Proper rest for a long rifle

If you rest a rifle in the middle of the barrel, the muzzle can move a lot relative to the butt(operator) end movement. If it is rested on the muzzle, it moves a lot less relative to the butt movement. Simple geometry. After working up a load, you can then shoot it offhand to get it hitting where you look.

I agree with comments about individual preference. Over the years I have tried resting at various points on a ML from just in front of the trigger guard to the end of the barrel. Can’t say I’ve ever been able to see much of a difference, at least to a 1 inch/3 shot group at 100 yards. I’ve rarely bested 1” at that distance but consider to be more then sufficient for any use I have. Resting just behind the last entry pipe closest to the rear of the rifle works well for me, and is much more convenient off the limited length of most benches.
IMO, other factors like sight picture, cheek pressure, trigger control, and pressure of the butt against the shoulder can be more critical to shooting accuracy and precision.
Shot this group a couple of weeks ago off a rest using that rest location with a recent Kibler build.

rich pierce said:

This “rest at the muzzle” is something I hadn’t tried or even heard. Going to try it!

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As Eric's friend does so do the BPCR competitors when shooting off cross sticks.

Shooting an ML off the bench is good practice for load and accuracy testing as well as initial sight in. Final sight in needs to be checked and adjusted from field shooting positions.

I've never seen a chunk shoot but I wonder how they rest their guns?

EC121 said:

If you rest a rifle in the middle of the barrel, the muzzle can move a lot relative to the butt(operator) end movement. If it is rested on the muzzle, it moves a lot less relative to the butt movement. Simple geometry. After working up a load, you can then shoot it offhand to get it hitting where you look.

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The geometry thing is right on.

Proper rest for a long rifle

lol

I've never tried resting one at the muzzle. Now I've just got to try that one and see what happens.

I sight in off of a sandbag, as close to the muzzle as possible, I nestle the muzzle deep into the sandbag, then cross my arms resting the buttstock on my forearm. I use a picnic table and put the sandbag on a stack of 2x6s. It works perfect for me.

Exactly like Hillbilly deluxes example... Except I use a sandbag.

Got her dirty today. The rest was behind the rammer thimble, about 4 inches from the muzzle. That was as far out as I could get it. Improvement was dramatic!
The load was a Hornady .490 ball, .015 patch lubed with Bore Butter, a 56 cal. Ox Yoke lubed wool wad and 70 gr of 3f Swiss.
The barrel, according to Chuck Dixon, isn't a Green Mountain, as I thought. Its 7/8x36 .50 caliber Getz. Twist rate seems like 1-70.
Anyway. This load's too loose as I had a couple blown patches that spoiled the first group.
First 3 were 4 1/2". The next 3 were 2 3/16ths and the last 4 were 3" and 3 of those were 2 1/4".
Overlap of these groups was excellent! That alone was worth the attempt! Point of impact was only an inch higher than with my previous rest. Minus the patch related flyers, 8 of 10 went into 3 inches at 50 yards. This is a major improvement!
Curious that in all the advise I've seen/ heard about shooting long rifles, none has mentioned the muzzle rest.
Now she is a VERY light and petite rifle. Chuck said she's about as light a .50 caliber as you can get. Even so, she is a polite lady to shoot. Never yet bit me.
With the previous rest, I tried .495/.015. Too hard a ram. .490/.018, nice to load and .020, too tight..
Powder has been 70 grains of 2 and 3f Swiss. Gonna have to revisit some of these, now that I know where to put her! Gonna try other lubes too. I've never had the issues some report with Bore Butter. I swab between every shot with rubbing alcohol.
I'm very excited/ encouraged by these results!
I'll be alot more confident come December, if I can get good consistent group size and point of impact from what I consider my last flintlock. If this one didn't work out, I'd stick to my cap busters...

You want to post the center of your target at the same height as your barrel is on the bench. That will help.

