Thread: Using hard items as rests

Greetings,
Last year I started shooting F class using a .223 and 7mm-08 with a bipod and rear bag on a portable bench and shot OK. This season I have started using a front rest which has a padded top and scores have improved even with the .223. I have found this before that using a bipod on a hard surface degrades accuracy and sometimes shoots to a different point of impact. So I guess the finding is, as mentioned above, zero using the same set up as you will use in the field and pad any hard surface that the bipod rests on. A bit of old sleeping mat is great. Your hold of the rifle needs to be the same as well.
Regards Grandpamac.

Yeah I was always told never shoot a bipod off a hard concrete surface. Always put some padding (folded up hoody) under it. I have also seen this at the range in practice several times, guys unable to zero their rifle and as soon as they put some padding between it sorts it out.

Yeah I had heard that so was trying to confirm the same principles apply and to determine how much padding is actually needed. Range testing will be happening in due course. Cheers

Originally Posted by blip

Ive found that a hard rest can cause verticle stringing because the rifle bounces on the hard surface. I notice it more shooting off a concrete bench using a bipod. Put a a piece of dense foam under the bipod legs and it goes away. That my experiance anyway...

Yep, what he says.

Originally Posted by hamishg

I actually made a little pocket bag by putting a hackysack in one of those soft sunglass bags. I put this on top of fenceposts with my 22. Works a treat.

Lol, a kids sock full of rice or a piece of foam rubber.

Shoot it on paper and you'll see pretty quickly.

I use a small coucheon as a rest for the 308,just a little bit of micro bouce.Dont hold the rifle too tight into yr sholder other wise recoil will use yr sholder as something to push against and front of rifle will tend to lift.I found just befor you pull trigger,just relax yr grip n pull on yr rifle a tag.Give yr rifle tag of room to recoil back into yr sholder so front doesn't lift bugger all.

Surprised someone hasn't the "make a falla hard" rifle rest photo yet....

Another reason why I wear a bush hat... I can roll it up and put it between the stock and the branch I'm resting it on

Originally Posted by Trout

I use a small coucheon as a rest ..

Is that a sock filled with couch as opposed to rice?

I think you meant cushion

Wouldnt just a piece of carpet or foam rubber do the job?