Rifle Rests
 

I was wondering what you guys use as a rest when you are sighting in your ml or trying new loads. Sandbags, bench rests,etc. or nothing at all. For my centerfile I usually just use something I have around the house like a bag of dogfood or sack of floor dry and that seems to work ok for my centerfires but I would like to get a better setup and am looking for suggestions on specific products/brands to look for.

I am also planning on building a portable shooting table that will work for both right and left handed people so if anybody has any good plans or suggestions for that I would like to hear or see pictures of those as well.

Thank you much.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I use the caldwell Lead Sled but I don't put any weight(lead) on it. It works great. I'm thinking about getting the new Caldwell Fire Control full length rest.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I have a 4' folding table for my 'bench' and I carry my sandbags and adjustible frontrest in a 5 gal plastic bucket that I flip over and use as a seat. My target stand is 2 vertical 2x4s with 2x4 feet and the cross pieces are 3/8" threaded rod. These rods are used to hold the cardboard backing for my targets using heavy clamp type paper clips. (Occasionally the threaded rods need to get replaced for a stray bullet.)

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I use a very inexpensive rest called "steady rest" made by Caldwell. They were on sale once for $25 approximately.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Even with a rest its not what you have but how well you learn to use it. I won the muzzle loading bench rest championship in all 3 classes in 1978 in IL with an old over the log original and an ironing board with a felt covered block of wood for a rest. Lee

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I use a Caldwell front rest and bunny ear bag rear rest. Highly recommend.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

For up to 300 yards I use a fixed bench (4X4 verticals, 2X4 horizontals and 1" plywood top) cemented into the ground. At 400 yards I must use a Cabelas portable shooting bench (~$100 highly recommended).

For the actual rest, I tried a cheaper set of Cabelas pedesal and back bag. Neither is satisfactory and rarely use. Now I use 2X6 scraps and lead shot bags from reloading filled with birdseed (no sand was available when I filled them). Will be refilled with sand this summer.

For ad hoc sessions when I do not have access to my portable bench, I use a Harris bipod on front and any clothing/backpack available under the rear. I can shoot almost as good off the bipod as from the bench anyways.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Lemoyne: I understand that the rest will only be as good as I am but I am trying to take as much human error out of sighting in and load testing as possible, that way if I miss in the field I can only blame myself. After I am confident that I am sighted in good I like to shoot in a field situation when I am practicing, shooting from a variety of different positions including offhand, standing using a tree, kneeling, prone off of a backpack, sitting using a bipod, etc.

Has anybody used the Caldwell Tackdriver Bags? I had a guy tell me they were the best out there but he is a guy that likes to say that everything he owns is the best out there too.

Thanks for the replies so far.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Ahhh muzzlenut -That is exactly how you should shoot. You should only use the rest to: 1. sight in you rifle, 2. to work up new loads and 3. Whenever you want to recheck your sights or verify accuracy. Shooting in field positions either with or without shooting sticks will increase your success on shots at game. The confidence in your equipment and your capability go a long way to being successful.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I shoot with a stick so at the range i shoot with a stick

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Two sand bags.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

muzzlenut
I would not say they are the best because what is best for you may not be the same as what is best for me. Never the less the bags you refer to are very good, a couple of tips, never fill the bags up to the point where they don't have a bit of give. Understand that not all guns shoot the same off a rest as they do off hand [this situation can be aggravated by putting some thing solid underneath or behind the gun.
An other thing be sure if you use some sort of rest like sticks you check your "0" with them because they may have a different POI. Lee

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Portable shooting bench called the bugger bench, plans found under that name on the net. I have $20.00 in mine that was for the folding table legs and about a quart of OOP's stain.


The rifle rest is a home made one from scrap 2x4 materal and a couple of bolts with 4 nuts. I think I have about $3.00 worth of screws, bolts, nuts and stain in it.
It was to be a proto type for a metel one but it works so well why bother with the medal one?

Dont think this one will post.


:) Al

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I use home made shooting sticks too. In todays economey build it your self if you have tools. Screw driver, drill and saw your good to go.

:) Al

RE: Rifle Rests
 

When im testing the accuracy of a rifle or sighting in I use my Caldwell lead sled. Takes most of the human error out. After that I shoot from hunting positions.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Alleyyooper, I really like that shooting bench. I researched it and it is spelled "Booger Bench" and the website is supposed to be boogerbench.com but the site is either down right now or it doesn't exist anymore. No problem though. I think I have everything I need to make one, including the folding table legs. I also think I might be able to add some stuff to it that might improve it like a shelf with a ridge around it that I could pull out whe I'm using it to sit bullets, sabots, powder, cleaning patches, etc. on. Maybe even some type of place to lean other guns so I have them all handy when I am shooting. Which set of handle holes is at the balanced center of the table?

Is that table pretty stable with the folding legs? I was thinking that I might make one with galvanized pipe legs that will screw out for when I am storing it. I think I could put three pipe legs on it and make it pretty sturdy.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Yup it is called a booger bench. :DFirst it is your eye sight, then it is the short termmemory that goes. I find that the table is stable enough for what I want to do with it. If I were to redo it I would use a 3/4 inch ply wood but impossiable to find scraps of that like I did the OSB. Of course today it would be nearly impossiable to even get the scrap OSB since the building industry is in the crapper too.
I found the rear holes were the balance point. I refused to belive it when I was building it hence the forward holes.

