Jan 31, 2026 7 min read

The methods and means of supporting a rifle on the shooting bench are as varied as the rifles themselves and the men and women who shoot them. Take a walk along the firing line of any range and one will find that range benches and shooting setups take on a personality entirely their own. While the end result is simply achieving a steady enough rest to assure that the weapon is shooting accurately and consistently, the means by which we do so can run the gamut.

For many of us, shooting from the bench is the method we use to achieve zero with our deer or squirrel rifles. This is my intended audience for this week’s column. I will not attempt to pass myself off as any great target marksman. My skills are certainly passable but not of the meritorious level. Certainly, there are better ways, more accurate ways and surely more scientific ways than I speak of here. Most of us do not need bench rest competition levels of accuracy for our bench work. 1-inch to 2-inch groups will suffice for a lot of applications in the deer hunting woods, what I refer to as the PennDOT world of shooting – good enough is good enough. No offense to PennDOT but I worked for the road department for a couple of summers and got used to a certain level of “acceptability” in filling potholes. My old supervisor, John Kendralla used to say, “David, it’s a pothole, it doesn’t need to be perfect.” Considering that, we owe it to the game we hunt to make the most accurate, ethical, one-shot kills possible.

The type of support may be as simple as resting the base of an AR-15 magazine against the ground and shooting from the prone position or as elaborate as a space-aged starship shooting vise. This is not to say that simple is less effective; not by any stretch. I was conducting a law enforcement rifle qualification for a young officer this past fall and the fellow installed a new dot optic on his duty rifle but had been unable to perform a zeroing session prior. He preferred a 36-yard zero on his duty weapon and simply dropped to the ground after measuring 36 yards with his range finder. He used his 30-round AR magazine as a monopod, and with the aid of a sling, repeatedly hit the mark from all distances. His groups were more than adequate for the type of shooting he would encounter with his battle rifle. His shooting form was solid and I was pleasantly surprised he made it look so easy. I wish all my shooters could develop this kind of skill set.

For sighting in purposes, let’s assume (you know what they say about assuming?) that we have a properly installed optic of reasonably good quality. The rifle is in good working order. Our selected cartridge should, hopefully, let us hit paper at 100 yards and we may have bore-sighted prior to the bench session. We’ll use this as a sort of baseline to get started. Since this article is not about the complete sighting-in process, we’ll simply stick to supporting the rifle by one means or another.

This is where things get interesting … I have seen shooters use their fist to support the fore end of a rifle quite efficiently. A fellow in bear camp many seasons back dropped his rifle and had to re-zero on a cardboard box. He took a bear later that day. Other shooters have demonstrated that a few scraps of wood in varying thicknesses supporting the front of the rifle registers the “good enough” mark. They simply build up the front support until the sight picture is level with the target butt. The anchor point of the butt stock in the shoulder pocket is controlled enough for their needs. Some add a blanket or pad between the supporting block and rifle stock to protect the stock’s finish.

Sand bags would seem to be the next level of technological improvement and is sort of where I have lived most of my days. This can be as simple as filling an empty lead shot bag with sand and sewing the end shut. Others choose cut off pant legs or shirt sleeves for their vessel. Whatever the choice, select a durable fabric such as denim or canvas that will not allow the grains of sand to escape the fabric weave. A knotted sock will work in a pinch. I have used rice and beans as a means to fill bags as well. I even watched a gentleman put dirt inside of a bread bag to make a modified form of sand bag. A variety of bag sizes can be of assistance at the bench. How full or empty to fill the bag becomes a matter of personal preference. Some shooters like their bag firm while others require more flexibility.

On the commercial end, there are special purpose sandbags that do the job nicely. Front bags are cut in a U-shape which wedge the forend and prevent wobble while the rear bag has a slanted V-cut, which accepts the rifle’s butt stock in the same manner. This slant provides an inclined plane to elevate or lower the rear of the gun by moving the bag fore and aft. Recently, I acquired a set of shooting bags manufactured by the Protektor Model company out of Galeton that lie somewhere between highly functional workhorse and work of art. They are made of chrome-tanned cowhide leather and are some of the most durable leather products I have ever used. I was so impressed that I bought a standard #7 front U-bag, a #13 rabbit ear rear bag and a #1 small owl ear front bag. This is saying something because I usually don’t give shout outs in my columns and I paid full price for these products. That being the case, I have never seen a more beautiful, durable and functional product for the shooting bench. I expect my grandchildren’s grandchildren will be shooting with them into the distant ages.

Properly “bagging up” results in a set up that secures the rifle in a position of executing the shot, virtually, without touching the rifle. This is not always possible but a good mark to shoot for. The less human error (contact) involved, the better the resultant groups.

The next rung up the ladder would include vise supports, sleds, carriages and other mechanical-support devices. The Protektor folks sent me a cast aluminum front rest that was of the starship variety. In truth, it was way beyond my needs, offering infinite levels of adjustment that I could scarcely fathom. Over the years, I have experimented with an earlier model Caldwell Lead Sled and was impressed with its simplistic qualities. Not only was it easy to use but the chap that left it at my range for a time had the good sense to use bags of lead shot rather than sand bags. The added weight of the lead takes quite a bit of sting out of a rather stout rifle. I would recommend it for multiple shots with heavy recoiling rifles.

For my shooting dollar, I built a scissor rest from an old car jack, welding a large washer to the height adjustment knob and my No. 1 small owl ear bag rests atop the affair. I haven’t found many setups to be more stable or offer a better range of adjustment for my shooting needs.

No matter your preferences, take a look at what others are using at the bench. You may be surprised at the novel approaches being implemented and the new ideas and products that might be borrowed upon from those who have previously traveled this road. A little trick here and there makes all the difference in properly bagging up.

Dave Bates writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter. He can be reached at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com