Benchrest Which Bench Rest Rifle $2500-$3000?

[Alandaledaniel]

I recently got into PCP airguns about six months ago because my grandkids struggled to cock my Diana 48. I’ve owned springers and Co2 for 50+ years. I learned to shoot in England as teenager, so I always shot offhand including 10 m match with a Feinwerkbau 300s. I don’t really hunt anymore and I have powder burners for hunting. I shoot almost daily now in my backyard. I have up to 115yds shooting distance. I started with a .177 Beeman regulated under lever and then purchased the Barra 250z .22. I’ve had a blast shooting and modifying the 250z. But now that I shoot at targets that are mostly between 50-100yds while seated, I think I might like to purchase something more suitable for target shooting. I might never try a formal match, but I wouldn’t want my rifle to limit me from doing so in the future. I was considering the Red Panda, but I think it might be too limiting. Then I thought the FX DRS might be a good option. I’m thinking that it would be best to keep it at .22 or .25 for my needs. I have a titanium plate in my neck and so I don’t think Field Target or PRS is an option lol. I’m curious what experienced bench rest shooters might recommend? I live in Florida and so I’m not looking for a sub-12 rifle. I would like to keep it under $2500, but I’m flexible. I also considered waiting for a Black Wolf.

I have two recommendations in the lower price category: the Benjamin Marauder in .22, or the Diana K- 98 in .22. These two old style air rifles can put one pellet on top of another at 50 yards. I don’t know about longer ranges. The newer Marauder field target might be better at longer ranges but I have not used that airgun. IMO the K-98 at 50 yards would be shooting thumbnail sized groups at that distance. You will have to find the best pellet of course. In the higher price category I recommend the Air Arms S-510sx or better. The Air Arms S- 510 will shoot as well as any air rifle around. I have five air rifles acquired over 20 plus years, including an FWB that’s only 2 ½ years old, and the Air Arms outshoots the FWB nearly every time off a rest and bag at the back. My S510 is a .22. My FWB is a .177. Even at 25 yards the S510 Air Arms does better than the FWB. I think the Air Arms might be the best shooting air rifle I have. With a little work on the pellets to use (JSB Exact .22, 18.13g are good) I think you will be racking up top scores. I think the Daystate Ghost should be considered because you would have a power adjustment wheel to help zero the rifle in on nearly any pellet you might choose. Lots of fun. I don’t know what competitions the Ghost is qualified to participate in. IMO the electronic airguns are a bit overpriced. The absolute best is Anschutz or Walther; although they are out of my league I have shot them both and they are exceptional in every way. They are also among the highest priced. Air Arms has a rifle out that looks like an excellent field target gun, but I have never even held one much less shot it. Very expensive but lots of bells and whistles. Have a good time. AD2

 

[Linehauler73]

If you are wanting a bench rest dedicated rig ?? Maybe I didn’t read it right I would first think I have no clue why you would want sub12? Did I miss something?

 

[jps2486]

If you are wanting a bench rest dedicated rig ?? Maybe I didn’t read it right I would first think I have no clue why you would want sub12? Did I miss something?

There is a light varmint class limiting power to 12 fpe.

 

[Alandaledaniel]

Its surprising what i can do with the ghost though 25- 177 slugs just a change of barrel probe and power wheel takes all of 2 min
I should add i do have 2 1 of them is my ft rifle and stays that way the 2 nd is my hp rifle i shoot 22-25 @177 slugs. My bench & hp ft gun

Everyone seems to be enamored with the BRK Ghost. I have one and it doesn't shoot with a darned. It throws miscellaneous shots all over the target, well, about one inch away from the bull, and I can't manage to correct it. I've tried many different pellets and weights, but on the recommendation of Airguns of Arizona, I have stuck with the 25 grain JSB redesigned. Still no luck. The Ghost has a power adjuster in the back to help tune the rifle to various pellets or situations, but it didn't help me in my search for the problems with my Ghost not shooting accurately. The barrel does detach easily, I took it off for further inspection to identify the accuracy situation, so I imagine changing calibers would be easy in that respect. There is an "O" ring inside the barrel at the breach end that must be intact and in good shape or the accuracy of the rifle will be negatively impacted. Mine was just fine. After several emails and a lot of additional testing I've decided my Ghost is just no darned good. Yes, I've cleaned the barrel. I have no chronograph so I can't do chrono testing; however, whatever is wrong with the Ghost it is basic to the system. I suspect the regulator but can't prove it. I am sending the Ghost back to AOA for examination, but I do not expect an easy fix. I've shot a lot of rifles (powder and air) and I've never seen anything like the random results I am getting from this rifle. Good luck if you purchase a Ghost. I originally requested my money back on the rifle, but AOA argued with me until I agreed to send the rifle to them for "repair". I don't think it needs to be repaired. It needs to be junked. Just my opinion. AD2

