Looking for BR machined Front Rest, I would welcome some advise

bigHUN

bigHUN

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Aurora/ON
First of all I am shooting airgun from a bench @100 meters in .25 cal, in a gun club. This is a FX Impact MK2 PP. I have also a nice and decent quality optic 10-50x60.
Many of my airgun shooters down South of border like the front bipods, I just don't have any positive opinion about these.
Along the line I decided to go with a specially modified tripod for BR shooting, the front end of the gun is fixed elevation and the changes I am doing at the rear with a monopod.
This works pretty well, but still with every 4-5 shots I need to -re-shift the POA for about a MOA or two. = not heavy enough and slowly shifting the focus, mostly to the Right (you see I never toke a bubble level with me if the bench is in level at least).
I am hoping that I could train up for a next season to go 200 Meters, but for that I would need a more serious equipment to clamp down the FX.
I am eyeing the BR - machined front rests for a while but the selection and the price tag is hesitating. In my (mechanical engineering) eyes the mechanical structure of the rest must be tight and precise, but buying anything based on online pictures only is not easy. I can chose let say the "A" brand but when arrives and I find out this is some loose tolerance clonked out garbage, that would make me really emotional. And no need to tell me "you get what you pay for" because there are also some nasty variations as well, you could agree with me on that.
Anybody can point me to a direction where I may look for a second hand Front Rests in Canada, to start with? I don't want to buy a big chunk of metal and ship it from States.
Thanks in advance.
 
I don't know if I want the joystick or not, but I was reading some reviews who ever tried the joystick rest never went back...
I just know one thing, the elevation and windage slider/leadscrews must be play-free because my FX airgun is only about half the weight as the similar size powder burner. Also I have a full length arca rail on the bottom that may be a better then ever clamping solution.

btw, what is that EE means?
 
Trust me. Once you shoot a joystick rest you will never go back. Do you just shoot air rifle or other's? Regardless they are the best. Not cheap but an awesome shooting investment for off of the bench
 
bigHUN said:
I don't know if I want the joystick or not, but I was reading some reviews who ever tried the joystick rest never went back...
I just know one thing, the elevation and windage slider/leadscrews must be play-free because my FX airgun is only about half the weight as the similar size powder burner. Also I have a full length arca rail on the bottom that may be a better then ever clamping solution.

btw, what is that EE means?
Click to expand...

EE is equipment exchange.

Do you plan on trying to clamp it direct to the front rest or use a sand bag like they are designed for?
 
TrxR said:
...Do you plan on trying to clamp it direct to the front rest or use a sand bag like they are designed for?
Click to expand...

I would try to clamp to a rail but that will be a project most likely, I don't think any rests have that swiss-arca. I don't like squeezing the bag, right now I have a rear monopod but that will have to change.
 
View attachment 546397

I already have tried several scenarios and to improve the grouping consistency I feel that the entire setup is not heavy enough. I filled the tripod legs with lead shots that was a slightly improvement.
 
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The problem with this tripod + levelling head is that....when I move to a next row on a 5x5 target,
I need to un-tight the head -> move to next row -> tighten the head,
and if I don't pay attention -> put up my reading glasses to see if the scope bubble is still centered = there it goes my MOA.
I hate wearing reading glasses as much I can handle things and that is pissing put them on-and off 5x5 times for every target, and usually I shot 150-200 at my average visit. This is a beauty shooting airguns. Yes, more vulnerable to wind and elements but that makes you just loving the challenges.
My next rest I want to level the base and clamp the gun, and go from there.
 
Winter is coming and looks like this one will be a long enough for a project.
I started putting a design concept together, a friend of my have a machine shop and he can fabricate the parts if I give him the details. Also I have a SLA printer for a quick R&D.
These shooting rests are easy to make only how to get it look pretty ;) ?
 
What longer I am looking into online pictures I started leaning towards a one piece rest. But my airgun is dimensionally different also the shape (modular skeleton gun) I will most likely order a custom built from a machinist.
 
If we were able to see some pics of attachment points I bet you could have a flat 3" friend built for under the tank that would work on a standard shooting rest like a Farley, SEB, or even the rimfire 1 piece rests.
 
The problem I am seeing is that I will cash out a large chunk for any rest and still need to modify the parts. Why not make one from scratch than? I am a mechanical designer btw, and already started working on the concept.
So far I like this one, simple, not many moving parts, but trying to skip that vise and threaded elevation at front.
View attachment 550131
 
That airgun btw won the scoring over rimfire @ last 100 meters BR match in Oct/Nov.
The guy made an electronic trigger for it, I have not seen those before.
 
bigHUN said:
The problem I am seeing is that I will cash out a large chunk for any rest and still need to modify the parts. Why not make one from scratch than? I am a mechanical designer btw, and already started working on the concept.
So far I like this one, simple, not many moving parts, but trying to skip that vise and threaded elevation at front.
Click to expand...

When you refer to the "vise ... at front," is it the general area to which the arrow points?


 
grauhanen said:
When you refer to the "vise ... at front," is it the general area to which the arrow points?
Click to expand...

Yes, this is my basic understanding no hard clamping, need to allow to slide as much the recoil. This picture below shows the bottom-front arca rail (air bottle removed):

View attachment 550228

I have several clamp blocks and just need to figure to put the elevation adjustment on the upper deck or in between the upper and lower plates.
I have seen only these two styles so far in a single piece rest, theoretically I can imagine the pros and cons for both designed.
 
bigHUN said:
Yes, this is my basic understanding no hard clamping, need to allow to slide as much the recoil. This picture below shows the bottom-front arca rail (air bottle removed):
Click to expand...

In benchrest shooting with a rest, the rifle isn't clamped on the rest. In .22LR BR, for example, the rifle is allowed to move or slide back and forth with the recoil.

The purpose of .22LR one-piece BR rests is to allow for near perfect alignment of the benchrest stock butt stock and the forestock/barrel.

To explain further for anyone curious, .22LR benchrest-specific stocks have no cast, and the bottom of the buttstock is parallel to the bore. All one-piece shooting is invariably done free recoil, in which the shooter doesn't touch the rifle except to activate the trigger.

When the rifle moves with the shot, everything -- the shape of the stock, with buttstock aligned with barrel, with front and rear rifle/rest contact points on the one-piece rest always in near-perfect front-to-back alignment, and free recoil shot execution -- allows the rifle to return to battery without moving off POA. Every shot can be executed without fear that front-rear rest or contact points are misaligned even in the slightest.

Below is an example of a .22LR benchrest-specific stock. Note that the shape of the butt stock, the bottom of which resting on the rest's rear contact point, allows for consistent shot-to-shot recoil movement.

 
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