I just caught part of the Zambesi Hippo hunting episode. They were using a very nice portable rifle rest to shoot from.

Did anyone catch (or know) who makes that thing and what it's called?

I am not sure but it is covered in Boddington's Bufffalo CD. The PH in the CD has a few of them he uses in camp for checking rifles and leopard blinds. It is a load to carry and set up but is great in instances where one has the necessary time i e the leopard blind. If no one else knows I will check my CD and post the companies name.

It is called a VRS rest. Here is a link to the web page.

http://www.lonestarfieldproducts.com/

crl

Damn, sure as H*ll ain't too cheap. It looks like the model or package shown on the Surefire show is about $300.

To digress a little, I would not consider taking a rifle to Africa without one of my Harris bipods attached to it. I have made many shots at long range on plains game that I would not have considered attempting without the Harris. Contrary to popular opinion. the terrain and the vegetation in Africa, often will allow the use of a prone or sitting position. I even had it mounted on the .458 bolt gun while hunting Buffalo, just in case a long shot in open country was the only option.

ron,
Only one shot I took on my hunt in Zimbabwe would have allowed the use of a Harris bipod. I don't think I would have wanted to lug around that thing for the duration of the hunt for one shot that was easily accomplished with an improvised field rest.

I took the Harris bipod on my first trip and used it once. I took it off the gun as it was heavy and I prefered shooting off sticks.

The VRS is a great tool for use out of a leopard blind or for hippo, but again, it is heavy, expensive and really not needed if you can shoot from a rest. It is a "nice to have" but I would never take one.

I am a huge Harris bipod fan. I used it once on my last trip in an open area on a sable. But I must admit, they are not very useful in Africa, at least not where I have hunted.

I practice enough to shoot off the sticks standing out to 300; that is more useful than being able to shoot prone out to 500. (But I feel very comfortable to 500 and beyond using just a shooting sling and my ass.)