SEB NEO rest - Prone match set up procedure ?

[SG4247]

So, I have a new NEO and a new f-open rifle. All new, no experience with this stuff at all.

Only made a few range trips with the whole package so far, but havent really figured out what or how to efficiently set it all up for 600 yd prone match conditions.

My questions are related to the set up steps.

My thoughts on steps:

1. Center the joy stick handle.

2. Position the rest on the ground with rifle and rear bag, make gross windage position adjustments to get the reticle vertical close to target center.

3. Make the gross elevation adjustment to get horizontal reticle on center. Tighten thumb screws.

4. Adjust one rear leg to get the rest level using the rail level supplied by SEB.

5. Align rear bag on center with two main posts on front rest.

6. Double check that the joy handle is not at max travel positions while on target.

7. Align rear bag fore and aft on the rear stock for proper travel.

8. Double check that the rifle is level. Adjust the rest legs as needed to level rifle using rifles level. Ignore the rest level.

Are these steps even close to what you guys do?

Any help, thoughts, pointers or ideas would be appreciated.

SG

 

[Lbart]

Glenn,
Below are the steps I use. A bit long winded, but it works for me.
1. Place front rest on firing line.

2. Attach joy stick to rest.

3. Lay out mat up to but not touching back of rest.

4. Lay down and using joy stick and front stop line up the rest as best you can with your target # / frame.

5. Twist/ hammer rest feet into ground.

6. Level front rest fore & aft & left and right. Tighten leg thumb rings.

7. Place rear bag correct distance from front rest (figure this out ahead of time.

8. Check alignment of rear ears with front rest and target.

9. When allowed place rifle in rests, turn power down as much as possible.

10. Pound stock cheek piece down and run rifle back and forward to settle rifle & bags.

11. Double check that the rifle is level. Adjust the rest legs as needed to level rifle using rifles level. Ignore the rest level.

12. Put joy stick all the way down & make gross elevation adjustment to get horizontal reticle down low on target. This is to prevent the rest adjustment from bottoming out if the rifle settles in bags during string. Tighten thumb screws.

13. Move joy stick up & down to insure enough movement.

14. Use your finger tips on pistol grip to move rifle back and forward to check tracking is straight back. Adjust rest combo to correct!

15. Recheck that ALL lock rings and screws are tight.

16. Shoot them so they all go in the middle.

 

[SG4247]

Thank you!

If the rig doesnt want to track vertically, what is the needed correction for this?

That really helps me - to have some insight as to what others do.

I dont want to be wasting other shooters time on the line trying to get it all sorted out.

 

[falconpilot]

This is something I do if I'm shooting on same firing point all day or both days...after lining everything up and shooting first relay, while removing my rest I stick an old junk223 case(brass hounds will generally leave a junk 223 case alone) bottom up in holes that my F-Class feet make..I'll push them down into ground a little so as not to stick up and bother anyone..when your next relay comes up, pop the brass out, drop rest back into holes,and you know your lined up...

 

[Lbart]

Glenn,
If your rifle won’t track the front or rear bag is not parallel with target (sq w/target/firing line), offset from the other or misaligned with the target. This will cause canting drag during recoil. Worst case your stock is not straight. Also make sure nothing on your stock is dragging against the bags or that barrel is not touching the for-end stop. I saw this during SWN’s in Feb. Shots went all over the target.

 

[SG4247]

Falcon Pilot, that is a damn good idea! Thank you.

Larry,

Believe it or not, the bottom surface of the stock (looking left to right) is nearly exactly level (parallel) with the picatinny rail top surface (left to right) on the my BAT action. This means the action is fairly close to being level with the bottom of the stock.

However, when everything is all set up and I level the RIFLE from left right, the SEB rest level is not parallel with the rifle level.

It must be that the sand is settled a little higher on one side than the other on the front rest bag requiring adjustment on one of the rear legs - to accomplish leveling the rifle.

Does this matter?

I am using the standard SEB black fabric three piece front bag, filled with the Zircon (tan) heavy sand. Its pretty solid.

 

[SG4247]

Also,

See the photo where I put white nylon spacers under the front stop, so that the o-rings firmly contact the forend at the correct elevation.

As shipped, it seems that the stop was way too low. As it sits now there is about 1/8" clearance to the barrel.

 

[Lbart]

Glenn,

All that really matters are the rifle is level each time you fire. The sand in the bag will migrate from side to side due to recoil torque over time. If your rear bag is pretty hard you might consider going a bit loser on one or the other.

