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Posted: 12/19/2015 11:59:16 AM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
By field positions, I mean offhand, kneeling, rice paddy squat, prone, etc. It always saddens me when I go to the range and everybody's shooting from a bench with props. Only once in my life have I seen a naturally occurring bench: a boulder in some BLM land in AZ that was shaped like a shooting bench with a built-in seat. Every other shot I've taken in the wild has been unsupported. If you can only shoot well from a propped-up position on a bench, you can't shoot. If your range only lets you shoot from the bench, you owe it to yourself to find another range. I'll see if I can figure out how to add a poll. Working on it but they are hard to find around DFW. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:01:20 PM EDT
[#2]
I never shoot from a bench.
Offhand, prone off of a pack, or across the hood of my truck. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:02:01 PM EDT
[#3]
I only use the bench for shooting groups or zeroing. Someday maybe when I can't do anything but sit, I will
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:02:07 PM EDT
[#4]
Shoot hi-power and service rifle.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:02:09 PM EDT
[#5]
Our police dept range has no stalls or benches. My range behind my house has a table for putting gear on but I never use it to shoot from. So, I guess the answer would be that I almost never shoot from a bench.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:02:40 PM EDT
[#6]
Right now I mainly shoot at the bench and standing. Trying to save up money to join a club here that allows for anything I could ever want.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:02:45 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Working on it but they are hard to find around DFW. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
By field positions, I mean offhand, kneeling, rice paddy squat, prone, etc. It always saddens me when I go to the range and everybody's shooting from a bench with props. Only once in my life have I seen a naturally occurring bench: a boulder in some BLM land in AZ that was shaped like a shooting bench with a built-in seat. Every other shot I've taken in the wild has been unsupported. If you can only shoot well from a propped-up position on a bench, you can't shoot. If your range only lets you shoot from the bench, you owe it to yourself to find another range. I'll see if I can figure out how to add a poll. Working on it but they are hard to find around DFW. It makes for a long drive, for sure. A buddy of mine who shoots out to 1000 yards compared it to owning a boat: takes all day to get up early, load up, drive to where you can use it, etc. Makes it hard for us guys with families. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:02:55 PM EDT
[#8]
I only field shoot, but I go prone a lot if I want to hit something at distance. Prone is my bench.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:03:29 PM EDT
[#9]
Only time I use a bench is to zero and confirm zero. Less than 1% of shooting.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:04:13 PM EDT
[#10]
I don't have a bench. I shoot only out to about 200 yards, kneeling/squatting/offhand. Irons only ATM.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:04:32 PM EDT
[#11]
I never go to the range. All open desert shooting for me. I use bags and a rest sometimes to sight in (prone, no bench), but other than that it's all offhand, kneeling, and prone unsupported.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:04:35 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Only time I use a bench is to zero and confirm zero. Less than 1% of shooting. This for me too... |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:05:30 PM EDT
[#13]
I shoot off a bench to get on paper at 25 yards and then again to get on paper at 100 yards. When I move out to the the 200 yard zero and beyond I shoot from the prone and off of a pack. This procedure gives me confidence in my zero and demonstrates my capability (or lack thereof) at two hundred and three hundred yards.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:05:32 PM EDT
[#14]
The bench is a platform to achieve or confirm mechanical zero.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:05:51 PM EDT
[#15]
I never use a bench. Prone off a pack to zero or when I'm checking loads.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:08:42 PM EDT
[#16]
I have a portable shooting table that I use when zeroing rifles. Other than that I shoot standing, kneeling, or prone. Sometimes off the bed of my truck. I try to set up silhouette targets at different distances and alternate between them. I have steel pistol targets set so I can practice moving between two targets. I've never been great at bullseye shooting and getting tight groups consistently so I practice for good center mass hits as fast as I can do it accurately. I figure that's a better use of practice time and ammo. It's more fun to. 
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:09:43 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Only time I use a bench is to zero and confirm zero. Less than 1% of shooting. This. Shooting from a bench gets you better at shooting from a bench, and that's it. I'll often get the rifle pretty well dialed in from prone. When I get to a measured range with benches, I'll fine-tune it a bit, but that part of the process is usually completed with 10-20 rounds, if that. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:12:08 PM EDT
[#18]
I don't own a bench, but that might help for shooting groups and zeroing.
For that kind of stuff, I just lay on the ground. Otherwise I'm standing or moving. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:12:50 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Only time I use a bench is to zero and confirm zero. Less than 1% of shooting. +1 |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:13:31 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Other than that I shoot standing, kneeling, or prone. Sometimes off the bed of my truck. I shoot out of the truck all the time. It's dry, the bed sides make a good windbreak and catch brass nicely. It also give you a little height to get above the tall grass. Gun ranges in Germany have padded benches for prone on the firing line, but I've never seen that in the US. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:14:50 PM EDT
[#21]
The only shooting I do from bench is for zeroing purposes.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:15:43 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted:
If your range only lets you shoot from the bench, you owe it to yourself to find another range. That turned out to be one of the many benefits of me finding a new range, although in all honesty it wasn't the original purpose. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:15:55 PM EDT
[#23]
I haven't shot from a bench since the 1990's.
No benches out here. I shoot at 8" round gongs and 12" square gongs at unknown ranges. 
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:15:58 PM EDT
[#24]
I like both but probably most of my rifle shooting nowdays is moving and shooting offhand at relatively close targets.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:16:46 PM EDT
[#25]
Never. When I zero I do it from the ground.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:17:41 PM EDT
[#26]
What bench?
