Front rest

[kolar55]

I'm thinking of buying another rest. Not for competition. Shooting off a bench only. I'm wondering if a slingshot would be better than a triangle. Strongly considering a Bald Eagle either the aluminum or cast iron. Any opinions and or experience out there?

 

[INTJ]

I use an aluminum Bald Eagle with a Protektor rear bag for everything but my LR BR rifles.

 

[rsmithsr50]

better ?? naw,
different yes
will it work
most likely

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The slingshot is good for portability and fitting on the left edge of a bench. Past that the triangle is better

 

[jpx2rk]

I use a BE aluminum triangle for everyday shooting at a bench but I don't have any large bore calibers and it works fine. Protector bags front and rear. For ARA/ABRA I use a BE slingshot model.

 

[JFrank]

Wishbone/Triangle Rests are essentially the same,there isn’t a lot of technology difference between the them with 3 points of contact to adjust height a thrust bearing and a windage top.
I prefer a 15-17 # personally

Sinclair Comp is different
Farley is definitely different
SEB = $

 

[WyleWD]

I'm thinking of buying another rest. Not for competition. Shooting off a bench only. I'm wondering if a slingshot would be better than a triangle. Strongly considering a Bald Eagle either the aluminum or cast iron. Any opinions and or experience out there?

I started out competition shooting with a Bald Eagle slingshot. Went to a joystick rest for about 6 years and now back to the Bald Eagle exclusively. Personally I like the Aluminium slingshot a lot, but have nothing at all against casts or the triangles either, I have one of those too. Outfit them with a set of the stabilizer feet, a windage top (not one of the cable driven ones yet), and maybe a speed screw and they are a really great rest. WD

 

[butchlambert]

I've used a Bald Eagle cast iron base for 30yrs. I prefer the triangle one. The rack&pinion rough vertical adjustment is better than the rest. A lot of it depends on how you will be using it.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Butch is too kind to mention he sells an excellent joystick top if you wish to go that way. If width and the left edge of the bench is a concern to you. Bald Eagle used to have a “fourth leg”. This consisted of a drilled and tapped hole in the left leg and then a hardened screw running through that leg so that you could set you triangle base close to the left side of the bench and the left leg actually hung over the edge of the bench top. I have a cast iron Bald Eagle that my grandson is using. If you are left handed you could always drill and tap the right left leg of the rest to use on the left side of the bench. Why have I gone on this long diatribe? I prefer the cast iron and the weight of it and I think the aluminum rest is too light.
And then you can put a Butch Lambert Shade Tree joy stick on top of that rest.

 

[Joe Maisto]

Butch is too kind to mention he sells an excellent joystick top if you wish to go that way. If width and the left edge of the bench is a concern to you. Bald Eagle used to have a “fourth leg”. This consisted of a drilled and tapped hole in the left leg and then a hardened screw running through that leg so that you could set you triangle base close to the left side of the bench and the left leg actually hung over the edge of the bench top. I have a cast iron Bald Eagle that my grandson is using. If you are left handed you could always drill and tap the right left leg of the rest to use on the left side of the bench. Why have I gone on this long diatribe? I prefer the cast iron and the weight of it and I think the aluminum rest is too light.
And then you can put a Butch Lambert Shade Tree joy stick on top of that rest.

Takes many years to learn your equipment or...which to buy and make the most of it. I have had a heavy Hart "triangle" with windadge and level. Thought I had it all until ...one day at Holton one of our HOF shooters from OH. (Jack) was next to me using his everyday equipment, ( a Sinclair rest, nothing fancy, no additives to it, a soft rear bag that he would squeeze, and his usual 3 different loads in his box.

I finished before him and watched what he did with his equipment. It was a learning experience. This gentleman knows what to do with what he uses , including which load to use for a given condition. He had not been shooting this BR sport any longer than I, but he did a great deal more of it .
My ambitions were not as his , nor could I manage to make 10-13 matches a year, so i was ok with my meager accomplishments. Besides...it was always a pleasure to be in the midst of the "family" again.

 

[kolar55]

Well I have been at this for a long time. Been a squezzer since day one-as that was all that was available back when I started out. I have been using a somewhat crude stainless steel triangle rest I built back in the early 80's and it's set up for a 3" forearm. The top is not a quick change unit like the rests today so hence the reason for another rest. One will be setup for sporter hunting rifles and the other for the bench gun. I've tried a cheap Caldwell for the sporters and it sucks. I'm really kinda leaning towards the slingshot and I just wanted to find out if there was a reason not to.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Damfino]

I'm thinking of buying another rest. Not for competition. Shooting off a bench only. I'm wondering if a slingshot would be better than a triangle. Strongly considering a Bald Eagle either the aluminum or cast iron. Any opinions and or experience out there?

Everything is a tradeoff. I have the BE aluminum slingshot. Its relatively light weight may sacrifice some stability, but I'll pay that price. I also like the fact that it will fit in an old plastic Craftsman tool box I have. I have a Seb, but for sheer convenience and as a backup or something my friends can use when I'm at the range it is hard to beat. It also got me into Highmaster at mid-range F-class so I'm a little sentimental about it too. Good luck with your choice.

 

[INTJ]

The slingshot is a little less stable than the triangle but I like its portability and I also like the lighter weight of aluminum........for big game hunting rifles on any caliber excluding double rifles.

Big game rifles don't need to "track". All of mine launch off the rest under recoil, so there is no need for a heavy stable rest like we need in LR BR.

 

[Randall Hardy]

I have one of the slingshot aluminum and very happy with it. I’m by no means a bench class shooter but it works well.
Randy

 

[Uncle Mike]

I use the "Bald Eagle" aluminum slingshot with the "Shadetree" joystick top. My target rifles average 17 pounds and track well enough for me with this rest. I also recently acquired a 27 pound "Farley" that is a chore to tote around but very stable. The jury is still out on which one will get the most use if I ever get to use them again but I am honestly leaning toward the slingshot. Perhaps I should mention I do not shoot competitively like some here who have responded. For your needs I think you would be very happy with the "Bald Eagle" slingshot.

 

[wkdickinson]

I have a BE slingshot. While I am not a really well experienced "rest" competitor, I did shoot NRA High-Power for a long time. I like the rest fine, for the money it is hard to beat. No doubt there are much better rests out there, but you can buy the larger part of a new comp rifle for what they cost. I am not particularly impressed with the tolerances in the BE, but again, you get what you pay for.

I found the biggest improvement was to eliminate the windage cable. It flops around and "winds up" under load, making it kind of unpredictable. In order to accomplish that, you need to move windage adjustment to the left-side of the rest top (instructions on the BE website), if you are right-handed. You also need to make a new adjustment screw. If I recall, the threads in the windage top are 5/16-24 and the handle from the cable is 5/16-18.