
bob
 
Some of the local clubs here say you have to shoot from the bench. Too many dumb (^&%^ want to walk in front of the line and lay or sit cross legged and say I'm safe, go ahead and shoot. So now, all people have to shoot from the bench. NO exceptions. I like to head to the power lines to practice alone. And it gives me a 150 foot tall berm to shoot against with a 500 yard flat before the hill. No side trails or foot paths, just about a perfect place to shoot with 2 or 3 friends at a time.
 
My club allows shooting from prone, sitting and standing as well as off the bench. I also practice with my shooting stick since I tend to use it quite a bit in the field. When practicing for ground squirrel, or p-dogs I practice from the bench with my bipod.
 
There is a high percentage of bench shooters at my club too.
When I got into rifle shooting I didn't understand what position shooting was all about. So I used the bench. When I tried position shooting I found it to be much more satisfying and a lifelong challenge. I suspect many others have never tried positions or if they did found it to be to much work. As long as everyone is safe they are welcome to shoot as they wish. But I think they are missing an interesting part of the sport.
It is also very rewarding when your targets look better then most of the bench shooters.
 
I saw someone shooting from prone for the first time ever in the couple months I have been going to my range. It was really wierd because it was different but noone said a thing. I will probably be doing it as well now sometime soon.
 
Our local public range expects rifle shooters to use a bench, but some of us like to position shoot. Fortunately, we've got a long area to the left of the benches with nothing but bare concrete, so if you want to do position shooting, drop your mat and set up down there.

C0untZer0 said:
What percentage of them are overweight?
Click to expand...
I resemble that remark! And what does my waistline have to do with it anyway?

I recommend that most hunters get away from the bench after they've settled on a rifle/load combination and shoot from real-world positions. I've got a couple of loads to work-up before the next hunting season and a couple of rifles to sight in, but for the majority of my shooting, I'll be down on the "no bench" area.
 
Now that you mention it, at our range, I think most of the non-hunters shoot off the bench 99 % of the time.

I have been doing that a lot over the last few months because I have 6 new rifles in 6 different calibers that I am tuning loads for.

But last weekend, as an example, we had one black powder shooter shooting prone, one pistol shooter shooting in a variety of positions to get ready for a match and three of our members who are leaving for Africa in June were practicing with sticks to make sure they will be comfortable with them when they go on Safari.

Most of the regular pistol shooters were standing. The new shooters were mostly sitting at the benches.

We still had our regular cadre of rifle shooters, especially small bore, shooting from the bench. While that doesn't let them practice field positions I think it might help them get their basic breathing and trigger technique in order and improve their technique enough to allow them to eventually start a variety of positions.

I can see why many more casual recreational shooters shoot at the bench first. Not all of us were weaned on hunting and many of the newer members at our range are really new to shooting. A bench really gives them a chance to build their confidence.

I tend to look at that as a positive rather than as a negative as long as they learn the rules and put safety first. At our range, those that demonstrate that they cannot be safe lose their range privileges.

Most of the new shooters are really anxious to learn and I find that they happily welcome tips from the shooters who are willing to help them instead of criticize. Once you break the ice they tend to seek out advice. Unfortunately, the range officers at our range are too busy to help them much so those of us who are willing to help them can really provide a service.
 
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I used to do a lot of shooting from various positions. Most of my groundhog hunting was done off a rolled up blanket.

I am 69 and you will find, if you live long enough, that the old bench looks pretty darn good as opposed to trying to get back up after shooting prone.

I am just thankful that I have the opportunity to shoot with people of varying ages and abilities. Most shooters where I shoot, use the bench.

Geetarman:D
 
And it ain't just the guys with rifles sitting at benches, either.
Lots of handgun shooters will spend the whole day shooting off a rest.
Guess, when they take to the field, they're gonna' bring a bench along.
Maybe they have caddies.
 
I enjoy shooting from a bench working up loads and checking the scope and rifle before hunting season.I also enjoy and practice various prone shooting positions for real hunting applications,I just can't ever seem to find those shooting benches in whitetail country :D lol jkg.
 
I shoot at two local ranges. At the one with only a 100 yard range, I see a nice mix of bench, standing and occasionally prone. The other club with a 300 yard range 99% of the time guys shoot off benches. I get some really strange looks when I get out my combo mat/case and shoot prone.
 
I go to the range to shoot because they have benches there to use. I can and do practice field shooting elsewhere.
 
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