Champion benchrest Stuart Elliot has set a new record for the smallest 5-shot, 5-group aggregate ever shot in Australia over 100 yards. He accomplished the amazing feat this year using a custom-built 6 mm PPC at the 39th Annual Harry Madden Benchrest Championships in Brisbane.
These Championships involve the two main classes for benchrest shooting. These are ‘light gun’ (4.7kg) and ‘heavy gun’ (6.3kg). The format each day is the same. Each shooter shoots 5 targets at 100 yards and another 5 targets at 200 yards. The group sizes are measured for each target. There is a 100 yard aggregate (which is reflected as the average group size in MOA) and then a 200 yard aggregate. The class aggregate is calculated by combining both.
The record Stuart shot was in the 100 yard stage. For the 5 targets at 100 yards he shot .088, .188, .165, .146 and .191 MOA groups, which led to an aggregate of .1556 MOA for the 25 shots. Amazing shooting!
This is the smallest aggregate ever shot in Australia. The target will have to be verified by SSAA records committee before confirmation so technically it is a “pending record”.
The record is probably one of the last ‘Holy Grails’ for  Stuart in what has been a glittering shooting career. Amongst approximately 60 National titles over 35 years of benchrest shooting, Stuart has also won gold at the World Championships in 1995 for 300 yard event, and then again in 2009 in South Africa in a teams event. This was, and still is, the only time the USA teams have ever been beaten.
Stuart’s benchrest targets are presented hereabouts and might look unusual to the uninitiated. There is a centreline through the card to distinguish the top and the bottom sections. Below the line is for firing sighter shots to check wind drift, angle changes, etc. The top part is where the 5 shot group has to be shot. In the photo you can see a few of Stuart’s sighter shots at the bottom, which he fires at the beginning of a 7 minute relay to check the bullet movement in slightly different winds. The shooter can then aim whereever they like up the top, as long as the group is as tight as possible. Sometimes Stuart adjusts his aiming spot slightly for each shot if the wind changes.
As an aside, the shots through each target are counted by a special moving brackets system. A long card is placed in the frame behind and at the end of each relay it is removed with the target as a proof card that 5 shots are in each group.
To summarise how to achieve the ultimate in pure accuracy, Stuart offers the following tips. You need a very accurate rifle and very accurate handloads (which Stuart makes just before we he shoots each relay so he can adjust the load as the temperature and humidity changes). Then, finally you need to steer it. Most of the skill is ‘reading the wind’ and coping with poor sight picture caused by mirage. The mirage at even 100 yards can be that bad that only a blurred centre ring is visible, while the outer fine lines cannot be distinguished at all. As with all mirage conditions it causes the sight picture to bounce around and ‘flow’ so precise aim becomes difficult.
Stuart’s equipment
Cartridge is 6mmPPC
Action is a stainless steel BAT single shot DS model (USA)
Scope is a MARCH 10x-60x (Japan)
Stock is a carbon fibre by Bob Scarborough (USA)
Barrel is a Maddco (AUS)
Bullets are Berger 6mm “Column” from the USA – moly coated  but otherwise out of the box.
Powder is ADI BM-2 (AUS)
Lapua cases. (Finland)
Federal primers (USA)
Front benchrest is a Farley coaxial (USA)
This is what an Australian record looks like: Stuart Elliot’s five targets shot at 100 yards.
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