There isn't one where I prefer to shoot. Cheers! -JC |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:23:02 PM EDT
[#27]
I never shoot from a bench
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:23:28 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Working on it but they are hard to find around DFW. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
By field positions, I mean offhand, kneeling, rice paddy squat, prone, etc. It always saddens me when I go to the range and everybody's shooting from a bench with props. Only once in my life have I seen a naturally occurring bench: a boulder in some BLM land in AZ that was shaped like a shooting bench with a built-in seat. Every other shot I've taken in the wild has been unsupported. If you can only shoot well from a propped-up position on a bench, you can't shoot. If your range only lets you shoot from the bench, you owe it to yourself to find another range. I'll see if I can figure out how to add a poll. Working on it but they are hard to find around DFW. No shit. I'd like to open a range much like ETTS north of Dallas. A pipe dream though as land is not cheap in Texas and I don't know the first thing about starting a business. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:25:55 PM EDT
[#29]
i dont have a shooting bench.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:27:11 PM EDT
[#30]
WAC only allows rimfire rifle off hand. All center fire, even pistol caliber must be benched.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:28:21 PM EDT
[#31]
No bench for me.
Like Sundance, I'm better when I move. 
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:30:25 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The bench is a platform to achieve or confirm mechanical zero. You could achieve mechanical zero in your living room sitting on the couch having a beer. Make sure the weapon is unloaded. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:31:02 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I only use the bench for shooting groups or zeroing. Someday maybe when I can't do anything but sit, I will
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:31:53 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I never shoot from a bench. Offhand, prone off of a pack, or across the hood of my truck. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:33:54 PM EDT
[#35]
It depends on the rifle. My 19lb monster 6.5? That only ever gets fired from the bench or bipod prone. ARs are rarely fired from the bench other than to confirm zero. Hunting rifes are about 50-50.
I shoot a lot from a bench to get data at various ranges, but I don't consider that practice. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:39:08 PM EDT
[#36]
Short distance standing or kneeling. Anything over 100 yards prone in the bed of my truck.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:42:47 PM EDT
[#37]
I don't shoot from a bench for "practice". I do it to sight in scopes or to find the best load. Shooting offhand, sitting, and prone is for practice. But I know what you mean. Our club has numerous ranges, and the 100 yard with benches is by far the most used.
But there is nothing wrong with using natural supports out in the field. If you are going to take a long shot on a critter, the ethical way is to make it as high of a percentage shot as possible. And if the terrain won't allow a prone shot, that means a fork in a tree, a rock, or whatever is around. I've killed a few hundred woodchucks, and I would guess that around 70% were fired from some type of support (log, rock, tractor hood, pickup hood or roof, tree, bipod, etc). The rest were quick shots with no time to find support, or prone unsupported. Sometimes I would be driving down a dirt road on the farm and have a chuck run across, so all you can do is jump out and start blazing away, offhand. My longest running shot on a chuck was around 135 yards away, with a .22WMR. Probably more luck than skill. But chuck hunting is awesome practice; it makes larger animals seem easy.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:46:13 PM EDT
[#38]
I don't even zero from a bench ( I use prone supported ).
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:49:26 PM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
If your range only lets you shoot from the bench, you owe it to yourself to find another range. One of the main reasons I joined the gun club I did. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:51:34 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I haven't shot from a bench since the 1990's.
No benches out here. I shoot at 8" round gongs and 12" square gongs at unknown ranges. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/paul1960/HomeontheRange.jpg See that? That is one of many reasons why people put up with CA's BS laws. I'm 50/50 bench and standing or prone. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:52:41 PM EDT
[#42]
We always do 10 up (standing, offhand), 10 down (off the bench).
200 yards, iron sights. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:53:17 PM EDT
[#43]
I used to shoot bench, now its all drills and such. I have a body might as well use it.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 12:59:03 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I never shoot from a bench. Offhand, prone off of a pack, or across the hood of my truck. This I'm 41 years old and can count the times I've shot off a bench on one hand and count them again on the same hand. I've been shooting since 5 and I can honestly only remember once shooting from a bench. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 1:00:30 PM EDT
[#45]
I rarely shoot off a bench. At our home range we shoot from all types of positions. Lately I have been practicing shooting out of my truck window as this is the most likely SHTF scenario for the wife and I as we travel a lot. Other than that I do offhand, leaning against a tree or post, kneeling for the most part. I`m also shooting much more than I have in the past few years. Ammo was never the problem,,,complacency was.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 1:00:45 PM EDT
[#46]
I shoot from a bench almost 100% of the time. It's more comfortable. Who the fuck am I trying to impress? Im just out there to have some fun. I shoot my handguns and lever rifles standing up, I am never on the ground.
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Posted: 12/19/2015 1:00:55 PM EDT
[#47]
Lots of load development and barrel testing shot from the bench. Probably 75% of my rounds fired this year.
I do enjoy other types, but I've been focused on putting holes closer together lately. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 1:04:17 PM EDT
[#49]
Bench, as in, off a rest? Maybe 10-20%. Most of the rest of the time I'm either standing or shooting seated with my elbows resting on the table, or just seated with no support. It's a PITA to shoot prone/kneeling at my range; not enough room.
Prone, kneeling, etc. is done more at the LE range we use for qualifying. I don't blame the smaller, less remote commercial ranges for requiring at least seated shooting. Some yahoo mag-dumping his new G3 clone at 100 yards standing is not something I'd want to deal with on a regular basis. Not every place can have giant bays and wide-open spaces. |
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Posted: 12/19/2015 1:05:09 PM EDT
[#50]
i shoot dirt
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