 

[Danman]

Everyone seems to be enamored with the BRK Ghost. I have one and it doesn't shoot with a darned. It throws miscellaneous shots all over the target, well, about one inch away from the bull, and I can't manage to correct it. I've tried many different pellets and weights, but on the recommendation of Airguns of Arizona, I have stuck with the 25 grain JSB redesigned. Still no luck. The Ghost has a power adjuster in the back to help tune the rifle to various pellets or situations, but it didn't help me in my search for the problems with my Ghost not shooting accurately. The barrel does detach easily, I took it off for further inspection to identify the accuracy situation, so I imagine changing calibers would be easy in that respect. There is an "O" ring inside the barrel at the breach end that must be intact and in good shape or the accuracy of the rifle will be negatively impacted. Mine was just fine. After several emails and a lot of additional testing I've decided my Ghost is just no darned good. Yes, I've cleaned the barrel. I have no chronograph so I can't do chrono testing; however, whatever is wrong with the Ghost it is basic to the system. I suspect the regulator but can't prove it. I am sending the Ghost back to AOA for examination, but I do not expect an easy fix. I've shot a lot of rifles (powder and air) and I've never seen anything like the random results I am getting from this rifle. Good luck if you purchase a Ghost. I originally requested my money back on the rifle, but AOA argued with me until I agreed to send the rifle to them for "repair". I don't think it needs to be repaired. It needs to be junked. Just my opinion. AD2

Well that's unfortunate! I had a rough patch with mine (yep barrel issues - polish was needed!), but it's been good since. Its too bad you haven't a chronograph to test speeds!
I would ask what your reg pressure is set to and what would a typical 10shot group look like at say 50Y? Is yours the 24 or 28" barrel?
Personally for a dedicated bench gun, any bullpup would not be a top choice.

 

[Solo1]

The

Everyone seems to be enamored with the BRK Ghost. I have one and it doesn't shoot with a darned. It throws miscellaneous shots all over the target, well, about one inch away from the bull, and I can't manage to correct it. I've tried many different pellets and weights, but on the recommendation of Airguns of Arizona, I have stuck with the 25 grain JSB redesigned. Still no luck. The Ghost has a power adjuster in the back to help tune the rifle to various pellets or situations, but it didn't help me in my search for the problems with my Ghost not shooting accurately. The barrel does detach easily, I took it off for further inspection to identify the accuracy situation, so I imagine changing calibers would be easy in that respect. There is an "O" ring inside the barrel at the breach end that must be intact and in good shape or the accuracy of the rifle will be negatively impacted. Mine was just fine. After several emails and a lot of additional testing I've decided my Ghost is just no darned good. Yes, I've cleaned the barrel. I have no chronograph so I can't do chrono testing; however, whatever is wrong with the Ghost it is basic to the system. I suspect the regulator but can't prove it. I am sending the Ghost back to AOA for examination, but I do not expect an easy fix. I've shot a lot of rifles (powder and air) and I've never seen anything like the random results I am getting from this rifle. Good luck if you purchase a Ghost. I originally requested my money back on the rifle, but AOA argued with me until I agreed to send the rifle to them for "repair". I don't think it needs to be repaired. It needs to be junked. Just my opinion. AD2

jsb 25 gr mrd is known to have flyers. Also without a crono you have no idea where your at. Your barrel like mine probably needs a polish and you need a crono to set it up for whatever pellet you are shooting. If you are trying to shoot too fast or too slow or just with too much pressure behind a pellet they won’t shoot well.

 

[Alandaledaniel]

Well that's unfortunate! I had a rough patch with mine (yep barrel issues - polish was needed!), but it's been good since. Its too bad you haven't a chronograph to test speeds!
I would ask what your reg pressure is set to and what would a typical 10shot group look like at say 50Y? Is yours the 24 or 28" barrel?
Personally for a dedicated bench gun, any bullpup would not be a top choice.

