What do you use on shooting bench?

[SgtMaj65]

I'm always interested in what other muzzleloaders do, no matter what it is ”” from what they shoot to why they shoot to how they shoot and what they use to get their perfect loads for the situation. Anyway, I was wondering what bench shooters use for sandbags for stabilizing their rifles. Here's something I picked up on Youtube from a shooter that is a money-saver and pretty clever. I drug some really old camo gear out of my closet that I think I got for dove hunting way back in about 1967 or '68. I weighed 140 lbs. back then and it SURE doesn't fit me anymore. I cut the legs off, turned them inside out and used heavy beeswax-soaked thread and sewed up one side, then turned them back to the outside of the material and sewed up about 3/4 of the other cut end and used a funnel to fill it with fine pea gravel I found in a bag in my garage we'd used for a fish tank decades ago. Filled it, then finished sewing the end and voila ... a nice bench rest sand bag that works really well. Made three of them to stabilize the front end of my rifle, then two smaller one's using really heavy hunting socks I had from long ago, got one of those big and cheap bags of long-grained rice, filled them using a cable tie to close it tight, to stabilize the rifle butt. I keep them in a zip lock bag to keep the rice from soaking up humidity from the air. Found a large, heavy-weight mechanics canvas tool bag on Amazon for less than $20 to carry them to the range. The pea gravel is pretty weighty but less than sand, and you don't have to worry about the sand finding tiny holes between threads and spilling out everywhere. I just couldn't talk myself into buying one of those pricey rifle rests you find on the internet. This a really inexpensive way to stabilize your rifle on a target and it's very adaptable to position your rifle stock. I'm interested in what others do and if they have some innovative ways of stabilizing their ML when bench shooting.

 

[azmntman]

Dont often bench shoot but when I do I have a couble old shot bags filled with rice. I rest only wood stock on the bags NEVER barrel. Most my target practise if 75% out the door of the Corolla with the front of window frame as a rest or off the hood or tailgate of the pick up (mostly using jacket or truck blanket under hands a rest.

Did you know black powder smoke on the hood will make some buddys jump higher than Michael Jordan? They scream and moan and sometimes threaten and chase too. All good fun, then you use a dab of any liquid and wipe off and they calm down. Lotta fun. They NEVER insist on taking their truck again either :rotf:

 

[M. De Land]

I use the same equipment I do when bench testing a modern gun. There are no special requirements I'm aware of for bench testing a muzzle loading arm.
Mechanically elevated front with sand bag atttached and only sand bag or two in the rear.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Serious bench rest shooters use expensive commercial made adjustable rests. Some others make their own fancy rests. I have a plastic adjustable rest that is the pits. Only weighs a few ounces and bounces around when I shoot. One of the best rests I have ever used belongs to a friend. He made it from a simple scissor jack as is found with most small cars. He put a couple wood pads on the bottom and a small hunk of wood on top with a 'V' cut out for the barrel. Adjustment is made with the screw on the side. Heavy for stable shooting and his investment was under one dollar.

 

[Adui]

:hmm: I just use the sand bags they have there at my local range. They even have little metal stands to put the bags on so it doesn't take as many or as large a bag.

I guess I'm spoiled :grin:

 

[hanshi]

I had some old, empty shot bags and filled them up with that clean white sand that can be found at hardware stores. No dust! I sewed them up and taped the sewed top with duct tape. I keep them in my cars trunk.

 

[Eric Krewson]

You can get some well made front and rear bags off eBay for $10 shipped free. They look just like the expensive ones, I got some, they do the job.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Bench? Damn'd if I'm going to carry a bench into the woods.

Seriously - to sight in initially I use a table and leather sand-filled bags and an adjustable Hoppes stand. But once the sights are drifted and filed to position I shoot offhand mostly.

Sometimes I sit and rest my elbows on my knees, but I haven't rested the rifle on anything in 10 years. No kidding. I practice like I hunt and haven't changed the load in that long or longer.

 

[Kansas Jake]

One could use a set of cross sticks and sit to get a pretty stable shooting position. It wouldn't be quite as solid as a bench and bags, but if you are shooting at a home range without a bench they work pretty well. Many prairie dogs met their end with me shooting off cross sticks with a 22 when I was a kid.

