Support bags for pistol shooting...

[Burnt Fingers]

I've come to that time in my life where I want/need a rest to sight in my pistols.

What are y'all using??

[rking22]

Rifle fore end bag with a leather scrap laid over it for the BC gap blast. Replace as needed, I haven’t yet.

Oh, be sure to check your zero from your typical field position, could be different.

[JoeJames]

I've come to that time in my life where I want/need a rest to sight in my pistols.

What are y'all using??I am 70; last couple of years I have noticed my rear sight is fuzzy at times, and subsequently my pistol shooting did not seem to be quite as accurate. Several years ago i got a Varminter combination rifle/pistol rest. It was ok, but was more for sighting in a rifle. A couple of years ago I got an Caldwell pistol rest that suits me just fine. It is light weight and adjustable, and I have used it for everything from a 32 S&W HE up to a Thompson Contender with a 10" 44 Magnum barrel. It was not terribly expensive.

Caldwell Pistolero Adjustable Ambidextrous Pistol Handgun Shooting Rest for Outdoor Range $35.99 on Amazon.

[hc18flyer]

I made an open bottom rectangular box 12" square on the ends and about 2 feet long. I used a hole saw to make a notch in a 2 x 6 and screwed that upright on one end. I set it up on my shooting bench and rest the barrel in the notch and the butt on a couple old gloves, or you could use a loose bag? making it a foot tall gets it better in line with your eyeballs. Works well for us when checking, adjusting sights, and load development, YMMV! Later, hc18flyer

[Win94ae]

A block of wood with some rubber attached to it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRIHX-rujsM

That way I don't screw with barrel harmonics.

[jim147]

I use the front rifle bag when doing accuracy testing. That is a rare thing.

[Texas by God]

I use the front rifle bag when doing accuracy testing. That is a rare thing.This with an old towel over it for cylinder gap burns. I rest my shooting hand against and on it. Once dialed in, I put it away and shoot from field positions- until I change loads.....

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[lotech]

You can do it with one sandbag rest if you're an experienced shooter and can use consistent technique for every shot. The best rest I've found is no longer made but could easily be duplicated by someone with welding experience. Google "Sugar Creek Gun Company" rest.

[44MAG#1]

I've come to that time in my life where I want/need a rest to sight in my pistols.

What are y'all using??

The OP'er said to "SIGHT IN MY PISTOLS". A smart person will SIGHT IN their pistols in the way they use them the most, then shoot from other positions to see the differences, if any,
I shoot offhand probably 90 percent of the time so I sight in offhand. If one shoots from a rest most often sight in from a rest.
Many will give their opinions. Now you have mine.
Experimentation is the key.

[45DUDE]

A free bank bag from your local bank with lead shot-sand-cat litter-brake shavings ? Just put it in in a plastic freezer baggy and zip it up.

[Dieselhorses]

I use Caldwell DeadShot Boxed Combo, works well for pistols/rifles. Less than 25 bucks on the A river site.

[eveready]

I shoot revolvers double action only, freehand. So thats the way I sight in. Wouldn,t do me any good to use a rest.

[Hossfly]

Home made sand bags from old uniform pants legs. Heavy builders sand. 6 of them fits everything. Made large and small to be stacked in most any fashion but must be stored dry.

[Bigslug]

A little different take on it. If you're talking about XP-100's and long range silhouette revolvers, you can disregard all I type after this.

Shooting a pistol from a rest can change A LOT OF THINGS from how you're going to be holding it when you shoot it unsupported, so I've not really found it helpful to adjust the sights based off where my group from shooting off bags is.

Instead, I shoot a slow, deliberate group with a large enough number of rounds to where I feel certain I can reject 3-4 fliers as brain farts and adjust the sights off the center of the remaining cluster. Lately, I've been doing strings of 10, and it seems to be working for me.

[memtb]

Same as rking22, rifle fore end rest for load work. To zero the handgun for hunting, I use my shooting sticks, as the majority of my hunting shots will likely be from sticks!

And like JoeJames, starting having sight issues.....so I put a Burris Fastfire 3 moa reflex sight on my 460 XVR. With the above combination, I’m good for 3”+/- groups @ 100 yards! Of course, I had to learn how to make a target to make that 3 moa dot work @ 100 yards! memtb

[JoeJames]

Same as rking22, rifle fore end rest for load work. To zero the handgun for hunting, I use my shooting sticks, as the majority of my hunting shots will likely be from sticks!

And like JoeJames, starting having sight issues.....so I put a Burris Fastfire 3 moa reflex sight on my 460 XVR. With the above combination, I’m good for 3”+/- groups @ 100 yards! Of course, I had to learn how to make a target to make that 3 moa dot work @ 100 yards! memtbSince he was just asking about rests, I'd did not mention that on bad sight days, I either shoot a 38/357 10" Contender with a 2x20 Simmons pistol scope on it, or a 44 Special/Magnum 10" Contender with a cheapo red/green reflex sight on it. Then the only issue is whether I can make out the target.

[Burnt Fingers]

I'm getting shaky enough that I can't hold a handgun steady enough to adjust sights or dots. Shooting off a rest allows me to get dialed in.

It's also why I shoot action pistol instead of Bullseye.

[Norske]

When sighting in laser sights, I rest my fists or wrists on the bags. You can rest even a handgun frame on a bag, but like rifles, never the barrel. Also, don't let the gun's grip rest on or bump anything solid. I do this often, because fixed handgun sights always shoot low for me. The last one was a S&W 9mm EZ.

[lotech]

A rest is really only useful for testing the accuracy of handgun loads. I suppose it's possible, but I've yet to see a handgun sighted in with the use of a rest that gave an identical point of impact when used in whatever offhand position the shooter normally uses. Usually, the point of impact between the rested and unrested stance aren't even close.

[Conditor22]

I went through several "bags" on my front rest (muzzle flash cylinder flash) blowing holes in the bags and sending filler all over the place.

So I made this out of 3/4" cutting board material. The wood rest brings it up to propper shooting height for me and the old wool sock is filled with Polly pellets and is my shooting rest.

https://i.imgur.com/A5CVh0r.jpg

Nothing fancy but it works and will last a long time.

[MT Gianni]

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1015183323?pid=742540
I have used one like this for 2 decades.

[murf205]

I'm getting shaky enough that I can't hold a handgun steady enough to adjust sights or dots. Shooting off a rest allows me to get dialed in.

It's also why I shoot action pistol instead of Bullseye.

From another old geezer's prospective, let me tell you this. Shoot any way that yields satisfactory accuracy and enjoyment FOR YOU. I have broken my right hand 2 times and have a bit of metal in the ring finger and had a detached retina so just shooting is fun for me. It is not a benchrest match so load up those empty shot bags with sand and enjoy. I use a big swatch of leather from an old welding jacket to protect my front rifle rest bag from cylinder blast and a 25 lb shot bag (from fleabay) of sand in the rear. I am only testing my latest loads so this is what works for me.

[Carrier]

From another old geezer's prospective, let me tell you this. Shoot any way that yields satisfactory accuracy and enjoyment FOR YOU. I have broken my right hand 2 times and have a bit of metal in the ring finger and had a detached retina so just shooting is fun for me. It is not a benchrest match so load up those empty shot bags with sand and enjoy. I use a big swatch of leather from an old welding jacket to protect my front rifle rest bag from cylinder blast and a 25 lb shot bag (from fleabay) of sand in the rear. I am only testing my latest loads so this is what works for me.

After having major surgery on both shoulders and at 64 shooting from a rest is about all I do now. That’s exactly what I use as well.

[murf205]

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1015183323?pid=742540
I have used one like this for 2 decades.

PLUS...it is a lot lighter than sand bags. Nothing keeps a gun in position like sand bags but there comes a time when we have to lighten the load. I have a Bulls Bag that weighs a ton and it is about to get drained and filled with rice or some other lighter media. With 2 shoulder joint implants it is a real thrill to carry!

[Wayne Smith]

For the frugal among us carpet samples are routinely available, usually free. Get one, fold it in half, and roll it up tight tying it with cord. Since they are free it doesn't matter if they come apart as you shoot, and what comes out isn't too objectionable. Just be careful of fire. I've had one last for a couple of years before it wasn't useable.