Saw Bushy's pics of his inexpensive, but effective, shooting rest in the Guns and Firearms section and thought..hey, why not start a new thread where we can all show off our shooting rest, and workmanship if we built it ourselves.

It don't matter if your have the latest and greatest, you beaut, all singin' and dancin' commercially made rest or something as simply as a backpack (which most of use make use of in the field). Take a pic and stick 'em here so that we can all have a look and maybe the beginners or learners in here can gain some insight and ideas to help improve their enjoyment of our sport.

Cheers, Vince

I've seen and used a few commercially made rests and figured that I could make something similar, maybe not as flash, but certainly as effective. Consequently, I sat down, had a look at the bits and pieces I had lying around my shed, went out and bought a couple more bits, and came up with the rest below.

The threaded centre post is a piece of 5/8" threaded bar long enough to give me plenty of height adjustment. The three short threaded legs/feet are the same threaded bar, again long enough to give me enough adjustment for uneven surfaces. The centre nut that the thread bar goes through is simply a long nut that is used to join lengths of threaded bar (don't know the correct name for them). I also used these nuts for the adjustment of the three short legs/feet.

I used an ordinary nut with three short "handles" (1/4" rod) welded to it that acts as a lock nut on the centre threaded bar.

The support for the rifle is a piece of scrap steel (1/16" thick x 2 3/4" wide) that I bent to shape and welded to the top of the centre threaded bar.

The three main legs are made from some scrap 1/2" square tube that I saved for an "important job".

The bags for the rifle support on the rest and another for the butt are hand sewn from heavy canvas. Initially I filled them with wheat...not a good idea cause the bugs found out and had a feast (notice the tiny white marks where they burrowed in). They are now filled with sand, which is heavier and makes things more stable.

So that is my rest that I use at the range. Cheap...I reckon all up it cost me about $15...and it works a treat. When in the field I use a back pack if I need a rest.

Cheers, Vince

A little better picture of my very simple rest made from scrap found around the house. It is fully adjustable by dowel and wedge. The rubber pad is replacable...

Remember this?

I know that a lot of people use and enjoy the various types of rests and I certainly don't intend to try to tell them that they are wrong if they work for them, but I have never been able to get comfortable with them.

Rather than manufactured or purchased rests, I have always had the best luck with just plain "sandbags". I was lucky enough many years ago to acquire a quantity of very tightly woven, but flexible, canvas bags that range from a nominal 5 to 25 pound sizes. These were originally laboratory seed bags and have a thick, but soft, plastic liner. Partially filled with kitty litter (unused of course ), stitched and sealed, they are wide enough to be able to stack securely for any height I need and weather proof enough to take casual rains. Fine adjustments are made by merely "pinching" the bag supporting the toe of the stock.

I have found that kitty litter (the dust-free kind) makes a great filler since it is much lighter than sand and stays softer as it doesn't compact if kept dry. The lack of compaction helps prevent my rifles from bouncing off of the bags and affecting accuracy with each shot.

Just my 4-cents worth (inflation, you know ).

Mine look very similar to vince's pic mine is made by Hoppes I believe. It's adjustable and I use the " saddle type sand bags " have used it for quite a few years they seem to do fine .
Joe

I still use a Hoppes rest for some of my shooting but found it a little small in the legs. I knocked one up out of inch RHS and some 'C' channel. I made the feet with a masonary nail fitted in the end of the adjusting screw as we have carpet on out benches and the nails go through to the concrete top and stop any wobbles. The bags are bought ones - had some made but they were pretty crappy.

Here are 2 pics of mine.

It started life as a Hoppes BR. I found that it would rock back on recoil, even with a leg pointed to me, so the changes started to happen.

1. I increased the footprint by adding longer legs. Remove the pointed bolts, bolt in 1/2"x1"x10" steel bars, drilled and tapped at the ends for the pointed bolts, and bolted from underneath into the BR.

2. The cavity on the underside was drill at angles (random) rollpins installed and molted lead poured in on three different sittings. (Note - I forgot about shrinkage hence the hose clamps). The BR now weighs in about 18lbs.

It will not move under recoil even from my .338LM rifle.

Gosh, you guys are fancy! I use a forked stick or a fence post.

I need to run take a picture of a fence post and include it!
Have a great day!

Cary

Cary,

Don't feel bad, I normally use sling supported positions or at the most my buttpack filled with not so "even" stuff (ie Food and water supplies).

Dimitri

Oh, I don't feel bad; I'm perfectly satisfied with my methods. My brother has all of the fancy shooting apparatus. He comes out occasionally, and does some target shooting with all his gear. I'll normal move my cows out of the pasture (In South Texas we call woodlands pastures, if it's cleared, it's a field) he's firing into. I don't have a bermed back stop, just lots of unoccupied woodlands. That's pretty much the way every rancher I know does it. I suppose it would be good to shoot into a tank (pond) dam.

Anyway, the reason I started using the forked stick method is that this was my grandfather's method of hunting. He always sat on the ground, on a rock or log with a forked stick for a rest. If I decide to walk, instead of hunting from a deer stand, I'll sling my rifle over my shoulder and walk with a staff that has a forked top. When I see a deer, or hog, I'll set my rifle barren in the fork, and have a perfect shooting rest. It works very well. Try it for target shooting and you'll see.

Cary

Made this one a while back, solely for load R&D.....

I've since modified it a little as the original blueprint shown here had a hitch or two that needed addressing. The rear bag holder has been cut down some to limit the bleeding from my left wrist/forearm, being the major mod done.

It's elevation adjustable both front and rear, it's windage adjustable via a front side screw, the front bag swivels 360 for righty or lefty use of the windage adj., and all adjustments have a lock down feature. The rear bag is loose and the front is fixed. On most rifles it'll support the sweetspot just forward of the front action screw.

The original plan was maybe a nylon belt that saddled the recoil pad in effect making it a lead sledish type unit. Didn't go there though as I'm not really in need of any sissyfied gear such as a lead sled....

It weighs a tad more than a 20 pound turkey, and used in conjunction with an adjustable office chair on wheels, makes for Rock Solid and comfy load R&D.....

All welding I did with a TIG, will probably tear it down and powder coat it one of these days, when I see a lull in the R&D....

If I recall correctly, it cost me most all of nothing, to build...........

Any other rested shooting is done via 'pods and/or prone over a backback, rock, log, or stump......

The range I belong to has a number of nice concrete shooting benches and keeps some carpet scraps handy. I bring a Hornady "Delta Rest" with some sand in it, some home made sand bags and a closed-cell foam pad. I put the carpet on top of the bench, position the Delta Rest as needed and put a sandbag and the foam pad on top of it. Other sand bags go under the butt of the rifle.

My current batch of bags are showing a lot of wear so I'll be making more soon. This time I plan to fill them with plastic beads. Will be much lighter, no dust and can't absorb any moisture.

You guys must be rich? Here in Kentucky we stuff what-ever we can get down the end of the barrel and find the biggest tree we can get to support us and fire away. Works well for me...................

Harris bypod and good ole mother earth. For my Sharps and 1886 Winchester, I have some classic shooting stixs a freind made me wrapped with leather.