July 5, 2022Shoot like a Champion — How To Drill Tiny Groups at 200 yardsThis site is dedicated to accurate shooters. Today we will be highlighting the Benchrest short-range game. This game is all about shooting small groups in the ones or even “zeros”. It’s easy to believe that precision is all about the equipment when you see the small groups 6 PPC Aces produce. There is more to it than that. Even though a talented person is skilled, he still needs to be able to observe the flags and run the gun properly. He also needs to adjust his loads to the conditions. Charles Huckeba, a Texan benchrester, shares his tips. He was the top individual shooter at 2013 World Benchrest Championships (WBC), held in Sydney Australia in October 2013. This video shows Charles Huckeba, the 2013 WBC Two-Gun Overall winner, shooting a 1/8th MOA group from 200 yards. It is “a little bitty dots” as a fellow Team USA shooter observes. That’s impressive. Huckeba’s style can be described as “smooth, consistent, rapid, but not hurried”. Charles also used some unusual hardware. Take a look at the Joystick on the Farley Coaxial Front Rest. There is no knob at its end. A small, wooden ammo caddy replaces it. Charles took the standard knob out of his Farley Rest handle and replaced it by a wood block that holds the cartridges for the record target. The rifle weighs 10.5 lb and is chambered with 6PPC. It has a BAT Machine Action, a composite wood-carbon-fiber stock, and a BAT Machine Action. This is Charles’ 200-yard, 5-shot group shot in the video. Photo by Stuart Elliot. Photograph taken through Huckeba’s 50X March scope (reticle contains 1/16th MOA Dot).
Boyd Allen, a short-range benchrest shooter, noticed some interesting aspects in Huckeba’s WBC performance. This was captured on video. Boyd was impressed by Huckeba’s smooth gun handling and efficient loading. Boyd also saw some unusual equipment, such as a joystick “handle-caddy” and other innovative equipment. Low Friction Bags — Huckeba moved his rifle with very little friction. The new 3M material (ScotchLite), is used on the front bag’s sliding surfaces. The same low-friction material is used in the ears of the rear Protektor bag. Charles paused before chambering — While he was looking at the flags and deciding when he should fire, he kept his first round in action but out of the barrel’s compartment. This is probably to prevent heat from causing the cartridge to change its point of impact. Ammo Caddy on Joystick Arm — Charles shoots a Left Bolt/Left Port action. He pulls his rounds using his left hand. Huckeba’s record rounds are kept in a small, wooden ammo caddy attached at the shaft of the joystick. If you look closely, you will see the wood ammo blocks in place of the normal black ball at either end of your joystick. Charles can pull shots with very little hand movement. Ingenious! Huckeba is extremely fast and has a great sense of economy. Charles was able to focus more on the flags and aiming because his ammo was at his fingertips. Smooth-Cycling BAT Action — Notice how smooth Huckeba’s actions work. Charles does not move the rifle when he lifts the bolt handle (to take a round and cock it), but this is not an issue. The gun doesn’t wobble when Charles closes the bolt. Charles can keep his point of aim even while shooting fast thanks to the smooth action. Chrome-moly steel is Huckeba’s BAT action. Some shooters believe that this metal provides a smoother action to the gun than aluminum or stainless steel. Long-Wheelbase Stock – The wood and carbon fibre stock is long, stiff, and light. The stock is also well-damped. The gun tracks well, without rocking or jumping, due to the longer than average stock length. The longer forearm makes it possible to have a longer “wheelbase”, which effectively shifts the weight distribution backward (less weight at the front, more at the rear). This puts a greater proportion of the gun’s weight in the rear bag than a conventional benchrest stock. Bob Scoville’s stock for Huckeba is a cutting-edge benchrest design. The stock’s light-weight balsawood and carbon fiber construction allows it to combine stiffness with vibration damping. This allows it to maximize its fore-end length to increase the rear bag’s weight (always an issue when rifles weigh 10.5 pounds). Bob noted that there is more to the stock structure than meets the eye. The carbon fiber skin I use to cover the stocks creates an exterior that is light and tough. This does not affect the stock’s overall performance. An internal beam made with balsa core/carbon fibre technology is what gives the stock its strength and stiffness. This type of construction is used in aircraft, race cars and powerboats. It is interesting that balsa has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all woods, while carbon fiber has the lowest stretch (modulus elasticity) relative weight of all materials. This combination is common in high-performance environments. Balsa can also be used commercially to dampen vibrations and reduce sound. Boyd Allen. Video by Boyd Allen.
