Matthew gleaves BEM: Benchrest shooting and me

Airgun World: So, who is Matthew Gleaves?

Matthew Gleaves BEM: I am 55 years old, married to Sharon and we have a grown-up daughter called Emily. We live in County Durham. Sharon is my roadie. We call her “the flag monkey” as she puts my wind flags out as one of her jobs at competitions. She even has a silly t-shirt bearing the nickname! She is amazingly supportive and we have a Team Gleaves attitude. The airgun community is incredible and we love being a part of it.

AW: How did you first get involved in airgun shooting?

MG: My late father Nick introduced me to airguns when I was around 11 years old. He had always enjoyed fieldsports so he was keen to do it with me. He taught me to shoot using a pair of Webley Tempest pistols. I immediately enjoyed it and never looked back. My family had access to farms so I had plenty of opportunities to shoot. At 18, I found pool, so I swapped my airgun for a cue. Then, in 2010, my daughter Emily got really into shooting indoor 10m air pistols and started competing at national level to the extent that she was on the radar of Olympic talent scouts. She then went off to university and her interest waned. During the pandemic I was bored and stuck at home, so I started using the range we had built for her in our garden. My success happened quickly, I went from a complete unknown to the top-ranked benchrest shooter on the tour in just over a year.

AW: In a nutshell, what is benchrest shooting?

MG: As the name suggests, you shoot a rifle from a bench or table whilst using a front rest and a back bag support. My world rules event is shot over a distance of 25 metres. The air rifles are supported, so this gives us the opportunity to develop the skill to hit extremely small targets, which can be a 2mm bullseye. This can become even more difficult if you are shooting outside whilst battling atmospherics and fighting your own heartbeat. This shooting discipline is deceptively hard and I see many remarks online about benchrest being so easy, but trust me, it is one of the hardest disciplines to master. The difference between just having a nice day out at a competition, or being a winner, can be the smallest fraction of a millimetre.

AW: Tell us about your overall airgun setup…

MG: I have two matching Anschütz 9015 HP air rifles and due to their orange stocks they are collectively known as the Tangerine Dream. These rifles have been highly customised and tuned by “Tench” tuning. They also have select barrels supplied to me by the Anschütz factory (I feel very honoured they offered me these due to my success). The barrels are capped off with my customised one-of-a-kind silencers, which I have perfected over many months in my shed.

The rifle actions sit in two Tilly gun stocks made by Tommy Bennet. These custom stocks are made to fit my shorter frame and accommodate my main disability……I’m left-handed. Proudly sitting on top is a SIII 45×45 Sightron benchrest scope, which has an ultra fine reticle.

I shoot H&N Baracuda FT pellets that I find to be the most consistent I’ve tried and the combination of all these factors makes my Tangerine Dream team possibly the most accurate rifles anywhere on the Benchrest UK tour.

AW: Can you describe the adaptations or specialised equipment you use?

MG: As a wheelchair user I use the same airguns as everyone else and I compete against able-bodied shooters. The only adaptation I need is a lower shooting bench as I am only 4ft tall. I use a converted wooden dog grooming table. In some ways, I am at a slight disadvantage as other competitors use purpose-built solid steel shooting benches.

AW: Do you hunt with airguns or only shoot targets?

MG: Hunting plays a valuable role but it’s just not my cup of tea as I’m all about accuracy. I am a self-confessed geek. For me, benchrest shooting can be divided into thirds – marksmanship, the equipment and then testing to the nth degree. I identify as a hobby engineer as much as a shooter.

AW: What has been your proudest achievement in airgun shooting so far?

MG: One of the first competitions I ever took part in, I placed fourth. This came as a shock as I was so new to the sport. Since then, I have won the Benchrest UK National Championship in 2023. This saw me have the most successful season of any Benchrest UK air rifle shooter on record. Over the last three seasons I have only been off the podium at one event. I also won seven golds in the 2023 season. The season culminated by being crowned British champion. I had to shoot near perfect cards (249/250) many times over the season to achieve this.

AW: How do you prepare mentally and physically for benchrest competitions?

MG: I am very lucky as I do not suffer from nerves. I am able to block out all noise and distractions. My wife says I have selective hearing, so my “superpower” gets me in trouble at home sometimes! So, I do not have to prepare mentally for competitions but I do practise. I normally spend 10 hours a week practising, which might ramp up to 15 hours ahead of competition. At home, I tend to focus on one element of shooting at a time and only move on once I feel like I have ironed out any flaws.

AW: What challenges have you faced as a shooter with a disability, and how have you overcome them?

MG: Accessibility. There are plenty of indoor ranges that are wheelchair friendly but very few outdoor ranges. There is sometimes a reticence among club owners to make changes but I am slowly seeing the industry make some investments.

AW: Tell us about AirAbility…

MG: AirAbility was launched in 2021 when a group of friends and I initiated a Facebook group and YouTube channel with the intention to promote inclusivity in the sport of airgunning. AirAbility is a daily part of many of our lives and has brought like-minded people together from all walks of life. The Facebook group now has 2,200 members, and we hold live events. With a focus on inclusivity, we showcase outdoor and benchrest shooting as well as the back garden plinker. Our intention is to create a friendly online community that can support everyone who wishes to take part in airgun shooting.

AW: Tell us something about yourself that not many people know…

MG: In the noughties I was the second ranked wheelchair American pool player in the UK. I played at three European championships and events in the US.

Matthew Gleaves BEM was the guest editor of the December 2024 issue of Airgun World