Going steady with Caldwell - Out Of The Box

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2003 by Jim Gardner

On any visit to the rifle range, you'll see shooters at the benchrest trying to get ol' Betsy zeroed for the upcoming deer season, or maybe just checking out the latest pet handload.

Often as not, you'll see some sort of improvised rifle rest, ranging from rolled up sleeping bag to cut-off pants leg turned sandbag. Once, I saw a fellow using a 10-pound bag of pinto beans for his impromptu front rest.

On my home range, they thoughtfully supply short lengths of 4x4, wrapped in indoor/outdoor carpet. A stack of these actually works fairly well until recoil disassembles it for you, and your rifle comes crashing down onto the bench.

Most of these improvised rifle rests also share the flaw of placing the rifle far too low, forcing the shooter into a hunched over position that magnifies recoil.

The right way to make use of a bench rest is with a proper adjustable front rest and rear "bunny bag." Wonderful shooting rests can be had from Sinclair, Ransom. Bald Eagle. etc. These are precision instruments, and they're a joy to use, but to be blunt they're mighty pricey for the sort of occasional use the average shooter will put them to.

Solid As A Rock

To fill this gap, Caldwell Shooting Supplies has brought to the market an interesting variety of shooting rests for both rifles and handguns. Their top-of-the-line product for riflemen is "The Rock" front shooting rest. I purchased one of these last year from Cabelas, and have been very satisfied.

The Rock is made with a sturdy cast iron base. Weight with front bag attached is a bit over six pounds. The legs span about seven inches from the center column, giving a wide, stable footprint. The finely threaded adjusting feet permit you to level the rest and assist in getting the rifle correctly aligned with the target. They're also sharply pointed, to prevent the rest from skidding across the bench under recoil.

I've found The Rock has sufficient vertical adjustment for nay needs, but a taller center post is available if required. The standard component allows adjustment from about five inches to as high as seven inches above the bench.

Suggested retail price for The Rock is a modest $79.99, less than half the tariff for most similar products. Mind you, that's without the front and rear bags, which you'll need. Check the Midway catalog for Caldwell's cordura nylon bags, or you might look at the good leather Protektor bags (www.protektor-model.com) I eventually selected.

Caldwell Shooting Supplies offers another good aid for the rifleman. Called the Steady Rest. this five-pound, plastic shooting rest is convenient and easy to use. With no loose bags or other components, it's a cinch to tote to the firing line using the built in carrying handle. A large rectangular compartment in the base corrals your loose cartridges, screwdrivers, etc.

The front and rear saddles are constructed of a soft, non-marring material. The rear saddle stands at 6 1/4 inches, and the front saddle is hand wheel adjustable from nine to 12 1/2 inches above the bench. The three feel are well padded, and won't scratch the hood of your pickup when used for back country shooting.

The Steady Rest is just the ticket for all the normal bench rest duties, and given the stability of its one-piece construction, should do double duty as a gun cleaning cradle. Suggested retail is a modest $49.99.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Caldwell Shooting Supplies

[573] 446-3857

www.battenfeldtechnologies.com

Midway USA

[800] 243-3220

www.midwayusa.com