What shooting rest do you use for backyard target shooting?

[Lt. Dan]

What shooting rest do you use for backyard (noncompetitive) target shooting?
I use the plastic one from Caldwell or the bean bag rests from Allen. I'm satisfied with what I'm using but was thinking about getting something better.
Ebay has this one but I don't know if its any good with stringers.

For my powderburners I have a homemade one I made from an old screw jack, and the Caldwell that will separate for use with handguns or rifles, then various homemade sandbags,  plus the Allen  front and rear beanbag that I bought from China mart.
Since I'm relatively new to airguns I was wondering what you guys preferred.

[Yarddog]

I use a Caldwell Rock Jr on a MTM portable shooting table. No rear bag, but I curl my off arm around to support the butt stock. All of my air rifles are free to move back under recoil, no artillery hold necessary. In this fashion, I'm able to test my own skills, not the rifle's.

Alternately,  I'll shoot off a folding chair with a camera tripod that has a shooting V I got from Amazon mounted on the camera pad. I rest my strong arm on the arm of the chair, and get a good triangulated hold. Somewhat looser than the first method, but I've shot pretty good this way.

[Lt. Dan]

I use a Caldwell Rock Jr on a MTM portable shooting table. No rear bag, but I curl my off arm around to support the butt stock. All of my air rifles are free to move back under recoil, no artillery hold necessary. In this fashion, I'm able to test my own skills, not the rifle's.

Alternately,  I'll shoot off a folding chair with a camera tripod that has a shooting V I got from Amazon mounted on the camera pad. I rest my strong arm on the arm of the chair, and get a good triangulated hold. Somewhat looser than the first method, but I've shot pretty good this way.

I've got an old VHS camera tripod that I was considering adding a shooting V to. I have this one saved on Amazon. Is this the one you use?

[Roadworthy]

I use nothing exotic.  I got a roller stand from Harbor Freight: ( https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+Rank%2Cf&q=roller+stand ).  I taped the roller so it won't move and added a piece of foam pipe insulation.  I taped a sponge onto that and added a couple layers of flannel.  I lay the back of my hand on it and the gun goes across my palm.  It's nothing exotic but works for me.

[Lt. Dan]

So far I like both yours and Yarddogs setups.  I can visualize using both.  I enjoy fabricating and/or repurposing old and unwanted items into something I can use. That roller stand from Harbor Freight is cheap enough and I already have a VHS tripod my school discarded.

[uglymike]

Go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest sack of white rice on the shelf, then dump it in an old, thick hunting sock with no holes in it. Tie a tight knot on the end. 

[Lt. Dan]

Go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest sack of white rice on the shelf, then dump it in an old, thick hunting sock with no holes in it. Tie a tight knot on the end. 

I'm with you on that, never thought about using rice, I have sandblasting sand in my homemade sandbags. They are just so dang heavy to transport.  Rice would be a light weight alternative.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

I am a forest hunter and this is what works best for me.
I usually shoot standing with my off-hand braced on a tree trunk or some other type foliage in the woods   The fore-stock of my rifles rest in the V formed between my thumb and fingers with the palm facing out.  With this method my rifle can recoil freely yet the rifle is supported and steady. I have variations of this method while sitting on a log with my elbow supported on my knee and also while keeling with one leg up. In both cases the palm is facing in and the rifle is resting in the V of my thumb and fingers.

I don't have a shooting bench.   At home I brace my off-hand on the upright of a door jam.

Other than this I shoot off-hand & semi-supported with my elbow braced on my side, arm up, palm facing in and the rifle supported in the V between my thumb and fingers.



Best Wishes - Tom

[Airwoods]

folding bench and a small couch pillow and a stool to sit down on.

[Yarddog]

I use a Caldwell Rock Jr on a MTM portable shooting table. No rear bag, but I curl my off arm around to support the butt stock. All of my air rifles are free to move back under recoil, no artillery hold necessary. In this fashion, I'm able to test my own skills, not the rifle's.

