Has anyone built a shooting rest?

November X-ray

Active User
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2011
Messages
581
I've been tinkering with building an adjustable shooting rest with a spring loaded recoil compensator to use with .17 to .45 calibers and am wondering if others have already done this and might be willing to share a picture and tell us how well it works?
 
I'm surprised you haven't gotten any responses on this yet.
One question though. Is this for long guns, or for handguns? Like something along the lines of a Ransom Rest?
 
Since I originally posted this question, I built one for my long guns and even made it to the range once to try it out. It had a couple of issues, one being too tall in the front for that particular range at 100 yards, the other was the front adjustment, made out of a 5/8" stud bolt had a small wiggle which magnafied into about 2 inches in 100 yards. I have since re-worked the adjustment but still need to address the height. Next time I go home and if I get the time, and can remember, I'll try to take a couple of pictures to post. I built it all out of scrap I had including a wheel from an old scooter and parts from an adjustable bed from Ikea. I shot several rounds from a 30-06 and at 100 yards it stayed within a 2 inch circle, but I really expect to get less than a quarter size pattern once I get all the bugs worked out. My goal was to clamp the rest to a fixed shooting table, clamp the rifle in the rest, adjust the scope to the bullseye, fire, check to ensure the scope is still bull's eyed, then adjust the scope to the bullet hole and repeat.

Oh well, with work and the Son going into the Air Force soon, it may be awhile before I get to tinker with it again!
 
A number of years ago, I made this machine handgun rest using two industrial ball bearing pillow blocks on a fabricated steel base. It includes both windage and elevation adjustments, and uses two adjustable Chevrolet valve springs and leather washers to control the absorption of the recoil. I estimate that I have about $125 invested in it. It is quite heavy (30 lbs. or so) and easily clamps to any sturdy shooting table. I made a set of dies to stamp out the leather washers, although the ones in the unit have lasted for years.

Regular Ransom grips can be used, or your own grips can be easily milled out of 3/4" plywood to save money.
 

Attachments

  • Machine rest2.jpg
    Machine rest2.jpg
    153 KB · Views: 96
  • Machine rest1.jpg
    Machine rest1.jpg
    895.3 KB · Views: 92
  • Machine rest 3.jpg
    Machine rest 3.jpg
    243.8 KB · Views: 95
I made these from some aluminum scrap I had laying around. The front rest and rear bag is my daily go to. The one piece I only use to test Ammo.
 

Attachments

  • 4B142ECC-C4FA-4FFA-8AE4-01EE47E58038.jpeg
    4B142ECC-C4FA-4FFA-8AE4-01EE47E58038.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 70
  • 1B4CCBE1-3128-45CB-9E2C-275B5E92F350.jpeg
    1B4CCBE1-3128-45CB-9E2C-275B5E92F350.jpeg
    3 MB · Views: 65
  • 7BEE4847-7754-4ADD-B4A4-3201736BDA96.jpeg
    7BEE4847-7754-4ADD-B4A4-3201736BDA96.jpeg
    2.2 MB · Views: 64
  • C1C99A22-5E7B-4352-9B32-7A2811E37931.jpeg
    C1C99A22-5E7B-4352-9B32-7A2811E37931.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 63
PICT8099.gif

Other than the bag it didn't cost me anything. It is very solid and is probably strong enough to lift a car off the ground. When I am holding my rifle my left hand naturally falls right at the height adjustment.
 
probably strong enough to lift a car off the ground.
Ya think?:grin:

I will get some pics of the one I built years ago. If I had thought to use the scissor jack approach, I would not have gone to the trouble of building mine....

The bench under the rest is at least as important.
What does yours look like?
 
I've made a few of these over the years, one of the requirements when I made it was that I could disassemble it for travel.Rest4.jpgRest5.jpg
 
Back
Top