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Is it worth going all out to start with?

Rich23

Rich23

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After discovering the benchrest target shooting on the forum my daughter and I are going to start doing it next month. After getting a AA S400 .177 for my daughter to use I am very impressed with the fit and quality. I’m now looking at getting a dedicated BenchRest/FT/HFT rife. I started looking at the S500 as I prefer the loading lever over the rear bolt. This soon led to the 500HFT and now I’m considering the XTi 50 HFT.

Is it worth going all out with the XTi 50 and then learning the rifle through winter with Bench Rest and then to start competing next year with it?

I’m a buy once buy right person.

Thanks for any input or advice.
 
@Rich23
Whilst the XTi 50 is allegedly fantastic (I have no experience with it tbo).
You need to consider a couple of things
The size of your wallet. On top of the rifle cost you also will need a good Benchrest style scope (a dot in the middle, enough magnification and second focal plane).

Your shooting ability. If you are more than a 1 MOA shooter, is it good value to buy the best when your best is not equal to it? (I am not jumping to any conclusion about you. Hopefully you can get very tight groups at 25yards and beyond).

I’m sure most of us know guys with “all the gear and no idea”.

I’d like to recommend that you both try with what you’re currently shooting with (the S400 is a good rifle). If you are getting good results consistently, then I think you’ll not be wasting your money 💴

After a month or two, you should have a very good line on your ability. Buy based on that 🤩👍
 
Thanks for the reply and information. Definitely food for thought. I will be looking closer to Christmas to buy.

I’m a pretty good shot but I’m just coming back into shooting after a 15 year break. We are looking at ranges close to us and hopefully having a trip to Pete’s Airgun Farm this week coming so that should give me an idea on what I need to do to get back up to scratch.

I’m currently shooting a BSA R12 with a single shot adapter, 4-16 x 50 scope and getting great groupings from 20-40m.
 
Part of the problem is you are talking about totally different disciplines, they are so far apart you could get a jack of all, but it will be a master of none.

HFT500 is a good choice, but although perfectly adequate (and very popular) in BR you would also want to look at a dedicated BR stock & a BR scope.

If your happy to keep chopping and changing the set up then it's achievable, however I got fed up with doing so with my Steyr and am now looking at a separate rifle for BRUK and NSRA BR due to the different regs, throw in FT/HFT and you have a whole world of differences.
 
for £700+ you can buy a good condition 2nd hand HFT500, very few (if any) XTI's have made it to the used market yet so you will be paying an eye watering £3,300 new.

IMO there is NOT £2.5k difference between the two. The HFT is a superb rifle and will meet all the requirements you will ever need for either BR or HFT, the stock additions and custom options are varied and obtainable.

You do what pleases but for someone new to both disciplines you need to put the practice and learning in yourself, an expensive rifle wont do that for you.
 
You will never get a "Do it all" rifle sadly, No rifle will do BR AND FT AND HFT well and anything you set up will compromise one of the other disciplines

Re BR I would say try and track down a second hand HFT500 or with the release of the XTI look for a 2nd hand FTP900 .. Both every cracking rifles and will do the job for years also both will sell on if you decide to try something else

For BR scope get the Vector Sentinel-X 10-40*50 .. Either wait for the inevitable OW "Black Friday sale" in a few weeks or bite the current £199 price but do not be worried that a £199 scope will be useless as these punch well above their weight for BR (I use on on my FTP for our clubs BR)

www.opticswarehouse.co.uk

Vector Sentinel-X 10-40x50 SFP COM-25M 1/8 MOA Side Focus Target Scope

Magnification: 10-40x Objective Lens: 50mm Ocular Lens Dia: 44mm / 1.7 inch
www.opticswarehouse.co.uk www.opticswarehouse.co.uk

For FT, HFT500 will start you out well but will need some adds like a better but hook and Adjustable hamster or do the FTP900 second hand route and then a Falcon X50 Scope .. If you set up a BR rifle from above the Vector Sentinel will not range accurately, the reticule is too fine and you will be compromised at FT.. The X50 Scope will be OK for BR, but the reticle is a bit "thick" and the FT whole setup (hook, hamster, eye position due to seated versus table position will compromise the BR shooting

For HFT ask some one else, as I dont shoot it so cant help
 
Thanks for all the helpful replies.

