Some Info on Bench Guns?

Where can I read up on bench guns? Specifically, light bench guns weighing under 14lbs.

Thanks

You mean like this? This is a tad on the heavy side.

Lucky,
That looks like it might be a Mitchell sitting on top - with his mounts.

Regards,
Pletch

What caliber is that, Lucky?

Probably not. Bench guns don't have scopes. That is, more likely, a slug gun.
To answer the original question. Shooting and Winning with the Champions has good sections on bench shooting. It is available from the NMLRA. The NMLRA magazine periodically has articles on every subject, including bench shooting.
Or, you can just ask specific questions here.
Wadda ye want to know?

Should there be a picture here? Am I missing something? :idunno:

I think they took it off. I don't think I should
have posted it here. I forgot. My mistake sorry.

Round ball bench guns DO have scopes. It all depends what agg. you are shooting in. Here's what
a good round ball gun can do. This with AMS sights

Rifleman1776 said:

Or, you can just ask specific questions here.
Wadda ye want to know?

Click to expand...

I wanna know about a beginners light bench gun.

What caliber is generally used?

Can I get a bench gun for shooting round balls or am I going to be shooting conicals?

Where would a guy get a barrel and stock for a light bench gun?

What kind of locks do people use or this personal preference and just about anything will work if it's of decent quality?

I'm just interested in bench shooting and I'd like to know where a guy can start out finding a light gun. Why light? Because our club has limited bench shooting to light versions only, due to neighbors in the vicinity.

Do they limit caliber as well and is that what they mean by light?

I would think a well tuned lock should do the trick one with all the fricition lessening gimics.

ChrisHarris said:

I wanna know about a beginners light bench gun.

What caliber is generally used?

Can I get a bench gun for shooting round balls or am I going to be shooting conicals?

Where would a guy get a barrel and stock for a light bench gun?

What kind of locks do people use or this personal preference and just about anything will work if it's of decent quality?

I'm just interested in bench shooting and I'd like to know where a guy can start out finding a light gun. Why light? Because our club has limited bench shooting to light versions only, due to neighbors in the vicinity.

Click to expand...

Chris,
The answers here are based on NMLRA competitors I have seen. The type of lock used isn't limited by rules. However many are underhammer. The barrels are as thick as the weight limit of 14 lbs allows. Caliber is limited only by weight also, with .45 and .50 being common. Rice Barrels started producing barrels that would be good here. There are just a handful of men making heavy bench barrels - they could make light bench barrels and probably do.

Classes at Friendship are for bullet matches (called slug guns with no weight limit) or round ball matches (which are round ball only). Bullet guns and round ball guns do not compete against each other. The light round ball bench also fit the cross sticks class, which also has a 14 lb weight limit. If you wanted to compete in both bullet and ball matches, you would probably need to switch barrels. The rifling twist would be quite different.

There is obviously no lower weight limit on light bench. My friend shoots a 13.5 lb off hand gun. He could shoot it in the cross sticks or light bench if he wanted to. In fact, a good heavy offhand gun with good sights would be a good starting point - a way to get your feet wet and see if you like it.

If you asked what would the typical light bench gun look like, I'd say a .50 caliber underhammer gun with weighing as close to 14# as I could get it. A percussion side hammer lock or a mule ear lock would be fine too.
A good set of "any metalic sight" would be essential.

Regards,
Pletch

:thumbsup: Thank you Pletch

Right on, Couldn't said it any better myself.

Here is an article I had gleened from this forum. It may be worth reasding,,,

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v...iMDM2NzMtMzJlMS00NmNlLWI1MTYtODQ1ZTdjZDhiYmVi

COOL!! :thumbsup: Thanks dyemaker.

ChrisHarris said:

Rifleman1776 said:

Or, you can just ask specific questions here.
Wadda ye want to know?

Click to expand...

I wanna know about a beginners light bench gun.

What caliber is generally used?

Can I get a bench gun for shooting round balls or am I going to be shooting conicals?

Where would a guy get a barrel and stock for a light bench gun?

What kind of locks do people use or this personal preference and just about anything will work if it's of decent quality?

I'm just interested in bench shooting and I'd like to know where a guy can start out finding a light gun. Why light? Because our club has limited bench shooting to light versions only, due to neighbors in the vicinity.

Click to expand...

ROUND BALLS.

I would buy a McLemore barrel for a match rifle. No question.
4150 barrel steel, lapped and test fired. Not cheap cold rolled steel. Very smooth and uniform internally. These are first class barrels by any standard.
I have one in my "turkey" match rifle and love it.


Its a match winner.
Between myself and some friends we have 7 barrels by McLemore, only one has been shot but its won about 100 bucks in cash so far.
I really like the barrel. http://www.sleepyhillbarrels.com/

Second choice would be a 1 1/8" x42" Green Mountain barrel in 45 or 50 caliber. This will be about the right weight I think. They are made of 1137 steel, infinitely better than cold rolled screw stock and shoot very well and are cheaper being production barrels.


Knob Mountain is a source for stocks. http://knobmountainmuzzleloading.com/stocks.html

Dan

Round ball bench guns DO have scopes.

Click to expand...

I won't say you are wrong because I have not read the NMLRA rules for a few years. Things might have changed and there might be some matches that allow scopes on round ball guns.
I have never seen it. Can you point me to the rule, or match, that allows them?

I shouldn't have to prove this, but I will. They
have been shooting this way for over 20 years that
I know. It's Agg. "V". Three matches one at 50 yds
one at 100, and one at 200. The record was set in
1992 on this Agg. I've been going to Friendship
for over 20 years and I have seen and also spotted
for a friend of mine who shot the Agg. It was
Francis S. the guy who made and sold the Teflon
coated patching from Florida. RIP Francis

Thanks for the info. I did qualify by saying I hadn't read the rules for a while. I took a look at the NMLRA site and found that Agg. V, indeed, is "any sight". That qualifies scopes.