What’s the best position for the rifle on the front rest bag? I see a lot of shooters using the “stock” front rest stop on their front rests. However, I see other shooters using an extended front rest stop which balances/positions their rifle more toward the “middle” or balance point of their rifles. Thoughts? Best practices? Thanks
Rifle positioning on front rest/bag
- Thread starter Websurfer
- Start date
Boyd Allen
Active member
This can vary significantly from rifle to rifle. Finding the combination of how a gun likes to be handled, and how it likes to be rested requires experimentation. It is a range thing, that cannot really be done properly by consensus.
I am in a quite different competitive shooting sport and I had a custom from rest bag made to suit those needs by Protector USA. But it has also made me wonder why a bag with much longer support of the so called sweet spot is not also being used in your sport. As you can see I have to rest my barrel on the bag and the competition I shoot is called Schuetzen. It requires using a falling block single shot action and plainbase lead and tin bullets and my rifle is designed for the traditional class.
I am in a quite different competitive shooting sport and I had a custom from rest bag made to suit those needs by Protector USA. But it has also made me wonder why a bag with much longer support of the so called sweet spot is not also being used in your sport. As you can see I have to rest my barrel on the bag and the competition I shoot is called Schuetzen. It requires using a falling block single shot action and plainbase lead and tin bullets and my rifle is designed for the traditional class.
There was a gunsmith in the small town my wife is from that produced a falling block action for the Schuetzen sport. Dean Miller of CD Miller guns.
To each is own
Like Boyd said, you just have to test to see what works best for you, there are so many variables. The length of your stocks fore end, style or material of front bag and how tight the bag is set, type of rest, harmonics of stock, where the rifle balances... Plus, what I run into, is how much length there is on the bench, on some of those short U shaped benches in my region, I have to run the stop out all the way to keep both my front rest and rear bag on the bench! You just have to try different spots to see what works best for you and your rifle.
Like Boyd said, you just have to test to see what works best for you, there are so many variables. The length of your stocks fore end, style or material of front bag and how tight the bag is set, type of rest, harmonics of stock, where the rifle balances... Plus, what I run into, is how much length there is on the bench, on some of those short U shaped benches in my region, I have to run the stop out all the way to keep both my front rest and rear bag on the bench! You just have to try different spots to see what works best for you and your rifle.
redrockranger
Member
Gunsmith
Was this ever a Miller-Dehaas creation ? Is the business now a machine shop ? Thanks
Was this ever a Miller-Dehaas creation ? Is the business now a machine shop ? Thanks
ray porter
Member
rest stop
the stop placement is extremely important. if the balance is not right you can get extremely large groups that will shrink real fast when you get it right.
the in between teasers will drive you to drink,
the stop placement is extremely important. if the balance is not right you can get extremely large groups that will shrink real fast when you get it right.
the in between teasers will drive you to drink,
Yes, that's the one. I don't know if what remains of CD Miller guns is a machine shop these days. Dean passed away in 2007 and his son Cyle took over building the rifles. Cyle sold the rights to the falling block action to Dakota Arms. Dakota Arms discontinued the Miller rifle in 2019.
redrockranger
Member
Miller De Haas
Working from a dated memory but didn't DeHaas write a book on single shot actions and rifles ? Thanks
Believe De Haas was from Iowa.
Working from a dated memory but didn't DeHaas write a book on single shot actions and rifles ? Thanks
Believe De Haas was from Iowa.
mwezell
Mike Ezell
This right here.
It can matter a little or a lot but you gotta test it with your gun and setup. Even how hard the bags are can matter. I tend to run my bags a little softer than some but it seems to cause less problems than being too hard. It's just one of those things you should test to see. I'm a big proponent for a gun that handles well in the bags, fwiw. They're usually more forgiving to this kinda stuff. Nothing worse than a gun jumping all over in the bags. A setup that allows a rifle to track straight back consistently is best but it even depends on your shooting style. You can mask a lot of tracking issues with thumb and/or shoulder pressure..if you do it the same every time. That's a big IF. Most prefer a gun that handles well free recoiled if possible. Another thing is having the front bag too tight against the sides of the stock. Logic would imply that would settle a gun down but it's usually just the opposite. If it's too tight, it doesn't break away free and that energy has to go somewhere. It often comes out with a gun jumping around in the rest. Loosen it before trying to tighten and lock it down. The latter doesn't usually work out very well IME.
Looking with the internet it does look like DeHaas did write a book on the subject. And it does look like he was from Iowa.
Prior to being able to search for this sort of information I was under the impression that Dean Miller had come up with the design. I first met Dean around 1981.
mwezell
Mike Ezell
What else can I say....?
I just think this thread has gone an untended direction when it went to Schuetzen. Not that it's irrelevant, but it's just a very different discipline than BR.
Yes, I think rest position makes a difference. In fact, to again take it in a different direction(kinda), I've often seen single shot and AR15 rifles shoot best with the rest very near the receiver simply because of leverage and having less effect on the barrel when the rest is about as far rearward as possible.
EITHER WAY, aren't we ultimately affecting tune?
I just think this thread has gone an untended direction when it went to Schuetzen. Not that it's irrelevant, but it's just a very different discipline than BR.
Yes, I think rest position makes a difference. In fact, to again take it in a different direction(kinda), I've often seen single shot and AR15 rifles shoot best with the rest very near the receiver simply because of leverage and having less effect on the barrel when the rest is about as far rearward as possible.
EITHER WAY, aren't we ultimately affecting tune?
MilGunsmith
Member
When we were testing the XM8 rifle, a plastic receiver version of the H&K G96, we found that moving the rifle forend on the sandbag could produce up to a 8MOA impact change with a fully floating barrel.
MilGunsmith
Member
This rifle had a stock/forearm that was not in contact with the barrel. The entire plastic receiver was flexing.