Benchrests?
- Thread starter Madmax
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What kind of benchrest? The two piece 3 or 4 leg forearm rest with (usually) sand filled bag under the belly of the stock or the one piece jobs that you rest your entire rifle on?
IMO, for the two piece set-ups, The Rock from Caldwell (Battenfeld Tech) is a good bargin for slightly more serious shooters. Has the weight for stability, pointed feet to help reduce shifting of the entire rest, forearm stop, adjustable wings for a better fit of the sand filled bag, etc. The basics of the more serious rests. There are, of course, the heavy duty hardcore rests with micro adjustments, more adjustments, more weight, etc. but they normally cost 3-5 times as much as The Rock. If you're looking to get anything close to the best, expect to pay at least $300. If you're looking for just a very stable platform to zero scopes and do rudimentary groups, can't beat the Caldwell offerring. IIRC, I think I paid ~$70 from Sportsman's Guide but don't think they have any at the moment. Midway has them for $69 (C&R) / $75 (non-C&R). Caldwell has another offerring called The Handy that doesn't, at least to me, look very good. Made out of plastic (=too light).
If you want to go cheap, Caldwell's Dead Shot front and rear sandbags work OK. ~$13-$15, you supply the sand. Not as stable but gets the job of sighting in done.
IMO, for the two piece set-ups, The Rock from Caldwell (Battenfeld Tech) is a good bargin for slightly more serious shooters. Has the weight for stability, pointed feet to help reduce shifting of the entire rest, forearm stop, adjustable wings for a better fit of the sand filled bag, etc. The basics of the more serious rests. There are, of course, the heavy duty hardcore rests with micro adjustments, more adjustments, more weight, etc. but they normally cost 3-5 times as much as The Rock. If you're looking to get anything close to the best, expect to pay at least $300. If you're looking for just a very stable platform to zero scopes and do rudimentary groups, can't beat the Caldwell offerring. IIRC, I think I paid ~$70 from Sportsman's Guide but don't think they have any at the moment. Midway has them for $69 (C&R) / $75 (non-C&R). Caldwell has another offerring called The Handy that doesn't, at least to me, look very good. Made out of plastic (=too light).
If you want to go cheap, Caldwell's Dead Shot front and rear sandbags work OK. ~$13-$15, you supply the sand. Not as stable but gets the job of sighting in done.
Just for a contrasting opinion.
The sole product review on the MidwayUSA website has the following:
The first negative is having to order the rest bag seperately. The main problem is the top of the rest rocks back and forth making it difficult to attain a solid shooting platform. The design precludes securing properly.
If you're looking for a quality rest, Sinclair Intl has everything you'd ever want, but most of their stuff is on the expensive side as it caters to the serious precision shooter. Their basic rest is $210.
Ed
The sole product review on the MidwayUSA website has the following:
The first negative is having to order the rest bag seperately. The main problem is the top of the rest rocks back and forth making it difficult to attain a solid shooting platform. The design precludes securing properly.
If you're looking for a quality rest, Sinclair Intl has everything you'd ever want, but most of their stuff is on the expensive side as it caters to the serious precision shooter. Their basic rest is $210.
Ed
Not entirely sure about Mr. Paris' review of the Caldwell Rock rest. No real details other than the rest rocks.
The platform you rest your rifle on is directly bolted onto the threaded post that adjusts for elevation. The recess (indexed to correspond to the locking channel of the post) is slightly loose to allow the post to be inserted to it easily but the channel and index are tight. When bolted downwith the countersunk screw (installed from the top), the assembly is solid. When the assembly is inserted into the base, again a bit loose to allow easy insertion. But this is tightened down with the locking handle that screws into the channel of the post and acts as a set screw. When tightened down, it immobilizes the platform/post assembly. When all of the screws are tighened, the rest is literally, as the label suggest, solid with no playof any kind.
The only way I've been able to simulate what Mr. Paris describes is to keep or remove the platform-to-post bolt and/or not tighten down the locking handle for the post. In either case, the rest isn't being use properly.
He does have a point about the bags, but there are 4 different front bags available for the rest depending on the cross-section of the forearm of your stock. Why package all of the bags in the set with the rest if (most likely) only one is going to be used. Selling all of the bags with the rest would only drive up the cost and turn people away from the product.
The platform you rest your rifle on is directly bolted onto the threaded post that adjusts for elevation. The recess (indexed to correspond to the locking channel of the post) is slightly loose to allow the post to be inserted to it easily but the channel and index are tight. When bolted downwith the countersunk screw (installed from the top), the assembly is solid. When the assembly is inserted into the base, again a bit loose to allow easy insertion. But this is tightened down with the locking handle that screws into the channel of the post and acts as a set screw. When tightened down, it immobilizes the platform/post assembly. When all of the screws are tighened, the rest is literally, as the label suggest, solid with no playof any kind.
The only way I've been able to simulate what Mr. Paris describes is to keep or remove the platform-to-post bolt and/or not tighten down the locking handle for the post. In either case, the rest isn't being use properly.
He does have a point about the bags, but there are 4 different front bags available for the rest depending on the cross-section of the forearm of your stock. Why package all of the bags in the set with the rest if (most likely) only one is going to be used. Selling all of the bags with the rest would only drive up the cost and turn people away from the product.
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