Hyskore Machine rest or sand bags?

[Nowhere Man]

To take out the "human" factor in sighting in a rifle or testing new loads I started looking at shooting rests. Has anyone tried the Hyskore machine rest? What is your opinion? Any better than sand bags?

 

[dkhunt14]

I don't know about the rest you are talking about. Anytime you take a gun and slow the recoil down it is hard on equipment and won't shoot the same under hunting conditions. Same as sandbags and rests. If you even move the rifle forward or back it changes things. Matt

 

[watercam]

I agree with dkhunt14 to a point. Once you find a load with the machine, shoulder up for zeros.
I saw one in action at my local range. Much better than any 'fixed' sled (ie Lead Sled). Gives under recoil straight back and is anchored to the bench about as well as can be expected. The hydraulic trigger work but obviously has no 'feel'.
I will be buying one at some point soon.

 

[msinc]

I have one. I live in a "shotgun only" county for deer and I used to sight in slug guns. It worked fine when it worked. It definitely took the human factor away. The hydraulic trigger device worked good too. I found that with muzzle loaders and slug guns the point of impact did not change once sighted in when you shoot offhand or off a standard {for lack of a better term} rest. It made zeroing a gun easy with minimal waste or use of ammo.
That is the good part....now for the bad. I haven't used it in a few years because the little nitrogen charged recoil absorbing cylinder went bad. I called them and got some lady who told me I would have to call back and catch some guy {don't remember his name} there because he was the only one that knew anything about that part. I called numerous times and...big galactic surprise...he was never there. I gave up trying.
The actual cylinder itself had some numbers on it and via google and the internet, it seems they are no longer made in that size/configuration. No wonder the guy is never at work!!!!

 

[Ggmac]

I've got the hydraulic / spring shooting sled from hyscore. It a little flimsy but will work for sighting large boomers . That's about it , your load recipe will change when actually shooting it .
Everything DKhunt14 says is true .
I live in palm beach Florida , if you come down this way you could try it out .

 

[Nowhere Man]

Thank you.

 

[Shynloco]

I also have to agree with Matt. And you say you want to take the "human" factor out of your testing. Yet have you considered you are injecting another variable into the testing equation by using such a rigid set-up that does not permit a normal recoil that you have in a normal front rest/rear bag setup? Personally, I use a customized Pappas one piece set-up (have it from my Rimfire comp days) for load testing which AT LEAST allows for recoil that would be present when I shoot normally and inject the "human factor." And I've tested my "testing (Pappas) rest" against my Lead Sled that I use to clean my rifles and there IS definitely a difference in results downrange. Just my thoughts.

Alex

 

[Ggmac]

I also have to agree with Matt. And you say you want to take the "human" factor out of your testing. Yet have you considered you are injecting another variable into the testing equation by using such a rigid set-up that does not permit a normal recoil that you have in a normal front rest/rear bag setup? Personally, I use a customized Pappas one piece set-up (have it from my Rimfire comp days) for load testing which AT LEAST allows for recoil that would be present when I shoot normally and inject the "human factor." And I've tested my "testing (Pappas) rest" against my Lead Sled that I use to clean my rifles and there IS definitely a difference in results downrange. Just my thoughts.

Alex

I agree , but want to explain the hyscore rest has hydraulics and dif springs to adjust for recoil . Now your introducing many variables .
I relegated mine to test those hi power shoulder busting 177 air rifles off the back pool patio .

 

[Shynloco]

.....Now your introducing many variables .

Care to explain your remark that I'm injecting variables????? Considering I have the identical Windage top on my CUSTOMIZED Pappas Test Rest (that's on my regular shooting rest) and have the rear slider duplicating my rear shooting bag, your comment is completely inaccurate! But I'm dying to hear how your Hyscore even remotely duplicates what you'd be shooting off of normally or in a competition.

Alex

 

[spife7980]

Care to explain your remark that I'm injecting variables?????

Ever consider that yall are arguing the same point?

Yet have you considered you are injecting another variable into the testing equation

Ggmac is just expounding on the injections (hydraulics etc) you yourself described.

 

[Ggmac]

Care to explain your remark that I'm injecting variables????? Considering I have the identical Windage top on my CUSTOMIZED Pappas Test Rest (that's on my regular shooting rest) and have the rear slider duplicating my rear shooting bag, your comment is completely inaccurate! But I'm dying to hear how your Hyscore even remotely duplicates what you'd be shooting off of normally or in a competition.

Alex

What Spife 7980 said ! I was agreeing with you and letting the op know he's got even more variables .

 

[msinc]

I don't know about all this "variable" stuff. When I used mine the gun recoiled in the rest. I had a buddy watch the amount of movement when I shot the gun and when it was in the rest....it appeared to move real close to the same amount of travel. Now, even if we concede that it was a little more or a little less movement, the gun has to recoil closer to the same each time than if a person is holding on to it. It is recoiling against the same charged cylinder and spring set up. A person can easily tense up more or less from one shot to the next, but this rest cannot, period end of story. It has to allow the gun the same amount of recoil travel each shot, the amount is regulated. Seems like to me you are taking that variable out, and that was one of the reasons the rest appealed to me at first. Just like a rail gun...when you remove the "human element" you remove one of the biggest "variables"....or you are saying no, lock it up in a bench rest that recoils the exact same every time and that "adds" to the variables?????? Ya lost me at no.......
Now, before somebody jumps on here crying about how accurate benchrest shooters are.....yeah, I guess so considering the weight and caliber. Put a 12 gauge slug gun in their hands and lets see how consistent they are letting that "free-recoil"....

 

[Art Dirindin]

I don't know about the rest you are talking about. Anytime you take a gun and slow the recoil down it is hard on equipment and won't shoot the same under hunting conditions. Same as sandbags and rests. If you even move the rifle forward or back it changes things. Matt

+1 That is why I no longer use a Lead Sled when I shoot. Found out WITHOUT exception my zero off the Lead Sled was different sometime significantly so, than my zero shooting off hand.

I will be the first to admit it takes effort and time to learn how to shoot from a bench so as to remove nearly all human influence, but it can be done by I would think anyone willing to put forth the time and effort as I did.