Introduction

I’d like to present some experiences about bench shooting, as many of us will do for gun evaluation and for handload development. And it is intended that these discussions will not apply to the sport of “bench-rest” shooting, since that sport involves an entirely different set of considerations to itself. And since the main interest of the SP forum is for high performance handguns, I will direct the main attention in that direction although some of the techniques will apply equally well to rifle evaluations.

Frequently, shooters will overlook some things about their target shooting setup that may affect on-target results. That is, it is not uncommon to see gun test firings being done by resting the gun on a sandbag over the hood of a pickup at an informal range, or over a sandbag from a bench at a shooter position at a formal shooting range. Oftentimes the shooter will even complain that it is difficult to get a solid hold from such a set up for his test shots.

The main point here is that by using some more refined test methods it is quite possible to rigorously evaluate the ultimate potential of any gun and also possible to do some rather sophisticated handload evaluations that can lead to surprising performance. This last statement will lead to more detailed and precise handloading techniques as well, but I will talk here just about shooting from the bench, and toward that end, address refinements with the gun, the shooting platform, the shooting stance, the target and the use of other tools. And I must add that most of what I will discus is not really new to most shooters, rather I present it here to illustrate a more complete approach to the whole task of testing and handload development.

The Gun

However the gun has been configured for field shooting or hunting, there are several things that can be done that will help to determine its real potential. Then after the range session has been completed, those adjustments can be returned to ones appropriate for field conditions. Next, I need to strongly make the point that when we go to the range to test a gun, it ceases to be a test of our shooting ability; rather it must become purely a test of this gun with this handload under these circumstances. In fact it is wise to do whatever possible to minimize the effects of the shooter – specifically so the shooter ability level does not obscure the performance level of the gun. Then, what are the most important adjustments or modifications that can be made?
-The trigger is probably the most important. Adjustments to make it light and with minimal length of pull as well as minimal over-travel will pay off well.
- Modifications to the gun that include making it more stable from the shooting position will likewise pay dividends. With handguns like the T/C Contender or the XP-100, this can be done by adding a flat grip cap and a flat forepiece or a forepiece add-on, both of which will sit flat on a shooting platform as described in the following paragraph.
-Equipping the gun with a scope sight for the testing, even if it is ultimately to be shot with target sights will greatly assist in its evaluation and in handload development. And the highest power scope available will be quite useful.
-Correct for parallax errors. A scopes equipped with an adjustable objective, can of course be set for a given distance to eliminate parallax errors. But it is not uncommon at all to set an AO at 100 yards. And still to have parallax errors at that distance. It is advisable to set the gun on a shooting platform as described below, point it at a very specific point on a target, then with hands off, while looking through the scope, move the eye from one side of the exit pupil to the other. If there is apparent movement of the cross hair on the target, the AO is not yet properly set, and shooting errors will be introduced. So, move the AO to another indicated distance and try again until there is no apparent movement of the cross hair on the target. For example, the scope used on the XP-100 shown in the picture below has to be set at an indicated 120 yards. To be parallax-free at 100 yards.

The Shooting Platform

In my experience of doing gun evaluations and handload development I have decided that shooting from sand bags simply isn’t good enough as I can’t get that solid “not wobble” set as is essential for serious testing. A substantial improvement over sand bags can be fashioned by the handyman shooter who can do some basic woodworking tasks. He can build a shooting stand that is adjustable and will accommodate a handgun with flat-bottomed grip and forepiece add-ons as mentioned above. A picture of one that I have built and used very successfully for several years is shown in the picture here.

Note this XP-100 has a flat-bottomed add-on grip cap that is temporarily secured with two-sided mounting tape. Don’t laugh at the scruddy stock on the XP, it has been sand blasted in preparation for some customized shaping and prior to a fancy paint job. Also the forepiece has a slip-on, flat-bottomed stabilizing add-on, both of which give the gun a rock-solid shooting position. The stand itself is adjustable for along-axis tilt and for up down on the target. The combination of the adjustable shooting stand and the add-ons to the gun give a shooting platform that is literally rock-solid, and makes it possible to acquire a superior, steady, sight picture for testing purposes.

The Shooting Stance

Most handguns, and especially the center-grip XP-100 are very “grip-sensitive”. That means the shooters hand grip must be the same on the gun with each shot fired. If this is not the case, during the ignition and initial time periods when the bullet begins to accelerate down the barrel, inertial forces will move the gun differently with each shot fired. This is due to differing grip pressure on the gun, which will allow the gun to move differently with each shot. The resulting group of shots will show different impact points. This is especially true when large bullets are being fired.

In order to accomplish a consistent shooting “stance”, it is helpful to place a sandbag under the shooting arm so the arm is supported and the hand is in a consistent position directly in line with the handgrip of the gun. The shooters grip on the gun is very much a personal preference with some shooters having a loose grip while others prefer a solid handgrip. Usually, it is better to have a light handgrip, as that grip is more likely to be consistent from one shot to the next. Once the handgrip is in place, final adjustments can be made to the shooting stand so the sight picture is at the target point of aim.

To assure a consistent sight picture unaffected by parallax (for scopes without parallax adjustment), the shooter can pull back from the scope such that his eye is back past the normal field of view. With this position the shooter will see a smaller field of view with a dark ring surrounding the reticule. With this view, the shooter can then center the cross hair, the dark ring and the outside of the scope such that all are concentric, and parallax error will then be eliminated.