The for-end stop should have an Allen screw adjustment underneath near the hinge point to adjust the height. Don’t have the barrel too close to the stop top or it will bite you sooner or later when you shoot on a sloping firing line.

 

[SEB-USA]

Good stuff guys!

 

[lawrence97]

It looks like the knurling on the forend stop is very close to touching the stock if you aren't careful. Also, I noticed that you have the caps screwed onto the legs. You might want to remove the caps to prevent the rest from slipping. The tips on the legs should eliminate slipping!

The forend stop can be adjusted for height. There is a hidden set screw at the pivot point where the forend stop rotates up for the storage position. Try adjusting that to the proper height range for the terrain you will be shooting on.

 

[SG4247]

Thanks guys!

So how do I get the rear bag square and on center with the rest?

I am thinking of making a rear bag fixture that is essentially a "T-square" that registers on the centerline of the rest base, with a leg that protrudes out toward the shooter, to define the centerline and distance to the rear bag.

Is a loose rear bag setting fixture like this acceptable to use in competition?

 

[SG4247]

You might also notice that I inverted the knurled aluminium feet jam nuts, so that the small raised area is up, and the smooth flat side of the lock nut is down.

I then placed nylon washers between the nut and the rest base, as to not mar and damage the two mating surfaces.

They work excellent. the big jam nuts seat and unseat perfectly. Fired a string of 50 rounds and they stayed perfectly tight.

 

[lawrence97]

I set rest pointing at target, lay on my shooting mat. I run a boot lace from center of forend stop (hole drilled in the center), the lace stretches back thru middle of bubble level and finally thru the center of ears on my rear bag and then I know all is pointing straight at the target. After that, when I place my rifle in front rest and rear bag I adjust coarse elevation and most of the time my scope is aiming right at my target! And if not, a little nudge on the rear bag in either direction gets it all lined up.

It's too easy! Sometimes I think my setup takes a bit longer compared to some top shooters that stand up looking at their target, let the front rest fall to the ground , pound the feet so it digs in, drop their mat and rear bag and start shooting and it works for them and they don't seem to worry if it is all perfectly lined up!

Also, chances of ending up on the same firing point are very slim. I am always prepared to setup my firing point as if it were the first relay of the day. During big matches, most get juggled around different firing points for fairness. Some shooters have a liking for certain points on certain ranges....

 

[seb]

Only to add a few things:

1. With your setup shown in the photo, the rest would be easily move. Remove the end cap of the leveling screws, let the sharp end tips contact with the bench top. *(In case any sharp end tip is not allowed to use on the bench top, use a set of "super-feet" that suit).
Move the carpet accordingly. Or make hole so that the leveling screws will sit directly on the bench top or on the superfeet.

2. Be sure the foreend contacts the rubber "O" rings, not the knurled part. Adjust the set screw at the pivot point if needed. Looks like that you don't need to add a spacer under the stop, but I could be wrong, I can't clearly see the forearm stock profile in the photo.

3. Always set the base to be the lowest possible, i.e. for lower center of gravity.

Hope this help,
seb.

 

[SG4247]

Thank you all very much!

I think I have it now. Did not realize there was a set screw on the front stop.

Re-adjusted all of it, and like the results much better. See if this photo captures it all.

This SEB NEO rest is a masterful piece of engineering and machining.

Outstanding rest Sebastion!

 

[seb]

Thank you for the nice comment and for choosing the NEO rest!
One more thing (this is important also), please remove the knurled thumb screws in the front of the main "H" base and put/secure them on the top of the posts. They will act as end cap / stopper and will protect the top part of the posts.
BTW, very nice rifle and stock there!

 

[Endyo]

Excellent read. Many top guys contributed some great information here!

I didn't know about the set screw and my front stopper is canted like the OPs first picture. I was going to give Ernie a call tomorrow but glad I stopped in here first.

 

[SG4247]

This may look a little backwoods-ish but I needed help locating the rear bag consistenlly to the rest.

I tried the string method, and found I had to make several attempts and adjustments to get it right.

Bought the T-square from the hardware store for $14 and cut it to fit.

Works great! Lay it up there on the center of the rest one time and done!

 

[SEB-USA]

COOL!

 

[RAFII]

This may look a little backwoods-ish but I needed help locating the rear bag consistenlly to the rest.

I tried the string method, and found I had to make several attempts and adjustments to get it right.

Bought the T-square from the hardware store for $14 and cut it to fit.

Works great! Lay it up there on the center of the rest one time and done!
View attachment 979968

View attachment 979969

I very much like your square idea!
May have to try it myself.
COOL! indeed