This is not meant to be prescriptive, that is a recommendation of what to do. Shooters should always do what they feel is best and safe. This is simply a brief outline of some things I've tried or seen and what I would like to try.
Some rimfire shooters may never use a rest, others may prefer to use a bipod. This is about adapters for rimfire shooters using a front rest. More specifically it is about adapters that work with three inch wide front bags. It is easy to understand that many shooters may eschew the wide front bag in favour of one that fits their rifle's forestock (or forearm or fore-end). There's nothing wrong with that.
Many front bags are available in standard sizes, measured in half-inch increments of width, or in the more general sizes of narrow, medium, and wide. When using a variety of rimfire rifles that are in different designs, shapes, weights it can be challenging to find a front bag that fits the rifle's forestock well. They are often too narrow or too wide. The latter can be managed to some extent by using something to make the rifle fit the front bag a little better. For example, a piece of leather folded judiciously can help overcome mismatch between a front bag that is a little wider than the forearm of the rifle.
A solution to the problem of forestock to front bag fit is to have a variety of front bags and change them as needed. There's nothing wrong with that, except perhaps it may take a little time (but one shouldn't be in a hurry when shooting anyway).
Another solution may be to use a single front bag, the three inch wide front bag. The three inch front bag is often used by Bench Rest (BR) shooters who have rifles with a three inch wide forearm. The wide forearm and bag combination offer great stability and keep the rifle from canting. Here's a front rest that I've been using often. I have a new front bag for it (shown below) but haven't yet got around to changing them.
This is what it looks like with a rifle
Obviously it's a good match as this kind of rifle needs a front rest with an accommodating front bag. But not all rifles that are good for target shooting come with a three inch wide forearm. Some good shooters are not made with a BR stock. Take for example the ubiquitous UIT-style rifles, such as the Anschutz 1407. These rifles are very good shooters but their stocks don't fit a three inch front bag. There are other bags that fit well, of course, but do you may have to find one.
One solution is to modify a UIT-style stock so it has a three inch wide forestock. It is a bit of work and it is necessary to have access to the needed tools. I first bought such a stock off the EE and later, with my father's help (he's a retired wood worker), made this stock from an early seventies 1407 UIT-style stock. It's a bit of work and not for anyone in a hurry.
Another solution that I've used is to make a three inch wide adapter that can fasten on the bottom of such a rifle. These rifles usually have a rail on the bottom, on to which an adapter can be fastened. I've made a number of BR adapters out of oak, a hard wood that will not easily break and is readily available. The fasteners can be the most challenging part of this. I've used modified T-nuts and machine screws for this but there are other solutions. The easiest way is to attach a 1/4" thick and three inch wide piece by screws that go through the screw holes on the aluminum rail on the bottom of the forestock. No new holes are needed.
Here's a UIT-style stock with a 1/2" thick oak adapter, followed by a 1/4" oak adapter that is simply screwed on.
They can be made out of aluminum or other metal if it is more straightforward. Here's a Walther KKM I had that came to me with an aluminum BR adapter that fastened to the rail with machine screws.
Ideally the thinnest adapter is preferable. The closer the bore is to the rest, the better. The most important thing is probably that the bottom of the adapter and the barrel should be parallel. Here is one that went with a stock that had a deep forearm with a bit of slope to it's end.
There are other solutions as well. These are two of them that I recently received but have yet to try out. (My range has been closed for berm repairs since June 18 so I have a bit of time on my hands when it comes to shooting.) One is a three inch wide BR plate that attaches directly to the Anschutz-type rail, the other is a three inch wide BR adapter that can be used with a variety of forestock styles and widths -- without the need for a rail. Between them in the photo below is a three inch wide front bag.
The BR plate on the left is three inches wide and can fit anywhere on the Anschutz style rail. It's five inches long.
I find the BR adapter (the one on the right in the photo above the last) to be promising. I have a variety of rifles with different stocks and varying forearm shapes and widths. This one is adjustable. At it's widest it will accommodate a forearm that is 2 1/2" wide; at it's narrowest 1 5/8".
Here is the bottom of a forestock that is 2 1/2" wide. It's flat but needs to be wider to fit a three inch wide front bag. (The rifle is a Carl Gustav CG 22T.)
This adapter can work with a forestock that has a round bottom such as this rifle has.
It also fits this narrower, sporter style stock forearm.
I haven't yet tried these last two items at the range but hope to do so very, very soon (I'm getting impatient as my club range was only to have been closed for a couple of weeks). But I think that the ability to use one front bag with a variety of rifles with different stock designs is with merit. The three inch wide adapters and front bag help make the rifle stable and they help reduce the effects of cant, the potential inconsistency of which can lead to results that are not the desirable.
