Experimental "Designated Marksman" Rest v1.0

[Unbridled Liberty]

This is an experimental prone rest I developed for the little "Designated Marksmen" on my lines this year.  The idea was to give them something that would not only provide quickly adjustable height adjustment, but also to improve safety.  The sides are plywood, and the cross pieces are 1" wood dowels covered with pipe insulation.  The sides should reduce the possibility of a sweep, and by tethering the rifle to the cross piece, eliminated.  The three heights are selectable by simply flipping the rest to any of the three sides. It could also be used as a rest for those with certain physical impairments, either in prone or on a bench top for seated.

UL

[Guardian]

Good thought and wood work. I wish my woodwork skills were that good.

[Transform]

Nice design!
How do you plan to tether the rifle to the cross piece?
How much does it weigh? Is it heavy enough to stop a child's sweep from knocking it over, or does it still need sandbags on each side?

[9mm4545]

Would you consider publishing the building plans for such a rest?

[Mark Davis]

Drilling a hole in each ear, and useing a plastic hooked bungee could be a way to tether the rifle to the rest.
I have been useing a bipod for designated marksmen, but many do not have a swivel stud. The weight and stability of this design, the replacability of the padding, the adjustable height.
Elegant.

[TheIronMantis]

That looks really good.  The plywood is almost the same shape as the silhouette (hint hint).

[Pete!]

It looks nice and useful.  With all of the stuff instructors haul around it seems bulky.  Can you disassemble it for transport?

[Unbridled Liberty]

I appreciate the input.

How do you plan to tether the rifle to the cross piece?
How much does it weigh? Is it heavy enough to stop a child's sweep from knocking it over, or does it still need sandbags on each side?

Once the proper height is determined, for a shooter's rifle without a stud I was thinking initially of two zip ties crossed over the the barrel/forearm and around the top cross piece.  Or Velcro.  Or a cord.  My Rascal has a stud, so a 1" swivel with 1" webbing and Velcro going around the cross piece would work.  This prototype weighs about 2 1/2 lbs.  Bags could be placed up against both ends.  Or I was thinking of putting holes in the tabs for tent stakes.

Would you consider publishing the building plans for such a rest?

That is my plan.

Drilling a hole in each ear, and useing a plastic hooked bungee could be a way to tether the rifle to the rest.
I have been useing a bipod for designated marksmen, but many do not have a swivel stud. The weight and stability of this design, the replacability of the padding, the adjustable height.

I like the holes in the tabs idea.  I will incorporate in v2.0  Anything that goes over the barrel would have to be flat so as not to interfere with iron sight picture.

With all of the stuff instructors haul around it seems bulky.  Can you disassemble it for transport?

I'm with ya'.  I've been racking my brain on how to design it to break down, while at the same time maintaining sturdiness and making it fast and simple to get together.

UL

[Charles McKinley]

I believe you can buy 1/2" wing nuts.  If you replace the dowels with all thread, get 1 inch pipe to go overtop of it, steel more weight, PVC cheaper.

Are you using a router and template to make them repeatable?

http://www.amazon.com/Hornady-10062-Delta-Rest/dp/B000PD5U0C/ref=sr_1_113?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363746986&sr=1-113&keywords=rifle+shooting+rests

Here is the Hornady Delta Rest for those not as skiled.  If you have to buy a lot of parts like my suggestion above it may be cheaper to buy this.

Thanks for posting this.

[Unbridled Liberty]

I believe you can buy 1/2" wing nuts.  If you replace the dowels with all thread, get 1 inch pipe to go overtop of it, steel more weight, PVC cheaper.

Are you using a router and template to make them repeatable?

http://www.amazon.com/Hornady-10062-Delta-Rest/dp/B000PD5U0C/ref=sr_1_113?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363746986&sr=1-113&keywords=rifle+shooting+rests

Here is the Hornady Delta Rest for those not as skiled.  If you have to buy a lot of parts like my suggestion above it may be cheaper to buy this.

Thanks for posting this.

I was trying to stay away from small parts like wingnuts as they always seem to end up somewhere in the grass.  I had thought of PVC and may go that way.  I had not planned to make that many for my use.  I had just planned to make some PDF patterns and directions, although the thought has crossed my mind to make a kit.  I have access to a CNC router called a ShopBot. 

UL

[Hinermad]

I was trying to stay away from small parts like wingnuts as they always seem to end up somewhere in the grass.  I had thought of PVC and may go that way.

You can get threaded caps and couplings for PVC pipe. A walk down the plumbing aisle at the hardware store might turn up what you need.

Here's an idea. PVC pipe with shock cord through the middle, tied off on the outsides of the end pieces. To knock it down for transport you pull the end pieces off the pipes, but they're still attached to the shock cord. Once the pipes are free of the end pieces you can lay the whole assembly over into a flat pile.

It works really good inside my head, honest! (grin)

Anyway, that's a neat solution you have there. I'm very likely to borrow that.

Dave

[Unbridled Liberty]

I was trying to stay away from small parts like wingnuts as they always seem to end up somewhere in the grass.  I had thought of PVC and may go that way.

You can get threaded caps and couplings for PVC pipe. A walk down the plumbing aisle at the hardware store might turn up what you need.

Here's an idea. PVC pipe with shock cord through the middle, tied off on the outsides of the end pieces. To knock it down for transport you pull the end pieces off the pipes, but they're still attached to the shock cord. Once the pipes are free of the end pieces you can lay the whole assembly over into a flat pile.

It works really good inside my head, honest! (grin)

Anyway, that's a neat solution you have there. I'm very likely to borrow that.

Dave

Stand got me thinking along those lines.  I'm fixin' to head out to Home Depot right now and browse the plumbing aisle.

UL

[Unbridled Liberty]

Thanks for everybody's input.  I finally got some time to try some different ideas.  I have come up with a very inexpensive, sturdy, practical rest for youth and those with certain handicaps.  I am machining these out of MDO exterior plywood using a Shopbot CNC router.  They come ready to assemble.  All profits get plowed back into Appleseed in one way or another:  http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=38474.0

UL