Front Rest and Rear Rabbit Ear Bag Recommendations

quikcolin

quikcolin

Regular
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Hey guys,

I have a Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5CM and also a T3x Stainless Varmint in .223. Both in their OEM Tikka stocks - which are identical stocks btw). I’ve been enjoying reloading and hunting down the tightest groups possible. It’s becoming an obsession.

Up until now I’ve always shot off a Harris bipod and Armageddon rear bag. I shoot exclusively off a concrete bench. However, I’m beginning to understand that a front rest and a rear rabbit ear bag can be big help in gaining accuracy. Tight groups. I guess that’s why 90% of the guys I see at the range are using them.

I was considering a Caldwell “The Rock” front rest (I see a lot of them out there in use) or “The Rock BR” and a Protektor rear bag (rabbit ears) - which seem to have great reviews. Not sure if that’s a god setup for my rifles or not? Open to suggestions.

If I go with Protektor should I get a tall with solid bottom, or standard height?

Thanks guys! Like I said I’m open to suggestions! Canadian friendly suggestions. I really would like to purchase from Canada.
 
Last edited:
Tall main body is great for shooting down hill if your range is not level. I like rabbit ears as opposed to bunny ears. Solid bottom rocks from side to side on uneven surfaces like a wood plank bench and it slides around. Some guys keep a bottle of water to wet the bench top to prevent it from sliding. I like a plain Protektor Model #13 soft bottom rear bag in a doe nut bag stabilizer. That is the most stable rear bag set up I have found. Also I like the 3M super slippery silver material on the rear bag ears and front bag. No need for used dryer sheets, baby powder or bag wax.
I like heavy sand in the main body because the weight helps the bag stay put under recoil. The bag doesn't get kicked out from rifle torque. The Rock BR front rest is nice and heavy but the old style windage top was horrible. I don't know if they changed it. I have 3 heavy iron front rests. A Hart 1000 yard rest, a Caldwell Rock BR and a custom rest from a BR shooter in Winnipeg. On all 3 I use a Sinclair windage top and a Sinclair rear speed screw. That shooting style might be termed "knob twiddler" but I like dialing the crosshair exactly where I want it. Other guys squeeze the rear bag to line things up but that does not work for me. Then there's joy stick front rest. The Farley is popular followed by the Seb and Shade Tree top can be added to a standard front rest.
 
Last edited:
I use "The Rock" deluxe and Protektor #13A rabbit ear bag. I filled the bag with dense plastic pellets (from a craft store)... you sacrifice some stability in it being less dense than sand, but the contents never leak out. My >400y range is also way back in the bush, and the mound and location is most conducive to using a bipod and the #13A bag, as well I occasionally use such a combination on small vermin and until the grass grows high in late spring, woodchucks are fun shooting prone from a distance.

Granted, if the sole goal of the setup was 1/4" groups I'd spend more on the front rest and fill the #13A with lead shot. For the record, I can shoot <1/2" moa regularly but having a high metabolism I'm prone to flinging 1:5 as I sometimes lose to dealing with my "Jack Russel Terrier twitch". (this does annoy, but the advantage is - even getting older, I still have to try to get fat.)
 
Keep in mind if you end up shooting a benchrest match where IBS, NBRSA rules apply, the only thing you can fill the bag with is sand.
 
I often use a Caldwell rock jr for load testing and have had good results. One thing I have noticed is that the leather (I remember it being fake leather but don't have it with me atm) is a bit grippy so I plan to cover it with something that will allow the rifle to recoil more smoothly. My rear bag is homemade using an old pair of pants and walnut tumbling media as fill. This setup works very well for me.
 
For my rear bag I just purchased an Edgewood mini gator with the new super slick material and it has been fantastic. It has a rough leather bottom and I have had no slipping on wood or concrete benches shooting 300WM.

I filled it with “ heavy sand”. You can get normal sand, river bed sand or heavy sand. Do some googling, but if I remember right the same volume of sand would weigh, as an example, 1 lb ( normal sand) 1.4 lbs ( river bed sand) and 2 lbs ( heavy sand). River bed sand can be purchased at pet stores, but I could not find a Canadian source for the heavy chromite sand and had to buy it from Brownells. Call them regarding shipping. They flew my sand and shipping was twice as much as the sand!

The Edgewood bag came from a store in Winnipeg that is not a CGN sponsor, but google can help you there too. Sorry, I shop everywhere but won’t promote them on CGN if the are not a site sponsor.

I am shopping for a new front rest myself. If you buy a new one, share your thought on what you like about it, and don’t like.
 
The next step up from Caldwell front rests is Sinclair and Bald Eagle. Every shot will benefit from a good rest. My suggestion is to buy the best, you'll have it for life.

I like the protekor high rabbit ear leather bag for the rear rest.
 
Most people at my range have nice machined front rests. I bought one of those weighted minimal recoil (make your gun into artillery) rests but messed up the height adjustments given the piss poor instructions for set up and have barely used it.... I personally like my Caldwell Bad set that I got for about $20 for front and read bags that work for everything and are filled with a combination of Rice and Wood pellet kitty litter. It may not give you the perfect results of a $300+ rest but it matches real world conditions pretty well and has served me for some time (even with the duct tape on that wearing seam). I have considered a fancier rest but I an honestly happy with simple.
 
This is my main set up for the front rest. I purchased a Sinclair All Purpose saddle/bags and fit it on top of an the “Rock”. Threads were a bit different but it is doable. For the rear bag, I use an Edgewood gator filled with heavy sand. I recently purchased a mini gator but it collects dust (the bigger the better).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom