Fixed Rest for BPCR

[mdeland]

I would think a 28 inch piece of 6-8 inch I beam positioned on it's side would be a good base to work with for the rest. The weight alone with the bottom rails in four adjustable friction slides with delrin lining would do the trick and be easily reset at battery for the next shot.

[desert deuce]

Well Crash Landing, I was contemplating the possibility of extending an invitation for you to join in the BPCR festivities and matches in Southern Arizona, BUT, first felt it wise to establish whether or not you acquired your nick name through historically significant events...

So, do you attend BPCR Matches...........yet ?

[neckshot johnny]

Wouldn't a fix rest change the barrel harmonics being clapped down? Then that load would only be good with the rifle being only in that condition?
My shooting needs work so I know that my load work ups don't show how good the rifle is or that load. I am getting better at calling shots and have learned where a shot will go if I don't set the trigger
A good load might have a bad day or bad load could have good day, so to get around that I glue a target to cardboard and place a clean target over it. Then shoot 15 rounds from a clean cold barrel in the same manner as a silhouette match. Every time I go to the range to practice I put a new target over the cardboard one. Call and note my own mistakes, I can see how that load is really working and see where the fouling shot or shots land.
I always try to make sure the rifle is on the sticks the same, everything I do is the same.
Just something to think about before you spend any time or money on a rest that might give you a load that will not work when the barrel is sitting on shooting sticks.

[desert deuce]

A good load might have a bad day or bad load could have good day,

And then there is the human element.........which is, precisely where the root of the problem lies In that some aspects of this endeavor probably should be avoided if any level of precise determination is sought.

And, you do have a point. When I shot handguns competitively I tested ammunition in the guns it was to be used in on a Ransom Rest. Essentially, the Ransom Rest confirmed the revolver or pistol was shooting a particular lot of ammunition bad, OK, good or Horde That LOT....the idea was to test the ammunition by limiting human error.

Frequently, the good ammunition shot as well score wise as the better lot from the hands of the shooter. The idea was to eliminate the lot you did not want to take to a match or retain for serious practice. Not so much a hard & fast test of the best accuracy but a quick test for less accurate ammunition and it usually didn't take long to make that determination.

We spend a lot of time "LOAD TESTING" and reporting on the fun of burning up charcoal and embedding lead projectiles in dirt banks.

I would rather go to the range with 60 rounds (6 different loads of ten each) for my 13 pound 45-110 and test on a reliable machine type rest than do it from the shoulder. Then, pick out what looks most promising and tinker with that off the sticks or wrist rest.

Sure, you could use a machine rest on a 22 or 40 cal but I am thinking more of the big boomers used in long range.

[desert deuce]

Going to MDELANDS idea I wonder if whatever the recoil or limiting/retaining mechanism would be shouldn't it mimmick to a certain extent being fired from the shoulder at least until the bullet clears the muzzle.

Orville's comment about risking the stock is a valid concern. I suspect that for the larger calibers it would have to be some sort of mechanism with a serious recoil dampening capability....

[RMulhern]

For a skilled craftsman aka lathe/milling machine guy.....it would be not to large an endeavor to make a recoil machine rest using hydraulic cylinders to dampen rearward/upward thrust!

[gunlaker]

Going to MDELANDS idea I wonder if whatever the recoil or limiting/retaining mechanism would be shouldn't it mimmick to a certain extent being fired from the shoulder at least until the bullet clears the muzzle.

I think that is a good idea with the big boomers. You don't want something too hard to stop the rifle, but something that decelerates consistently it over a few inches. I suspect that changing barrel harmonics by using a Pope machine rest would not be the biggest problem. I'll bet that a more significant concern would be the small reduction in muzzle velocity from a rifle in free recoil vs. one held against the shoulder. That's not likely to matter with a weeny .32-40, but could be significant with a 540gr bullet moving at 1300 fps in a 12.5 lb rifle.

Chris.

[mdeland]

The idea I had with the I beam orientated on it's side is to clamp the barrel to the beam like Pope did and use the weight of the beam as the inertia brake along with four tension adjustable brakes on the bottom of the beam sides. The lower brakes engaging the bottom of the I beam rails would be in a separate base, perhaps of C channel clamped to the bench top and immovable.This allows clearance for the butt stock and all that needs to be removed is the forearm.
The combination of beam weight and the four point delrin lined brakes in the C channel base would remove any stock breaking potential and make the return to battery feature uniformly repeatable.

[desert deuce]

Yeahhhh, and, two things:

#1.- Portability ?

#2.- Adapts to any BPCR Rifle?

Seems the impulse decelerator would also have to have a damper on the return to battery function and then there is the rotational torque...

Mimmick the human aspect

[Stephen Borud]

Install springs inside a tube to absorb the recoil. Turn a few small shafts and install bearings on them for rollers, capture those on a close fit rail. I think the base would be easy enough to build, the gun clamping set up would need so be thought about, I wouldn't want my test guns scratched.

SB

[boge]

I had a muzzle clamp once, but the police kept it as evidence after I used it on a sarcastic ex-girlfriend.

[Nuclearcricket]

There are shooting fixtures out there used to eliminate as much human error as possible, I am not positive but I think you will be able to find some and/or some designs if you do a web search for a lead sled. And there may even be something of interest on the Sinclear Precision web site.
I do remember seeing something years ago that consisted of an I beam and a barrel clamp and rails to allow things to move in recoil that would probably be considered the ultimate machine rest but can't find a name or link to something like that. I am sure that someone on this board has seen something like that at some point in time.
Sam

[desert deuce]

Observing video of wheeled artillery field pieces being fired (I think 105's) it appears that the recoil absorbing device also acts as a restraining mechanism/force during return to battery.

I think perhaps Woody may have, at one time, observed such first hand. At least from a short distance.

Of course the trick here for BPCR's is a one size fits all idea for barrels and actions as well as calibers.

I think Stephen Borud is on to something..

[Steve Rhoades]

The bench rest guys used machine rests.
Go to some of the Precision Shooting Magazine past issues.

[gunlaker]

Zack I think it's really a lot like he way an Unertl scope works with the spring. The scope mounts are a lot like the Pope rest, and the spring can absorb shock and (mostly) return to battery.

Chris.