Does anyone have, or know where I can find, plans to build a stand-up shooting rest?

PS: Even good photographs would be helpful.

Don't know of any plans to build a standing rest, I was going to build one until I found out that the shooting sticks work as well for any chrono regulation work considering that your usually shooting at 50 yds or closer. On Holland and Holland's web site you can see a video of a chap regulating a double from a standup rest and get some ideas from the video.

Dirk

Dirk,
I went to their website but I'm darned if I can find the sequence to which you refer. Do you recall which heading it's under?

quote:

Originally posted by ron vella:
Does anyone have, or know where I can find, plans to build a stand-up shooting rest?

PS: Even good photographs would be helpful.

I use one at my gunsmith's that I keep meaning to take photos of. I can give you a detailed description which should allow you to build one similar if it will help. The gunsmith is an hour and a half away and I'm not going to get by before I leave for a safari on the 28th.

Let me know if you would like the description and I'll post it.

BTW, the rest I'm using is steady as can be, semi-portable and adjustable for height from sitting through standing.

JPK

JPK,
Yes please do post a description.

OK, here goes:

The top is three layers of ~5/8" hardwood laminated together, probably glued and screwed. The top is a tear drop shape with the point (well rounded) toward the rear and the bottom belly toward the front and flattened. Dimensions are roughly 24" wide at the front tapering to about 4" and 30" long at the center.

The edge of the top is 1/2 rounded, like a top and then bottom 1/4 round with a router, and sanded. The sealant used seems to be a clear epoxy, like West Systems, or similar.

There are three legs and the legs are two part, with a ~2" upper portion and a ~1 1/2" lower portion that fits within the upper portion for adjustment. The ones on the bench I use seem to be painted black steel pipe. I think I would use galvinized steel pipe and paint it. The top of the upper legs are threaded and attach to the top by screwing into female flanges sercured to the top by hefty wood screws. The flanges may be bolted to the bottom two layers of wood and counter sunk, with the top later added subsequently.

The flanges are about 3 or 4" inside of each "corner" of the top. The flanges have a bevel so that the legs angle outward and the leg ends with the rest adjusted to standing height would be about 8" or so outside of the edge of the top, less obviously with the bench adjusted for sitting height. I don't know if the bevel is built in or schimmed in under the flange.

For the flanges, something like bolt down stair railing flanges would work with some schimming for the angle. Alternatively, a weld flange and a pipe coupling welded together would work and the bevel could be built in.

Lenth of the upper portion of the legs is about 30". About 8" above the bottom a 1/4" threaded fitting is welded into the leg so that a 1/4"x ~2" allen bolt or regular or T bolt can be screwed into the leg. I would use stainless bolts.

The lower legs are roughly 30" long and fit within the lower legs. A series of holes are drilled in line along the length of one side of each lower leg, maybe on 4 or 6" centers, so that the 1/4" bolt from the upper leg fitting can fit through the holes for adjustment. The lower legs on this bench do not have any shoe or end. I would thread them for a cap to keep dirt and crud out and to prevent too much sinking. If your ground is soft or moist, maybe a flange welded or screwed on would be better.

BTW, I think that the fellow who made the one I use would make them and sell them, if anyone were interested. Edit: I called and asked how much a new adjustable sitting through standing rest would be. Answer was sold out for the moment, until the fellow gets around to making a few more, then they will sell for
+/- $350. They are heavy so shipping would be an expense to consider.

I can lean into this rest for support and it doesn't wobble or move. It isn't sunk into the ground and the gunsmith who owns it moves it a bit for mowing grass and for rotation what part of his grass is getting wear and tear from use of the rest.

If you need more details or if any of my description is unclear and needs help, let me know and I'll try to clear it up.

JPK

try one of these, they are not hard to make.




best regards

peter

JPK,
A VERY excellent and easy to understand description, something that can be darned hard to accomplish sometimes. You've given me some good ideas. Many thanks.

You're welcome. Hope my description leads to a good standing bench for you and others. Sure beats other alternatives, especially sitting and getting beat!

JPK

has any one tried this
www.lonestarfieldproducts.com

www.lonestarfieldproducts.com

Peterdk, with some slight modifications that would be a good standing rest for shooting double rifles! Thanks for the pictures! I'll set about building one!

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
Peterdk, with some slight modifications that would be a good standing rest for shooting double rifles! Thanks for the pictures! I'll set about building one!

mac i use one that looks close to the bottom pic's. except mine is full lenght on all sticks.

easy as can be :

4 sticks of same lenght

take 2 sticks and connect in end as normal sticks.

now you have 2 sets of V shape sticks, connect the free ends to each other and adjust to your hight.

best regards

peter

p.s. they are the best bring everywhere sticks, you can get. if you want more support use thicker sticks.

quote:

Originally posted by els:
has any one tried this
www.lonestarfieldproducts.com

www.lonestarfieldproducts.com

In my experience, their are problems with the rest shown in your link and with Peter's for doubles and big bores.

First, limited to double rifles, to get the rifles to shoot properly you need to hold the barrels in your hand. You can rest your hand on a bag or on sticks or whatever, but you've got to hold the barrels. Neither rest lends itself to that. Recoil and muzzle rise are a part of the equation in regulating double rifles and in loading for them. To get the rifle to shoot well, you need consistent muzzle rise as near as possible duplicative of the rise which will ocur when in the field, hunting.

Also, resting your hand on a bag is ok but when your talking uprights and such, be prepared for pain.

For big bores, there is enough muzzle jump without execerbating it. Hard surfaces don't always, even with bolt rifles, produce similar results that holding the barrels will, becuase the hard surface exacerbates muzzle jump. And with enough recoil, the rifle is going to leave the rest as well.

JPK

JPK,
Exactly right. Too few people realize that the point of impact can be dramatically different when the forend, or God forbid the barrels, are rested on something, rather than held in your weak hand.

quote:

Originally posted by ron vella:
JPK,
Exactly right. Too few people realize that the point of impact can be dramatically different when the forend, or God forbid the barrels, are rested on something, rather than held in your weak hand.

Absolutely! The same goes for the trigger hand, and the strong side elbow! All must be rested with the rifle not touching anything other than the shooter's hands, shoulder, and cheek, as if holding the rifle off hand. That is the only way the S/S double rifle will shoot to the regulation properly. The O/U is a little more forgiveing, especially for the foreend, but still must be controled by the fore-hand, so the muzzle rise isn't exasorbated, as JPK said! The one advantage with an O/U double rifle is there is not side flip, as with a S/S double.

That tri-pod pictured above could be modified slightly, to rest the fore-hand, and the strong side elbow on soft bags, to give the stature of a standing shooter shooting off hand, but with support!

This came up about 6 or 8 months ago. You can probably find it by doing a search.

Someone then suggested just screwing two 2' pieces of 2x4 together at a 90 degree angle to make a corner. Add a brace between them. It winds up looking like an over-designed plant hanger.

I use one of those sliding clamps from the hardware store to attach to one of the square roof posts at the range. Works well and goes up and down fast. I just throw the thing in the back of the pickup truck so I don't forget it.

Of course you have to have a square post, or something, to clamp it to.

Or just buy a camera tripod and flop a sandbag on top of it.

FYI, I have found that a bag under the butt, for elevation, does not adversly effect developing loads that shoot to the rifles' regulation. And they shoot to the same POI when standing, off hand.

JPK