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February 11, 2010
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Ok, here it comes. Yes I use the well renouned "POS" MTM Predator
shooting rest. I luv this light weight little sucker. I can take this thing
anywhere and put it on the truck hood, atv seat, boat, ect... Thing
is I just read it is probably the worse type rest for the semi auto
1911 types because of the rubber and the frame/slide pressure it
causes. So what's your opinion and what are you using.
-Blacktop
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Range Officer
Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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I shoot everything offhand.....
. I have a few small stands for supporting handguns, but usually it is my knee or a nearby stump or tree branch.
At the range I use sandbags and some foam blocks.
SHOOT
February 11, 2010
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SHOOTIST357 said:
I shoot everything offhand…..
At the range I use sandbags and some foam blocks.
SHOOT
I grew up on sandbags, until a few years back, that's all I used. Then there was
this incident with a slightly split bag, some loose sand and a high gloss A-bolt .
I was just shy of seeing a psychiatrist trying to get those scratches out. Probably
made more of it than it really was but if I remember right it looked like you dragged
the forearm down forty feet of concrete sidwalk.
So over the hill the bags went that day and I've never looked back.
But I do like to use a rest to find out how well a gun can group that way I
can beat my self up and not blame the gun for my offhand groups.
-Blacktop
November 14, 2009
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I'm still a rookie with handguns, so I haven't used a rest yet. I use a metal rifle rest for all the rifles. It helps me to get a more consistant group when sighting scopes and such. Been wondering what other people use for handgun rests tooo. I did notice Hogue offers grips with an extra piece on the bottom of the grip for resting on a bench or something, I think?!?!
That brings me to another point, I read people say they shoot a DW at 100 yards or meters and even 200 meters. How do they do it??? I read most of the IHMSA stuff on the DWCA website and saw some rests but until I actually see it, I keep shaking my head, how do they do it???? I wish there was some IHMSA stuff in New England, but there is not!!!
Happyness is a Hot DW and a pile of used brass!!! Rich
November 14, 2009
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Happyness is a Hot DW and a pile of used brass!!! Rich
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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I have never used anything but sandbags. Blacktop's story sounds like a horror story though. With my rifles I have a pair of leather bags that sit atop the sand bags. My sand bags consist of old shotgun lead shot bags before they made them out of plastic. that Predator stand does look nice, though. Maybe a nice Christmas thought??
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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When I shoot from a rested position, it is always a handheld rest, but I have been eyeing that same rest at the local funshop, under the brand name "Caldwell", and I'll likely pick one up someday
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
July 5, 2009
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Supermagfan said:
I have never used anything but sandbags. Blacktop's story sounds like a horror story though. With my rifles I have a pair of leather bags that sit atop the sand bags. My sand bags consist of old shotgun lead shot bags before they made them out of plastic. that Predator stand does look nice, though. Maybe a nice Christmas thought??
I'm with SMF on this one. I too use sandbags…never thought to use shot bags. I use old Levi or Wrangler pant legs to make my bags. I have two large and two small bags that work very well and they're tough as nails. (I'm sure any denim-type material would work fine.)
Also, I would concerned with any type of shooting assist device that obstructs the pressure which escapes from between the forcing cone and cylinder face on revolvers. Just my thoughts.
GG
January 17, 2010
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After trying some bags and some comercial rests I decided to make my own universal adjustable one. I got a cheap, less than 20 bucks, camera tripod from circuit city. bolted a piece of aluminum flat stock to a tripod puck and wrapped it with the camo ace bandage stuff. I bent the alum into a "u". the tripod adjusts for benchtop use and for sitting or prone. I use it hunting and it has been on a deployment with me too. It packs easy and is very portable and adjustable, even for uneven terrain, or to get just that right hieght for "loop hole" sniping. Great when sitting for 'yotes or turkey also.
this is a pic when i first got it, has been spray painted several times now. this is as high as it goes which is comfortable for sitting, and it adjusts all the way down to about 8" for bench work.
I also use it for my camera too with the extra puck. Or the spotting scope. And it slides easily into the pocket on my ruck.
I have found some sniper rifles to react diferently whether using a sandbag or the supplied bipod, usually bipod worse. Of course you could put pressure onto bipod front or rear and eliminate fliers....it was just one less thing i didn't want to worry about. Bags and packs always seem to shift after a couple of shots causing you to either re-find neutral or re-stack stuff. So I started using my cheap camera tripod consistantly.
works great at the range for my supermag also. At the public range I see guys stacking and fluffing all types of bags or assembling some plastic creation from a tackle box company. I whip out my tripod and plop it on bench and then adjust height and pan and tilt whilst getting into position.
