Caldwell front rest?

[barrowsr]

Anyone had any experience with the Caldwell tripod front rest? I suspect the answer will be you get what you pay for but I’m thinking about upgrading from an old Wichita and was just wondering.

Thanks,

 

[Taildrag15X]

I've used a Caldwell BR Rock with windage top for F-Class, only modification was to add 3" feet to keep it from sinking in the ground.....

This is like mine.....http://www.cheaperthandirt.net/product/16681?utm_source=GoogleShopping&utm_medium=organic&gclid=CLjFqeHNs7ICFYhM4AodLH8A3w

 

[Cort]

I tried a Caldwell. I felt the adjustments were too loose and replaced the top with a Butch Lambert coaxial top. At that point, I felt it was a decent rest. Replacing the feet for additional height was not needed for me but wouldn't change my opinion any. For your money, it is hard to beat the rest built by the Altoona Trade School. The quantities are limited each year but the quality is excellent.

I would hold out for a rest better than a Caldwell unless you committed to changing the top to something else.

Cort

 

[AndyTaber]

If your style of shooting is "set it and forget it" then the Caldwell will probably work for you, However; if you need to move around the target, then the adjustments on the Cladwell will be a problem. I also changed the top on my Caldwell to the Butch Lambert coaxial and absolutely love it. As a compromise, the Sinclair Generation II Benchrest windage rest is awesome and will never disapoint.

 

[dansig]

I got the Rock BR and it's a waste of money.. after using it for a few months I put in an order for a Seb NEO and went back to my bipod while I wait for the Neo...

here in Iceland the Rock BR costs about $325, for only $70 more I can get a custom built rest that's way better.

 

[ReedG]

I have an original Caldwell Rock rest, a windage-adjustable (which appears to not be offered any more), and a Fire Control joy stick rest. They are perfectly useable and will do what needs to be done. I have shot BR matches with the windage-adjustable model and it's as good as needed to be a "knob twister". The Fire Control, for the money, is acceptable. I wish the base was flat to lower the bag height, and redesigned to move the rear adjustment screw out of conflict with the control lever. It can be adjusted to track amazingly well and is worth the money if you are on a limited budget. I also have a Farley and a Magnum Metal and the Caldwell isn't in their "quality" league but at one-third the price don't expect it to be.

Not to divert the thread, but competitive shooting has taken such a steep "technology" curve in the last 10 years that it leaves one's head spinning. How will any of us be able to exist in a market of $1,500 rests, $2,800 scopes, $40/hundred bullets, and hundreds or thousands of dollars of reloading tools and gimmicks? Not exactly a market to "grow BR". If BR shooters of 25 years ago could have had a Caldwell Fire Control Rest, it would have been on nearly every bench.

A Caldwell rest does not have a high "see-what-I-got" appeal, but you can shoot a lot of BR with it, use the extra money to buy bullets, and learn a lot.

Your "old Wichita" may be upgradeable with a new windage-adjustable top or even a joy-stick top for about the price of the Caldwell rest, just as a consideration.

 

[barrowsr]

I really appreciate the replies - thanks for giving me something to think about before I spend any more $.

Robin

 

[jhord]

I have a Fire Control. Out of the box it wasn't spectacular, but it worked well enough. I took it apart and spent a little time tightening up tolerances where I could, now it tracks more smoothly with less slop. I replaced the locking knob with an all steel part from McMaster, as well. I wish the top part would sit at least an inch lower, and the 3-lobe bag kinda sucks. I have plans to replace the top plate and fit a conventional bag.

 

[normmatzen]

I,too, started shooting BR with a Fire Control joy stick rest.
First I put an S.E.B. front bag on it which works well.

Then, my mentor and I took the joy stick stuff apart, glued in a piece of a cabinet scraper cut to size for a bearing surface for the grub screw adjustment screws. Last, we replaced the screws with screws drilled for a small spring and fitted turned brass tips for the springs.
I still use the rest and it does just fine! I have been thinking about getting a nicer rest, but I am starting to win ribbons so maybe the Caldwell is plenty good!

 

[dansig]

I,too, started shooting BR with a Fire Control joy stick rest.
First I put an S.E.B. front bag on it which works well.

Then, my mentor and I took the joy stick stuff apart, glued in a piece of a cabinet scraper cut to size for a bearing surface for the grub screw adjustment screws. Last, we replaced the screws with screws drilled for a small spring and fitted turned brass tips for the springs.
I still use the rest and it does just fine! I have been thinking about getting a nicer rest, but I am starting to win ribbons so maybe the Caldwell is plenty good!

lol.. doing some serious improvement work on the rest might make your rest acceptable, but it doesn't make the Caldwell rest any good straight from the store..

reminds me of a joke I heard, it fits this perfectly...

first you replace the top, then you replace the base but keep the handle.. until you replace that.. then you got a pretty good rest

 

[BoydAllen]

If your Wichita will go high enough for your needs, I think that what you should do is to add a new top to your old rest. The The windage top on the Caldwell that I looked at did not impress me. If you cut the saddle off of your post, face, drill and tap it, you can put on something like the latest Sinclair windage top and have a rest that is good enough for the highest level use. I had an old Wichita that that I did this to, and it worked as well as any rest of similar design on the market. To make it usable on a range where I needed more front rest height, I made some adapter blocks that did not take any time to put in place and worked very well.