Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting Rests for shooting off a bench

Hey Guys,

I am looking for a good rest to shoot off of my bench with. I currently am using a front pedestal, and a rear sand bag..both fairly cheap, and recently I have noticed I am moving more then I usually do...possibly the higher power scope.

So, would a bipod, and a rear bag be the way to go? Or is there a rest you guys would recommend?

Thanks for the help!

Shoot straight,

FMP

front rest with a bag on it, I use some kind of Hoppes metal rest with a bag, and a rear bag with sand in it.

I don't shoot a lot of groups that are .25moa or under, but I don't need it that accurate. I test till I get the best I can off a bench and then take it to a match.

What you are trying to do will answer the question better.

I would not use a bipod and bag off a bench for top accuracy though.

Tell us more about your equipment and how you shoot. What is the rifle, caliber, scope magnification, distance and set up? What do you see as your issue with moving? Why are you moving, how are you holding the rifle?

Throwing hardware at the problem is one thing, but perhaps we can cure the software first and then better hardware will simply enhance the system. Or put another way, if you're doing it badly now, better tools are not going to help you much.

My rifle is a remingotn 700 5r Milspec, with a leupold VXII 6-18 AO with turrets. I shoot off my bench at 100, 200, and 500 yards- where most of my shooting is done. I then shoot prone for anything else.

Best possible accuracy is my goal, and, it's not that I move all around- some days I just think that my rest isn't "consistent" enough. It's kind of a pain to have to "pinch" my bags, or move my head to get re-aligned to after I shoot.

I was looking at something like this possibly:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...dex&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

FMP,

You answered your own question, front pedestal and rear bag, "both fairly cheap".

Look at Sinclair's rests and bags that they carry. Pricy, but first class. It costs money to go small.

Then they need a good bench to put them on.....

Bipod is a step backwards.

Our benches are great.

The Sinclairs are great, but is that a better direction to go in?

FMP

For me I always have to repinch the bag after a shot. its not going to sit there and retrack perfectly.

Now BR shooters have the right stocks and setups and such but i THINK they also have to move the gun back some, adjust by pinching bags and shoot again.

I know I do. I make sure my body is rested against the table though, and I get all wrapped up in my stock, sometimes with both arms/hands.... more contact is better, and then make sure my neck is not transmitting a pulse or that my chest contact is not either.

Here are some thoughts for you.

1- .308 Win is not a benchrest caliber.
2- Remington 700 is not a benchrest rifle, but it is a great competition or "sniper" rifle.
3- If you want good reviews of front rests, go to 6mmbr.com
4- A 6-18 scope is nowhere near powerful enough for benchrest at longer distances.
5- You need to use or develop exceptional ammunition.

I would not bother with the rest that you showed, I think it's useless for several reasons. On the other hand, if you want to shoot off the bench AND prone, you could use the bipod from Sinclair. I have one that I use on two rifles for F-class competition and I find that it is absolutely excellent on a bench also.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/product/5363/Bipods-Adapters

I have had mine for 18 months now, and I love it. It will do a great job with your Remington 700.

As for rear bags, I recommend one from Sinclair, filled with their heavy chromite sand. Take the time to learn how to setup the bipod, rifle and bag and then shoot it properly. Learn to hold the rifle properly and pull the trigger without moving the rifle.

well I am not really shooting in bench rest competitions.. Nor do I have the skill to start. I am however looking to better myself.. And am really looking to learn f class.

Figured this wouldn't be a bad place to start!

Thanks

FMP

In that case, the bipod and the rear bag I mentioned are exactly what you need.

So..what can you tell me about f class? Is there another place to refer?

Thanks a million guys!

There are a slew of articles, concerning F class right here. Scroll down and you will see them.


Well, I just went looking for those threads and, they're gone!!!!! Am I having a senior moment or were they moved?

Not a senior moment, I guess they were all archived or rolled off. I was fixin' to write the next chapter and noticed they prior ones were gone. However, I have all the originals, of course, so I could repost them, but most everyone who wants them has already seen them.

Go to this website http://www.usrifleteams.com/

click the "Forums" tab, click the "Long-Range" link.

Register, viola, best Long Range and F-Class info you can get imo. These guys are the "professionals" if you will.

There isn't anything wrong with your line of thinking!!!

Every year we have one or two people who've never shot Benchrest show up at our matches looking to shoot... with a factory rifle. THAT'S THE REASON WE RUN A SPECIFIC CLASS WHERE THEY CAN COMPETE AGAINST EACHOTHER and not against Benchrest rifles. We encourage you to come, good way for you to get started in BR shooting. Many of us have started that way.

Aalf gave you an excellent example of what you need. Get a Sinclair rest, and which ever top you'd like (windage top or fixed top). You'll need a front bag that fits the contour of the forearm filled with heavy sand, and a rear rabbit ear bag also filled with heavy sand. STAY AWAY FROM BEACH SAND!!! You can work on your mechanics-right hand grip, cheek & shoulder pressure, trigger control and breathing while shooting from a bench which will transfer to your prone position. You'll also benifit when fine tuning your loads by shooting from a bench.

Make up some targets on your computer that are compatible the scope you have. There's quite a few free targets on the net that will give you an idea of what to use. Your looking for something that gives you a precise aiming point that you can marry to the reticle in your scope.

Your Remington may not be a "Benchrest" rifle, you'd be surprised at the accurcay some of us have squeezed out of a factory rifle!!! Have fun with it.

Benchrest competition is for wusses who are too scared to get on their bellies and shoot real rifles at real targets. We F-classers don't shoot for groups, we shoot for score.


Actually, it doesn't matter which way you pick, just go out there and start competing, I promise you will have a lot of fun and you will learn a great deal. Start with what you have, see what the folks are using and go from there. I can assure you that people will welcome you and will help you along, just check your ego at the gate because there are some great shooters out there, even if some of them are wusses.

Hey FMP, a good technique when shooting for group. Intentionally set your elevation 1-2 moa or so higher than zero. Reason is that you always have a clean point of aim (poa)to sight on. Your bullet impacts show up below your poa. Some benchrest targets have this feature, square sighting box over circular bulls. You quarter the box with the scope reticle.

Because you can't barely get below moa with your loads, so you just make the target bigger to boost your scores. Touche'

That's exactly right, aalf.

However, in reference to TD's comment above, what I do for groups, is set up my FTR rig at 100 yards and use a tall skinny piece of paper as the target, like 36-40 inches tall and a couple inches wide. I hang that up at 100 yards and put a little dot about an inch from the bottom, in the middle.

Then I use my no wind 1000 yard zero on the scope and aim for the dot at the bottom of the target and shoot my string. I never see the group form because it's out of the scope. When my string is finished, I love to see the results; one ragged hole.

Just yankin' your chain.

I shoot 1K BR. On one gun, I had a 50 moa base cause I was planning on going to a mile. I had to add a 3'+ piece of cardboard at 500 yards to catch the bullet.

Also, while a 308 may not fit the strictest description of a BR cartrige, don't schitt yourself on the accuracy it's capable of. I also shoot Hunter class, and my first barrel was a 308. Built with a Stolle, Hart, McM, and Jewell, put together by a capable smith. The accuracy could have made a lot of PPC's cry like a little girl. Plus, this year, a 308 set a 1000 yd. group record.