Front Rest

Another option

Certainly the Farley's seem to be the latest and greatest. But as a starter in BR (which I am also) I want to invest slowly in equipment. I just don't have the funds to drop $800 on a rest. I can buy a Hart base with Bruno's windage top to start with (ordered) for $225. Then I will get a co-axial top from Butch and I will have something very close, if not equivalent, to the all in one Farley. Farley also offers a top. I can also get other tops and switch using same base with a minimum investment for other shooting. Not all of my guns have a 3" forearm (just 1). As suggested by several, nothing beats going to a match and looking and asking questions. I took my Cadwell's BR front rest to my first match because it was a significant improvement over my $30 rest. Being an isolated shooter I just had no idea of the real BR equipment. But know I realize how much slop is in it and it is clear time to upgrade.

Luck in your choice, tiny
 
JerrySharrett said:
As to the Shade Tree tops, Joel Kendrick has sold a bunch of them to his buddies in the 600/1000 yard game. I can't use a toggle since I have a bad flinch. The top of the line non-toggle is the Loh (JJ Industries on the main page of this forum).
Click to expand...

Well I have it narrowed down pretty much to the JJ or the Farley coaxial II. I have heard great reports on both and I have even tried the Farley once. Amazing piece of engineering. Still have a question though. What is a "toggle" as opposed to a "non-toggle"?
 
I did the same as Tiny except with a Sinclair windage top and bought the set used. When I could afford it, I went with one of Butch's Shade Tree tops and haven't looked back...actually bought 2 of Butch's tops and a second Hart base so my boys would have a decent rest to use too...

Good luck!

Tom
 
ANother thing to consider:

If you have or ever plan to shoot big guns (by that I mean HEAVY) off the rest, you will not get the best results with a coaxial rest like a Farley or Seb. For that type of shooting, the regular pedestal rests like the JJ or Bald Eagle can't be be beat.

When I owned a coaxial, I tried shooting a few of my big guns off it using the free recoil method and even with the tension screws set at their maximum, it would not hold the rifles up under recoil without slipping a couple thousandths. The lightest big gun I tried to shoot weighed 19 pounds and it slipped enough under the slight recoil to make the gun completely miss a 1000 yard target board. And yes, I was holding the handle still.

I put the same gun on the JJ rest, and the bullets go where they should. I can even set a big 52 pound rifle on the JJ and it doesn't even whince.
 
First I don"t who Dirty Harry is, but if you ask me next time I'm shooting at Ben Avery I'll let you shoot off a Jon Loh. I"m there just about every weekend. I have 2 Jon Loh rests. I may have one for sale at the cactus. I my opinion I think the Jon Loh and the Farley are the two best front rests made. Just depends on which one you get used to.

Art Clegg
 
Dirty Harry said:
Well I have it narrowed down pretty much to the JJ or the Farley coaxial II. I have heard great reports on both and I have even tried the Farley once. Amazing piece of engineering. Still have a question though. What is a "toggle" as opposed to a "non-toggle"?
Click to expand...
Toggle vs non-toggle. The toggle will get you back on target faster than what we call knob twiddling. I used a toggle for about 3 targets and found out that if you hold on to the handle and flinch groups get really big. That is when I went to the Jon Loh. The twiddle knobs are closer together on the Jon Loh than many of the traditional windage top types.

What does ":d" mean?? It is the character for one of the smilies that doesn't have a space adjacent to it. :D was produced by me typing a colon and a capital D. Now if I type the same thing but put a colon and a small d :d it looks like :d .
 
gg ...

goodgrouper said:
ANother thing to consider:

If you have or ever plan to shoot big guns (by that I mean HEAVY) off the rest, you will not get the best results with a coaxial rest like a Farley or Seb. For that type of shooting, the regular pedestal rests like the JJ or Bald Eagle can't be be beat.

When I owned a coaxial, I tried shooting a few of my big guns off it using the free recoil method and even with the tension screws set at their maximum, it would not hold the rifles up under recoil without slipping a couple thousandths. The lightest big gun I tried to shoot weighed 19 pounds and it slipped enough under the slight recoil to make the gun completely miss a 1000 yard target board. And yes, I was holding the handle still.

I put the same gun on the JJ rest, and the bullets go where they should. I can even set a big 52 pound rifle on the JJ and it doesn't even whince.
Click to expand...

Read Dick Wright's new article "The Fist Of God, Revisited Twelve Years Later ..." in the February issue of Precision Shooting. It starts on page 81. He talks about two (40+ pound and a 60+ pound) guns that Seb Lambang made special coaxial rests for (page 87). :cool:
 
ARTC said:
First I don"t who Dirty Harry is, but if you ask me next time I'm shooting at Ben Avery I'll let you shoot off a Jon Loh. I"m there just about every weekend. I have 2 Jon Loh rests. I may have one for sale at the cactus. I my opinion I think the Jon Loh and the Farley are the two best front rests made. Just depends on which one you get used to.

Art Clegg
Click to expand...

Hi Art, I'm pretty sure I know you. I'm the new guy out there with all the stupid questions. I was at the last match but only observed. I parked right next to your trailer and talked to both you and Max.