Alternately,  I'll shoot off a folding chair with a camera tripod that has a shooting V I got from Amazon mounted on the camera pad. I rest my strong arm on the arm of the chair, and get a good triangulated hold. Somewhat looser than the first method, but I've shot pretty good this way.

I've got an old VHS camera tripod that I was considering adding a shooting V to. I have this one saved on Amazon. Is this the one you use?

Basically,  yeah, that's the one! Not as fancy.

[RobertMcC]

I use a Vanguard Porta rest. Basically a tripod with a rifle bag. That fits well in my range bag. And for home I use a scissor jack with a rifle bag, plus a filled wool sock.

[Wayne52]

I use what's available to me in the woods for target shooting (basically for zeroing in), here where I'm at the furthest I can go is 20 yards out to my wood pile.  Most of the time I'll zero in the 20 yards that I have available but with my latest purchase (Liberty) my first venture will be with open sights in the woods.  These guns have some very nice open sights on them.

[Springrrrr]

I have a home made forestock rest out of wood and foam padding that I rest my hand on and shoulder the gun at the butt.

I always though of the adjustable (or not) full rests as nothing more than an exercise in aiming and how good the gun itself can hold POI that do not show how well I personally can shoot with a little body movement involved.

For me, it is more fun to get a good shot off by holding the gun and practicing good trigger and cross hair control.

Only after a tune or work on the gun do I double rest it to see how well or poorly  I did the job.

[avator]

The rice or popcorn in a sock is a good idea but I recommend leaving them in the bags. That way bugs and moisture don't get to it.
Cornhole bags work well. I have several bags around. I just put them on top of a spent Folger's coffee container. The coffee container it a great place to store pellets and a small set of tools.
I have a set of Caldwell front and rear bags and I just picked this up for $25....

[Lt. Dan]

I have a home made forestock rest out of wood and foam padding that I rest my hand on and shoulder the gun at the butt.

I always though of the adjustable (or not) full rests as nothing more than an exercise in aiming and how good the gun itself can hold POI that do not show how well I personally can shoot with a little body movement involved.

For me, it is more fun to get a good shot off by holding the gun and practicing good trigger and cross hair control.

Only after a tune or work on the gun do I double rest it to see how well or poorly  I did the job.

That's me, after a tune or in my case right now, I use a double rest to Chronograph the pellets and when I'm searching for the rifles favorite pellet.  I prefer standing with no rest, but the older I get the more wobble and shake. So to zero, fav pellets,  chrony, I use double rest, hunting no rest or a rest when shooting a scoped gun. With open sights I rarely use a rest, I've always been a decent shot shooting pistol or rifle offhanded but age, ...she is creeping in.

[Lt. Dan]

I just picked this up for $25....

I've seen those, let me know how you like it.

[Ol'DeadEye]

Sometimes a camera tripod with a V-notch.   
Currently this Birchwood Casey when shooting from a table or bench:

[Lt. Dan]

I use a Vanguard Porta rest. Basically a tripod with a rifle bag. That fits well in my range bag. And for home I use a scissor jack with a rifle bag, plus a filled wool sock.

I didn't know what that was.  I like it, wow. A lot more portable than anything I've seen.

[Lt. Dan]

Sometimes a camera tripod with a V-notch.   
Currently this Birchwood Casey when shooting from a table or bench:

I've seen those on online just never knew anyone who had one. Looks like they snap together.  Do you like it better than bags?

[RobertMcC]

I use a Vanguard Porta rest. Basically a tripod with a rifle bag. That fits well in my range bag. And for home I use a scissor jack with a rifle bag, plus a filled wool sock.

I didn't know what that was.  I like it, wow. A lot more portable than anything I've seen.

I had a Rock JR but that took up alot of space in the range bag, and didn't have enough height adjustment. I liked to sit up square to the buttstock and not hunched over. Esp with the heavy hitters PBs. I seen this and it's super light. I don't use it for airguns, due to my bench is already high enough, and the legs takes up too much space on my home range bench. Down side about the porta rest is the adjustment, you need to take the weight off the mount, to pull up a cam, to pull up the bag. SO fine tuning can be a SOB.