Hi,
what about the gun rest when testfiring loads? I have some feeling/experience, especially with light guns such as my Blaser 12/222Rem Combo that it "bounces" or twists on the rest, placing my hand on the barrel to weigh the gun down seems to improve accuracy. Ideas?

Regards
Goran

I'm old fashioned as I like to nestle the gun in sandbags.....you know...made from cloth shot bags and fine sand about 3/4th full!

I'd recemmend to keep your hand off the barrel while shooting as you're not going to do that while hunting and further (at least in theory) it should make groups much worse!

I agree with vapodog.
I do use a lead sled with the magnum guns I shoot, but for the lighter calibers just use sand bags. I made mine from an old leather apron cut into pieces and sown together then filled witha fine sand.
Works for me.
good luck!

Thanks for your input!

I use the lead sled which holds the rifle very steady.My .338WM is a pleasure to shoot off the sled.

Most people like to shoot a benchrest at the range and then bags in the field at varmints.

I used to do that.

These days, I am shooting bags at the range AND bags in the field.

This is a photo from http://www.dog-gone-good.com/
I love their bags, but when I use them, I push the rifle trigger guard right up to the edge of the bag. I have to pull the rifle back to load the next round, but I like the center of gravity over the big bag and the rear wedge just comes in as a damper and not part of the balance. That way I can change barrel elevation more radically.

My experience (and that of others):

1. Put hard stuff (gun, stock) on soft stuff (sandbag).
2. Rest the gun on the sandbag in a way that the sandbag is right below the receiver. Never allow the barrel to touch the gunrest.
3. Pull in the rifle snugly into your shoulder pocket. Pull pistol grip with the three non shooting fingers of your hand. Relax ALL muscles of your body but that of your shooting finger.
4. Breathe (out) - relax - squeeze (and hold trigger back)- follow through - breathe (in)

Hope I could help.

Come to think of it... A very good rest I've used was an "egg tray":



A 1x1 foot cardboard tray for chicken eggs, the rifle lays very secure from twisting and twitching. It's a bit easy to break of course, have only used it with my .222Rem.

I use to use sand, but it always filters through the cloth when you first put them on the bench and make a groove for the forend by hitting it with the side of your hand. Now I use nylon kneeling rolls for position shooting filled with plastic poly beads. The avantages are no dust from abrasive sand,no mosture to absorb, and the nylon bag does not strech once there is pressure on the bag. you can get the kneeling rolls from Champion Choice.

GE,

Like others here I've a collection of self-made sandbags from various materials such as leather & old Blue Jeans that continue to give me great services. Today, though the countless, inexpensive offerings from mail order houses are excellent.

As with your Blaser combo gun I've found shooting both ultra-light and heavy boomers from bags to be a matter of technique. Both lighter rifles & the thumpers seem to bounce around on the bags a bit to me, too.

I simply pull the front rest back enough to get my arm around it with a firm grip on the forearm to keep them from bouncing off the rest.

Works for me.

Gerry,
yeah, that is my feeling as well, holding the gun down on the rest seems to improve accuracy.

Works for me.

I’ve always let the recoil of hunting rifles and hunting handguns rock n roll freely in the rest. If you want to lock down a gun into big sandbags or gun vises, that’s up to you, what ever gets you through the day. If it helps more power to you.

A number of people’s problem is that they are afraid of pulling the trigger properly. It might hurt. Sand bags and vises help.

I’m sure this well raise some hard feelings but I’ll not trying to enflame anyone, we all have our limitations of pain.

I use a Uncle Bud's Bulls Bag 13" long filled with about 40 pounds of sand along with a rear Hoppes bag. Shot everything from a Ruger 10-22 to a 7mm Rem Mag. Works great. It is long enough to help keep you from 'pushing' and 'torqueing' the stock with your cheek on the large calibers.

I bought a Dick Miller one piece rest made of aluminum. It has adjustments for up and down and left and right and looks nearly identical to a railgun. I have a BR that shoots in the .35-.40" range off of a regular Sinclair front and Bunny Ear rear bag that shoots in the .25-.35 range off the rest.

Rich
DRSS