Air Rifle Benchrest

Air rifle benchrest is precision target shooting from a seated position at a fixed bench, using an air rifle. The rifle is supported at the fore-end on a rest; the rear of the stock is held by the shooter, not by a sandbag. One shot is fired at each scoring bull, with ten scoring bulls on a card. Highest score wins, with the X-ring used to break ties.

This page describes NSRA Air Benchrest — the UK governing-body discipline shot at Pinhoe TSC. It shares its rule set with .22LR benchrest (NSRA Rule 8.16). Other benchrest variants are shot internationally with different rules around rests, group measurement, and rifle classes; see UK & world competition below.

No Firearms Certificate required. Air rifles under 12 ft·lbs (England and Wales) are unregulated for ownership. Air benchrest is the natural starting point — same scoring, same technique, same rule set as .22LR benchrest, but with no certification process to work through.

Match format

NSRA Air Benchrest is score-based, not group-based. The course of fire is the same shape as .22LR benchrest:

• One shot per scoring bull
• Ten scoring bulls per card (plus separate sighters)
• Highest score wins, decided by X-ring count on tie

Distances commonly shot:

• 25 yards (indoor) — NSRA short-range air benchrest target, outward gauged
• 25 metres (indoor) — NSRA short-range air benchrest target, outward gauged

Air rifle benchrest is overwhelmingly an indoor short-range discipline; outdoor distances (50 m, 100 yd) are rare and wind-sensitive at sub-12 ft·lbs power, so most clubs and matches stay at 25 yard / metre.

The card has separate sighting bulls so you can zero and read the conditions before firing your ten scoring shots.

Scoring

Each bull is scored on the standard NSRA ring system, with a centre X-ring sitting inside the 10-ring. A clean 10 is worth ten points; an X is worth ten points but counts separately for tie-breaking. A card of ten bulls is worth a maximum of 100 points with 10X.

Short-range targets (20 / 25 yd, 25 m) are scored by outward gauging — the gauge is placed in the hole and the highest ring it touches counts. The X-ring is scored with a standard .22 plug gauge or an oversize gauge for short-range Xs.

Cards are submitted to leagues by the team captain; for club competition the scorer is usually a fellow member.

Equipment

Air rifle benchrest is the most accessible benchrest class — equipment is cheaper, no licensing, and the technique transfers directly to .22LR if you progress.

Rifle classes under NSRA Rule 8.16.1 (via Rule 8.3.4): any compressed air or CO₂ rifle, .22 calibre or smaller (.177 is the practical norm), single-loaded.

• PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) is recommended in practice. Consistent shot-to-shot velocity, no perceptible recoil, and the kind of trigger you can break without disturbing the hold.
• Springer (spring-piston) is allowed but much harder to shoot to a benchrest score — the lock cycle moves the rifle before the pellet has cleared the barrel, and consistency suffers.
• LSR class rifles are also allowed without their LSR weight/trigger limits.

A fore-end raising block of up to 75 mm width can be fitted to the rifle (Rule 8.16.1.3) to give the rest a flat surface.

Rests and supports:

• One rest at the fore-end only (Rule 8.16.3.2). You can use a sling instead of a rest, but not as well as.
• No rear bag, sandbag or other rear support when the rifle is in the firing position (Rule 8.16.3.5). The non-firing hand supports the rear of the stock.
• The bench top can have an elbow-comfort mat up to 20 mm thick (Rule 8.16.4.2).

This is the main difference from World Rules / WRABF benchrest, where a pedestal front rest plus a rear sandbag is the norm. NSRA Benchrest is deliberately closer to “natural” shooting — the rifle is still held, not bagged.

Pellets under NSRA Rule 8.16.2 / 8.2.3: any .22 or smaller airgun pellet, wholly of lead or similar soft material. Match-grade .177 pellets from Air Arms, JSB, RWS Meisterkugeln, H&N Field Target Trophy etc. are the usual choice; pellet preference varies by rifle so it’s worth trying a couple of tins.

Clothing and accessories:

• Glove on the non-shooting hand is permitted, ≤50 mm above the wrist, flexible material (Rule 8.16.3.6 → 8.7).
• Shooting jacket is permitted under flexible-only rules (Rule 8.16.3.7), but most benchrest shooters don’t wear one — there’s no recoil to manage.
• Ear protection is optional for air rifle (the noise is mild) but plenty of shooters wear it for comfort on a busy range.

Realistic prices — second-hand is far cheaper than new:

• A club-ready PCP target air rifle with a basic scope and fore-end rest is well under £500 second-hand.
• A new entry PCP target rifle plus scope and rest sits around £800–£1,200.
• Purpose-built competition PCP benchrest rifles run higher; they aren’t the entry point.

Technique

The rifle is held: the butt sits in your shoulder, your firing hand grips the hand grip, your non-firing hand supports the rear of the stock from below. The fore-end sits on the rest; the rear of the rifle never touches the bench when you’re firing.

Consistency is the whole game. Same shoulder pressure, same cheek position, same hand placement, same trigger press, every shot. The rest takes the rifle’s weight; the shooter’s job is to remove their own variability from the equation.

PCP charging level matters — a falling air-cylinder pressure shifts point of impact over a card, so plan refills around the course of fire rather than mid-card.

UK & world competition

In the UK, the NSRA governs air rifle benchrest. The main competitions:

• NSRA postal leagues — winter and summer leagues for air benchrest; shoot a card during a regular club night, the team captain submits scores
• NSRA British Championships — annual championships with classes for air benchrest
• Club opens — clubs across the UK host opens through the year

Internationally, the World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation (WRABF) runs a different variant — group-shooting at 25 m, 50 m and 100 yd, with a pedestal rest plus a rear sandbag and groups measured edge-to-edge. WRABF Europeans and Worlds are biennial; British air-rifle shooters compete under separate WRABF UK rules when training and qualifying for those events.

The two formats co-exist in the UK: NSRA score benchrest at club and national level, World Rules / WRABF group benchrest for international competition.

At Pinhoe TSC

Pinhoe TSC shoots NSRA Air Benchrest indoors:

• Pinnbrook Right — 25 yard indoor benchrest range, 5 firing points

Club air rifles are available for beginners. Air benchrest is the easiest way into the discipline — no Firearms Certificate, club equipment provided, and the technique transfers directly to .22LR if you later progress.

If you’re new, start with the Give it a Go programme — three coached sessions for £50, all kit provided, including a session on the bench.

Related disciplines also offered at Pinhoe: .22LR Benchrest, Prone Air Rifle, 10m Air Rifle.