Rifle Rest - Custom Precision One of a Kind

[ThomasT]

Hello everyone,

A couple of months ago I decided to design and build a Precision Rifle Rest for my benchrest shooting and this is what I came up with. I wanted it to be extremely precision and at the same time be versatile to accept any style of rifle with a standard stock and or a tactical stock. I also wanted it to have enough weight to be very stable but light enough to be portable so it could be taken to the rifle range. I spent just over three weeks doing the design in AutoCAD and then almost two weeks assembling and building.

I designed the Main Base, the Adapter Plate and the Rear Rest Bracket out of ˝ inch thick aluminum plate, which I had cut to shape with a waterjet machine. I installed Brass Threaded Inserts everywhere I used stainless steel hardware so as to eliminate any galvanic corrosion or possible galling. I installed three Leveling Screws to establish a “three-point mounting” that allows the unit to be stable on almost any surface. The rear Leveling Screw is “static” to establish a negative stance on the Base.

For windage control I installed a heavy duty Precision Linear Slide that is extremely positive and operates as smooth as silk. I designed the Adapter Plate to mount on the top center of the Linear Slide so that I could then mount the “Z-Axis” control for elevation. The Elevation Control gives me 50+ inches of vertical movement out at just 10-meters, and of course a lot more out at 25-yards and further.

The Front Rest Yoke was fabricated out of stainless 3/8-inch round rod and covered with a soft plastic tube to grip, hold and protect the rifle. I made two different Rear Rest Yokes, one is designed for any Standard Rifle Stock and the other designed for a Tactical Style of stock. Both Rear Rest Yokes are also made using stainless 3/8-inch round rod and covered with soft plastic tube. There is zero movement when a rifle is placed in the two Yokes, this make the rifle ROCK SOLID.

I am really enjoying using this unit and consider all the work worth the time and effort.

ThomasT

[Rob M]

very cool , its like a little milling machine on the front end, a knee mill.

[eeler1]

Fancy!  Very nice, cool handles on the elevation and slide, I was looking for markings in 1/100 increments there.  Is there a purpose to the joint in the aluminum on the rear riser block thingy?  I see it is bolted together, just wondering if it was a limitation of the material at hand or if it was functional.  You might think about posting the drawings.

[ThomasT]

Fancy!  Very nice, cool handles on the elevation and slide, I was looking for markings in 1/100 increments there.  Is there a purpose to the joint in the aluminum on the rear riser block thingy?  I see it is bolted together, just wondering if it was a limitation of the material at hand or if it was functional.  You might think about posting the drawings.

Hello @eeler1

The reason I designed it to be two pieces is because I could not do a 3/8" drill down into a 1/2" thick piece. It would be too expensive to have just that one piece cut from either 3/4" or 1" aluminum.

ThomasT

[straightshooter]

Very Nice Thomas!

[ThomasT]

Very Nice Thomas!

Thank you,

ThomasT

[sb327]

I think you did a fantastic job here. Although there is some cost involved, you saved a lot of money doing it this way. Not to mention the wait times for a precision rest.

I have considered doing a rest the way you have with precision slides, I guess I just need to go ahead and do it. I want to set mine up like yours except with a bag for the rear.

Thanks for sharing,
Dave

[ThomasT]

I think you did a fantastic job here. Although there is some cost involved, you saved a lot of money doing it this way. Not to mention the wait times for a precision rest.

I have considered doing a rest the way you have with precision slides, I guess I just need to go ahead and do it. I want to set mine up like yours except with a bag for the rear.

Thanks for sharing,
Dave

Hello Dave,

Thank you and I appreciate the kind words. Yes there was a lot of work involved and some expense but the results makes the project well worth everything. This unit holds the rifles so solid in place and improves benchrest shooting exponentially.

I suggest that you build one for yourself if you enjoy benchrest shooting 

ThomasT