24 inch. JSB 25 grain redesign are the pellets I have been using. My 10 shot “group” at 25 yards looks like a shotgun pattern. My regulator pressure was 145, I think, because the gauge is so small I can’t see the thing. I changed the power settings from max to min and every setting in between without effecting the overall shooting pattern except for a couple of settings making it worse. I didn’t go out and check at a greater range because I thought it would be useless. I agree about the bullpup, but my Ghost wasn’t meant, by me, to be a dedicated bench gun. The trigger suffers from the bullpup design. After many attempts I gave up and left my last adjustment as the final. IMO, the trigger is still to heavy and doesn’t break the way I like it. I’ve had trouble with Brocock triggers before and it wasn’t a bullpup. I had to send that one into the vendor to fix the trigger. I think they keep them heavy because of legal advice. Lawyers like the trigger pull over 5 pounds or more, at least IMO. A few years back I mentioned to a lawyer for a corporation that a target rifle trigger pull can be in the range of a few ounces and I thought he would start frothing at the mouth. I finally had to say I might be mistaken and walked off. I found out much later that he was definitely anti-gun. The anti-gun groups classify benchrest rifles [maybe not pellet rifles] as sniper rifles. And they don’t seem to know the difference between rimfire and centerfire. We live in a weird world when people who know nothing about a product or sport can have a massive impact on major legislation.

I realize a chronograph could help my analysis, but they are not inexpensive. I bought an FX chronograph and couldn’t get it to work. [Bluetooth is really getting my goat lately. I can’t get it to work.] What kind of chronograph would you recommend? Maybe two recommendations. One for the best, and another for the good enough one. Prices you know.

Where is a good place to learn about barrel polishing? A book or video. From the posts on Hard Air I get the idea that polishing works well.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with me and the others here on the forum. AD2

 

[Solo1]

Athlon crono is probably the best bet for the money. Polishing is not weird science. Push a pellet through the barrel noting and rough spots and just how tight the choke feels. Get some jb bore bright from amazon and some 22 cal bore mops. Work jb into a mop with your finder do 20 strokes on the whole barrel then clean with gunzilla and push another pellet through. Any rough spots hit them again. If the choke still feels as tight as originally hit it again. Clean and shoot. Im sure it will make a difference.

 

[Alandaledaniel]

Athlon crono is probably the best bet for the money. Polishing is not weird science. Push a pellet through the barrel noting and rough spots and just how tight the choke feels. Get some jb bore bright from amazon and some 22 cal bore mops. Work jb into a mop with your finder do 20 strokes on the whole barrel then clean with gunzilla and push another pellet through. Any rough spots hit them again. If the choke still feels as tight as originally hit it again. Clean and shoot. Im sure it will make a difference.

Thanks for the reply! Good info.

 

[Billm]

Well, I got a little (maybe a lot) frustrated with my Ghost. It was accurate, but not as accurate as I thought it should be. It’s amazing how quickly things can turn around. My wife shot a .45 and .357 magnum for the first and last time in 1986. She fired about 25 BBs out of my grandsons Red Ryder about three years ago. Last year she shot about 10 pellets out of my Diana 48 and one mag out of my Beeman Underlever. The other day I told her that we should try and support the Pumpkin Carve and she agreed to try. I sat her down with the ghost , mounted with a DNT TNC225R. She posted a quick drawing of what she wanted to carve at 30yds. I suggested she shoot a mag at the EBR bull on the steel plate at 30yds first. She shot a nice .5-.75” group with no flyers. She went on to shoot a nice outline of what she wants to carve. The plan was for her and my eldest grandson to shoot a pumpkin each. Unfortunately it poured down all day and was windy. Point being the Ghost is accurate enough and easy enough to shoot well, that a beginner can do well with it.
But, I’ve mentioned a few times that something has changed on the Ghost. A good barrel polishing was part of it I’m sure. At first I didn’t see much improvement after the polishing. But whether it’s the cleaning, polishing or maybe just the disassembling and reassembly, it has really tightened up. It’s shooting JSB and AEA pellets in three different weights and doing really well with them. It has a pellet barrel and I’m not chasing slugs with it anymore. I also recently retuned the hammer and I think that was a positive. I bought it used and have no idea what it was tuned for. I use a Garmin C1 chrono. I can’t imagine trying to tune it without a chrono. I think I would like a chrono that gives more info. But then I also want a Black Wolf, a Red Panda, an EVOL, a Huben, Mordax, Sniper 2 chassis, Taipan, Pathfinder and a tank. For some reason I have no burning desire for an FX, not sure why. Anyhow, I too thought that the Ghost might be over rated, but now I’m thoroughly impressed. Thanks for help with my Ghost from @Solo1 @Danman @Pesty3782 and all the others, including lots of help from @Pumacarl and @FL22 . I’ve also learned a lot about the Ghost after reading the highly recommended Ghost thread by @Franklink .
None of this is to say someone couldn’t have a lemon or factory mistuned rifle, because we all know that happens. One really nice thing about the Ghost, there’s a lot of owners that are willing to share their experience on this and other forums.

