Shooting rests come in many different forms, from bags to stick and full bench rests but are they useful and worth the money.

Shooting Rest – Bench Rest

The bench rest is probably the most expensive option of al the rest but it does have one major advantage. The bench rest allows you to place the air file in the 2 fixed points and keep it totally stable. This a great way to zero in the scope because it reduces all human error. They are also good for when you do maintenance on the air rifle. Not recommended for target shooting because it is so stable  it would take out the competitive edge, where ever it is pointed it will hit. This is the Predator Shooting Rest by MTM and comes in at £69.99 and is our best selling shooting rest.

Front Rifle Rest

Not quite as stable as the full rest but this is a top of the range front rest. It has a solid construction and stability that probably gives it and edge over the bags This can also be used to zero in your scope but not as as the 2 point rest. It can also be used down at the range for target shooting or plinking.

There are cheaper 2 point bench rest on the market such as the Nighthawk bench rest for £29.99. It had just a 3% 1&2 star reviews, complaints of the front holder moves too much and some regarded it as to heavy. However, most of the reviews said they didn’t expect much as it was under thirty quid but were pleasantly surprised but, various mentions of the instantly of the front rest.

 Shooting Rest Bags

Shooting rest bags are a good affordable option and there are plenty to choose from. Be aware that most bags are despatched empty and you have to fill them yourself with either sand, cat litter (unused) or uncooked rice. Let’s take a look at the most reviewed shooting bags and whats the best value for money.

BSA Shooting Rest Bag

By far the most reviewed product but was it all good? It had 819 reviews 2% 1 star reviews, 2% 2 star reviews and 6% 3 star reviews. The main complaint is that the seems are not sewn together very well and particularly sand runs out of the bag. There were also some complaints that the bags smelt of diesel. There was one complaint about the velcro being the same on both sides so it would not seal. 72% rated this with 5 stars, most of the people filled it with rice from a budget supermarket to keep cost down. The cost is £15.89 which seems very reasonable for a branded shooting rest bag.

The Feyachi branded shooting bag rest (know for tactical flashlights, and red dot sights) is more expensive at £19.99 and had a higher percentage of negative reviews. Same as the BSA, the seams not well sewn together but this is little bit worse. Once they were filled with sand when they picked them up the seams actually separated. Yes they 65% of 5 star reviews.

• The approximate sizes when filled are: Front: 22cm wide, 10cm deep, height 18cm / 14cm. Rear: 9cm wide, 6.5cm deep, height 10cm / 5cm

There is another 2 piece set on the site (Amazon) and only has 3 reviews but all 5 star (so far) similar in size L: 23cm x W: 10cm x H: 18cm. Rear (smaller bag) – L: 13cm x W: 11cm x H: 12cm. Colour: Olive. This is the bargain set priced at just £8.97. BEST VALUE

ProductDescription

• PROTECTIVE – The soft fabric prevents your rifle from any unwanted marks or scratches, keeping your rifle in great condition. Also, the bags are small and lightweight to carry, making it great for transport.
• FUNCTIONAL – They can easily be filled with sand, rice, polystyrene beads, airsoft BBs or other filler through the built-in funnel hole when needed.

 

OneTigris Shooting Bag Rest

They are know as tactical outfitters, their bags on the marketplace look huge when compared to similar products. The measurements are 19.8 x 17 x 19cm, so it is around the same height as the BSA bag. People have complained how misleading the images are and disappointed that it’s a similar size as all the others. The other negative is the filling inside, polystyrene bead, even the 5 star reviews comment on how flimsy the filling is and not fit for purpose. Only 33 reviews but priced at £36.98 we don’t think this offers good value

Shooting Air Rifle Sticks

Shooting sticks are often used to provide stable support for rifles, especially while hunting. They can be monopods, bipods, or tripods, and they assist in keeping the air rifle steady for accurate shooting. Some have a V-shaped cradle on top to rest the gun, while others might use other means of attachment. They can be beneficial for shooting at long distances or in rugged terrain.

After reading many reviews we discovered that there is nothing really worth the money below £75. All these had lots of negative reviews about the product breaking within the first week, some even on first use. So we looking and reading and eventually found a couple that had positive reviews.

Primos Trigger Stick Gen 3 Tall Tripod £158.91

About this item

• New Quick Detach Yoke System with Integrated Lock and separate camera mount plate
• New Leg Angle Lock
• New Contoured Grip with No-Slip Backbone
• Strengthened Rotating Joint for Smooth Panning
• New Heavy Duty look with Dark Earth Accents

It has over 800 reviews and 81% are positive 5 star reviews (Amazon) and 10% 4 stars. Their Gen2 product had over a thousand reviews and 86% 5 stars reviews.

Bog Death Grip Clamping Carbon Tripod Shooting Stick £487.90

About this item

• Tilt adjustment lever controls up to 25 degrees of cant forwards and back and the head pans 360 degrees with tension adjustment
• No-slip lever locks provide faster locking and release
• Non-marring rubber jaw insert protects the firearm and the quick-adjust clamping lever secures the firearm in seconds with smooth rotation
• Retractable steel feet secure legs into virtually any terrain, then store safely for transport
• 3-position leg angle lock allows for secure shooting in standing, kneeling and prone positions while the integral bubble level ensures a level positioning

Over thirteen hundred reviews and 88% are positive, which you would expect at that price point. Just 2% gave 1&2 star reviews, so that around 27 people who had an issue with the product, apparently customer service leaves a lot to be desired though.

VANGUARD Sports Outdoors Quest T62u Gun Rest, Black £91.72 (BEST VALUE)

About this item

• 3-n-1 shooting stick: Tripod, Bi-pod and Monopod
• Removable U-shaped yoke
• Quick flip lever leg locks
• Soft rubber fins help secure your weapon
• Light weight aluminum construction (weight: 2.2 lbs, folded height: 27.5″, extended height: 62″)

The Vanguard outdoor gun rest had over 700 reviews, 79% 5 stars reviews. Pretty good, the negative was 2% that equates to around 14/15 people. We think this a good quality outdoor shooting rest and the best value for money.