Benchrest NEW!!! Large scale airgun event IPAC....Florida

[hameditor]

I agree that there's an obvious issue here.

The main - not for profit - airgun events attract fairly large numbers of shooters. However they are only run for indoor 10 Meter, three position competition. For example, 300 competitors in this recent event: 2025 USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Championships - Hard Air Magazine

Well, OK, there's Field Target in it's various forms of competition, as represented by AAFTA, for example. AAFTA but that's hardly a high participation discipline in the grand scheme of things.

To fill the vacuum for other types of airgun competition - such as benchrest, NRA-style, speed silhouette, etc, commercial companies have stepped-in. Of course that's AoA, Pyramyd and Utah.

And thanks to them for doing this!

Given that these companies are spending their own money on these events and running them with their own staff, I feel it's perfectly reasonable for them to gain whatever marketing and sales benefits they can. If not, why should they bother?

Obviously what is missing is something like Extreme Benchrest or the Pyramyd Cup but run by a not-for-profit organization like the CMP at Camp Perry. Home - Civilian Marksmanship Program with their High Power Rifle events. But - as stated above, they only recognize airguns as an indoor, 10 Meter discipline.

Then the question becomes how to change their perspective and who will make it happen. I don't know...

 

[Billm]

Sooo, registration opened today. There’s still no sponsors listed. The fees are $150 per class. It doesn’t look like anyone has registered. Who is going first?

 

[Pumacarl]

Sooo, registration opened today. There’s still no sponsors listed. The fees are $150 per class. It doesn’t look like anyone has registered. Who is going first?

You live there, walk on over and get it done. I'm living vicariously through you Bill!

 

[Billm]

You live there, walk on over and get it done. I'm living vicariously through you Bill!

That’s 5-6 hours away. If there was one crumb of information about who was running it, I’d consider it. I want to go somewhere this year lol. @FL22 is real close though, maybe he can report back to us lol.

 

[Billm]

You live there, walk on over and get it done. I'm living vicariously through you Bill!

That new rifle you received looks like it belongs on a benchrest.

 

[Pumacarl]

I agree that there's an obvious issue here.

The main - not for profit - airgun events attract fairly large numbers of shooters. However they are only run for indoor 10 Meter, three position competition. For example, 300 competitors in this recent event: 2025 USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Championships - Hard Air Magazine

Well, OK, there's Field Target in it's various forms of competition, as represented by AAFTA, for example. AAFTA but that's hardly a high participation discipline in the grand scheme of things.

To fill the vacuum for other types of airgun competition - such as benchrest, NRA-style, speed silhouette, etc, commercial companies have stepped-in. Of course that's AoA, Pyramyd and Utah.

And thanks to them for doing that!
Given that these companies are spending their own money on these events and running them with their own staff, I feel it's perfectly reasonable for them to gain whatever marketing and sales benefits they can. If not, why should they bother?

Obviously what is missing is something like Extreme Benchrest or the Pyramyd Cup but run by a not-for-profit organization like the CMP at Camp Perry. Home - Civilian Marksmanship Program with their High Power Rifle events. But - as stated above, they only recognize airguns as an indoor, 10 Meter discipline.

Then the question becomes how to change their perspective and who will make it happen. I don't know...

This is an interesting problem. The sponsers are spending a boatload of money to put them on, no doubt, and it's money they really don't have to spend, and extra work that they really don't need to do. I think that it would be equitable if the event sponser set aside a good portion of the seats for customers that bought from them during the year. RMAC would have a lot of FX shooters, EBR would be Daystate heavy, but that's how the cookie crumbles. Non-Profit is super unlikely to work, I think, at least for now.

 

[FL22]

That’s 5-6 hours away. If there was one crumb of information about who was running it, I’d consider it. I want to go somewhere this year lol. @FL22 is real close though, maybe he can report back to us lol.

I’m going to have to pass the buck on to @Chief55 Crescent city is closer to Leesburg than me .

 

[Pumacarl]

That new rifle you received looks like it belongs on a benchrest.

Yeah, but not with me behind it!

 

[Pumacarl]

I’m going to have to pass the buck on to @Chief55 Crescent city is closer to Leesburg than me .

Too funny! This thread is looking like a game of hot potato!

 

[Centercut]

The Oregon EFT GP and EBR plus Long Range is the week after this fledgling event. (14-17 May)
The OR event has been held every year since 2021, and gets 40-50 shooters competing. Fun event in a beautiful part of the country.
You get to shoot all the IPAC events plus a two day EFT GP event!

 

[hameditor]

I'm going to say it again. I would be much happier if the organizers behind this proposed event were transparent about who they are.

I still don't know. Would I register - and pay - without knowing that? Probably not...

 

[Billm]

I would/will not without more information. I would be willing to support the event as a new shooter if someone stood up and explained who was behind it, what milestones they’ve set and met, But as of right, now not a single sponsor is listed and even if they filled every class the entry fees couldn’t even cover the prize money of the first two places. They’ve failed in my opinion to make the effort to build some grassroots support via forums and social media.

Personally I’d support a fledgling event with no sponsors or prize money as long as it was an honest effort to establish a competition in the Southeast. I would be driving to an event and don’t mind AZ, Utah, Ohio or even NY, but I think Oregon is a bit beyond my reach.

This is where not having regional monthly or quarterly events hurts the growth. These national events filled mostly with pro-level shooters is probably not the best way to try your hand at 100yd benchrest. But, in most cases it’s the only option. For most of us there’s no low pressure way to learn the ropes of organized competition. It’s like: jump in and hope you don’t drown lol. This is an area where an organization like ASA could be helpful if it does blossom into an individual shooter organization as well as a manufacturer association. Of course all of this comes with choosing a niche hobby.

 

[Billm]

There’s a lot more information about this event in the Ultra-Match Precision Airgun Group on Facebook. The PRS class has already filled up. I guess it is legit.

 

[Billm]

The IPAC event now has several reputable event sponsors listed. It is connected somewhat to the Ultra Match precision Airguns Association FB group, or at least I believe it is. I’m probably going to attend and check it out. We will see. I really want to go to the Pyramyd Air Cup. But, first I need a rifle.

 

[Billm]

Bummer, I wouldn’t sign up as I’ve been waiting on an MRI for my neck to be scheduled. They finally scheduled it. So, I checked to see if the 100yd benchrest had filled up yet and it had. That’s my story lol. But, there was a lot of doubt listed on here about the viability of this short notice event. It looks like it’s happening and should have a good turnout.