Thread: What gun rests are you guys using when sighting in riffle?

Hi guys,
This no doubt would have been covered before however I am going to be sighting in a new 223 riffle in a week or so and was just wondering which rest was best.

I thought about the bags that you fill with sand but I saw a youtube video of a guy using a swivel type rest which I have seen in hunting and fishing.

What are your thoughts?

before I got a bipod.....and when using rifle without it fitted...I use small backpack or sleeping bag in stuff sack under stock between mag and my left hand on forestock,if really keen will have jumper or sucklike stuffed under buttplate too. whatever you use.make sure your relaxed and not muscling rifle onto target...
even when using bipod my technique is basically the same,the off hand is still firmly holding front of rifle... other do it differently but this is how I shoot when hunting so is how I sight in.

Thanks MD

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

this is how I shoot when hunting so is how I sight in.

That is the important bit. For example, there is no point sighting in a rifle using front and rear bags if you will be shooting off a bipod when hunting because the point of impact might be quite different.
I use bags for load development because it's steadier, but sight in using the bipod.

If you are using pack for supporting rifle out hunting,do the same sighting in.

I shoot off the top of my pack when hunting however I just wanted to be 100% steady when sighting in

mine is a Caldwell The Rock BR

Harris 1A2 lightweight bipod non swivel

Bipod, no rear rest as if hunting

Originally Posted by Ftx325

Bipod, no rear rest as if hunting

As others have said, I replicate what I use when hunting. If possible, I use a rear rest, a small backpack/jacket rolled up etc.

bottom line,its a resonably heavy .223 so recoil isnt going to be huge issue,you can sometimes break the rules with such a combo and get away with it.

EG RUMPY &I were up hunting wallabies with his young fella...a wallaby was spotted about 125 yards away,problem was we were standing in tall tussocks,so I gave my .223 to his young fella. Rumpy stood his .270 upright and held end of his muzzle and forestock of my rifle,lad got in behind scope whith buttplate ON TOP of his shoulder as stock too long for him,I held buttplate in hands and lad lined up wobbly and blew its neck apart with 50grns of hornadies finest.....
try that with any thing bigger and would be a disaster.

just get in behind rifle,line up target,close eyes for 10seconds,open and see if still close to bullseye...if not move stuff till you do stay there. then shoot.

If using a bipod hunting then sight in with bipod. I sight in with my bipod on and have two socks filled with grain that I use as a rear rest held by non master hand crossed over. If you shoot off a pack hunting then I would use a bag up front and same bags or socks at the back etc to make it steady. The old mechanical rifle platforms from H&F etc are pretty handy if you want to pay for them.

Thanks for all the good advice guys, will make do and spend the extra money on ammo