How to bench rest shoot at 25 & 50 yards?

[MSparks909]

Did a search and nothing came up. What is the best way to bench rest shoot a handgun for accuracy/load testing at 25 and 50 yards? I went to the range last week and attempted to bench my 1911 to check POA/POI with the new sights I installed. Well...that was a frustrating experience. Returned sporadic 5-6" groups at best. I was resting the pistol and my arms on top of my MidwayUSA range bag. The shots felt clean when I broke them but I couldn't begin to quantify what I shot at 25 yards to be a "group." I actually shot a better group offhand at 25 compared to benching the gun.

So how do you guys bench rest your pistols? Rest the dust cover/rail on a sandbag? Rest the gun's magazine directly on the bench? Any other tips/suggestions would be appreciated.

[ASH556]

Did a search and nothing came up. What is the best way to bench rest shoot a handgun for accuracy/load testing at 25 and 50 yards? I went to the range last week and attempted to bench my 1911 to check POA/POI with the new sights I installed. Well...that was a frustrating experience. Returned sporadic 5-6" groups at best. I was resting the pistol and my arms on top of my MidwayUSA range bag. The shots felt clean when I broke them but I couldn't begin to quantify what I shot at 25 yards to be a "group." I actually shot a better group offhand at 25 compared to benching the gun.

So how do you guys bench rest your pistols? Rest the dust cover/rail on a sandbag? Rest the gun's magazine directly on the bench? Any other tips/suggestions would be appreciated.

Looking forward to answers as I have the same problem.

[Malamute]

I am also curious if theres a formal, correct way. As I understand it, the gun shouldnt touch anything. Beyond that, I don't know. When I try for best accuracy, its over the hood of my truck, body against the truck, arms and hands supported on the hood by a rolled blanket. With that method I've shot a 6" group @ 100 yards with a 6" 29, and under that with a Colt Ace kit on a National Match Colt frame (I dont recall exactly but I'm thinking in the 4 1/2" group range for 10 shots). Without a formal bench rest, kneeling and sitting can often give good results.

The best shooting I've done was with younger eyes. I don't know if I'm saying it correctly, but my vision used to be 40/20. The eye doc said I could see at 40 feet what most could see at 20 feet. It's closer to 20/25 now I think, at least in the right eye.

One thing to use for deliberate fire is the Merit eyepiece that attaches to your shooting glasses. It allows a sharp focus of the sight picture when adjusted.

[JV_]

I rest my forearms on something like a table. I do not rest the gun. I also make sure the gun doesn't touch anything during recoil, because it can cause thrown shots.

[Jay Cunningham]

I find this interesting because I too have had recent experience where I was able to consistently shoot better groups offhand at 25 and 50 yards than I did "off the bench". I thought I knew how to do it... but apparently not.

However, a buddy of mine told me about something he'd picked up from a local club PPC whiz - standing, support hand braced did in fact turn in some good results for me. Basically you brace the back of your support hand off of a post or pole. YMMV, naturally.

[JHC]

I can always shoot the smallest groups with a pistol using a rest. I don't try it very often but usually a few times with a new pistol when I'm curious as to its level of mechanical precision. When I've shot stupid good groups; it's been rested. This one was with my elder son's new at the time Gen 4 G17 when the first batch of FDE guns came out. It's been so long I don't recall if that flyer was called or not. https://www.flickr.com/photos/78036189@N07/7782223568/

My method has been to put the large backpack I use as a range bag on the bench and dig the heels of my hands, wrist and lower forearms into the pack for stability, and I'm seated at benchrest table.

[imp1295]

I've tried this:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/shooting_h...bench_rest.htm

With results good enough to determine sight alignment etc.

[Malamute]

What distance was that?

Can we conclude that the FDE guns are the match guns and the black ones are the "street" guns

[mizer67]

I've had the best luck using the base plate of the magazine as a monopod and resting the frame on a sandbag or rest. That way, you have at least two solid points of contact. This works particularly well with guns like CZ's that have relatively flat baseplates and angles, less so with a Glock due to the grip angle. Your (eye) position behind the gun makes a difference as well.

[JHC]

What distance was that?

Can we conclude that the FDE guns are the match guns and the black ones are the "street" guns

It's written on the target. 25 yards, rested, Speer Lawman 124 gr. Gen 4 Glocks in our experience are friggin precise. They lack a 3 lb SA trigger however.

This one was bought in March 2010. It's got about 11K rds on it, still running the original unmarked .40 weight RSA to see how far it goes. It's still TIGHT. https://www.flickr.com/photos/78036189@N07/7523718476/


This OD Gen 3 is older, from their first run of OD frames whenever that was. Gen 3's in my experience are pretty good. Gen 4's tighter. Again all these are rested with good ammo. https://www.flickr.com/photos/780361...n/photostream/