Shooting Rest?

Undertow said:

I shot my flintlock for the first time the other day and after just having fun shooting and learning it's time to get it sighted in and work on a load. What does everyone use for a shooting rest to sight in these long guns? All of my other rifles including my unmentionable have scopes and bipods so I've always just needed to run the small V cut rear sandbag Caldwell sells. I'm thinking either just getting the front Caldwell sandbag or either one of the two linked below. Or does anyone have any other recommendations? I will probably be shooting off a plastic folding table if that matters.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015052687?pid=682659
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015049090?pid=610698

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What ever you choose make sure it isn't hard. Sand bags have served me well.

Yes, shooting sticks where the distance will likely be long. I just stuff them down the back of my shirt or coat when not in use. Great for groundhog hunting. Makes me imagine i'm out on the Plains getting buffalo meat for my Native American woman or for a fur-trade fort. I reckon we all might pretend a bit. Or a lot.

I haven't tried it but the graduated board stacks that the table shooters use look like a good solution.

TreeMan said:

Grab a big bag of rice.

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Some prefer popcorn.

I have a leather V top sandbag and have used it many years. But, there have been times I wished it was adjustable. One very good rest I have seen was made from a car scissors type jack with a base added and padding at the top. Very cheap and is adjustable.

I ended up ordering the adjustable Caldwell front rest after messing around with building one out of scrap 2X's and a sandbag style one out a hunting sock and air soft pellets. Both would work in a pinch but in end having one that's adjustable won out. Here's my set up (and one of my critters).

That's a nice set up. I would recommend though that when you do shoot you move that front bag back some so you don't have as much tension on the barrel.

64Springer said:

The OP is sighting in a flintlock long rifle.

He's not going to the Olympics.

A make-shift support will get the job done.

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If it's worth pulling the trigger than get the best you can afford ! Why trust a roll of paper towels or some homemade get by rest and get a bad impression of your new smoke pole or heaven forbid your shooting ability . Anything to make your group /squirrel killing better is good for your self esteem and your rifle more proud of the trigger operator/Ed

stikshooter said:

If it's worth pulling the trigger than get the best you can afford ! Why trust a roll of paper towels or some homemade get by rest and get a bad impression of your new smoke pole or heaven forbid your shooting ability . Anything to make your group /squirrel killing better is good for your self esteem and your rifle more proud of the trigger operator/Ed

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ok.

64Springer said:

Another great 18th century rifle stabilizing idea.

How did the Colonials ever get by without Midway USA, Bass Pro and Cabela's.

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South Carolina was selling rice to the other colonies before the revolution.
Just keep in mind no cotton pillow cases then, only use this method with hand sewn linen
This was off cross sticks at 100 yards. Was a three shot group but I lost count.
There is no best way. As long as it works. With a v notch and a silver or brass blade most of us can’t see well enough that a solid adjustable modren rest is any better than a hunk of wood.
Like anything else you’re most consistent is the best. However we have a garbage projectile on thousand year old chemical propellant set off with caps if you’re the son of a Whig or smaking steel with a rock if you’re a genuine he-man
That said you will do the very best you can with your gun with the best rest, if you shoot ball out of a mold based on how it looks and use a measure that’s just a hole in a solid tough hunk of something organic
My shooting simple rest are plenty

1861 Springfield said:

some people want more precision than a fly swattrer size groups.if you want to test loads a towel is just ridiculous.

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Some of my best 70 yard groups were with a rolled up jacket and 2 chairs. Sub 1inch 4 shot group. With my tc hawkens. Far from a fly swatter sized group.

muzzleloadingat18 said:

Some of my best 70 yard groups were with a rolled up jacket and 2 chairs. Sub 1inch 4 shot group. With my tc hawkens. Far from a fly swatter sized group.

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lol ..............

I like the one about using a car jack... visions of bib overalls bare feet and music from deliverance danced through my head...

These chunk gun, plank or table matches were formal affairs. The bib overalls were the freshly cleaned ones for the next week's wear with shirt shoes and a fedora hat.

Sidney Smith said:

I've used homemade sandbags made from the legs of cutoff jeans for decades. I get my wife to sew up one end, then full with sand and tie shut. I did go fancy and bought a Caldwell shooting bag a few years sgo when it was on sale. Still use the homemade ones too

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Be right back… making sandbags out of those jeans I’m never going to fit back into…
Jay

I have a bench rest here at home. I got a scissor jack like you have in a car at a second hand shop. I welded a flat platform to the top, and made a handle to easily adjust the height. Works great.
I use pant legs full of kitty litter for my bags. Cheap, and light.

waksupi said:

I have a bench rest here at home. I got a scissor jack like you have in a car at a second hand shop. I welded a flat platform to the top, and made a handle to easily adjust the height. Works great.
I use pant legs full of kitty litter for my bags. Cheap, and light.

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When you don't secure your fly swatter bag limit for the season, don't come crying to the forum.

Most practical for me at range on bench are sandbags made of sewn up blue jean legs filled with sand. A one piece adjustable cradle and butt rest good for tight grouping but point of impact will be different from holding foreshock in my hand that is resting on the sandbag. Tried corn hole game bean bags and other jean bags filled with rice or corn or unpeopled popcorn but found that if they are left out overnight the squirrels and other vermin find them and have a meal on you.

No sandbags for me, just wood and steel....

From 1492 to cr 1700 rifles were few and far between in America. Smoothbores were the go to. Even by 1750 even hard core longhunters were more often than not sending ball home from a smoothie.
Rifle guns were popular after the revolution, in parts of America, not too much in Canada. When the fur trade started in the Rockies it was said French, Indian ( eastren tribes men who came to work our west) Mexicans ( that included the Spanish population of Louisiana, plus guys out of New Mexico) all shot a fusil, while ‘Americans’ wanted a rifle.
You bought a rifle you got a mould. You didn’t try .526, .527, .530, .535 in your new gun.
Powder charge was rule of thumb. Cover a ball in the palm of your hand with powder.
You didn’t try five grain differences until you got the best load.
Boone liked 400 count linen but I bet most people patched with what ever the trader had, or old shirts and pants.
This is our sport.