What kind of rest do you use at the bench?

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I don't hunt or compete so my rifle work is just for grins. I built a nifty little machine rest to use with my Contenders and it works great. I think I'm going to try putting together a rifle rest (front only, not a full rest) and see how it works.

It's time to start making chips with the lathe!

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I use sandbags and have also used a Lead Sled. The sled was really nice when using my 300 Win Mag, I quickly found out the rifle shot better than I thought! I could hold it to around MOA off the bag but the sled proved the gun shot sub MOA. With the 7mm Remington Mag though the gun shot just as good off the bags as with the sled.


In case you're wondering yes, I'm selling the 300:p
 
nice knurling

I have a knurling tool.
I used the one at school 48 years ago.
I think I have used mine...

For rests,
a) I started out with a wadded up jacket from the car hood. [kid]
b) I got a leather sand V bag in front. [putz] and went to the range with benches
c) I got a shooting rest and a rear rabbit ear bag. [ala bench rest shooters]
d) I got the giant V bag in the front. [ala varmint hunters]
e) Now I shoot a bipod in the front and a tiny bag in the rear. I cut the length of pull and inch or two longer. [long range prone hunting]
 

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I have two Hoppe's rests and a Hart's rest with adjustable Hohen's windage top. It's only used for benchrest rifles with 3" wide forends. I also use rear bags...two soft ones and a very hard one for benchrest competition.

For hunting rifles, the older Hoppe's rest has been modified by extending the vertical adjustment handle and the locking screw is extended and bent to increase locking power. I added a rest stop also. The unit is very light, but steady and the bag is soft, to better mimic forend hand-hold.
 
Tried a lead sled a couple of times but I didn't care for it.
Click to expand...

Huh, I'm kind of surprised. There are several different models of lead sleds, but I use the Caldwell Lead Sled DFT... This one: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/149023/caldwell-lead-sled-dft-rifle-shooting-rest

It might not be a world class bench rest, and I still use a handful of different bags I've accumulated over the years, but if I'm shooting off a bench I'm almost always using the sled now. I recently got a new bag for the front of it so it could fit my Savage F class rig. I only use the front set screw and wheel to get it tightened up and pointing at the paper, but the rear screw works really well for micro adjustments while aiming. After the recoil I usually have to reset the tail end because of the way the sled blocks the butt stock within the rest, but even without shot bags or tie downs it eats up most of the recoil and I experience less fatigue. The reset is quick and no hassle at all. These days, if I'm shooting off a bipod or bags, I almost feel naked :)
 
I've got pretty old Wichita rest and when I started BR got the Hart rest and got Sinclair windage tops when they started making them. Late when Ron Hoehn started making his tops I upgrade got the Hunter and Varmint tops.

http://www.benchrest.com/hoehn/html/rest_tops.html

I got this rest about 10yrs ago when they first started in business and I had front and rear tapped for leg extension for the foot pads. They also include pistol rest.

http://www.targetshooting.com/catalog/rifle-rests/model-500-rifle-rest/
 
I've done my best work off the front end of my friends pickup truck using a sandbag or a pillow.

Imagine what my groups will look like once I start using proper equipment and shooting from a actual bench.
 
I have a Caldwell "Rock Jr." front rest, and matching rear bag (filled with corn cob media). I use them when possible, but most of my shooting is not done at a bench.

Most of the time, I use improvised rests - tailgates, coolers, ammo cans, etc. If I remembered to bring it, and the rifle will accept it, I can spoil myself by attaching my Harris bipod. (I'm cheap. I only have one. But it was a great investment.)
 
I use a the "Led Sled" for zeroing scopes and load developement, after that I shoot from tripod "trigger sticks", and a Caldwell "Tack Driver" rest.
 
sand socks for me... I keep a 2.5 gallon bucket with a snap on lid, on my bench, & have like 10 new ( when I filled them ) socks filled with washed & dried sand, been on my bench for 3 years now of reasonably heavy use... if I can keep the revolvers from burning holes in them, they last for a long time... no leakers in 3 years of use...

I do have a bought pistol rest, but prefer to throw a scrap of leather over my bags to shoot handguns most of the time...
 
I got a Wichita rifle rest many years ago and use it with two leather "bags" like those shown on the Wichita web site.
 
Five shot bags filled with pea gravel and tie wrapped closed. Filled to different levels so I have a variety of different "stiffness" for the situation.
 
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