For the shot itself, whatever the shooter does, he should NOT PULL the trigger. Whoever coined that phrase, should be shot! When the correct sight picture has been achieved, the shooter should (temporarily) stop breathing and slightly tighten the grip on his trigger finger, for some slightly tightening the whole grip works well - - all the while focusing and concentrating on the cross-hair with its position on the point of aim. When the gun fires, it should be a surprise!!! But, remember what the sight picture was at the instant the gun fired. That picture will let the shooter know if that shot was a good one or not. Also when remembering to mentally record the sight picture, at the instant the gun fires, will help the shooter to maintain concentration throughout the aim-fire sequence.

The Target

It seems each shooter has a different preference for a target. But the design of the target is an extremely important feature in getting rigorous test results. The target enables the shooter to achieve the high level of concentration when doing serious shooting or testing. Some buy a standard target with a big black or colored bulls eye and concentric rings. I personally can’t shoot such a target. Rather I make mine with a graphics package on my computer and make copies. First of all, those standard targets with the big bulls eye defeat the task of concentration because there is no distinct point of aim and they are so dark I can’t see the location of my 100 yd hits, even with a spotting scope. I solve this with my design as shown here. And I make different sized targets specific to the magnification and reticule of the scope to be used.

The main features of this target are as follows:

-The center white circle is ¾” diameter which is 3 times the 100 yd. size of the reticule cross-hair of the 9X scope I am using for a specific test. By centering the cross hair on the white circle, there appear to be four white pie-shaped sectors surrounding the cross. When those sectors are balanced, the cross is centered, and with this scale is readily held within ¼” of the actual center at 100 yards.
-The black target rings are 1/8” wide with a 1/8” white space between each ring. This allows that the black circles are easy to see, yet allow that bullet holes as small as 17 caliber can be seen from 100 yards. with the aid of a spotting scope.
-The vertical bar is marked with one-inch graduations, which allows the shooter to estimate group sizes and corrections needed.
-The horizontal bar aids the shooter in keeping his gun squarely upright.
-Just one set of shots is fired at each target.
-Since the first shot from a clean barrel almost never goes in the same place as subsequent ones, a fouling target is placed in the upper left corner of the main target. This fouling target is used for two fouling shots, which precede the 5-shot group.
-Three data boxes are included at the bottom of the target page. One is for notation of the load data, location of the test, and date. Another is for entry of chronograph data and the third is for notation of the target analysis including the size of the group, and general notes about conditions pertinent to the test.
-Lastly, the page will be punched with three holes for retention in a notebook kept on the evaluation of the particular gun or load.

Shooting Regimen

For evaluation purposes, consistency throughout a shooting session is quite important in several respects. It is especially important that each set of test rounds be fired under the same conditions, or at least under conditions as similar as possible. The condition of the bore is one of those areas, and the degree of bore fouling should be considered. In order to minimize the affect of bore fouling on the group fired, I shoot in sets of seven shots. This is done by cleaning the bore between each set of shots. The first two shots are fired at a fouling target and the next five are fired for group score. With this regimen, I put a fouling target in the upper left corner of the regular target and fire those shots onto it. The velocities from those fouling shots are then excluded from the average of those for the 5-shot group.

Use of a Chronograph

Probably less than half the shooters who do handload development will make use of a chronograph. It is my firm conviction that the chronograph is the most powerful tool one can employ for gun evaluation and handload development. In fact I will make the statement that one simply can’t do meaningful gun evaluation or handload development without the aid of a chronograph. Now, I know several shooters will rise up in indignation at that statement. Those shooters will insist the proof is on the target, and they are right, but that is half the story. Without a chronograph, there is no indication of “why”, and why is a powerful diagnostic tool. Without an indication of why, the shooter is left to take yet another “shot in the dark”, and guess about what change to make for the next handload test. Or else he is left to accept the result he just got, and there is no assurance it is the best solution. Perhaps, on the other hand I will have to admit the chronograph is for those of us who insist on getting everything there is from our guns.

Summary

In the end, the shooter who goes to the trouble to employ some or all of the methods noted here will undoubtedly expect to see more impressive results that he would otherwise experience. Then, the question will be – “what actually can be accomplished by going to all this trouble”? Well, since I started evaluating guns and developing what I call optimum handloads, I have completed 21 evaluation/developments, most of them being of T/C Contender barrels. One exception is the XP-100 shown in the picture above, which belongs to my son, who is a nationally rated metallic silhouette shooter. The Contender barrels have been a mix of 10”, but mostly 14” factory barrels and several after-market custom barrels. Most of the factory barrels have been rechambered to wildcat configurations. It has not been uncommon to start with a factory barrel that initially will shoot 1 ½ minute or larger 5-shot groups, then through handload development employing higher level handload development methods and the bench testing methods described here to have a barrel that not only shoots sub-minute 5-shot groups, but most will shoot sub-half minute groups and some even as small as ¼ minute of angle.

This discussion about bench shooting methods will of course lead to numerous other points of consideration such as more sophisticated handloading methods, design of a testing/development protocols, evaluation methods for target data, etc in order that the full spectrum of refinements can be seen that can make our high performance handguns even higher performance. Some refinements for obtaining a higher degree of accuracy for the T/C Contender and some refined handloading methods have been presented by other for this forum. We should expect to see other system refinements as others share their experiences through the forum.
Don

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