New front rest

[Dave M.]

Dave, if that were the case there would not be any MINIs on the line but they are popular because they work and easy to transport to and from the firing line etc.
I still offer my original T-Rex at 23 LBs which is approximately the weight of the NEO but has the footprint of a MAX. The new Raptor is much wider at 23" when fully spread out and this is more than any rest I know of but the Raptor weights just about what a MINI weighs .
I believe stability comes more from footprint width and not the weight. As long as the forearm is not clamped solidly into the front bag or blocks what would make it move? The F-Class rules say the rifle must lift straight up and out of the front bag so a light weight rest that has low friction against the forearm works just fine, and less weight and size to lug around is a big plus. Just my thoughts sir.
The pictures show the Mini at the dropped or widest footprint vs the Raptor.

What I said was I think the heavier CAN be a distinct advantage and therefore a selling feature. Assuming the front has an adequate footprint that contacts the table or ground in three places to establish a plane, I can’t think of a single disadvantage of a heavier front rest. Do lighter Stands work? Of course they can and do. Are lighter stands easier to transport? Of course they are. Stands come in all sorts of sizes, shapes and weights, some work far better than others. My point was to say that the increased weight will certainly be viewed as a minus to some, but all things being equal, I’ll take the heavier stand in virtually every instance. Thanks Rod. Love your stands. Great workmanship and I’ve heard they function flawlessly.
Dave

 

[makurtz]

Well, my Raptor base arrived today and it looks fantastic. 5 minute job to change the rollers to felt ears and remove the original base. There's definitely some weight savings you can feel which is good. One thing to note though, the Raptor base is thicker than the original T-Rex base, so now it won't fit in my T-Rex hard case due to the extra height. So for anyone looking to do this upgrade, be aware you will need an alternate carry case.

Here's how I trimmed-out my T-Rex case and added some 2" foam padding that I had laying around. Accommodates my converted T-Rex and all my accessories. Oh, I also cut 2" off the joystick stem for clearance to close the lid. Stem is still plenty long enough even with my rifle's extra long wheelbase.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

This Raptor is in a league of its own. I just got it today, so I'm not ready to make any other great proclamations but it's by far the smoothest rest I've ever seen, fwiw. I can and will nitpick several aspects when I post a review but overall, it's apparent that we have a new "best" in rests. It's not even close but there are some small details for BR that need to be addressed. Strictly from a performance POV, it's wayyy the best I've had my hands on to date...and there are several very good ones available. So, we are blessed. This rest is a perfect example of American ingenuity at work. Yes, that thing still exists apparently.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Just wanted to post an interesting update on my new Raptor rest. I'm still playing with it and one of the things I'm doing is trying different knobs on the joystick handle. Just personal preference stuff mostly so disregard the knob that's in the pic. I'm playing. Yes, even the weight of the knob has an effect on the handle.
But I thought of a way to give you all some idea what I mean when I say this new rest is in a league by itself in terms of smoothness. I used a trigger pull gage to measure how much force it takes to move the handle horizontally of the Raptor vs my Neo. Both rests are set up pretty well at this point but of course the numbers could be fudged significantly if one wanted but both are set nicely in this example.
I'm gonna post two pics with the digital trigger pull gage on the handle of both rests, the Neo and the Raptor, just to put it in perspective. A pound and a half vs 3.2 OUNCES. Where's your Jewell trigger set?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Sorry for the poor pic quality but you get the idea, hopefully.
It's hard to wrap your head around how light the effort is to move the stick and the "sticktion" being just right, even being so light. We'll talk more about it soon.

 

[Shooter13]

When I grow up I'll try one of these!! LOL Got mine Sunday (ordered on Friday), I don't have the 3 little screws to bolt the head on but Rod said he'll get them out today (I purchased the 5 axis head for the MAX). Doctor and PT said I needed something lighter after having both knees done, they said I could go back in 6 -8 months to heaver if I wanted. We'll see, I love the top even though I didn't shoot off of it, that thing is SLICK! I too will post an update when I make it to the range.