That is assuming of course that you're the same "Art".

I will be out there practicing all three days prior to the Cactus. BTW, I'm also on the hunt for some good flags.


Richard
 
Bro.D said:
this is one of those items that the rule is true, "Buy once, cry once." Not that you have to buy the most expensive one out there but go ahead and take the plunge and buy a quality unit. There are several that will serve you well, look at some match reports that list front rests and you will see a few trends. From the 2006 Nationals equipment list Farley, Hart, Bald Eagle, Sinclair, Loh, were all mentioned with the Farley leading the pack.
Since Phoenix will be your first match see if there isn't one you can borrow. If you let the need be known, I'm almost positive someone will have a good one you can borrow. Also, have some money in hand as it is likely you will find one in Phoenix that will fit your needs, or should I say wants.
Bro.D
Click to expand...

Is it the accuracy from the rest or...?
Are some home made sandbags better than the fire control?
What I need is a good rest when I’m building up hunting loads and would like to eliminate my own errors when test shooting :)

Regards Bjarne
 
Blaser

Some homemade sand bags just might be better than the Caldwell fire control for your use. I currently use a Caldwell BR rest and even shot two BR matches with it. I've seen reports of the fire control breaking down right out of the box. They use plastic where there should be steel.
The Caldwell fire control is a cheap knockoff of a precision instrument.

These fine gentlemen are discussing the top of the line BENCHREST rests and tops.
My Caldwell br is like driving a John Deere with flat tires compared to these Lamborghinis of the Bench Rest world. Its plenty good for a hunting rifle but much better rests can be had for a touch more money.

For a hunting rifle you need not buy a Farly. Spend what your happy spending and be happy with it. Just keep it simple.
Now if you want to shoot BR then the buy once cry once method is best.
 
jo191145 said:
Blaser

Some homemade sand bags just might be better than the Caldwell fire control for your use. I currently use a Caldwell BR rest and even shot two BR matches with it. I've seen reports of the fire control breaking down right out of the box. They use plastic where there should be steel.
The Caldwell fire control is a cheap knockoff of a precision instrument.

These fine gentlemen are discussing the top of the line BENCHREST rests and tops.
My Caldwell br is like driving a John Deere with flat tires compared to these Lamborghinis of the Bench Rest world. Its plenty good for a hunting rifle but much better rests can be had for a touch more money.

For a hunting rifle you need not buy a Farly. Spend what your happy spending and be happy with it. Just keep it simple.
Now if you want to shoot BR then the buy once cry once method is best.
Click to expand...
Have you tried shooting from the fire control or is it just your opinion about it?
 
Blaser

That is entirely my opinion without ever firing a shot off one.

Its based on info I read on a few different forums and my own personal expierience with a Caldwell BR rest. I also briefly entertained the idea of trying one.

A few enterprising folks who bought the fire control went through the trouble of fitting an aftermarket BR top on them. It seems the FC will not accept most normal 3'' bags so it needs to modified.
After all that trouble I noticed them for sale in the classifieds just weeks after completing the mods. That to me speaks loudly.
Others have broken plastic adjustment parts soon after buying.

My standard BR handles like a tractor compared to a quality rest. If Caldwell cannot build a standard rest without tons of slop theres no reason for me to believe they could copy a much more sophisticated coaxial rest that requires much more attention to detail. All for just a few dollars more than my model?
Nope, no reason to believe.

I'll get it right this time JMO
 
Redrock said:
...I use a caldwell rock with a better bag and sinclair speed screw...screw is on order.
Click to expand...

Redrock,

Did the Sinclair speed screw fit the Caldwell? (Sinclair website has a warning that it will only fit Bald Eagle, Hart and Sinclair).

Alan
 
Cowan vs Caldwell

I just shoot for my own pleasure. I started with the Rock BR cuz I saw a few at the range and it was in my price range. The windage adjustment on the Rock was crap. After someone let me shoot off a better made front rest, I got on the waiting list for the Cowan. Man, what a difference!

All I can say is do what these gentlemen are suggesting and cry once. Save a little longer and get a quality rest like the Cowan, Sinclair, etc.
 
I had a Caldwell fire control modified to fit a 3" bag. It worked OK, but the joystick movement was not smooth or precise and defeated the purpose of the intended use. I maybe used it twice before selling it. I have a Hart type base with a Shadetree top...night and day difference! The extra $$$ in a precision rest is well worth it.
 
Disagree...

Butch Lambert said:
Don't buy it!
Butch
Click to expand...

I purchased this Caldwell rest late last year and with the addition of the Sinclair $12 dual sided Cordura bag I'm very satisfied with it. It replaced the Cowan rest I was using...but I like the joystick action of this rest a lot better (faster target acquisition for Hunter benchrest). I don't profess that this rest is equal to the SEB and Farley rests...but it's performance is good enough for me; smooth and with a little tweaking, very precise. All in all, for the price it's hard to beat. By-the-way, I'm not selling my Cowan...just in case.;)

Virg
 
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