I have seen a commercial product for a rifle rest that basically takes away any effort from a hunter besides squeazing the trigger. I also just watched a hunting show where the shooter shoots his buck and then takes his hand away from the rifle and it just hangs there. The camera zooms out and you can see the rifle resting on a rest that holds the whole rifle in place. Basically like using a led sled or similar rest.

How many use these types of rests? I personally think it takes something away from the hunt. I have always just used the blind for a rest on the front of the rifle.

I ordered one of these for when hunting pop ups and sighting in when I dont have a bench available. Still havent used it yet

Shooting Rest

my windows surfice well enough in wooden/fiberglass blinds

i use bipods in ground blinds

Doubledrop14 and I have been using this one for a couple years now. Rock solid. You can see it in the background in this picture.

Nice buck but I just don't get using a full rifle rest in a blind. Seems to take the human aspect out of hunting. Seem like it would just be a point and shoot type of situation.

I share your sentiments, truly.

But, for shots at or under 100 yards with a modern rifle with a scope, what shot isn't a point and shoot???

I agree, when I am in the blind I just use the window as well. But I think with a pop up its nice because you dont have to worry about making a bunch of noise getting your rifle up in a confined space.

Any of them when you are talking about buck fever and calming your emotions. No matter how close once your heart starts pounding and breathing gets heavy it takes quite a bit to get the crosshairs still.

I think it's just part of the thrill to have to calm your nerves and make that ethical shot.

I've got a small step ladder in a popup with a sandbag on one of the steps. Mainly did that because to make sure my son was comfortable with the shot; seemed a more stable choice than a bipod for a kid's first buck. Worked out because he took a buck bigger than anything I ever have while I was shaking like a leaf behind him.

As for taking something away from the hunt I'm all for taking advantage of something that will increase the odds for a clean kill. While I'm perfectly comfortable shooting from a bipod, if someone else isn't I would hope they would find something better rather than considering it part of the challenge.

Give me a rifle mounted Bipod or a camera tripod and I am good when hunting from the ground. Give me a window sill or a shooting rail and I am good from a elevated blind. Give me a free handed shot and I will miss 90% of the time.

I have no interest in those rife holders. That's what my two hands are for.

x 2

All we have is a 2x2 that makes the bottom of the window sill in our blinds. No bags no lead slead etc.

I did recently get a bipod for spot and stalk hunting laying prone for the shot and that thing is almost like cheating, I think I like it better than a bagged rest.

I can relate to your sentiment, but I also can't fault someone for making the most accurate shot possible on a live animal. To each their own, I reckon.

I've killed most of my deer resting on my knee or freehand. If I was blind hunting and had a chance to use this rest or a solid sandbag I would do it.
My pig killing setup is a feeder 125 yards from the back porch with landscape lights. I have a bench rest with bags set up where I can leave my rifle and look out the window for hogs. It's impossible to miss and I don't feel bad about it all. Head shots only.

I use a sand bag in the box blind I hunt. I use it for a steady and easy to adjust for me, because I want no chances of making a bad shot on an animal.

In my box blind I've got a couple of bags to sit my rifles on...protects them from getting all scratched up and as for ground blind or spot and stalk I've got a tripod shooting rest like this...

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1615720&destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.jsp%3FproductId%3D1209592%26type%3Dproduct%26productVariantId%3D2966860%26WT.tsrc%3DCSE%26WT.mc_id%3DGoogleProductAds%26WT.z_mc_id1%3D03237051%26rid%3D40%26channel%3DGoogleBaseUSA%26mr%3AtrackingCode%3DFD7D240F-C49E-E011-9A77-001B21631C34%26mr%3AreferralID%3DNA%26mr%3Adevice%3Dc%26mr%3AadType%3Dpla%26mr%3Aad%3D30640529711%26mr%3Akeyword%3D%26mr%3Amatch%3D%26mr%3Afilter%3D58018805711%26gclid%3DCLfhi8eMpLsCFWRk7AodUVkAzg%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&WTz_l=YMAL%3BIK-230748

This thing is awesome but all it is is a rest for the forearm, you still have to hold and steady the rifle.