Some rimfire shooters may never use a rest, others may prefer to use a bipod. This is about adapters for rimfire shooters using a front rest. More specifically it is about adapters that work with three inch wide front bags. It is easy to understand that many shooters may eschew the wide front bag in favour of one that fits their rifle's forestock (or forearm or fore-end). There's nothing wrong with that.
Many front bags are available in standard sizes, measured in half-inch increments of width, or in the more general sizes of narrow, medium, and wide. When using a variety of rimfire rifles that are in different designs, shapes, weights it can be challenging to find a front bag that fits the rifle's forestock well. They are often too narrow or too wide. The latter can be managed to some extent by using something to make the rifle fit the front bag a little better. For example, a piece of leather folded judiciously can help overcome mismatch between a front bag that is a little wider than the forearm of the rifle.
A solution to the problem of forestock to front bag fit is to have a variety of front bags and change them as needed. There's nothing wrong with that, except perhaps it may take a little time (but one shouldn't be in a hurry when shooting anyway).
Another solution may be to use a single front bag, the three inch wide front bag. The three inch front bag is often used by Bench Rest (BR) shooters who have rifles with a three inch wide forearm. The wide forearm and bag combination offer great stability and keep the rifle from canting. Here's a front rest that I've been using often. I have a new front bag for it (shown below) but haven't yet got around to changing them.
This is what it looks like with a rifle
Obviously it's a good match as this kind of rifle needs a front rest with an accommodating front bag. But not all rifles that are good for target shooting come with a three inch wide forearm. Some good shooters are not made with a BR stock. Take for example the ubiquitous UIT-style rifles, such as the Anschutz 1407. These rifles are very good shooters but their stocks don't fit a three inch front bag. There are other bags that fit well, of course, but do you may have to find one.
One solution is to modify a UIT-style stock so it has a three inch wide forestock. It is a bit of work and it is necessary to have access to the needed tools. I first bought such a stock off the EE and later, with my father's help (he's a retired wood worker), made this stock from an early seventies 1407 UIT-style stock. It's a bit of work and not for anyone in a hurry.
Another solution that I've used is to make a three inch wide adapter that can fasten on the bottom of such a rifle. These rifles usually have a rail on the bottom, on to which an adapter can be fastened. I've made a number of BR adapters out of oak, a hard wood that will not easily break and is readily available. The fasteners can be the most challenging part of this. I've used modified T-nuts and machine screws for this but there are other solutions. The easiest way is to attach a 1/4" thick and three inch wide piece by screws that go through the screw holes on the aluminum rail on the bottom of the forestock. No new holes are needed.
Here's a UIT-style stock with a 1/2" thick oak adapter, followed by a 1/4" oak adapter that is simply screwed on.
They can be made out of aluminum or other metal if it is more straightforward. Here's a Walther KKM I had that came to me with an aluminum BR adapter that fastened to the rail with machine screws.
Ideally the thinnest adapter is preferable. The closer the bore is to the rest, the better. The most important thing is probably that the bottom of the adapter and the barrel should be parallel. Here is one that went with a stock that had a deep forearm with a bit of slope to it's end.
There are other solutions as well. These are two of them that I recently received but have yet to try out. (My range has been closed for berm repairs since June 18 so I have a bit of time on my hands when it comes to shooting.) One is a three inch wide BR plate that attaches directly to the Anschutz-type rail, the other is a three inch wide BR adapter that can be used with a variety of forestock styles and widths -- without the need for a rail. Between them in the photo below is a three inch wide front bag.
The BR plate on the left is three inches wide and can fit anywhere on the Anschutz style rail. It's five inches long.
I find the BR adapter (the one on the right in the photo above the last) to be promising. I have a variety of rifles with different stocks and varying forearm shapes and widths. This one is adjustable. At it's widest it will accommodate a forearm that is 2 1/2" wide; at it's narrowest 1 5/8".
Here is the bottom of a forestock that is 2 1/2" wide. It's flat but needs to be wider to fit a three inch wide front bag. (The rifle is a Carl Gustav CG 22T.)
This adapter can work with a forestock that has a round bottom such as this rifle has.
It also fits this narrower, sporter style stock forearm.
I haven't yet tried these last two items at the range but hope to do so very, very soon (I'm getting impatient as my club range was only to have been closed for a couple of weeks). But I think that the ability to use one front bag with a variety of rifles with different stock designs is with merit. The three inch wide adapters and front bag help make the rifle stable and they help reduce the effects of cant, the potential inconsistency of which can lead to results that are not the desirable.
