Front Rest Options for Benchrest shooting?

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Tia,
Enclosed is equipment list for the 2022 Super Shoot. Part of what make Farley popular is they have hold position when the rifle is fired. The SEB will not, although they are better with my tensioners at holding. There is a popular saying in shooting sports, “buy once cry once”. If you plan on sticking with the benchrest sport, look at what some of the top people use, and try each brand. Understand what the differences are between the brands.

Get to know what each brand of joystick should feel like. At one of your matches ask people with the different rests if you can feel their rest because you are considering buying one. What ever you do change the tensioner’s. I have 3 different shooters on this year’s World Team that run my tensioners and I fix their rest. Don’t buy a stop gap, once you learn to use a rest, then you can focus on improving your shooting.

https://marchscopes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FISS-2022-Equipment-List-1.pdf

Have you had your hands on one of the Raptors yet Mark? I'd love to hear your feedback on here. You see them all and your evaluation would carry much more weight than my own.

 

[littlebuddybr]

I wish that neo in the classified's was a little cheaper. I would try that one.

 

[majohnson]

Hey Mike,
No sir I have not seen one of the Raptors in person.

Tia,
A regular NEO can be had for around $1200 on the forum. Check out some of the others find out why guys prefer one brand over the other. One thing to watch for on the NEO is bearing on the tensioner side of the rest. If you look at one and the joystick has play, look and see if there is a gap between the bearing shell and the bore.

Another advantage the Farley has you can have lighter tensioner setting and not have the bag holder move. If you are in the Boulder, Colorado area, I have both the Farley and the SEB. You can try them side by side. If I can answer any other questions PM me, if I don’t know the answer, I will search and find it for you.

Mark

 

[INTJ]

Have you checked out the 21st Century? If you ever get a chance do so. It’s a different type of joystick than all of the others. You can move horizontally without changing vertical.

I haven't seen the 21st Century.

As you know, important key to shooting small groups at long range is tracking. When our rifles track well then any rest style works. It's when they aren't tracking perfectly that a joystick might cause problems.

A joystick can cause too much fiddling in an effort to get things perfect. That slows down shooting which can open up the group. For me, a couple quick twists of the knobs on my baseplate mounted Sinclair is faster. Also, I think the adjustments on my rest are more precise than when moving a joystick.

Any differences are slight as both types are used in LRBR.

In short range, I think a joystick makes a lot of sense because of all the back and forth from sighter to target. However, I don't shoot short range BR so I'll leave that to others.

 

[BigBolt]

I made my own custom front rest for lever actions and my .500 BFR. Stable and adjusts to various levels.

 

[showtime]

been looking for J J rest

 

[Dave M.]

You might like this.
View attachment 1450136
Shadetree Engineering & Accuracy. We have over 2,000 of these out there.

This is almost what I use (I’m using the Big 50 stand with the Shadetree top) but I really wish I could find hex bolt that is fully threaded so the height adjustment t-knob doesn’t interfere with the joystick adjustment. Problem is fully threaded bolts in that size are not available in the 5 to 6” range. Maybe I can get someone to weld a knob onto a length of all thread???
Dave

 

[JMayo]

There Arnold front rest in the for sale thread is quality. If a screw rest is what you want.

 

[cheek9075]

I have 2 Farley rest. They work good. Eyeing a seb max just because. New shooter has a shade tree... looks good for the $$$ but nit Farley.

 

[6MMsteve]

And one of Butch's ShadeTree tops and your all set.

I like mine made my shootin fun again

 

[AlNyhus]

I imagine some of the Farley folks are using my tension screws. I've sold about 400 sets since 2006.

Butch, I've tuned up several Farleys and your tensioners are the first step. -Al

 

[Kittitas George]

I need guarantee of one hole groups before robbing a bank to pay for a new rest. Do any of these companies have that guarantee?

 

[Sandstorm]

They all do

 

[butchlambert]

They all do

No sir, mine doesn't!

 

[Chaotik]

No sir, mine doesn't!

I suspect that @Sandstorm said that tongue-in-cheek.

 

[Sandstorm]

I just ment that if you put in enough work you will achieve this goal. YMMV
Gotta watch what i say.. i get taken literally.
Ps. I made High Master with yours Butch

 

[Chris Covell]

I still use a JJ Loh

 

[butchlambert]

I still use a JJ Loh

Chris, I've installed my rest top on a few of those also.

 

[butchlambert]

I just ment that if you put in enough work you will achieve this goal. YMMV
Gotta watch what i say.. i get taken literally.
Ps. I made High Master with yours Butch

We are a tough crowd.

 

[boltman13]

I have been using a Farley for F-Class and 600 yd. Bench Rest. It works smoothly and tracks well with my heavy rifles, BUT that sucker sure is heavy. I have a SEB Mini-X on order to replace it. For rimfire BR I have used Butch L's top on a aluminum Bald Eagle bottom with a Sinclair Speed Screw on the back leg. It is absolutely bullet proof, lite, and very smooth. I never plan to replace it, it's perfect.