Precision Rifle Rest

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outoftowner

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Hello, I have been looking for a good shooting rest that I can do benchrest style shooting off of without creating a metal monster or paying out my a**. I came across this: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?p=WX2&i=167673

From what I've read its a pretty good rest, comes with alot of stuff you don't necessarily need but for 100 bucks you can't really go wrong (or can I? I guess thats what I'm asking).
 
Your link goes to the home page, but having looked at their shooting rests....

If you are thinking of a front pedestal rest (ala benchrest) I'm sure it will be better than shooting off a rolled up sock!

I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but here goes...

For simple have-fun shooting at the range, I'm sure it is just fine. Obviously you don't want to spend a whole bunch, and lord knows we can all sympathize with that!!

Shooting off a bench - in the pursuit of better accuracy - means you should have a stock that is designed for that type of shooting. Its forestock and butt should be parallel in order to track straight and smooth in the bags. The stock sould also be wide and flat under the forestock to fit properly into a correspondingly wide bag on the rest, to prevent cant and to resist torque. The stock should be very straight, so that the recoil is deliviered along the butt in a straight line.

Using a front rest for shooting off a bench is absolutley fine for what I think you're trying to achieve, and I would not spend the moon and the stars to get there.

This is theoretically the precision rifle forum, except the definition is often somehat blurred. Yes, there are far higher quality and more versatile rests out ther, in fact you can spend thousands, but for what you are doingm you certainly don't have to spend that sort of cash.

The Caldwell rests are a pretty good option too.
 
Sorry about the link issues, its called the Hyskore® DLX Precision Shooting Rest, its the first rest that shows up under shooting acessories>gun rests/aids. What I like about this rest is the adjustability of it, and the fact that it looks like it can hold your standard rifle pretty steady (if I ever get a true benchrest gun then I will specialize a rest specifically for that rifle). Like I said it comes with alot of stuff I don't need, like the trigger pulling thing, and the gas shock (I guess if I really wanted to I could bypass it to make it a solid rest). I just hate trying to sight in a .22 or any rifle balancing a crappy sandbag on top of two 2x4's.
 
It looks like a lead sled type rest. Great for sighting in a scope. The rifle is secured in the rest and will remove a lot of operator error. Never tried this type of rest as they do not appeal.
Based on my limited amount of experience I would say if your going to shoot from a bench, even fairly regularly, then put some research into your purchase.
My first rest was about $60, very quickly followed by a $100 rest. My last rest purchase was $200 plus about $85 for bags. It might have been better if I had made a more informed decision first time round.
 
Caldwell ROCK is a very nice starter rest. Ditch the included bags though and invest in some Protektor front and rear bags. Fill with sand blasting grit till they are solid - then fill them some more.

If you need more adjustability or height - ie shooting prone - the Caldwell ROCK BR is what I use.

Neither is particular expensive but they both lock up nice and tight, heavy enough not to flop around, and have a large enough footprint to stay stable even when shooting heavy or higher recoiling rifles.

In the world of precision shooting, shooting rests are taken very seriously and some spend as much/more on their rests then most of us spend on our entire rifle.

Get the best gear you can afford cause if it wobbles when you shoot, groups are rarely going to be tight.

YMMV.

Jerry
 
mysticplayer said:
Caldwell ROCK is a very nice starter rest. Ditch the included bags though and invest in some Protektor front and rear bags. Fill with sand blasting grit till they are solid - then fill them some more.

If you need more adjustability or height - ie shooting prone - the Caldwell ROCK BR is what I use.

Neither is particular expensive but they both lock up nice and tight, heavy enough not to flop around, and have a large enough footprint to stay stable even when shooting heavy or higher recoiling rifles.

In the world of precision shooting, shooting rests are taken very seriously and some spend as much/more on their rests then most of us spend on our entire rifle.

Get the best gear you can afford cause if it wobbles when you shoot, groups are rarely going to be tight.