So using a rest takes away from the hunt but hunting from a blind is okay? Tell me how you feel about feeders while you're at it....

I think you are missing the point. Everything else in hunting takes some effort by the hunter whether it be using a window sill, a bipod or tripod, a tree limb, etc. IMO using a rest that completely holds a rifle into position for you and all you really do is squeeze the trigger is what I am talking about.

you speaketh the truth Young Buck

Dustin, I have one of those field pod and I use it sometimes. I also have a Harris bipod mounted on my .308 (which I use most of the time).

I typically do four types of hunting, each about 25% of the time. (1) Hunt from my rigid quad pod, (2) hunt from a popup, (3) hunt from a natural hide, or wear my ghillie, and (4) stalk on foot.

I use the field pod or sticks when I hunt from the popup because there just isn't any solid place to rest the rifle. For close shots, 50-90 yards - I am good enough free hand. When I stalk or use natural hides I sometime use the bipod on the rifle, and sometimes use the field pod.

The field pod defintely makes things easier and takes a lot of excuses for missing away. I also like to use it when there is a long shot under difficult conditions. Where I hunt in Boerne, the feeder is about 90 yards from popup, but out the other window there is a big pasture about 400-500 yards across. Sometimes the axis come out on the far side and I feel much more confident using the pod for those long shots.

I never use it Blackwell, but sometimes I go "walking" down in the draw and setup waiting using the bipod attached to the rifle.

In Africa, shooting off sticks is standard practice.

About half my hunts are meat hunts for axis. I am not too terribly concerned with "sport" when I am grocery shopping like this. And if using a rest allows me to make a shot on a doe to collect the goods, I'll use it in a heartbeat.

Also, the property I hunt in Boerne is very small. It is important sometimes to drop the animal RIGHT THERE, so it doesn't run off to the neighbors.

Free-handing or resting on the blind window is good when extreme shot placement is not needed - most hunting situations. But when you need to put a round in a specific 2" area (head, neck, heart, spine), it is very challenging and sporting even with a field pod.

Is it a crutch sometimes? Yup - but sometimes it is warranted.

I go first!

Feeders are AWESOME!!! You can pretty much program your deer to show up right when you want them to.

John I completely agree with you and understand there might be a situation or place for something like this.

That is why I put "blind" in the topic for this type of rest. I guess I should have specified box blind

I find that people often think shooting form a bipod, takes everything out of the hunt/shot. It always makes me think they've never shot form a bipod. You still have to have proper body position, and fundamentals. If not that shot is crap.

If you're using a rest on the front of the rifle don't you feel like that to "takes away form your hunt"

Long story short, quit worrying about everyone else, and hunt how you want to hunt.

I'm not talking about bipods I am talking about the rests that holds the entire rifle to where all the shooter has to do is basically squeeze the trigger.

I use the window sill. I already carry too much stuff to the blind as it is.

I here what you're saying, and I'm saying I'm not sure that's the case.

Have you used this device? Are you sure it's as stable as you think it is? I'm sure it makes it easier, but not as "point and shoot" as you might think.


Anyway, most hunters are hunting from a blind, feeder and it's under 100 yards. Not a lot of skill that has to be taken away in the first place.

No I haven't used the device or a bipod for that matter. I did ask if anyone was using them in my OP and maybe they could chime in on whether or not they are that stable.

I find it interesting that you guys are discussing something like this...a few years ago we hosted a orphan hunt on the lease I was a part of and the boy I took to my stand wanted me to hold and aim the rifle and let him pull the trigger which I refused to do because its my belief holding and aiming the rifle is part of it. And before someone jumps on me this young guy was plenty big enough to hold the rifle and find the deer in the scope and pull the trigger. After getting back I found out why he wanted me to hold it...because he wanted to kill as many animals as possible and he believed me holding the rifle gave him the best chance to do this. Apparently the boys were in a contest to see who could kill the most animals. It was a little disgusting when you find that it had nothing to do with hunting and everything about killing.

