BRSC Canadian Benchrest Records

[Dennis Sorensen]

The target Al Mirdoch shot September 25, 1977 in hunter class at 100 yards measured .125".

He shot that with a factory 700 BDL .308 heavy barrel. He bought the first one that Barotto Sports got in. The action was bedded, the barrel throated, and the crown redone. A 6 power scope was used.

I think this record will stand a long time... and it's really fitting that Al has records to this day. He put his all into Benchrest shooting.

[rpollock]

Dennis,

For clarity, I expect it will "stand" forever. There hasn't been a registered match where you shoot the hunter class rifles at a group target in probably 25 years or more! Those "score rifles shot for group" records were retired a few years ago, since they hadn't been contested in so long, and they are not a recognized class anywhere else, it was a Namaka specific thing as far as I know.

Until Dwayne Cyr came along and hosted a registered score shoot at Kenora in 2020, BRSC had not had a registered score shoot in 15 years. Kudos to Dwayne for organizing that shoot, and hopefully the start of the return of registered score shoots in the BRSC.

Rick

[Dennis Sorensen]

Calvin,

Re your comments about backers a few posts back...

When we first started registered shoots instead of removing a backer and bringing it in with the targets, we decided the first thing the target crew should do, was look at the target, if they could not easily count the number of bullet holes then to count the shots in the backer for each target and then to simply put a check mark on the target indicating the correct number of shots were fired. That saved a lot of time and effort. It is up to the club and the people involved to be honest.

[Pesky ab]

 a lot has changed ,benchrest has improved to the point where that would no longer be practical ,a large percentage of groups shot today are one hole , years ago a .250 would be a winning agg , even at a club level that is rare now ,to give perspective ,approx 85 records have been broken in the past 5 years by competitors all across Canada, the level of competition had risen dramatically in the last ten years to the point where usually only a few thousands separate the top shooters ,

[Dwayne Cyr]

I'm glad we are having this conversation. There does seem to be a surge in .30 for score stuff going on in Thunder Bay and Nova Scotia right now. Only a couple years ago it was really hard to get .30 cal bullets in Canada. I think what made us in Kenora decide we were ready to start registering our matches is we became aware of the records by shooting group competition and hanging out with other BRSC members in Selkirk and Calgary. Our scores climbed to the point that we stood a chance at a record. One hurdle to growing registered Score shooting in Canada is all the different club rules. There is no willingness by clubs to standardize and adopt the NBRSA rule book for their score shooting which they do just for fun. 

[rpollock]

I am pleased to advise the following shooters that the BRSC Record Committee has awarded each of them the following records in 2021:

June 12, 2021   Canadian Record   Hugh Williamson
Unl. 100 Yards 5-Shot .1768" Aggregate   

July 17, 2021    Canadian Record   Vic Edmunds
Unl. 100 Yards 5-Shot .1720" Aggregate

July 17, 2021 Canadian Record      Hugh Williamson
Unl. 100 Yards 5-Shot 1752" Aggregate

Aug. 29, 2021 Canadian Record     Phil Nick
HV 200 Yards 249-9X

Note that Vic and Hugh both broke the existing record for Unlimited 5 Shot aggregate at 100 yds on the same day, both will receive certificates, only Vic will be entered in the record book.

Congratulation to each Shooter for a job well done! Certificates will be mailed out as soon as they are ready.

Rick

[rpollock]

Please see attached Record Book updated to Dec 31, 2021. Print a copy to keep in your tool box for the upcoming 2022 season.

[mahigunn]

This is my most recent copy of BRSC records, somebody else will have to post the SORSA records:

BRSC 2006 Records

I was picking up targets in 1981 when Bill Trommer shot that 0.523 group in the warm up at 300 yards.

Let me tell you about the conditions that group was shot in. The old Lethbridge range was in the river valley and faced east. We were shooting into the sun and nobody was able to see bullet holes, even when we asked others to spot them from an angle.

So Bill just picked a condition and tried to shoot through the same one I guess. You cannot chase a shot you cannot even see.

[rpollock]

Well it is certainly getting a lot harder to break records in the BRSC, but I am pleased to announce that Wayne Miller managed to shoot a .058" 5-shot group at 100 yards in the Unlimited Class back on June 11, 2022 at the Rosebud Heavy Iron Shoot. Kudos to Wayne on a job well done.

Updated 2022 record book is attached.

[duceman]

thanks for the  update rick.
congrats to the folks that have made the grade; tough to top for sure!
wondering if there are any records kept of the equipment used to shoot those groups?
also, i assume that all the group sizes are adjusted to moa at 100 yds, or are the numbers actual measurements at each distance?

[rpollock]

As far as equipment specific to each record we don't really maintain that information, although with a bit of digging it may be available. Pre internet days equipment lists were published in the BRSC newsletter that was mailed to members. Post internet days the equipment list was published online.

For the group shooting records, the single target records are noted in the measured group size on each target. The aggregate records are noted as an average of the 5 target's measurement in moa. Not a "true" moa since it is just divided by 2 for 200 yard aggregates, and divided by 3 for 300 yard aggregates. This sport is pre digital era and for simplicity they did not use the true moa (1.047" at 100 yards) to calculate scores. It was all calculated by hand back in the day.

Note any potential record targets are sent to a 3 person record committee who average their 3 measurements to give a final measurement for consideration against the existing record.

Hope that helps.

[duceman]

thanks for the clarification rick.  if anyone had any of the old newsletters i sure would like a chance to make copies, kind of a history buff on some of this stuff, lee

[rpollock]

I don't have paper copies, but I have digital copies. They are large files. I will see if I can get them in to a dropbox and send you a link.

Anybody else that wants a link to the dropbox can email me: rickpollock@shaw.ca