I won't lay claim to this idea as mine. I saw this trick at some sniper competitions and some rifle builders offer them for sale at a very premium price. I am rough on mine due to not caring if I break it due to its being so cheap....but thus far it has held up to thousands of rounds from all types of weapons from all types of positions in different climates and continents.
If/when I buy another one it will be another camera tripod.
The heavy benchrest comp ones are nice and have thier place, I'm a less is more type of guy though.
"experience is the hardest teacher, the test comes before the lesson"
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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Thanks 6.8, That is an idea I had never heard of, but worthy of some thought. I like the idea for rifles at least, not sure If I understand quite how you would use it for a revolver??
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
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Range Officer
Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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I have a couple of home-made tripod rests... I'll try to post some pics. One is very similiar to 6.8's and I used it for years in PA on groundhogs. The other is one that was made by a friend of my fathers a long, long, time ago--it is very compact and very well built (he was a machinist)
SHOOT
November 14, 2009
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GrayGhost said:
Supermagfan said:
I have never used anything but sandbags. Blacktop's story sounds like a horror story though. With my rifles I have a pair of leather bags that sit atop the sand bags. My sand bags consist of old shotgun lead shot bags before they made them out of plastic. that Predator stand does look nice, though. Maybe a nice Christmas thought??
I'm with SMF on this one. I too use sandbags…never thought to use shot bags. I use old Levi or Wrangler pant legs to make my bags. I have two large and two small bags that work very well and they're tough as nails. (I'm sure any denim-type material would work fine.)
Also, I would concerned with any type of shooting assist device that obstructs the pressure which escapes from between the forcing cone and cylinder face on revolvers. Just my thoughts.
GG
I use denim jeans pants legs also filled with washed sand for rifle, never thought about it for handgun.
I like the tripod idea, will have to try it.
Happyness is a Hot DW and a pile of used brass!!! Rich
February 11, 2010
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I get great groups with rifle's and revolvers with the MTM rest, it's the semi
auto's I am struggling with. After reading lots of articles on this it seems most
of the sub 1 1/2 in 25yrd Custom gun maker's agree that any mechanical or
solid type rest are unrelible. Most Custom use some type of bag for their test.
Here's a good example on the subject:
http://www.pistoldynamics.com/MachineRest.html
I'll go back to the old bag 
....but she ain't gett'in
my beretta.
-Blacktop
November 14, 2009
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Interesting article. If worried about the finish on your firearm, you could try a nice chamois cloth and foam padding between gun and sand bag. Just a thought.
Happyness is a Hot DW and a pile of used brass!!! Rich
DWF Supporters
Dans Club
Moderators
November 17, 2008
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I too use bags made from blue jeans, but I fill several layers of plastic bags with the sand to put in the denim for insurance against leaks. I also have one of the el cheapo plastic rests and it works ok, but I reciently replaced it with this.
Yea I know, I was too cheap to buy one so I built my own. I use it in conjunction with the bags and so far it works well.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
July 5, 2009
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LB,
That's a very nice set up to say the least. A job well done!
It makes me want to fire up my chop saw and wire welder and build one. In fact, I'm taking inventory of the parts as I right this email. (It looks like a shorter version of this setup would work for long arms as well.)
GG
February 11, 2010
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I was going to say say the same thing Gray, in fact LB's rest look's as good if not
better than most of what I have seen lately !
-Blacktop
January 17, 2010
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supermagfan,
i don't know how to post a video here, but here's a link to one i put in my photobucket.
took vid to show diff between 44 and 445 ammo blast and recoil.
the rest adjusts even lower than whats in vid yet, legs can lay flat on table spread right out.
i have used an auto in this rest also with no problems. hope this explains/displays how it works for me on bench.
http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee121/6point8/?action=view¤t=CIMG1412.flv
"experience is the hardest teacher, the test comes before the lesson"
February 11, 2010
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I like it 6point8 
. I just happen to have a vangaurd tripod that came
with a Bushnell spoting scope, and I sold the spotting scope.
-Blacktop
Supporter
Range Officer
Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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OK, here they are .... finally. Sorry for the quality of the pics, house is still a mess and it's snowing outside. First pic is one I made about 20 years ago--1/4" aluminum flatstock bent into a U shape. I have it on a pan/swivel head and a steel tripod.
The second one came from my dad a long time ago. It was made by his best friend a machinist, probably early 70's. This is one of my favorite field rests--I need to glue a new piece of rubber on it.
SHOOT
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