My point was that nearly everything we do 'takes away' from the hunt unless you are naked and attacking with your bare hands. Rifle vs bow vs spear. Tree vs blind vs still hunt. Camo clothing. Feeder. Isn't using any or all of those intended to give you an edge, and doesn't taking that edge detract? Im not calling you out, I'm just showing that we all hunt in different ways and whatever works for you, we'll, it works for you and should be fine as long as its legal.

As for he rest, if you've done everything you can to get a deer in position to take a shot, what is wrong with making sure you make he best shot possible? Isn't that the most ethical thing, really?

Loves me shooting benches and bags

Common shot distance in my stand is 100 to 200 yards. Earlier in the season, going thru the motions of holding the crosshairs on a fixed object, I noticed I'm not nearly as steady as I was a few years ago.
I bought a bipod that adjusts 41"-61". Now with the gun resting in the window, I place the bipod angling toward my shoulder. It's a big help for me. My 2€.

We have a couple of stands with holes in the sides from family members that DIDN'T rest in the window. They were holding the gun up to shoot, and could see the deer fine through the scope, just didn't realize that the barrel wasn't out of the window. I always use the window to rest, but place my hand between the gun and the window or have the sling between them to keep from scratching the stock.

As far as popup blinds go......I never open the windows very much, and the zippers hold well enough that the blind window supports the barrel for a good steady shot.

East, you will love the field pod. I bought mine to let my daughter shoot the crossbow out of the popup with. She has practiced a couple times and already on a quarter at 30 yards. Next time we go out to 40 yards. I can hit a quarter 95 times out of hundred at 40 yards.

You still got to get the deer in range people.....that is what makes it hunting. A perfect rest and un-miss able shot isn't worth a crap if you can't find the deer! And, I see posts on here everyday talking about how the deer have "left" and such, so don't tell me it is easy to get a 180" deer in front of my popup at 30 yards any day.

Use your wits to find the deer and use all technology possible to put him down! (I am talking low fence/fair chase here)

I set one up for my son for his 1st few hunts but never could get anything set right. It's great for target shooting but a moving animal and a 9 yr old excited kid with a fixed rest didn't work too good.... The one I had wasn't much of an advantage anyway... I don't have a problem with it tho...

A rest is a rest bipod, tripod, deadshot, blind window etc....A rest is just like in a feeder in the sense that it gives you an advantage. To each his own though!!

Sure Dustin. If you have a hard edge in a blind, I don't see a need.

But here are three examples of where we use them. First is my daughter setup in the middle of field wearing a Ghillie suit. We had to do this to intercept some axis, who were VERY cautious. Even in the middle of field, shot was 200-plus yards and movement had to be minimized or you'd get busted.




Second scenario is me from a self made temporary hide made from a piece of burlap and a lot of local brush/foiliage. Killing zone is very small, basically intercepting deer moving through a small choke point on the property. Beside being busted easily with any extraneous movement, I had to make a precise shot on the neck to drop/paralyze the deer right there, as the neighbor is unfriendly to hunters and I would not be able recover if the animal ran the wrong direction and crossed the fence.



Last is hunting from popup where no stable edge on flimsy popup window



All three cases is the Caldwell Field Pod, which is great product. It can also be used as a rest for sighting in if a bench is not available. It is also great to use for kids.

I picked it up on clearance at Cabela's for $49!!!

I use a full rifle rest as several seen here. I shoot under 100 yards to the feeder. I think it is all in how you look at it. Many here use mass expanding bullets that leave large exit holes. There is nothing wrong with that, it helps ensure a clean kill. I'm not downing that method. I recommend it in most cases. I just chose to use a full blown rest and minimal expanding bullets but I control everything I can to make sure I can put it right through the heart or between the eye and ear orfice.. My exit hole is about the size of the original bullet going in. I would not do this in areas I was not familiar with but I shoot my targets under the feeder several times a season from the rest and make sure I am dead on. I vote for the rest! You should do whatever you are most comfortable with because at the end of the day, if you lose a deer, the responsibility rests on your shoulders. I use the Cabela's model and I am very happy with it.

I have one like East and csdarden to use in my pop up. They work great. When you take long shots it really helps.

I got one for my son..
Here he is two years ago...

