rifle rests, sleds and such

[Plastikosmd]

I hope that this post does not degrade as the last one did. This topic is an interest of mine for a few reasons.

First, I am not a benchrest shooter but I do strive for smaller groups.

Second, I have some rifles that have a touch of recoil. While a couple of them weigh between 50-80 lbs themselves, but with projectiles that weigh 700-1700 grains, I do look for ways to mitigate a touch of recoil.

The most accurate rifle that I own is an old 40x in 22-250. Topped with an old programmer scope it's best group was .085 or something. I agree that it is mostly luck but it is not that hard to hold around .2 at 100 yards.

I bought a FCX lead sled from Caldwell a while back and had used it a bit when working on sighting in another couple rifles. There I chased my tail for a long while with loads for those rifles (my fault as you will see.) I decided to shoot a bunch of groups using the sled with my old faithful rifle and try

1) shooting using the rest
2) rest with front bags instead of the front rest included with the sled
3)bags alone.

I shot 3 strings and repeated each x3 ( 5 shots for group, change setup then 5, change to final and shoot five, now repeat x3). Was cool and a bit breezy but all shot in same conditions

The average was taken. I kept the best groups per set for that day. Generally, the worst group by far and worst of all strings was using the rest with included front rest (best 0.616). Bags alone was good (best 0.210), and known to be good as my best group was shot that way before. Rest plus bag did the best for that day (best 0.126)but many more groups would have to be shot to really see if better than bags alone (suspect about same.) POI did change a bit from one setup to another but all generally low right(as I am using the crosshairs to center on target)


Now this is not the only rest I use, I also have a custom Viper rest that weights around 60lbs.





For my big guns, I do plan on figuring out how to incorporate a small lead sled rest along with my Viper in the future, so more to come. While it would not be competition 'legal' it will make things accurate enough for me on the big guns and reasonably comfortable

 

[twofifty]

I noticed the biggest difference is that the worst avg. group, by far, was shot with all of the fully restrained rifle's recoil transferred into the sled. This encourages rifle bucking.

In the other 2 cases, the rifle was free to recoil rearward within the rest system, thus barely disturbing the rests. Not using a sled results in less upward bucking movement and more consistent recoil transmission (provided bag/rest combos are used properly) = less shot dispersion.

Nice gear, btw, and thanks for posting.

 

[Plastikosmd]

Thx.
In my case with the fcx, the only restraint on the rifle is at the stock where it is cradled by the system. The front support post is an odd, single post, cantilevered thing that was the source of my problem. There was no bag slide in the setup with bag and fcx as the rear stock support it tied to the front base that bag is sitting on. For one of the reasons u mentioned, jumping, I have had some poor experiences with free recoil in some of my guns. Without a doubt poi is changing, I am just looking for repeatability and some pain control.

 

[ExAgoradzo]

I'd like the discussion to continue well also...

For those who don't like the sled idea, do you just use bags to sight in a rifle? That is 100% my question: how best to sight a scope...

Thanks for reposting this question...

Greg

 

[Inebriated]

EDIT - ExAgoradzo, I am a person that prefers bags, but uses the sled almost 100% of the time when it's time to zero. For me, the bags are too much trouble to get setup right, since I shoot several different places, and I rarely am sitting somewhere that the bags are the right height. Sleds are just easier to grab and go, and setup to work wherever. Also, I don't need hair-splitting precision... I zero hunting rifles and defensive rifles, and verify at further distances from field positions. So the sled works well enough for me. However, the more I get into load development, the more I'm really enjoying bags for the most consistency.

Nice test!

Reading the Lead Sled thread made me think about going out and doing something similar. I might just do something like this, and throw a bipod front/bag rear in the mix as well.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I use bags front and rear. Depending on what I am shooting (recoil wise) I may have a higher or lesser degree of free recoil and grip.

A 223 I will allow to bump my shoulder, a 30-06 I set against my shoulder.

The lighter the touch on some days means less heartbeat transmitted to the scope. Other days, I seem to be more steady and grip a hair tighter.

I needs me one of them Viper rests.......

 

[twofifty]

EDIT - ExAgoradzo, I am a person that prefers bags, but uses the sled almost 100% of the time when it's time to zero. For me, the bags are too much trouble to get setup right, since I shoot several different places, and I rarely am sitting somewhere that the bags are the right height.

Nice test!

....

Inebriated - suggest you bring along small pieces of plywood the same size as your front bag bottom.

I've four 3/4", three 3/8", one 1/2" - they fit in my range bucket.

With those I can quickly set up on pretty well any bench on a reasonably flat range.
It takes a few seconds to get the right coarse elevation, the fine adjustments come from sliding the stock front and back. Sliding back raises the POA, forward lowers it.
So easy.

 

[twofifty]

I'd like the discussion to continue well also...

For those who don't like the sled idea, do you just use bags to sight in a rifle? That is 100% my question: how best to sight a scope...

Thanks for reposting this question...

Greg

Agoradzo, I rely entirely on a set of quality full-leather double-bottom leather bags to sight in my hunting and target rifles (all with normal taper stocks). Note that I too am not a benchrest competitor.

Bags are compact, lightweight and versatile. If your bench technique is consistently up to par, the results are entirely predictable & repeatable.

 

[tuj]

smallbore:

 

[Plastikosmd]

"Bags are compact, lightweight and versatile. If your bench technique is consistently up to par, the results are entirely predictable & repeatable."

I would not call my bags light! Tho light as compared to my rests. It really isn't about which is universally better, if that we're true I would throw out all my bipods! I use bags or bag/viper when shooting for group. The sled has a role just as my cross sticks, monopod,high power slings and bipods do.