SmallCaliberCentral

I would like some recommendations for front rests and rear bags. I have used a cheap Hoppe's for years, but it's time to upgrade. Thanks in advance.

A GOOD rest is going to cost you some money. You will have to decide how much you intend to use it and how much you are willing to part with. I shoot from a bench a lot so I don't mind paying for a really good rest. If I was just going to use it every once and a while for load development I would settle for a cheaper model. The Caldwell Rock BR is a decent rest for less than $200. The Sinclair rest comes in different configurations that run from about $200 to about $350 depending on how you want it configured on top. Both those rests are good rests in my books. Now if you are thinking about competition, you're going to have to spend a lot more. Quality rests with joy sticks and such will cost as much as your rifle. The contour of your front rest bag should match your rifle's forend whether it is flat or curved like most factory rifles.

The rear bag is just as important as the front rest. It should fit your rifle. There are bags that have single stitching and high ears that are good for standard stocked rifles. If you have a custom stock with the forend and butt parallel you would probably want a 3 stitch bag so the butt would track backwards in the bag without rising up. The idea is to get your front rest and rear bag set up so that the rifle recoils backward in the rests and you push it forward to the stop and it is right back on target. If the rifle tracks true in the bags it is much easier to get right back on target and ready for the next shot.

Your rests and bags should match your rifle.

Hi Brian,
there are lots of good choices out there but with choice comes price. If you've got $250 to spend go for the standard Sinclair (they range from $147 for the lightweight to $328 for the heavy windage model), if you want a nice sturdy rest for a lower price go with the Caldwell BR Rest at around $179. I picked up a used one for $120 with Protektor bags.
I'd go with Protektor bags as they are good quality and priced right.
Also Sinclair sells Tru-Kote Superfeet which protect the top of your bench.
Gary

Thanks for the quick replies. I was pretty sure I wanted this one http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/cat ... type=store but thought I would see what the folks on here suggest. I would use it mostly for sighting in, load work and varmint shooting from a bench.

Thanks for the input.

Brian: Skipper and Captqc are spot on. I used to shoot off a Wichata, then upgraded a few years ago to the Sinclair All-Purpose rest. The great thing about this rest, is the ability to change the width of the front bag to fit every rifle in your safe, from the Model Seven with a very skinny forend, to any of my full-blown bench guns with 3" wide McMillan BR stocks.

As Skipper noted, you'll pay for quality, but you'll never look back either. Here's my Sako 204 in the field with my Sinclair front rest and Super Feet to protect my bench top:



I use this rest for field BR live varmint shooting, working up loads, chronographing, and it fits every rifle I own.

Rick, what make is the shooting bench in your picture?

mporter, that's a BR Pivot bench, Rick makes and sells them. He can tell you all about them, just ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll be happy to explain.

Thanks Glenn,

I found his website which tells the details of the BR Pivot Bench, http://www.varmintmasters.net/.

Now that's a well-designed portable bench! Seems much more solid than any others I have found on the web.

What model Sinclair rear bag would best match with a Savage 12 LRPV?

skipper wrote:
The rear bag is just as important as the front rest. It should fit your rifle. There are bags that have single stitching and high ears that are good for standard stocked rifles. If you have a custom stock with the forend and butt parallel you would probably want a 3 stitch bag so the butt would track backwards in the bag without rising up. The idea is to get your front rest and rear bag set up so that the rifle recoils backward in the rests and you push it forward to the stop and it is right back on target. If the rifle tracks true in the bags it is much easier to get right back on target and ready for the next shot.

Your rests and bags should match your rifle.

Sorry, I was watching the race.

I would go with the Protektor Deluxe Cordura Mid Ear Rear Bag. The ears are taller than the Bunny Ear bag but lower than the Rabbit Ear bag. The double stitching in between the ears will help keep the rifle from riding up in the bag every shot and the donut on bottom will keep the bag stable from side to side.

Better late than never.. I just picked up a 18lb Caldwell Rock BR for $159 new. Kinda wanted the top of the line Sinclair rest. But after seeing both in the flesh, I couldn't justify a extra $175 for the Sinclair unit. I guess I just got tired of my new range buds picking on my old one .

Skipper & Rick you have some great front rests!

My wife would have had a cow if I bought one of those. So I have the $20.00 plastic Caldwell Handy Rest. For the money it works pretty well-good enough for prairie dogs. For a back rest I use the usual leather "dog ear" bag filled with old ground corn cob media from the case tumbler.

AZ Hunter: Yeah, I know what you mean....I got my wife young, trained her to believe such things were mandatory to my mental health, so now she thinks high-end accessories are required to keep me from whining excessively.

I think you made a good decision. I had a standard Sinclair....it was in the utility room in New Orleans on Aug 29, 2005 and drowned along with everything but my guns in Katrina. I decided I had to replace it....and ended up as you did going with the Caldwell BR, and a Protektor rabbit ear bag for the rear. I love Sinclair, but I'm also very satisfied with the stability and flexibility of the Caldwell BR. Congratulations.....George

I took her out for a test ride yesterday and I like it! It has more options than others that cost more than twice as much. And it's solid as a rock The windage option was the one I needed/wanted most. I'm a happy camper I however did have one problem. The length of the legs set it further back on my favorite bench and left NO room for the rear bag. . I had to move to a longer bench