Lightweight Shooting Platform?

[edge]

I have a rest similar to the close one in this picture from:
Prairie dog hunting | Prairie dog guides | Guided prairie dog hunt

Mine swivels easily for following game and has a padded armrest but does not have the double vee rest.
Mine also folds up easily for easy carrying but has a single vee that does not give good long range support.

I can easily make a rest similar for mine but question making shots out to 500 or so with it as I don't perceive that it will recoil straight back but I'm not sure.

Does anyone have any experience with a rest of this type and have any thoughts on how it worked or anyone have thoughts on it or suggestions for a lightweight rest.
( I am not willing to add a large wooden top as I have one of those and they are much too heavy for toting to remote locations )

I can't really get any lower in uncut fields and even sitting bipods are still too low.

edge.

 

[edge]

Anyone?

 

[RioHondoHank]

How about a Caldwell Deadshot field pod. The video only shows it used sitting on ground, but the tripod can be extended for sitting on a chair. I just bought one and plan on using it on my Wyoming speed goat hunt. I will have a light weight folding stool in case I need to get higher.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vusklq44gY&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Caldwell DeadShot FieldPod - YouTube[/ame]

 

[edge]

Interesting, thanks for that.
I hope you will report on its good/bad points after your hunt.

Thanks again, it gives me a few ideas for adding to my rest

edge.

 

[WildRose]

How about a Caldwell Deadshot field pod. The video only shows it used sitting on ground, but the tripod can be extended for sitting on a chair. I just bought one and plan on using it on my Wyoming speed goat hunt. I will have a light weight folding stool in case I need to get higher.


Caldwell DeadShot FieldPod - YouTube

That rig is way too unstable to suit me.

If you look at the risers on each end where the yokes are hey are consierably wider than the base.

Even if the elevation is locked solid that means the weight is outside the spread of the legs creating inherent instability.

You need a rig where the legs are spred wider than those risers on the yokes to have what I would consider even decent stability.
With that rig you're not much better off than you would be with just a chair and shooting sticks. In fact I think I'd personally prefer the latter.

 

[RioHondoHank]

That rig is way too unstable to suit me.

If you look at the risers on each end where the yokes are hey are consierably wider than the base.

Even if the elevation is locked solid that means the weight is outside the spread of the legs creating inherent instability.

You need a rig where the legs are spred wider than those risers on the yokes to have what I would consider even decent stability.
With that rig you're not much better off than you would be with just a chair and shooting sticks. In fact I think I'd personally prefer the latter.

It is not perfect and I have not yet used it in the field, but I have done some dry firing exercises in my yard and for me it is way better than shooting sticks or a tall bipod. The true test will be if I get the opportunity to use it on my antelope hunt. If not there, I plan to use it coyote hunting and I am sure I will have plenty opportunitis then.

 

[WildRose]

It is not perfect and I have not yet used it in the field, but I have done some dry firing exercises in my yard and for me it is way better than shooting sticks or a tall bipod. The true test will be if I get the opportunity to use it on my antelope hunt. If not there, I plan to use it coyote hunting and I am sure I will have plenty opportunitis then.

If it were me and I had one already, I think I'd get an adjustable pole with a yoke you can set under the rear of the cross bar and slide that cross bar as far back as possible on the tripod.

Think about it. If you mounted a bipod dead center on your rifle would you have better or less stability than if you put it out on the fore end?

Now if you added a monopod to the rear along with the bipod at the fore end how much steadier would you be?

It's not a terrible concept it just needs one more leg.

Right now it's essentially a pyramid standing on it's capstone and you are trying to shoot off of the bottom.

Give it another leg and I bet you love it!

 

[RioHondoHank]

That is an idea, but the rear leg would have to be adjustable for elevation with fine tuning. One could be easily attached by slipping over the tube of the rear yoke.

BTW I have been working on an idea for a lightweight shooting bench myself and have built a prototype and will have it also on my trip. It however is only high enough to use sitting on the ground, but I find that is enough to get you over the weeds most of the time.

 

[WildRose]

That is an idea, but the rear leg would have to be adjustable for elevation with fine tuning. One could be easily attached by slipping over the tube of the rear yoke.

BTW I have been working on an idea for a lightweight shooting bench myself and have built a prototype and will have it also on my trip. It however is only high enough to use sitting on the ground, but I find that is enough to get you over the weeds most of the time.

Easy to do by getting it close and then adjusing the angle to fine tune or with a simple screw on the bottom of the yoke tapped into the real leg support.

Any collapsable monopod of sufficient length could be easily modified to make it work.

 

[edge]

I have no doubt that I can be steady for the shot. I was mainly concerned the rifle will "bounce" for lack of a better term, versus a more controlled slide backward.

While the video shows Aaron connecting at over 600 yards it does not show a group...or even the size of the gong he was shooting! The tripod jumps around quite a bit and it is advertising

Perhaps covering the vee's with a slick fabric may allow the rifle to slide more...

OR am I just over thinking the problem??

edge.

 

[RioHondoHank]

I believe that you are over thinking the problem. You are concerned that the muzzle jump due to recoil will effect accuracy. From what I have read muzzle jump on rifles with above 2000 fps occurs after the bullet leaves the barrel and therefore has no effect on accuracy. I find that I get better accuracy if I don't try to control the rifle, but just let it do what it is going to do.

Some try to control muzzle jump by holding down on the fore arm. This can cause more problems than it will ever help.

 

[WildRose]

I have no doubt that I can be steady for the shot. I was mainly concerned the rifle will "bounce" for lack of a better term, versus a more controlled slide backward.

While the video shows Aaron connecting at over 600 yards it does not show a group...or even the size of the gong he was shooting! The tripod jumps around quite a bit and it is advertising

Perhaps covering the vee's with a slick fabric may allow the rifle to slide more...

OR am I just over thinking the problem??

edge.

Maybe over thinking it a bit. I love to be able to see my bullets impact through the scope but the essential element in getting that solid hit is a solid platform up to and including when you pull the trigger. If you are having a hard time getting steady you are more likely to push or force the shot rather than settling in and squeezing it off when "The Shot is Right".

 

[RioHondoHank]

Easy to do by getting it close and then adjusing the angle to fine tune or with a simple screw on the bottom of the yoke tapped into the real leg support.

Any collapsable monopod of sufficient length could be easily modified to make it work.

I am going to try this. It is a collapsable monopod that I had previously put together to help steady when using a tall bipod. I did a little dry firing with it today and it seems to help. I had mounted a ATV rifle holder on top of the monopd to attach the rifle stock. I can fine tune the elevation by sliding the monopod to change the angle.

 

[WildRose]

I am going to try this. It is a collapsable monopod that I had previously put together to help steady when using a tall bipod. I did a little dry firing with it today and it seems to help. I had mounted a ATV rifle holder on top of the monopd to attach the rifle stock. I can fine tune the elevation by sliding the monopod to change the angle.

There ya go man that should be a great rig.

The only thing I'd say is slide that mount back on the tripod as far as you can so as to give greater stability to the whole rig.

If that won't work for you I'll buy it from you for what you have in it and play with it some more myself.