The XTi 50 will not be a option at the moment, I'm just getting into BR and wont be starting HFT or FT until next year so I cant justify the price for a dedicated rifle. I think I was trying to go straight back to where I was before I stopped shooting (15 ish years ago), but the industry has come on a long way since then.

I'm going to use my BSA R12 .177 with a 56 mm 6-24 scope for now for BR then look for a dedicated BR rifle setup once I am more clued up on what is needed. The AA HFT 500 is looking favorite for a dedicated BR setup with the 56 mm 6-24 scope and then get myself along to some HFT and FT events to see whats what. The BSA R12 with a suitable scope for HFT/FT might be a good start and again work from there.

Thanks again
 
I've only been shooting BR for 2 years so I may not have as much experience as others.
I found I got so far but then hit a 'hump' and found it very hard to progress further. Someone suggested I change my Vector sentinel BR scope for a Nikko Stirling Diamond 10-50x60 with the MDIR reticle, as it has a small illuminated red dot in the centre. I managed to find one quite quickly.
Total revelation. The Japanese lenses and build quality plus the dot lifted my sighting to another level. So my scores went a bit higher. But still not good enough for me.
I was in my RFD, who have a 20yd range where I shoot BR cards, and I mentioned to the main guy there that I wondered if the Steyr LG110 I was shooting was up to the job. The answer was they're ok but they're not designed for BR. So he handed me a new HFT500, popped on some tatty old scope he had on the bench and invited me to go on the range and give it a thorough test.
The Steyr got left there and the HFT500 came home with me, and my scores rose a lot...
 
Thanks for the information. I am trying to find a HFT 500 in stock to go and have a look but they seem to be a order in item. I'm off to the local range tomorrow to introduce myself and join up. Hopefully there might be someone there with one. I just need to check the fitment in my arms.

Rich
 
The major thing with the HFT500 is the degree of adjustments available to you in the cheekpiece- it does a lot more than going up and down 😉. It's this aspect alone that enables you to achieve perfect eye alignment with the scope every time with ease.
 
HFT500, then after 12 months or longer, knowing it’s not you, the rifle (unlikely for most people ) consider the next level. I’m sure there are many who could out shoot me with an s400 and me with an xti50! A HFT will more than hold its own for most people . Pellets are the weak link along with the person pulling the trigger😀
Not to mention you need time to see if it’s you, it’s possible you could get fed up after a year or sooner .
 
I'm here to pee on the bonfire! Steyr, when fitted to you properly and set up correctly will outshoot the HFT 500. It will also be simple to re role into HFT, FT or BR by changing the scope. If you wanted action only and swap stocks then you could look at the Anschutz 9015.

The HFT is an ok rifle, well barrel.

Forgot to add the :)

As said before, you do what pleases you. I've had all 3 rifles. Sold the HFT500, won't sell the Steyr and currently loving the Anschutz.
 
The 9015 would be an excellent choice, easily changeable for multi discipline use and available second hand.
 
Either the Steyr or Anschutz will be able to be tuned to your pellets unless the HFT has had the AT removed. I'm not knocking the 500, it's just not the best and you said you were a buy once and get it right person. I think your AA loyalty is blinding you. I have an Air Arms Pro Target in its original setup; excellent rifle.
 
Rich23 said:
I’m a pretty good shot but I’m just coming back into shooting after a 15 year break. We are looking at ranges close to us and hopefully having a trip to Pete’s Airgun Farm this week coming so that should give me an idea on what I need to do to get back up to scratch.


What ranges near you are you looking at out of interest? I'm in a similar area. Cheers
Click to expand...
 
Interesting options with the Styer & 9015, some research is needed. Thanks for the suggestions.

I’m looking at a club in Herne Bay tomorrow and possibly one near Maidstone but I can’t find a name or contact for it.
 
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