The sticks don't have to be anything fancy. A couple of 1"x2" about 3' long with a bolt and thumb screw holding them together about 6-8 inches below the top should do.

 

[pa woods roamer]

I made an adjustable gun rest from an old scissor type
Car Jack. Simple to make and simple to use. Made a small forend bag out of an empty shotgun pellet Bag , filled with dried Beans, also easy to make and easy to use.....

 

[Artificer]

Hello Sergeant Major,

I use the same bench rest accessories I use for testing my modern NM rifles, though I purchased my gear as old/used in the early 90's, so the exact same items are no longer made.

I use an adjustable Lyman rest similar to the one shown in the link below: http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/768/768004.jpg

It has a leather "rabbit ear" bag attached to the top to cradle the forearm of the rifle behind the rear ramrod pipe and that looks something like this: http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/skus/p_749006899_1.jpg

I have another rabbit ear support bag that goes behind the trigger guard and holds the stock fairly stable, though it is a much older version of this one: https://www.brownells.com/shooting...avy-bottom-rabbit-ear-rear-bag-prod25835.aspx

I also have other bags that can go under the above bag when needed.

Of course I still have to press the buttplate into my shoulder when shooting, but these gadgets hold the rifle/smoothbore as stable and in the same position from shot to shot as much as possible.

What I want is to use the adjustable front rest to perfectly align my sights for elevation, without having to hold the rifle. I move the rear of the rifle and support bags to perfectly adjust for windage or "side to side" on target. Both of these are done before firing each shot.

The idea is to take as much of the "human error" away as possible, because I want to test the rifle or smoothbore for accuracy in load development and not how I can screw up the accuracy when shooting. This is as close as I can get to the SUPER Expensive Bench Rest Machines we used on active duty to test NM and Sniper Rifles we built.

What this set up does is show me the absolute best load I can get for each gun when varying ball size, patch type and thickness and powder charge. I also use it to get close to my final sight adjustments, though I finish that by shooting in the position/s I will actually shoot the rifle.

Then I know the rifle/smoothbore is as accurate as I can make it - so every shot that doesn't go where it is supposed to go, is entirely my fault.

Gus

 

[SgtMaj65]

:hatsoff:

 

[Tinker2]

I have an assortment of rests, from custom made too heavy to move by myself, to light and flimsy.
When I shoot from a bench I’ve gone back to a ammo can with my jacket rolled/folded up on top.
It does all I need it to most of the time. Good for sighting in for offhand Flickertail shooting




William Alexander

 

[Rifleman1776]

One could use a set of cross sticks and sit to get a pretty stable shooting position. It wouldn't be quite as solid as a bench and bags, but if you are shooting at a home range without a bench they work pretty well. Many prairie dogs met their end with me shooting off cross sticks with a 22 when I was a kid.

The sticks don't have to be anything fancy. A couple of 1"x2" about 3' long with a bolt and thumb screw holding them together about 6-8 inches below the top should do.

At your age you are to be congratulated for still using 'X' sticks. In younger days I shot the Buffalo matches at Friendship and elsewhere. These days getting down and back up once in a day is enuf for me. As for stability, those Buff shooters often/usually shot groups that would put genuine bench rest shooters to shame. It is fiercely competitive competition.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I should just carry my cross sticks with me so when I stumble and fall down I can just sit up and do my shooting from where I fell. :rotf:

 

[AZbpBurner]

You can get some well made front and rear bags off eBay for $10 shipped free. They look just like the expensive ones, I got some, they do the job.

May be the same ones I got from e-bay recently. Rubber coated Ballistic nylon fabric prevents dust from sand or rice from sifting thru. VERY well made. Of course it took about 10# of rice to fill both front & rear bags, but they're made to last.

 

[Tinker2]

I have an assortment of rests, from custom made too heavy to move by myself, to light and flimsy.
When I shoot from a bench I’ve gone back to a ammo can with my jacket rolled/folded up on top.
It does all I need it to most of the time. Good for sighting in for offhand Flickertail shooting




William Alexander

 

[Tinker2]

I have no idea how I got a double post, and just over 24 hours apart. :idunno:






William Alexander

 

[SgtMaj65]

It happens to the best of us :metoo:

 

[azmntman]

It hasn't happened to me :idunno: ....but I've always been just shy of the best of ya :rotf: