In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Options
shooting from the bench questions
bpost
Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
I have a simple 20 buck caldwell sand bag for the front and a "rabbit ear" type rear bag for my bench shooting. They sit on a 2X6 sitting on top of my shooting bench with a hunk of 7/16 OSB added to shoot at the top targets on the frame.
The fancy adjustable front rests can cost some serious money. I've seen them as high as 400 bucks. They all have three legs with pointy things sticking out of the feet. They have some sort of adjustment for elevating the front of the rifle. Some seem to come with color TV and a built in sauna.
What makes a good front rest for bench shooting?
Are the plastic ones for 40 bucks worth the effort?
What is a good rear bag? Why?
Any input or advice would be appreciated.
The fancy adjustable front rests can cost some serious money. I've seen them as high as 400 bucks. They all have three legs with pointy things sticking out of the feet. They have some sort of adjustment for elevating the front of the rifle. Some seem to come with color TV and a built in sauna.
What makes a good front rest for bench shooting?
Are the plastic ones for 40 bucks worth the effort?
What is a good rear bag? Why?
Any input or advice would be appreciated.
Comments
I have a simple 20 buck caldwell sand bag for the front and a "rabbit ear" type rear bag for my bench shooting. They sit on a 2X6 sitting on top of my shooting bench with a hunk of 7/16 OSB added to shoot at the top targets on the frame.
The fancy adjustable front rests can cost some serious money. I've seen them as high as 400 bucks. They all have three legs with pointy things sticking out of the feet. They have some sort of adjustment for elevating the front of the rifle. Some seem to come with color TV and a built in sauna.
What makes a good front rest for bench shooting?
Are the plastic ones for 40 bucks worth the effort?
What is a good rear bag? Why?
Any input or advice would be appreciated.
I have a BenchMaster. I like it a lot. Mine has the level on it. I think I could get by without that and have got the $80 version, but I don't regret it. The only problem is that it could be a bit heavier for larger calibers. My 300 WinMag kicks so much that every shot I have to basically reset everything. The thing will turn 15 degs or so after a shot lol.
Caldwell makes a thing called the Sled or something like that. So you can add weight to it. Looks cool, but never tried it.
I wouldn't buy anything made of plastic when it comes to a bench. Buy once and buy right is my motto.
See Rests by Bald Eagle, Sinclair, Hart and many others.
A good rear bag will fit your stock profile, but for most anything but benchrest shooting, the rear bags of the "rabbit ear" or "bunny ear" persuasion are good. But buy the versions with the extra thick bottoms so you don't have to buy the "dohnut" later on. The versions with the "flat" between the ears is for the benchrest stocks which also have the flat bottoms to the rear stock bottoms.
The best and cheapest alternative I have found is the Uncle Buds Bull bag. I bought the 15" version and it has been great. I keep it in the truck so I can grab it and throw it on the hood[;)] I also took it to the local apolstry shop before I filled it with sand and had a set of thick sections sewn to it on one side with d-rings and then attached a strap to it so carrying it isn't as bad.
Here is the Bald Eagle front with the Bunny ear rear bag and dohnut base to make up for rounding that takes place when you didn't buy the extra thick base version[B)]
JustC,
Nice Pic. what is the rifle?
sandwarrior, this little lady is of course a rem700 trued up with a Hart 1:11.25 21" tube pillar bedded in a mcmillan A2 with adjustable cheek and butt with a shillen trigger under IOR tactical 20MOA picatinny rail and IOR tactical rings (lapped) and an IOR 6-24x50 Tactical glass with the MP8 reticle. Just some parts I had around[:D]
I'm drooling[:p]
I'll bet it shoots a little bit better than a 6br Encore POS [8D]
She managed a .313MOA group at 300yds on friday afternoon with a 168gr a-max and 45gr varget[:p] It does however much prefer being shot free recoil. When you grip her a bit too tight, she lets you know,..much as we men have come to expect[:I]
The load had some vertical in it, so I figure I have some slight powder tweaking to do.