Shooting rest or bag?

T

tomapleleafss

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Ask this in the shooting forum, never got much feedback, so I figured I'd ask here. What do most of you use for load development? Shooting bags or rest, or combo? I currently am using a Caldwell Deadshot front bag and a small squeezable rear bag. I'm fairly steady with it but there defiantly is some movement. I see those tac driver bags and thought they would be really stable but with a rest you can adjust them. Or do you use a shooting platform like a Leadsled. As always, thanks for your opinions.
 
I use the bags full of rice. Some guys like the adjustable rest but then others don't like them. I never have used a lead sled and have no intentions of ever using one.
 
It so depends on how much accuracy you are striving for.
Bags are great for hunting accuracy, and for most rifle shooting.
I'm out for the smallest groups possible with my precision rifles, off a bench.
So I took my lead from the most anal of the shooting fraternity, the bench rest guys.
They mostly use precision front rests, with elevation and windage adjustments, many with joystick control.
This may not be of interest to you at all, and that's fine.
PM me if you want some more info on one.
I'm not at all a "benchrest shooter" in that I shoot stuff like the PGW Coyote, but I do like to shoot under .5 MOA and a rest is the best way for me.
Below are pics of an Ohio benchrest meet I went to as an observer. Not one shooter used a bag for a front rest.
In the 2nd picture the guy went over the top with a 'Rolls Royce' of a rest. LOL.


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I have read a couple of different views on the material of bags. Some like rice, kitty litter, sand, etc to help keep the weight down. Others have said they use "heavy sand". The weight help keeps the bag more stable, but can weigh a lot. Not much of a problem for me because I can drive right up to the bench to shoot.
I defiantly see an advantage with the adjustable front rest. To be able to micro adjust your windage and elevation would be great. I see the rests used above look like they clamp down on the stock. This was a worry of mine since I see regular priced rests, the stock just sits on the rest. Are you really eliminating the rifle movement with these types of rests? That is why those tac driver type sand bags (I don' t even know if that is what they are called) interest me. It really looks like the rifle would be wedge in good and you would have little movement. Problem though, unless you get lucky, you are going to have to support the rifle in some manner as the rifle will never be where you want it.
 
njlondon said:
It so depends on how much accuracy you are striving for.
Bags are great for hunting accuracy, and for most rifle shooting.
I'm out for the smallest groups possible with my precision rifles, off a bench.
So I took my lead from the most anal of the shooting fraternity, the bench rest guys.
They mostly use precision front rests, with elevation and windage adjustments, many with joystick control.
This may not be of interest to you at all, and that's fine.
Click to expand...

^^^this

...i use bags exclusively because i'm an avid but casual shooter...but they work well for working up my hunting reloads and are accurate enough for popping coyotes out to 400 yards from my front porch with my .223
 
I use rests. They weren't that much. And I built a two bench from used lumber that would flip into my truck....8 years ago. Some times I throw a couple of 2x4's under the front one. they don't take up much room on the shelf.

Clint
 
I use a forend rest I made from high density foam at the shooting bench. Works well enough for me. Price was right too lol
 
I use a Caldwell rear bag that someone trashed due to a hole. I stitched it and added zorbal/floor dry which is basically kitty litter.
For the front I use a rolled up sleeping bag in a duffle bag.
I've shot a lot of great groups this way.
 
I use bags. Tried a lead sled at the range once and didn't really like it. I would like to try out a bench rest style front rest though, they seem interesting.
Kristian
 
I use a plain ol' plastic & alum picnic table with a couple of 6x6 wood blocks (any stack of square cut wood to the comfortable height will work) and a leather glove over those for the front rest and just my balled up fist under the rear stock. I shoot hole-in-hole at 100 yrds and gophers at 300 with the above set-up.

The thing is, those guys in the photo have put in the "informal" practice time and are already very good shooters and they don't need all that equipment to shoot very very well, all that equipment only makes it "easier" to shoot multi round matches consistently.

I don't consider using a lead-sled even shooting...it is "putting a machine into another machine" and pulling the bang switch...certainly not going to make anybody a better shooter.

what I am trying to say is that you don't need the most expensive equipment out there to make you a better shooter...you need to practice-practice and more practice and the most rudimentary set-ups are just as good as the "all adjustable" gizmos in the photo's. Once you have mastered the cheek-weld-eye-lineup-with-scope and cross-hair control and trigger control to not fire until that cross-hair is exactly where you want it to be , you will come to realize that gizmo isn't necessary...it's only a "keep-up with the Jones" at the bench beside you. That's you shooting your gun...not a machine.
 
fingers284 said:
I use a plain ol' plastic & alum picnic table with a couple of 6x6 wood blocks (any stack of square cut wood to the comfortable height will work) and a leather glove over those for the front rest and just my balled up fist under the rear stock. I shoot hole-in-hole at 100 yrds and gophers at 300 with the above set-up.

The thing is, those guys in the photo have put in the "informal" practice time and are already very good shooters and they don't need all that equipment to shoot very very well, all that equipment only makes it "easier" to shoot multi round matches consistently.

I don't consider using a lead-sled even shooting...it is "putting a machine into another machine" and pulling the bang switch...certainly not going to make anybody a better shooter.

what I am trying to say is that you don't need the most expensive equipment out there to make you a better shooter...you need to practice-practice and more practice and the most rudimentary set-ups are just as good as the "all adjustable" gizmos in the photo's. Once you have mastered the cheek-weld-eye-lineup-with-scope and cross-hair control and trigger control to not fire until that cross-hair is exactly where you want it to be , you will come to realize that gizmo isn't necessary...it's only a "keep-up with the Jones" at the bench beside you. That's you shooting your gun...not a machine.
Click to expand...

Well said. I like to be the one shooting my gun. Not another machine. A led sled is out of the question for me. I never used to have a rear rest. I used only my fist.
 
To be able to micro adjust your windage and elevation would be great. I see the rests used above look like they clamp down on the stock. This was a worry of mine since I see regular priced rests, the stock just sits on the rest.
Click to expand...

None of the rests that benchrest shooters clamp on the forend of the stock.
They are all free to recoil.
 
OP, for what it's worth.

This is what I use. Big box (cough) kit. I'm no benchrest shooter, rather just a hunter that's stepped into the rabbit hole of this reloading thing and trying to eliminate myself as error on shooting groups. Works well for my son and myself for developing hunting rounds ... now into the accuracy thing. I made boxes for quick grab and to keep ourselves organized. A kit for him and a kit for me.

Regards
Ronr

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