YMMV.

Jerry
Click to expand...

Ok I will look for a Rock for just my range shooting and some good bags.

Now for my next step in the future what would I look for for a SOLID scope sight in rest, like holds the full gun and whatnot.
 
If you have good pedestal rest and bags, you have a solid foundation to sight in your scope.

the cradles are useful and again, caldwell offers some decent ones.

Shooting off your rests with you behind the butt will give your a true indication of where POA is. but I know some shooters who are working with monster cannons that prefer the cradle to get them on paper first - way too much ouch.

sighting in a scope should be very simple. Put up a target with a nice big black circle (4 to 6" diameter) at 50yds. Look down the barrel and line up with the circle, now adjust your scope without moving the rifle till the crosshair is in the center.

Fire 1 rd and adjust from there.

when POI is 1" below center, go to 100yds and you should be about 1" high.

Sight in should only take a few rds.

If you need help sourcing these rests and bags, let me know.
Jerry
 
Build one at home out of wood. Hinge it if you want to take it away to the range with you. Mine looks like an old style single student school desk/seat, only bigger! Have been using it for about a year. Cost me...well, I had the lumber bits 'in stock' so it cost me a few wood screws. Couldn't be happier.
 
Haha, thanks for naming my homemade, I was trying to think of an name. It is now dubbed "Metal Monster"
On the other hand, it's rock solid, I added rails in the feet (I live where there's a ton of sand, so it tracks straight when it recoils. However, that is my El cheapo budget crap. If I had a nice rifle, I would get one of those Rempels. They just ooze high quality and solidness from the pixels on the screen. Not cheap, but it'll last a few lifetimes...
 
There was a while I was looking at R W Hart Pedestal Rifle Front Shooting Rests, but I never bought one.

I bought a MTM Front Rifle Shooting Rest (plastic)
http://www.basspro.com/MTM-Front-Rifle-Shooting-Rest-Model-FRR30/product/95062/-1397826
because someone told me it was light enough to keep in the trunk for whenever I needed it, and it made a pretty good rest. I'm not fond of it. Too tall, wide feet.

I bought three or four different Protektor bags, because I learned to shoot on leather bags and these looked like them. Shot 3 MOA (1.5" at 50yards out of 6 shots) and ended up with a sore left hand as squeezing the bag to get the rifle on target was a lot of tiring work -- nothing about the day was comfortable. Overall, I wasn't happy with the bags (or my shooting).

I bought RedHead Bench Shooting Bag
http://www.basspro.com/RedHead®-Bench-Shooting-Bag/product/81313/-1275349
and RedHead® 2-Bag Shooting Bag Combo
http://www.basspro.com/RedHead®-2Bag-Shooting-Bag-Combo/product/81311/-1275348
and poured an entire bag of home depot play sand into the three of them.
Carrying that weight to the range was excessive, and I think I'll throw away the large RedHead Bench Shooting Bag,
and my next attempt will be wood under the larger of the 2 bag combo in the front, and the smaller bag in the back.
Shot 2 MOA (five sets of 6 shots, the last being 1" at 50yards out of 6 shots with 4 were 0.5" and 2 a lot left) and my left hand wasn't tired at all and it was a fairly comfortable shoot. Ended up with a sore right shoulder.

I'd like to get down to 0.5 MOA (1" @ 200 yards, like I used to do before my two decades hiatus) -- but I'm not even close yet. I haven't started playing with ammunition to see what sort my rifle 'likes'.
 
mysticplayer:
if you check you will see that the benchrest crowd will have the rear bag hard as a rock and the front bag soft. in benchrest shooting when the rifle is in the front rest you must be able to lift the rifle clear of the rest. also a rifle tracks better when one bag is soft.
for the rest of you make sure the front and rear rests are perfectly square to each other.
slide rifle forward and back to make sure rifle tracks straight. if rear rest not square your groups will be off.
 
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