Rifle Rests

[ESquared]

My laser worked fine in full sun 50yds as long as the target face itself did not have direct sun on it. Leaning or turning the target slightly to avoid that.

Thanks for the tip! Will report back. Appreciate the help!

[Rifletom]

I'd like to get back to "rests" for a moment. Since I've been shooting rifles[1975- ], I've always used a Caldwell forearm stamd with a lightly filled shotshell bag with kitty litter[NEW!] and rabbit eared bag for a rear rest. That way I can move then steady the rifle for bringing the scope to bear. Very steady this way. Just an idea.

[Mags]

I'd like to get back to "rests" for a moment. Since I've been shooting rifles[1975- ], I've always used a Caldwell forearm stamd with a lightly filled shotshell bag with kitty litter[NEW!] and rabbit eared bag for a rear rest. That way I can move then steady the rifle for bringing the scope to bear. Very steady this way. Just an idea.

Very good idea. I use a Vanguard Porta-Aim Stand for the forearm and on days when I can't get the shakes to calm down I drape an exercise ankle weight over the barrel. Haven't needed a rear rest, but I see that changing. As I get older too much wavering around while trying to aim. Maybe I should change my avatar name to shakey-wavy.

[ESquared]

I've pretty much got the front rest/rear rest set up, but the front is a Caldwell Tackdriver, which I have't had to the range yet, but seems very stable/sturdy, and a rabbit-ear type rear rest that was actually designed to straddle a car window-sill and steady a camera lens, but it'll work nonetheless. You can flip it over to adjust height. Will have them both at the range this weekend. Will snap some pics and report back.

Here's the Caldwell rest (again, I think, but just in case):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B ... UTF8&psc=1

[GFK]

I got the DeadShot. It seems like the Tackdriver may work better though. I guess lots of things will work as long as the barrel is steady (improvise, adapt and overcome).

[Mags]

... Will have them both at the range this weekend. Will snap some pics and report back.

Results?

[ESquared]

... Will have them both at the range this weekend. Will snap some pics and report back.

Results?

Got rained out. Figuring out Plan B, starting with taking the bore-sight to the indoor range, where I can try it out at 50 yds...

[Mags]

ah bummer

[ESquared]

I don't know what made me think I could do this by myself. It's not physically possible to hold the rifle perfectly still, look down the scope at a fifty yard target AND rotate the bore-sight at the end of the barrel.
So I didn't try, but decided to just see how well things were lined up with a decent rest to shoot from, and that turned out poorly.
Thought we had zeroed it in at about 1" high at 50 yds, but everything was landing 4-5" low. I turned the elevation knob probably a total of 12 clicks (2 at a time to start with, then 4 clicks at a time) and no change in pattern to speak of. Just wore a ragged hole at 4-5" low.
So, back to the starting blocks (the smith that helped me out is off on Mondays) to see what's what.
The effectiveness of my $33 bore sight is now not my concern, in other words...

[GFK]

Hum. I think I will have to zero my scope again also. Was at the range yesterday, and shooting low. I thought about getting a cartridge type laser bore sight and using a sledge type rest. But, I think I will just try and use a sand bag type rest and adjust the scope. When I first adjusted mine, I started at 25 yards. Then, I moved to 100 yards. I was pretty happy with the results (3" high with 2 3/4" group). Since I am planning to hunt with a difference cartridge than zeroed and the zero seems off, I plan to zero using the planned hunting cartridge. Being this will be my first time out, it is a learning curve. But, I will see what will happen. No risk, very little to no gain. At worst case, it may be the scope. I have read reports of Marlin factory scopes as being poor. It could be the case. But, I plan to find out.

[RanchRoper]

My creaky old knee gets used as a rifle rest but it would be interesting to try one sometime.

[PT7]

Sure would be easier to carry around a built-in rest. And the kneeling position is a good way to shoot.
Plus I've not seen many (any?) pictures of shooting booths and rifle rests circa 1860s! May have missed 'em.

My creaky old knee gets used as a rifle rest but it would be interesting to try one sometime.

[Mags]

... But, I think I will just try and use a sand bag type rest and adjust the scope...

more rounds down range is more fun, too.

[Mags]

Sure would be easier to carry around a built-in rest....

