front rest for benchrest shooting

  • 5.2K Views
  • Last Post 25 August 2023
TheMrNotSoFamous posted this 30 May 2018

What kind of front rest is everyone using? When I attend local benchrest matches, most everyone is using a Caldwell The Rock BR with a few using much more expensive Sinclair models. One very serious gent paid a machine shop $1000.00+ 10yrs. ago to make one to his specs and I gotta say it is a quality rest all the way. All I've ever used is bags and I do alright. I can say I'm competitive but as always looking to do better. Is The Rock any good or are people just using them because of their lower price? What are some pros and cons to look for in a front rest? Thanks in advance for your opinions. John

Owning a firearm doesn't make you armed anymore than owning a guitar makes you a musician...words of Jeff Cooper

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
RicinYakima posted this 30 May 2018

IMHO: It has to be solid, every moveable part should have a lock. It should not move before, during or after of the shot. It should have a large footprint. Weight makes them more stable, heavy is good and heavier is better. The top must fit the forend, shooting a sporter or military rifle with a 3 inch benchrest bag is a waste. Windage adjustable top is not required in CBA style shooting.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Ross Smith
  • JeffinNZ
Scearcy posted this 30 May 2018

One thing I find helpful in a front rest is the windage adjustment. This allows you to fine tune your hold without pushing the rifle somewhere it doesn't want to go. Unfortunately this does push you toward the more expensive rests. Many good shooters shoot really well w/o this feature, however. I seem to recall a couple of scissor jack front rests at the nationals.

Jim

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Ross Smith
John Alexander posted this 30 May 2018

I think having the front bag fit your forearm is the most important feature. I like a windage adjustable front rest and a speed screw on the back leg to make things a bit easier and avoiding having to wiggle the bags about, but they aren't essential.

Dan Hudson shoots with a scissor jack with some kind of bag on top and has won the CBA Nationals a couple of times and won his class several times.

John

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Ross Smith
R. Dupraz posted this 30 May 2018

I have been using a Caldwell Rock BR for several years now. At the time I was looking for a decent front rest and found this near new Rock rest at a local gun show at a reasonable  price, so ended up with it. For my purposes, it works ok after I made some modifications.

Don't know what they are made of now but the base on mine is cast iron which adds to the weight of course. But it will still move  on a bench. A sand bag or two on the legs helps.

Both the elevation and windage  adjustment have a habit of loosening when in use and must be continually checked throughout a match session to prevent groups from going south all of a sudden.

The fine windage adjustment is not a good design as the adjustment shaft is opposed by a spring. Consequently, this adjustment can't be locked up tight and allows some movement after it is thought to having been set. I removed the spring from mine. Then drilled the spring hole completely through the housing and out the opposite side. Threaded the hole. and made another threaded adjustment shaft that screws into the other side which in effect opposes the original windage adjustment shaft. So that now when setting windage, both shafts can be locked up against each other.

These are the two major downsides that I have found. But all in all, the rest works for what I do once getting acquainted with it. Guess it's like anything else, depends on how deep your pockets are.

 

R. 

 

Attached Files

Pentz posted this 30 May 2018

Ditto on the Caldwell, except I installed very stiff springs on either side to have opposing forces.

Attached Files

Bud Hyett posted this 30 May 2018

I have had many variations; leather sandbags filled with heavy black sand, Freeland rest, B-Square, Hart rest with windage top, scissor jack adaptation and now the Sinclair rest. All have done the job and worked well, my thought is the user has to adopt to the rest and learn the idiosyncrasies.

Currently using the Sinclair rest with windage adjustable tops. I have two tops with one base to use for both Military Rifle and Benchrest competition. The top is easy to change and this works well plus saves weight on trips. I did carry two rests, but that took up extra space. 

Also, I am thinking of adding stiffer springs to my windage tops to assure they stay in place. during recoil. My scissor jack rest is adapted to prairie dog shooting with springs added to hold the position down. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

Attached Files

Scearcy posted this 30 May 2018

BH

Can you post a picture of your scissor jack setup? I am always trying to improve on my  prairie dog set up.

Jim

Attached Files

OU812 posted this 30 May 2018

This is way out of my league, but the Farley Coaxial rest is about the best you can get. You control windage and elevation with one extended knob. Heavy also.

Attached Files

TheMrNotSoFamous posted this 31 May 2018

Thanks to all for your input. That Farley rest is similar to that custom $1000.00+ rest I spoke of earlier. The custom rest looked quite a bit different but was also controlled by a long extended knob and was made entirely of stainless. When I see that custom rest again I'm gonna take a much better look at it and ask the gent what features he was wanting out of it. He did say it is the best rest he's ever used.

Owning a firearm doesn't make you armed anymore than owning a guitar makes you a musician...words of Jeff Cooper

Attached Files

OU812 posted this 31 May 2018

I stopped carrying my heavy Hart/Sinclair rest to the range years ago. I now use the bipod only.

I think  the Cast Bullet Assoc.  should give you the option of using bipod in competition. 

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • 2frogs
lotech posted this 31 May 2018

I've used a Hart pedestal rest with a Protektor leather bag for at least thirty years and have not found this setup lacking in any way. With the bag, total weight may slightly exceed twenty pounds, but it doesn't move around on the bench. I would assume this rest is still marketed. 

Attached Files

John Alexander posted this 31 May 2018

I stopped carrying my heavy Hart/Sinclair rest to the range years ago. I now use the bipod only.

I think  the Cast Bullet Assoc.  should give you the option of using bipod in competition. 

======

OU812,

That seems like a reasonable suggestion and will suggest it to the CBA board for their discussion.

John

 

Attached Files

OU812 posted this 31 May 2018

John,

    Just a reminder that the bipod will add weight to the rifle. I use the simple Harris with adjustable cant, but there are some more extreme options out there...such as wider and lower foot print. Sinclair catalog shows most of them.

Thanks

Attached Files

John Carlson posted this 02 June 2018

I use the Rock BR.  I like the windage adjustment because I like to set the rest up, shoulder the rifle with my eyes closed, then adjust the rest so it will consistently be on target when I open my eyes.  I then use the windage/elevation adjustments to move from the sighter target to the record target or from one bull to another on the postal targets, trying to keep the mating of the rifle butt to my shoulder always the same.

John Carlson. CBA Director of Military Competition.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Bud Hyett
Bud Hyett posted this 03 June 2018

Pictures of the scissors jack front rest. Ed Doonan built the rest. I added the J-hooks and the spring to hold tension against the screw. Setting the spring in the various J-hooks allow for raising the height.

 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • sluggo
TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 03 June 2018

I'll have to take pix of mine!  The spring sounds like a good idea!

 

Attached Files

Scearcy posted this 03 June 2018

BHyett

Thanks for sharing the pictures. 

Jim

Attached Files

TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 06 June 2018

 

Attached Files

2frogs posted this 09 August 2023

I use the bipod on my heavy 223... works good for me..

Attached Files

RayHoagland posted this 11 August 2023

I've had success using the Fulgham rest from Randolph Machine, Inc. in NC. With the premium MKII (I think it's called) adjustable top, it costs in the thousand $ range. Paired with a high quality rear bag, this combination will provide the stable platform needed to be competitive in all types of benchrest competition. 

I've bought and used lesser quality and lower priced rests - several of them. I've sold off most and still have a Caldwell Rock for my guests - not for me.

Buy once  -  Cry once  ..........................  Good Shooting!

RayH

 

 

RayH

Attached Files

Show More Posts
Close