If you add to much stuff to it it isn't going to be as portable and ya might just as well build a strong fixed one.
I throw mine in the truck and take it to the farm to shoot with friends some and always take it to deer camp as there is always some one that needs to use it includeing me.

:) Al

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Your right Al, after I posted I got to thinking about the added weight everytime you put something else on it and I nixed the additions ideas since portability is one of my goals. I think I am just going to build it mostly like what you have there. I think I will go ahead and buy the 3/4 inch plywood though If I don't have a big enough piece already.

You don't happen to remember the dimensions of your table do you?

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Try this site for one with legs you talked about.
http://www.larrywillis.com/shootingbench.html

Booger Bench dimension are 18" wide at the back, 32" at the front and 48" long. I can't remember the tail size off the top of my head but think 24", (from the end of the wide to the rear). I would go measure it but am melting wax and don't want to get that far away.

One change I made was to bolt the legs to 1" x 4" boards then use short wood screws to attach the boards to the bench top from the bottom. That way there's no metal on top of the bench that can scratch a gun. One end taks two stacked so the legs fold right (flat).

John has moved the plans so may take awhile to get things up and running.
http://ambrutis.com/john/page10.html

:) Al

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Thanks Alleyyoop. That's the dimensions I was wanting. I just wanted a starting point. I will make a template out of cardboard to customize it so that it fits me. I am a pretty big ole boy so I might need to adjust for that.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I like that idea but i have to get the gun shot in perfect, that way the only excuse on the stick is me! But good practice idea for sure.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I have a cheapo Site Vise from Wal-Mart that holds it better than I can free hand but still doesn't hold it perfectly still. I want something better where I can get it sighted in perfect. Since I'm a perfectionist I can't get it like I want and I can't tell if lousy groups are from me or the vise I'm using. Any recommendations? I also don't have a good steady table to set it on. My options are usually either a card table that wobbles a little or the tail gate of my truck which has ridges in it so is hard to get something to stay still.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Hometheaterman: Instead of shooting off of the card table or the tailgate why don't you shoot standing up and shoot over the hood of the truck. Use a bag of something like feed corn, kitty litter (AKA Floor Dry), or dog food with a blanket or jacket over the top of it for comfort to support your gun. I have done this with a centerfire but never with a muzzleloader. It works ok as long as the wind isn't blowing or somebody isn't leaning on the truck and moving it around. Granted, that isn't the idel shooting rest but it has to be better than a wobbly card table or scrunching up to a tailgate.

WARNING: If you are shooting a very large caliber rifle do NOT use this method. I watched a guy shoot a 50 cal BMG lik this and it broke his windshield. I have shot a 300 Win Mag over the hood and not had any trouble though.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

muzzlenut

I am late to the party again...

I use the "Rock Jr." on the front and a formed sand bag on the butt of the stock.

I also picked up a portable bench from sportsmans whse. that is really convienent. Certainly not as stable as a solid bench but works well for me in all the places I shoot.

Here is a pic I took this afternoon - not a good one but you can see it somewhat...

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I have off the windshield but just found the tail gate easier. My truck is lifted a little. Not a ton but 3" so it's slightly higher than normal and the tail gate while I do have to bend down seemed easier.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

Muzzlenut.
I use leather sand bags on a portable shooting bench.
My shooting bench is a combination of 2 designs. The two sites are:
http://www.aeroaces.com/bench1.htm
http://www.larrywillis.com/shootingbench.html

I used the leg mounting idea of the 1st site, but used a 2x6 and cut the diagonal between 6" markings instead of 4 1/2" to make the wedges to angle the legs out. I also cut the 1 1/4" pipe to 29" to put the finished top very close to 30 - 31" high. that height allows me to use a 5 gal bucket for a seat, which doubles for carrying supplies to my range site.

I used the general shape of the 2nd site but modified the dementions to be 30" wide at the front and 14" wide at the back. Front to back remains 36". Used 2 layers of 3/4" plywood Which makes for a very sturdy top and is necessary for thickness to screw the leg flanges and wedges to underside of the table. I also like the stability of 3 legs for uneven ground.

I have 5 pics that show detail & finished bench. Check the link.

http://my1.photozig.net/jascoesens/Album1/photopage.html

Now after using this bench for 18 months, There are some changes I would make to reduce the weight. The bench as pictured weighs ~ 48 pounds w/ legs attached.
1) I would only double the plywood for 9-10" at the front and back for the leg mountings.
2) I would step down to 1 " pipe, which IMO would be plenty sturdy.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

This was at dick's sporting goods.
About $30

It has a couple different attatchments for both front and back



My shooting bench has a rest,sometimes I just use it.

RE: Rifle Rests
 

I use the MTM shoulder guard rifle rest with a sandbag in the compartment. works relly well for me!

https://www.cabelas.ca/index.cfm?pageID=79&section=&ID=4043