Advantages of Using a Shooting Rest
Feb 13, 2023
The most immediate benefit of using a sturdy shooting rest – whether it be a monopod, bipod, or tripod – is the enhanced accuracy a shooter gets. Aside from this most obvious advantage, there are a few other abilities that are granted by the simple act of mounting one’s weapon on a well-built carbon fiber or aluminum shooting rest.
Shooting Positions
The three standard shooting positions are standing, kneeling, and prone. Standing enables the shooter to immediately engage a target from the low ready position, making it the quickest position with the best height but the least stable because of the lack of support. Kneeling offers some support but limits a shooter’s range of movement, since turning at an angle past 45° is awkward when down on one knee. Prone is the most accurate of all the unsupported stances while also offering considerable concealment, but also limits one’s range of motion.
With the addition of a shooting rest, a shooter standing prone now has all the support he needs to make his perfect shot, while a sitting supported position enables a shooter to maintain low and hidden while keeping his rifle steady on target for hours during a long hunt. In the prone position, a rifle held in place with a strong shooting rest allows a long-range shooter to leave his rifle secured in the rest while transitioning to his spotting scope.
Zeroing
Shooting rests are also great for zeroing new optics in lieu of a bench rest. For those who only have access to standing or backyard ranges, resting one’s weapon on a sturdy tripod helps to steady rifles while dialing in their sights from a standing position, if that is what the range requires.
Zeroing pistols is also possible. With the addition of Kopfjäger’s small arms adapter, any small-barrel weapon such as a pistol or thin rifle can be locked into place on a reaper grip for zeroing optics without having to worry about losing sight picture because of free-handed aiming.
What other uses can you think of for a shooting rest? Tell us in the comments below!
