Bench Rest ?

[Jim Evans]

What do you use for a bench rest when you are sighting in your rifle to keep it steady?

 

[azmntman]

Car door mostly, Sometimes tail gate. Rarely I take a folding table and bags.

 

[necchi]

Sand bags,
But I don't steady the gun. I use the sand bags to steady my hands while I hold the gun as normal.
My forearm hand (left in my case) rests on the bags and my hold/grip of the gun is the same as if I where shooting off hand.

 

[Billnpatti]

In my humble opinion, sand bags will always be your best bet for a bench rest. Some folks like to rest their supporting hand on the front bag but I just put my rifle directly on the bag. I don't know if it makes any difference. What is important is that the bag be supporting the stock never the barrel and that you place the same spot on the gun stock on front bag for every shot. I place the toe of the butt of the gun on a rear bag. Then I adjust my sights up or down by squeezing the rear bag with my left hand. Having my left hand to squeeze the rear bag is why I don't use my left hand to support the front stock. I am holding the gun with my right hand as normal when shooting and I place my cheek on the exact same spot on the comb for each shot. Squeeze or release the rear bag to adjust up and down and when you are on your target, squeeze the trigger.

And that's how I set up my rifle on sand bags to sight it in. It's not the only way to do it and I won't say it is the best way but I will say that it is the best way for me. :thumbsup:

 

[ohio ramrod]

While not the best I like a folded towel over a wooden fence post. This allows me to hold the rifle the same way I will hold it when hunting or target shooting off hand. :idunno:

 

[galamb]

Sand bag on one of those Black&Decker workmate thingy's.

Portable enough to go in the back of the truck or trunk.

 

[crockett]

Yeah, sand bags have some length to them and steady the gun a lot better so there is no wobbling around as you press the trigger. Some folks take the non-trigger hand and put it under the butt stock to further steady the gun.

 

[Kapow]

Not sure if you guys call it the same thing but I have seen and used a brilliant bench rifle rest made from a cheap second hand car (scissor) jack. A flat U piece is welded on the top to sit your sand bags on and a flat base or legs are welded on the bottom for added stability. The piece that you would normally install the hook to wind it up or down has a round piece such as a plastic bottle lid attached so you can easily wind it up or down by finger tip control. I'm sorry I don't have a photo of one to share with you.

 

[bpd303]

Here's a few ideas... http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...282869/post/1323178/hl//fromsearch/1/#1323178

 

[Spikebuck]

A Lead Sled DRT. I modified it by taking off the rear stock cradle because it's too narrow for some traditional stocks and installed just a flat platform with a small "v" bag to support the buttstock. It's very adjustable and will hold the gun rock steady.

 

[nkbj]

Old blue jean legs filled with sand.
Shooting for groups I never do better than with a solid bench and a pile of bags.
For quickie tests it's the bill hook for a shooting stick.

 

[mooman76]

An old blanket over the hood or roof of my vehicle. Not the best but gets the job done.

 

[don hepler]

You can take a gun, that is a tack driver and put it on a sloppy rest, and never know what you have. And, you can take a gun, that's less accurate on quality rest, and out shoot the better gun. I learned, from shooting bench rest completion that a quality rest, is just as important, as an accurate rifle. With a good trigger, and gun on a solid/consistent rest, the remaining factors, is the "real" accuracy of the gun, plus the shooter must do his part. A lot of people think that I am an excellent shooter, when the truth is, I am taking advantage of a consistent solid rest. Once you benchrest, to find the potential of the gun, then shoot off hand and see what "your" potential is. A competition rest can cost as much as $1200. dollars, but from a practical standpoint a good set of sandbags both for forearm and butt stock will be okay. Rest the forearm where your hand would normally be, when shooting off hand, and let the gun lay with butt stock and forearm pressure as close to what the off hand pressure would be. Some are happy with minute-of-deer, and that's okay.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Some folks take the non-trigger hand and put it under the butt stock to further steady the gun.

FWIW, that is per NMLRA rules. The shooter must support the butt of the rifle. No mechanical holder is permitted in competition.
As for holding the forestock, that puts the human equation back into the situation. I prefer resting at about the balance point of the rifle. I have a lightweight plastic rest now and it is the pits :td: . Need to replace but heavy rests are expensive. Sandbags in my future I suspect.

 

[Irish lad]

:thumbsup:
Cheers,
Irish

 

[necchi]

Sandbags in my future I suspect.

I make my own actually, and made a bunch of our gun club.
Lead shot bags from shot shell reloaders was the standard for years, but now-a-days it's cheaper to buy shotshell than load'm.

Common canvas,, a rectangle 12" wide and 14" long then folded and sewn with a tight zig-zag stitch along the bottom and side becomes a right handy size when filled. A large tie wrap/zip tie whatever ya call'm to close the open end works well.
I don't like using "sand", it's too heavy, doesn't form well and "sand" tends to get damp and hold the moisture quickly rotting the canvas.

Chicken Grit, available at feed mills and fleet supply is perfect, and I don't fill the bag to capacity,, I like'm just a little short of full-full so they squish into shape when ya bed down on it. Having at least 4-5 is handy for bringing the set up high enough for just about any situation.
It's up too the individual, but that's how I make sand bags.

 

[Gadsden]

If you're a reloader, new or spent polishing media from your tumbler in one of the aforementioned bags works well.

 

[hanshi]

My problem with rest shooting is lack of any consistency. One day may give me nice, tight groups and on another day it's difficult to figure out which shot is the flyer and which is part of the "group". I'm not a great shot but often I shoot better off hand than with a rest. Sand bags filled with sand have enabled me to shoot sub moa groups with modern rifles. It doesn't seem to extend to MLs. The bags are old but never get wet. :idunno:

 

[larry wv]

A lot of the time I use big round bales of hay. Its easy to take a rest on . Makes a good solid place to lean and sight. We bale a thousand or so a year so its no problem to have one handy. I bale a few a bit smaller for non farming neighbors who are shorter than me. For Muzzle loaders especially flint type!. I lay apiece of canvas on top to save on beating out the flames. I also have a few places around the farm with bales sitting to shoot from during Deer season. They make a good wind break and two beside each other with a piece of something for a roof makes it nice in the rain. Larry

 

[azmntman]

Cant beat being as food off hand as on a rest! :hatsoff: