Shooting rests

Got a humping and fisting gift card to use.
Considering a couple of options with shooting rests
H+F have a a pair of bags and a couple of rests between 100 and 120ish bucks
All Caldwell stuff
Deadshot bag combo, steady rest next and zero max rest
The rests could double as a quasi gun vice for working on them I suppose
The bags would probably take up the least room.
The Max rest has a few more adjustments
Thoughts and advice?
Cheers

I'd go with the bags, more versatile, less bulky and unlikely to be munted by recoil.

geez. Over 100 looks, one recommendation with 2 likes from me and someone else.
anyone else agree/disagree?

I have the Caldwell frame rest and a Bulls Bag. Use them both. Mainly for load development. The rifle shoots identically with both. Pros: Frame rest. It's far easier to adjust onto the target. Easy to maintain shot sequence. Can be used as rest when working on rifle. Cons: Bitch to store. Don't want to break it down.
Pros: Bulls bag, or any bag I suppose. Easy to store and lug to the range. Once set up is good. Cons: Bit of a bitch at times to set verticle adjustment, lots of fiddling with bits of wood or magazines to lift or lower. Depends on users circumstances, in my view though, bags are probably the better option as a rest.

For benchrest I use a front rest, and a rear bag.
Front rest is a Bald Eagle (windage model).
https://www.brtshooterssupply.com.au...ag/Bald-Eagle/
Caldwell make a 'copy', and so do Protektor.
Front rest is great too for sighting in, or load development when reloading.
I had a cheap front rest (since sold on here), but found I needed the windage too.
This is what I had. It's OK and works well, but buy the 'deluxe' set which comes with the needed front bag too.
https://smartreloader.com/en/product...shooting-rest/
I bought mine in from Oz, but now I see that they are available in NZ.
For serious sighting in, or pinging off varmints at long range a front rest is hard to beat.
Yeah, takes some space to store it...but bags are heavy and take up space too.
I couldn't be faffed now using a front bag as the actual front rest is so easy to adjust.
If you get a bag, don't fill it with rice, wheat, etc (it will get damp and then guess what happens!).
Go to Spotlight and get stuffing pellets.
https://www.spotlightstores.com/nz/c...709002-natural
Yeah, you can use sand too (dry, river sand), or even better get some fine aquarium sand (I use this in my rear bag). It's black and heavy (granite maybe?), and already cleaned.
River sand can contain vege matter and unless you wash it clean you don't know what's in there mixed with the sand.
Bags are a bitch to fill. Sand or pellets (get small size) still take about a 1/2 hour to quietly fill the bag and give it a good poke down now and then.
Too tight and you can induce a vertical spread to your shots though. Firmish is good, drum tight is too much.

I use a very entry level Caldwell junior front rest. I didn't have to buy it.
This is pretty good, adjust vertically by screw.
The bag has developed a leak due to recoil wearing a hole in it underneath. Just need to get my act together to fix it.
I found the rest let me shoot just a little bit tighter than I could over a sandbag.
I use a protektor leather rear bag which I filled myself. Its very nice but not much room between pistol grip cap and rear sling swivel.
I'm not a bench rest or varmint shooter so not the most expert on these but I use them a lot for load testing and a bit for sighting in my hunting rifles. They don't take the human element right out but do reduce it a lot.
As best I can tell, the zero is the same with rest, sandbag, bipod or unsupported (although the group is much larger of course).

Oh and they are a great combo for holding the rifle while cleaning and working on it.

Send me a pm with a address, and you can have a free bag rest. Just need to fill it.

I used bbq grease/kitty litter stuff, works alright. Just don't put to much in, and don't under fill....