For a forward rest there are those bolt on pogo sticks and mini-bipod or tri-pod thingies

[RanchRoper]

[quote="PT7"]Sure would be easier to carry around a built-in rest. And the kneeling position is a good way to shoot.
Plus I've not seen many (any?) pictures of shooting booths and rifle rests circa 1860s! May have missed 'em.


Guess I could use Badger or Dakota; there's no "no horses" signs at the range.

600px-LDHenry1860-5.jpg

[Mags]

I don't know what made me think I could do this by myself. It's not physically possible to hold the rifle perfectly still, look down the scope at a fifty yard target AND rotate the bore-sight at the end of the barrel.
So I didn't try, but decided to just see how well things were lined up with a decent rest to shoot from, and that turned out poorly.
Thought we had zeroed it in at about 1" high at 50 yds, but everything was landing 4-5" low. I turned the elevation knob probably a total of 12 clicks (2 at a time to start with, then 4 clicks at a time) and no change in pattern to speak of. Just wore a ragged hole at 4-5" low.
So, back to the starting blocks (the smith that helped me out is off on Mondays) to see what's what.
The effectiveness of my $33 bore sight is now not my concern, in other words...

No that it matters at the moment, but the rifle can be made perfectly still with your tripod I saw in one of your early pictures and some bags of rice if you don't get have the sand bags you were looking at to buy. You don't have to look through the scope at the same time as rotating the laser. Put a mark on your target. Viewing through the scope align your laser on that mark. Step away and rotate the laser a quarter turn. Step back in and look through the scope to see if the laser is still on the mark. Repeat at 1/4 turns.

But like implied, the scope seems to now be the concern. If you can get that rifle propped up to be perfectly still, as a sanity check, sight your rifle on a target spot. Adjust elevation and windage of the scope to see if the cross hairs move away from the target spot. Should give you indication if the adjustment knobs are functional.

[Ojaileveraction]

yds, but everything was landing 4-5" low. I turned the elevation knob probably a total of 12 clicks (2 at a time to start with, then 4 clicks at a time) and no change in pattern to speak of. Just wore a ragged hole at 4-5" low.
So, back to the starting blocks (the smith that helped me out is off on Mondays) to see what's what.
The effectiveness of my $33 bore sight is now not my concern, in other words...

You were 8 to 10 MOA low. Then you moved the poa up 1.5 MOA higher. That probably was not enough to see a change. Depending on your spread.

[ESquared]

yds, but everything was landing 4-5" low. I turned the elevation knob probably a total of 12 clicks (2 at a time to start with, then 4 clicks at a time) and no change in pattern to speak of. Just wore a ragged hole at 4-5" low.
So, back to the starting blocks (the smith that helped me out is off on Mondays) to see what's what.
The effectiveness of my $33 bore sight is now not my concern, in other words...

You were 8 to 10 MOA low. Then you moved the poa up 1.5 MOA higher. That probably was not enough to see a change. Depending on your spread.

Thanks for that info. Newbie here, so still learning such things. Was worried I wasn't "doing it right," but "turn the knob" is about all it amounts to. Will circle back with the range and figure it out.

Thanks again for your help!

[GFK]

I can understand. The first time I had real progress at setting my scope was when I followed the advice from one of the guys at the range: "shoot one round and then adjust as required". So, I shoot one round at a time from 25 yards and adjusted the scope from about 7" left to the center. I may have shot about 10 rounds total. I did count the clicks. But, I looked at the movement also. If I did not have much movement, I turned more clicks. The greater the range (25 yards vs 100 yards), the less clicks were required. I noticed that my scope was loose before I went out this time. So, it may account for the big change (shooting low) from last zeroing until now. Hopefully, I will get a chance soon to get back out to the range to find out.

[CT_Shooter]

I watched this youtube video produced by the National Shooting Sports Foundation when I got my Henry H001 and mounted a scope on it (I've since removed the scope). It demonstrates how to zero a scope in just two shots and it worked as promised.

1. Using a rest, center the crosshairs on the bullseye and take the first shot.
2. Wtih the crosshairs on the bullseye and the rifle perfectly still, move the up/down and left/right adjustments until the crosshairs are positioned on the POI of the first shot.
3. Center the crosshairs on the Bull and take the second shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiOpQY2ORo4