Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Shooting rest for accuracy

Guys, what do yall use for a rest when shooting for accuracy? Thanks, powdr

Shot bags that I have filled with the cat litter pellets.

Sinclair front rest and rear sand bag

you could get by on the cheap with a caldwell "rock" front rest and rear bunny ear combo along with a picanic table and you're set.
Big Ed

Sinclair rest, Protektor bags front and rear.

Caldwell Rock front rest and Protektor low bunny ear with thick base. Not benchrest competition quality but watch for sales and you can get into the whole outfit for under $200.

The best accuracy aid outside of a good heavy rest is a good solid bench with a wood top so that the rest does not skid under recoil, or use the 2" stabilfeet if you are using a concrete top bench - http://benchrest.com/class/index.php?a=2&b=3358

drover

Accuracy or precision? One can have accuracy off of just plain old sandbags front and rear. One doesn’t have precision off of same.
Of the rests mentioned the Caldwell rock if BR is a solid value for 90% of the folks out there. Caldwell rock is a POS, no weight small footprint.
Precision is Sinclair, Bald Eagle or any number of high dollar rests.
Bottom line. Buy anything you want, but if the front bag doesn’t fit the contour of the most rifle used off that rest you are pizzing in the wind as far as precision.
Got accurate rifles, and have or have had precision rifles.

For my competition benchrest gun I have a John Loh rest..........it is set up for only ONE stock and is THE best IMO for that rifle but not for anything else......

For most "shooting rest for accuracy" that is somewhat universal there is a stand alone in my opinion.

The Bald Eagle AWESOME REST
Night and day better than a Caldwell for a great price.

Swifty,

Are you bringing up the supposed "difference" between accuracy and precision that a few shooters feel compelled to these days?

Precisely! And an accurate asessment.

Same here. It’s more than I need for what I do with it which is mostly load development and casual paper punching but was left to me by a favorite Uncle that was big into rimfire BR shooting.

This one:

https://www.grizzly.com/products/bald-eagle-triangle-windage-rest-cast-iron/be1153

Well, yes. Thanks for the response MD

I use a Rock BR for everything.

In vintage single shot competition I sometimes use a Pope-style barrel sled clamped to the end of the barrel which rides/slides on a plate of Delrin, with a pin and notch arrangement to bring it back to the exact same spot for each shot. Standard Protektor bunny ears under the butt. No rest under the fore arm. I plan on taking the next step of taking off the fore arm and resting the rear of the barrel on a V-block arrangement. Next thing to a machine rest, admittedly, and not for general use. (But the wild card is still the wind at 100 yards with a .22, or a .32-40 lead bullet at 1300fps at 200 yards. It ain't foolproof.) More for load testing than anything else, but guys use them in bench competition as have I.

I use a Hart rest with a couple of different tops. The wider front top bag is 3" and if you get a Sinclair or Hart Accuracy Asset, it makes shooting a sporter fore end gun much, much easier. Between those two tops and the Accuracy Asset, there isn't anything that won't work and fit well. A flat bottomed quality rear bag like a Protector with short 'bunny' ears works well, especially for sporter stocks that have a cheek piece. A Protector or similar elbow bag like in the pics is a must have...it keeps your elbow off the bench for more consistent follow through and the skin stays on your elbow, not the bench top.

Though I prefer a bit heavier rest, the Bald Eagle BE1128 aluminum rest works well for most guys evaluating hunting style rifles. The quality is much better than the Caldwell stuff and the price is stupid-cheap. The rack and pinion elevation is smooth and solid.

Hope this helps.:) -Al

https://www.grizzly.com/search?q=shooting+rests

I use a Hart front rest and a Protektor rear bag….

Ok, here's a question: I see dedicated benchrest rifles with straight toe lines on the bottom of the butt stock, in a parallel line with the bore to ensure straight back recoil as the rifle recoils on the bunny ears. The idea is to not have the barrel arcing while the bullet is still traveling through it. My question is, does it really really matter, or is it as long as said barrel movement is consistent that will ameliorate the phenomenon?

I'm embarking on another single shot project, a dedicated bench gun, and have to choose between a traditional style butt stock and one that is fat with the aforementioned straight toe line. All too often I let aesthetics drive my choices, maybe now's not the time to do that.

^^ THIS ^^ how accurate do you wanna be ? accuracy can cost money

I've been using a Hart rest and leather Protektor bags for more than thirty years. This setup still works well. The Hart is sturdy, simple, and heavy enough it won't move around.