SmallCaliberCentral

Assuming most folks are shooting off a table or bench of some kind...are you shooting off bags or a mechanical rest? I've always used bags, but thinking about taking my rest this year. Is the mechanical rest too slow and time consuming to line up targets? Unfortunately, I don't have a rotating table, so my "line of fire" is somewhat limited. Last year, I used some new shooting bags, and it seemed pretty slow to line up horizontal and verticle position of my rifle. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking I may spend too much time tweaking the knobs on my rest. Is one rest significantly better or worse than the other. Would like imput from others who have used both, and then I can make a more informed decision. Many thanks...

I'm using a front rest and use it to get me close for the area ill be shooting. Final windage elevation adjustments I do with the rear bag.

Keith,

I've done both and using a mechanical front rest is the only way to go. Before I had a rotating bench, I would simply slide my front rest back and forth across my shooting table as necessary. I also used the front rest to get rough elevation and then made finer adjustments with the rear bag for specific targets.

Even today with a rotating bench, I use the rear bag to make most elevation changes when shooting at targets. I'll only adjust the mechanical rest when I begin shooting a different area that requires a change.

As for mechanical rests, I used a Caldwell Rock for several years before upgrading to the Sinclair last season. The Sinclair is not inexpensive, but it is absolutely worth the money. I would highly recommend going straight for the Sinclair if possible.

http://www.sinclairintl.com/shooting-re ... 38342.aspx



P.S. You need a BR Pivot. Going from a table to a BR Pivot is like going from a Red Rider to your Cooper.

For load work up, and punching paper, I use a Sinclair light weight front rest, For around 160.00, with a bunny ear bag for the stock. But out in "Skippy" country, I am using what is called a Varminter rest. It has a very fast front elevation adjustment, while the stock rests in a saddle. My biggest problem with this setup, I get on my targets very fast, and it seems like I am always changing out rifles, to keep from shooting "HOT" rifles. I shoot off a Cabelas 360* bench, no matter if doing load work or when after skippy. I did modify the bench top to make it more comfortable.

Keith,my shooting partner uses a Harris Bipod for all his PD shooting off his buggy bench,and a rear bag w/pieces of 3/4" wood for quick elevation
adjustments.I use a front rest and rear bag with the same procedure for the rear bag.None of this is as quick as I would like it.The front bag,like cauldwell or others without a rear bag is much quicker until someone comes out with a leaver with twist lock for a front rest.I may try the bipod on
one or two rifles this year.

I have tried most set ups, bipod/rear bag, front mech rest /rear bag but what I like the best is a dog gone good shooting bag takes up less space and is rock steady. Mostly use the medium bag with or without a rear bag. The large bag is great if you don't plan on using a rear bag they can be tossed anywhere and use minimal space even if you don't have a rotating table you can turn it and acquire targets fast. These things come prefilled with a polypropylene filler so they aren't so heavy you bulge a disk trying to lift it.

My good friend and rat shootin' partner, Don Scott of 'dog-gone-good' makes those excellent rifle bags. I use one of his window bags for shooting rats out the truck window (legal here on private land), but after 45 years of steady ground squirrel shooting, going from prone with a bipod, off the truck hood, standing on the truck tailgate shooting over the canopy, fixed shooting benches.....all the way to the BR Pivot, which like Mike says, is like going from your Daisy Red Ryder to a Cooper, and for good reason.

From my experience bags work okay for PD's and squirrels, but if you really want precision accuracy, nuthin' beats a quality mechanical front rest and rear bag. I used everything available before I designed and patented the BR Pivot, and the key piece of equipment to make the system work is a quality front rest....other things will work, but nothing works as well as a front rest. I also prefer the Sinclair unit, and use their All-Purpose Front Rest that allows for different forearm widths, from sporters to full BR rigs. There's always different ways to skin that cat, but this has proven to be the hot setup over the decades, at least for what we do here with squirrels and for those trips to MT for the "bigger rats". This rest offers quick elevation adjustments, with a fine-tuner mariner wheel for very fine adjustments. Like Mike, we all use the rear bag for minor elevation adjustments, as it's super quick so you can get on that rat before he bails.

Here's my setup with my Cooper M21 MTV 204 in the rat patch:



If funds are an issue, Don offers a full range of bags, bench bags, window bags, wedge bags, even elbow bags, and you can get them empty or filled with his poly pellets to save weight....good stuff. Good luck on your PD shoot and get the best setup you can afford....it really does make a difference in the rat patch.

I'm a bipod and bag guy. The Harris swivel and pod lock works well