Bench shooting Rests

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regulate34

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I figured i would post in this forum.

I’m looking for a new set-up for bench shooting and sighting in my rifles.

i have a old “sled” style rest and hate it.
i got a few bipods i use too.

i would like to get a 2 piece system.
front tri-pod and a rear bag i think.

i have a wide range of guns and i swap optics around and play with new handloads all too often.

i would like something that lasts and has some finer adjustments.

what are good brands or what to stay away from.
 
For rifle sighting there are systems that are purely mechanical like Hyskore. I have one and have used it with great results for proving zero.
The benches at my range are about 4" thick concrete on steel three leg stand. I strap the front of the Hyskore down with a cam strap. This gives me repeatable results.
FKNR5683.JPG
 
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I've been pretty happy with a Tier One carbon FTR bipod and a Dima rear rest - the bipod is very adjustable/stable for height and the Dima rest is very stable on the back-end (any good rear bag with ears and the right height should also work, but I like to support Ukrainians where I can). For example, I can usually boresight a new gun with that setup in 2 rounds (first gets quite close, second spot on after scope adjustment).
 
Been using one just like this for years and years and years. I quit even bringing it inside any more. Sits out on my shooting bench all year long in all weather, 10 years at least, and works just like it did the day I bought it. I feel it was worth every penny.

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I did just clean a couple of these off the bench just a couple of days ago. They set on there and got used any time I had company for many many years to.

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Not very portable but cheap. Make one and just leave it every place you shoot from. No need to carry one around.
 
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guntech said:
Benchrest shooters used a front and rear bag for 50 years and it still works. Bags are better than bipods I believe.
Click to expand...
my only concern with a front bag is the different type of rifles.

i find my sled type rest needs a lot of adjustment between two different guns.
 
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My current setup is the same as OkayShooter’s minus the Vanguard tripod (I’ll have to look at one of those…).
The rear bag is the finicky part, I have 4 or 5 of them and it takes a bit to find one that matches the rifle, I’ve never found one that fits all of them.
If there’s a unicorn rear bag out there aim still looking for it…it’s like a Goldilocks thing…
Also really depends on what type of bench shooting you are doing, how you shoot and your budget.
There are some really nice front rests for competitions but they come with a hefty price tag and in some cases a lengthy wait time and by design they are usually optimized for one specific set of circumstances. Likely not what you are after, but that’s an assumption.
On the other end of the spectrum some guys like a heavy bag like a Caldwell Tack Driver for bench work and they are stable, affordable and seem to do the job although I’m on the fence with them (maybe mine needs more fill). For years our benches had sandbags made from old inner tubes and with the right amount of fill of the right sand they worked great with a simple rear bag.
While not completely happy with what I currently use I think it’s good middle ground; not to big or heavy so it’s easy to pack around, sturdy so it doesn’t get damaged while doing so, doesn’t leak its contents and didn’t drain my wallet.
Personally I’m not a fan of the larger cradles or injected molded plastic options; they're just too big and bulky plus some designs put a lot of extra recoiled force in the stock that I’m just not onboard with. Some designs also try to remove the shooter from the equation and I’m not into that, I prefer to be an integral part of that solution.
I have and like bipods but on the bench they can create as many or more issues than what they try to solve but that is largely dependent on the type of bench top and the feet of the bipod so YMMV.
 
wasrupzuk said:
My current setup is the same as OkayShooter’s minus the Vanguard tripod (I’ll have to look at one of those…).
The rear bag is the finicky part, I have 4 or 5 of them and it takes a bit to find one that matches the rifle, I’ve never found one that fits all of them.
If there’s a unicorn rear bag out there aim still looking for it…it’s like a Goldilocks thing…
Also really depends on what type of bench shooting you are doing, how you shoot and your budget.
There are some really nice front rests for competitions but they come with a hefty price tag and in some cases a lengthy wait time and by design they are usually optimized for one specific set of circumstances. Likely not what you are after, but that’s an assumption.
On the other end of the spectrum some guys like a heavy bag like a Caldwell Tack Driver for bench work and they are stable, affordable and seem to do the job although I’m on the fence with them (maybe mine needs more fill). For years our benches had sandbags made from old inner tubes and with the right amount of fill of the right sand they worked great with a simple rear bag.
While not completely happy with what I currently use I think it’s good middle ground; not to big or heavy so it’s easy to pack around, sturdy so it doesn’t get damaged while doing so, doesn’t leak its contents and didn’t drain my wallet.
Personally I’m not a fan of the larger cradles or injected molded plastic options; they're just too big and bulky plus some designs put a lot of extra recoiled force in the stock that I’m just not onboard with. Some designs also try to remove the shooter from the equation and I’m not into that, I prefer to be an integral part of that solution.
I have and like bipods but on the bench they can create as many or more issues than what they try to solve but that is largely dependent on the type of bench top and the feet of the bipod so YMMV.
Click to expand...
I only use vanguard for general shooting because it folds and packs in my range bag.
 
For portable use I have a few folding/collapsing/telescoping rests, but at my shooting bench I have a waterproof plastic storage bin with about a dozen assorted sizes and shapes of sand bags stored inside. I'll always choose a sandbag set-up if possible. Even if you have only one front bag, a selection of short pieces of wooden planks to stack up underneath allows for adjusting height.

Probably my most-used bag is a small rectangular flat one to rest my right elbow on, especially when shooting in warm weather wearing short sleeves. Next in importance is an angled eared bag to support the rear stock, which slides forward and backward for gross adjustments in elevation. Just about all the rest of my bags are just different heights and widths of front rests.
 
Nothing fancy here. I use the Rock Jr. on the front and whatever bag is handy for the rear. The Rock is nice for the elevation adjustment -- better than fiddling with a front bag if you ask me.
 
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