 

[Danman]

But then I also want a Black Wolf, a Red Panda, an EVOL, a Huben, Mordax, Sniper 2 chassis, Taipan, Contour and a tank.

Hey dont forget about the slug barreled Condor!....im after it again lol.
Its had me thinking about barrels & slugs too. L.W. has brought out another fast twist airgun barrel to market. The AF Condor and the Skout Evol both have them (1:15.75 T) as options and people seem to love em. The 1:17.7 has been the gold standard pellet/slug barrel for eons but....it isnt always great for heavy slugs, more of an all purpose light to medium weight slug and pellet barrel. The slow twist 1:30 is of course pellets only.
I wonder if the Euro airgun manufacturers will jump on board and offer this 'new' barrel twist along with/instead of the ol trusty 1:17.7. Just shot my Ghost at 50 and 100Y tonight while bbqing....man its getting cold out here now! 50Y groups didn't impress me much but 100Y did, go figure
Windy, and i tried to wait it out, never measured but under 2inches anyways 10+ shots @100Y till off reg.
Maybe I’ll just keep shooting pellets for now outta mine too @Billm....see what comes to market for barrels at a later date.

 

[Billm]

Hey dont forget about the slug barreled Condor!....im after it again lol.
Its had me thinking about barrels & slugs too. L.W. has brought out another fast twist airgun barrel to market. The AF Condor and the Skout Evol both have them (1:15.75 T) as options and people seem to love em. The 1:17.7 has been the gold standard pellet/slug barrel for eons but....it isnt always great for heavy slugs, more of an all purpose light to medium weight slug and pellet barrel. The slow twist 1:30 is of course pellets only.
I wonder if the Euro airgun manufacturers will jump on board and offer this 'new' barrel twist along with/instead of the ol trusty 1:17.7. Just shot my Ghost at 50 and 100Y tonight while bbqing....man its getting cold out here now! 50Y groups didn't impress me much but 100Y did, go figure
Windy, and i tried to wait it out, never measured but under 2inches anyways 10+ shots @100Y till off reg.
Maybe I’ll just keep shooting pellets for now outta mine too @Billm....see what comes to market for barrels at a later date.

I don’t see anyone really posting their groups from the Condor Slugger. I would really like to see some 100yd groups with one.

 

[kcender]

I recently got into PCP airguns about six months ago because my grandkids struggled to cock my Diana 48. I’ve owned springers and Co2 for 50+ years. I learned to shoot in England as teenager, so I always shot offhand including 10 m match with a Feinwerkbau 300s. I don’t really hunt anymore and I have powder burners for hunting. I shoot almost daily now in my backyard. I have up to 115yds shooting distance. I started with a .177 Beeman regulated under lever and then purchased the Barra 250z .22. I’ve had a blast shooting and modifying the 250z. But now that I shoot at targets that are mostly between 50-100yds while seated, I think I might like to purchase something more suitable for target shooting. I might never try a formal match, but I wouldn’t want my rifle to limit me from doing so in the future. I was considering the Red Panda, but I think it might be too limiting. Then I thought the FX DRS might be a good option. I’m thinking that it would be best to keep it at .22 or .25 for my needs. I have a titanium plate in my neck and so I don’t think Field Target or PRS is an option lol. I’m curious what experienced bench rest shooters might recommend? I live in Florida and so I’m not looking for a sub-12 rifle. I would like to keep it under $2500, but I’m flexible. I also considered waiting for a Black Wolf.

Bill, I know this post has aged, but as someone who follows you, I am sorry to learn about the problems with your neck. Good luck my friend~John

 

[Billm]

Thanks John

Bill, I know this post has aged, but as someone who follows you, I am sorry to learn about the problems with your neck. Good luck my friend~John

Thanks John, I appreciate that. I’ve had a wild ride over the last six years, but I’m doing good. Six years ago I went to bed feeling normal and woke up six hours later partially paralyzed in both legs from my hip to both knees. Navy doctors told me that it was neuropathy and just learn to live with it. Two months later a civilian Dr told me that I was walking around with a broken neck. Hence the titanium plate etc.. Two heart stents and a case of cancer later, I’m back to a clean bill of health. I consider myself to be both blessed and very lucky. I’ve really enjoyed getting back into airgunning. Airgunning and this forum really helped keep me focused on something positive. The many discussions with you and others on here has really been a lot of fun and I really appreciate the experience.

 

[kcender]

Bill, I logged back on to say you’re welcome and I’m glad these contacts are helpful. One never knows what forums like this mean to people and are meaningful. We joust and debate, but in the end, we hope the best for each other I hope. Its a connection I think no matter the subject.