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Mechanical rest for shooting from a bench. Suggestions?

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October 03, 2019, 05:32 AM
badcopnodonut!!
Mechanical rest for shooting from a bench. Suggestions?
A lot of my shooting these days is done from a solid wood bench. Ive decided I want something nicer than the old sandbags Ive been using.

I have zero intention to compete in any form but I want a legitimate rest to use. Protektor makes a nice looking rest and with front and rear bags it will run around $300 and its made in the USA.

Are there any others I should be looking at?


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Hi,I'm Buck Melonoma,Moley Russels' wart.
October 03, 2019, 06:01 AM
45 Cal
Hard to beat old home made sand bags,to reduce weight on mine I filled with used cleaning media.
I had a milk create full when I went to public outdoor range.
I also had one of the fancy cast iron heavy pos with all the wheels ,slides and adjustments.
That was a waste of a hundred and fifty bucks.
October 03, 2019, 09:43 AM
maladat
If you mean one of these sorts of things:



I don't love them.

I usually shoot off a bipod now, but otherwise the front rest I like the best (at least for stationary shooting off a bench at a range) out of those I have used is the "Bull's Bag" sandbag. It's basically four long skinny sandbags connected lengthwise in an X shape.

The height is easily adjustable by squishing the bottom two sections together/apart and how tightly it holds the rifle is easily adjustable by squishing the top two sections together/apart.

They're very stable.



quote:
Originally posted by 45 Cal:
Hard to beat old home made sand bags,to reduce weight on mine I filled with used cleaning media.


People go both ways, some people fill their sandbags with zircon or chromite "heavy sand" (about twice as heavy as silica playground sand) or even #12 lead shot (maybe 5 times as heavy as playground sand) to make them even heavier.
October 04, 2019, 04:05 PM
Haveme1or2
All I do is bench rest.
Love the rest, made shooting much more of a test in ammo, gun performance not so much of me to screw it up.
I started with a
BR rock that had a windage wheel. Then a Randolf. Now a joystick farley.
October 04, 2019, 09:34 PM
YooperSigs
I too like the Bulls Bag.


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October 04, 2019, 10:57 PM
badcopnodonut!!
quote:
Originally posted by Haveme1or2:
All I do is bench rest.
Love the rest, made shooting much more of a test in ammo, gun performance not so much of me to screw it up.
I started with a
BR rock that had a windage wheel. Then a Randolf. Now a joystick farley.


That Farley looks like quite the piece of kit. That price tag though. Smile


________________________



Hi,I'm Buck Melonoma,Moley Russels' wart.
October 05, 2019, 01:36 AM
Jelly
Have you looked at something like the Caldwell Rock Front Shooting Rest and Rear Bag Combo from Midway?
For around $85 they are not a bad deal for something you can shoot some really small groups with.

https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...015057639?pid=852713
October 05, 2019, 09:59 AM
apprentice
Benchmaster

Started using one of these in the 90s and if I ever go to the range again I'll be bringing it along.

Adding some cheap sandbags for weight on the front legs makes shooting magnums very tolerable btw.

Or for that, you could go with:

lead sled
October 05, 2019, 10:17 AM
ensigmatic
A couple years ago I bought a Lyman Match Shooting Bag & Bag Jack Combo Kit. You place the bag of your choice atop the scissors lift (I bought the combo, with Lyman's bag), then adjust the height to suit. Worked beautifully for sighting-in my AR, because I could elevate the rest to a height that would allow me to get the same cheek weld I would standing, sitting on the ground, etc., from a bench rest position.

Add a rear bag rest and you're set.



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
October 05, 2019, 09:33 PM
hvyhawler
I use an automobile scissor jack. I put a piece of a pool noodle on top to rest my rifle. It is screwed into a piece of plywood for stability. Raise or lower to appropriate height.
October 07, 2019, 12:20 PM
fyimo
I use a lead sled.


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October 09, 2019, 04:11 PM
badcopnodonut!!
Thanks for the all the input. I ended up going with a Sinclair Heavy Varmint rest with right hand windage and a Edgewood rear bag.


________________________



Hi,I'm Buck Melonoma,Moley Russels' wart.