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Help With Front Bag Rider Question for Benchrest Shooting

walker2713

walker2713

My Boy Hap....
I've got a new Tikka T3X A1 in 6.5 Creedmoor. The front handguard uses the M-LOK system, and I want to attach a front bag rider to it so I can use it with my Randolph front rest for 300 and 600 yard benchrest matches.

The EGW I bought is built for their handguards, so it's going back. I've considered their unit that utilized a picatinny rail, which could easily attach to the bottom of the rifle.

However, FWIW they get pretty bad ratings from those who've bought them at Midway, and I'm skeptical about going that route.

I contacted Competition Machining/gotoxring and they replied that they don't have a licensing agreement to make M-Lok compatible parts.

Any suggestions? Any insight or experience will be appreciated.
 
I have made one out of Delrin for a Seekins Precision handguard on a Ruger PR. Pretty easy on a table saw with a Dado blade. In brief, I used a .75" Delrin block and cut it to 4 1/2" x 3", machined a 3/8" deep channel down the center the width of the handguard (for a very slight interference fit) and machined another cahnnel on the opposite surface 1/8" deep allowing 1/2 inch wide 'runners' the length of the block to serve as rails to ride on the bag. I drilled a couple of countersunk holes on the centerline to co-ordinate with the K-mod slots to allow fasteners flush with the underside to secure the block. The Seekins guard has a flat bottom which makes this easy. I see the Tikka has an octagonal guard which requires cutting angles in the block...still easy if you are handy with a table saw. This block could also be made of a dense wood and waxed well.
 
rardoin: Thanks for the response.....that's all above my modest paygrade when it comes to being handy with tool. I decided to go with the EGW picatinny unit, and hope for the best.
 
I have both styles of EGW bag riders, the Picatinny type and the one that attaches with a screw. The screw type attaches to a drilled and tapped hole in the hand guard and works well, very solid. The Picatinny type was a very loose fit on the rail I had and was not usable. I ordered a Seekins rail which was much tighter fit, but still not secure enough. I finally applied a strip of foil tape to the rail and tightened it up enough to be satisfactory. The Picatinny type can be made to work, but is not as solid. Vic
 
rardoin said:
I have made one out of Delrin for a Seekins Precision handguard on a Ruger PR. Pretty easy on a table saw with a Dado blade. In brief, I used a .75" Delrin block and cut it to 4 1/2" x 3", machined a 3/8" deep channel down the center the width of the handguard (for a very slight interference fit) and machined another cahnnel on the opposite surface 1/8" deep allowing 1/2 inch wide 'runners' the length of the block to serve as rails to ride on the bag. I drilled a couple of countersunk holes on the centerline to co-ordinate with the K-mod slots to allow fasteners flush with the underside to secure the block. The Seekins guard has a flat bottom which makes this easy. I see the Tikka has an octagonal guard which requires cutting angles in the block...still easy if you are handy with a table saw. This block could also be made of a dense wood and waxed well.
Click to expand...

I like this; doable. The fastener could be a challenge to find. Thanks.
 
boltfluter said:
Nice work Ledd ! That should slide like "milk through a goose". So to speak!:D:D Good idea on the Arca type rail. Should be much more stable. :cool::cool:

Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul. The rail clamp is also recessed in the block for better security. Fastened to the block with three 1/4-20 bolts. Super solid. Just built it yesterday. Hopefully be able to test it out today :)
 
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Ledd,

I built one similar a few years ago. Works awesome. I put the little "skis" on mine as well. Tracks like it is on rails so to speak. Awesome for load development on a stock with a rounded forearm. Keep us in the loop as to how it works for you!:D:D

Paul
 
A suggestion, if I might... mainly because I'm interested in something like this myself ;)

Seems like what would *really* be the "cat's meow" would be to make it with higher side walls to keep the bags from squeezing over the top of the plate (fine for home/informal use, but not entirely legal for say, F-class) and/or a cantilever design to extend forward, and then up, and lower the center of gravity so you don't have the Arca rail on the bottom of the fore-end... then the clamp... then the bag plate... the whole affair gets perilously high, when it doesn't need to be.
 
Arca rails give a good low center of gravity and nice wide stable platform. The photography industry has been using the swiss arca rail for ages.
I planed the fore arm in line with the barrel bore so it rides straight and has full contact rather than sitting on the factory rounded shape. Rail is inletted, recessed in the rear, and bedded as well

Arca rail recessed into forearm of stock. 3 bolts securing to fore arm plus action screw in the rear. 4 bolts securing the rail in total.
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The sled walls are 1" high so they are higher than most sleds. I built it with a slight offset as well. Sled actually sits 1/4" to the right off center to help tame bullet torque since I will be using it on a 300 Norma Magnum Improved.
More detailed pics of how I recessed the arca rail clamp in the sled. You can see the slight offset. Ski depth is .175". Width of skis are. 725"

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Front bag sled on arca rail in rest with 4" front bag. Thinking about putting a flute down each side of the sled to increase side control on the bag

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Put the flutes in. Better side control now with the tall sled walls. This is a new front bag so still gotta break it in, but you can see the added side grip with the flutes milled in

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I used this thread several months ago when I was looking for a front bag rider for my own Tikka T3X TAC A1. Hopefully my search can help someone else.

I ended up with a front bag rider made by XLR, their bench rest guide plate. I have tried several bag riders from the following suppliers: Sinclair, JP Enterprises, EGW and Whidden. I liked the Sinclair the best but it either attaches to an Anshutz rail or uses a picatinny rail adapter that moves it further away from the barrel. The XLR by contrast is very low profile, attaches directly to the M-LOK rail and works well enough.


Extra Credit:
For the same rifle, I found a good rear bag rider made for the Ruger RPR. I had to modify a longer than stock picatinny rail section to make it work. The rear rider is made by McRee's Precision.


Hope that helps someone else with a chassis rifle looking to get it set up for a front rest and rear bag.


Henryrifle
 
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