Interesting read...it may have been mentioned earlier in this thread, but it seems like this pertains mostly to full stock rifles, correct? So when shooting my GPR half stock, it’s probably best to rest on the stock under the entry pipe. That way there’s no upward pressure on the barrel, correct?

Lippy984 said:

Interesting read...it may have been mentioned earlier in this thread, but it seems like this pertains mostly to full stock rifles, correct? So when shooting my GPR half stock, it’s probably best to rest on the stock under the entry pipe. That way there’s no upward pressure on the barrel, correct?

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This is certainly the case when shooting the un-mentionables due to the interference of barrel vibration/flexing . I think a muzzleloaders combination of heavier barrels, much lower intensity loads, and a lower standard of accuracy/precision, would make this aspect much less influential. When shooting a muzzleloader off the end of the barrel, I would be more attentive to any interference upon recoil of the thimble/pipes(or ramrod, if left in place), disturbing the straight line rearward movement of the barrel causing dispersion. The goal is a smooth rest/contact area at the shot.

Lippy984 said:

Interesting read...it may have been mentioned earlier in this thread, but it seems like this pertains mostly to full stock rifles, correct? So when shooting my GPR half stock, it’s probably best to rest on the stock under the entry pipe. That way there’s no upward pressure on the barrel, correct?

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No, it pertains to all rifles.

Some light bench have no fore stock and heavy bench do not have a fore stock..

"So when shooting my GPR half stock, it’s probably best to rest on the stock under the entry pipe. That way there’s no upward pressure on the barrel, correct?", no, not correct.

Mr. Art has it nailed.

Crow-Feather said:

I try to shoot from the bench as I would shoot off hand. I often find myself at the bench lowering my body to the gun instead of raising the gun to my body as one does off hand. I'll shoot good groups but then when I shoot off hand, I find that the rifle shoots to a different spot than when on the bench.

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Very good observation and very often true for many riflemen. I learned about this during advanced marksmanship training when in the military. Previous lifetime now. When setting up my latest flintlock I stop sight work when my groups are consistent in size and location. Then move to offhand shooting where I make more final adjustments to elevation and wind age.

well i went outside to my range this morning with a 40 cal. 42in barrel southern rifle. it is a good rifle and shoots good, but today it shot even better after the bag towards the end of the muzzle. i shot a total of 11 times at 50yds. i ended up with 8 in one big hole and 3 was close. the 3 was from delayed ignition. yea it worked for me,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Muddly said:

My flintlock long rifle is giving me FITS. She doesn't group the way she should. Nor is her point of impact remotely consistent.
She used to cut patches, but I fixed that.
I talked with Chuck Dixon. Told him my tale of woe. The first thing he asked was where I was resting her off the bench.
I told him that I had my bag between the triggerguard and where the entry thimble would be. If she had one. He told me that was the problem and I should rest her as close to the muzzle as possible. If anyone knows how to shoot a long rifle, its Chuck. He said to zero and then check it for changes offhand.
So. Where do you folk rest your rifles? I'm gonna give the muzzle rest a try tomorrow.
Fingers crossed. My.luck hasn't been the best lately...

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That doesn't make any sense to me as it will put some upward pressure on the thin stock and barrel out at the end, nothing like holding it off hand.
I'd start with a patch thickness change doing one thing at a time so as to be able to identify what is helping or hurting.
I would also check for any pressure points in the bedding against the barrel. If the breech is moving around in the stock that would do it. I always glass bed the tang and breech area of muzzle loaders to lock this area down and prevent oil migration out of the lock which always happens over time.

Well, the towards the muzzle rest did the trick! Vixen is not only more accurate, but more consistent too.
All that remains now is to find her load. I'll credit the first 100 rounds to sticking up the bore...
With the new rest position, she's putting 3 right around 2 &1/4 inches at 50 yards. Good enough for hunting, but she should do much better. Most likely me...
Point of impact with the new rest isn't any different than previously seen. A bit of a surprise given her light for caliber ( 7/8") barrel. She is a .50.
Can't wait to get her into the woods where she belongs!