I use a sand bag for bench shooting and wing it in the blind or shoot in the prone position if I have to take a long shot when walking in or out. I use a bow from OCT/Nov.

If you free hand on high fence but use a rest on low fence does that make it equal..

i see what he is saying, using a fancy rest seems even easier..i use the blind widnow edges or if im in a pop up, just a shotting stick

In the blind I use a sand bag and the window sill. Is that cheating too?

Hearing that this many people shoot our of rests or off of sandbags in the blind makes me believe a few more of the shots I hear about. Never been in someone's blind that had bags or a rest.

I think the lines between "hunting" and "harvesting" have become blurred in today's world.

My sense of accomplishment and feeling of excitement when foot stalking a screaming bull elk with a pointy stick through the mountains is much greater than sitting in a stand with a rifle over a feeder with a steady rest. When I shoot a deer that way I feel no excitement, only sadness for taking a life and joy for having meat in the freezer.

Y'all's deer must be better programmed than mine. I have nothing against rests but couldn't use most of these contraptions because the deer would often be gone before I could get everything in place/bring it to bear.

I'm thinking the same thing. I spend too much money on preperation as it is, and I have never used a fancy rest for hunting, it just seems to me that a person can become too dependent on using a rest, and if a shot presented itself with only seconds to spare, that deer would be gone.

Same as taking a quality picture.

Most have pivoting type head. In fact if rifle is already up probably quicker then gettinf rifle out of corner of blind

Will that pivoting head move over to the opposite window, or a side window? Maybe if you are sitting on a swiveling seat with the rest attached in the middle of a huge deer blind. Being able to have shooting skills other than shooting off a rest is a plus.

Can you pick up a camera with a big tripod and move it over? The easy factor depends on size of blind and rifle barrel length.

while I don't use the cadwell system I have used a 3 leg tripod with kicker for the butt. Small blind it can get tight, but works great if not in a blind over looking draws, feilds etc.

For some really long shots I have used a my go too vangaurd bipod in the blind supporting the butt.

That bipod goes every where I go, I also use it for my camera

Sand bags for the windows bout as far as ill go.

We use a small sandbag just like at the range. My blind has a "shooting shelf" right below the window. Sandbag rests on the shelf; rifle rests on the sandbag.

I've used corn stuffed into a doubled plastic grocery bag. You can recycle it and feed the deer.

I just put the sling under the stock, works great for me and no scratches. There isn't a place in our blinds to put sand bags... and with two people sitting in a 4'x4' blind with a 26 inch barrel long action, if you can fit some kind of rest in there your trickier than I.

Good comparison actually. I don't use a tripod or clamp on my camera in the blind either-for the same reason. I would not have gotten several of my photos if I had been. I just rest it on the windowsill of the blind.

Same with the rifle. 2 of the 3 good bucks I have taken from my blind were very quick opportunities that I would have almost certainly have missed had I been messing with a tripod or even bipod attached to my rifle. (The shots were out side windows.)

It's a trade off no doubt with either rifle or camera. But one I am willing to make.

I have one of the field pods, and although I haven't hunted with it, I have done a lot of target shooting with it. I guarantee there is more to it than just squeezing the trigger. I can shoot much tighter groups prone with sandbags or a bipod than I can with the field pod. The field pod is good, but it isn't rock solid, the shooter still has to be plenty steady with it. The only reason I haven't tried to use it from a blind is because the windows are too high for the field pod to work.

Dog-eared sand bag for the window and a Primos Triggerstick Monopod between the butt and pistol grip of the butt stock for inexperienced shooters or long shots. I had a friend who had never shot long range dump a cull at 389 yards with this set-up. I killed a doe with a neck shot last year at 487 yards. That is the longest shot I have ever personally made on an animal. I would not have attempted it without that set-up. Most of the big deer I shoot as soon as I can, no time to mess with my sand bag and triggerstick.

He actually shot that buck with a g20 10mm at about 15 yards. I just remember that the field pod was in the background of the picture.

That's a BSR cull buck BTW. Definitely not one of the "nice ones"

I use the window sand bags that Academy sells.

This is a simple rest that is fast to use and very steady for accurate shots.

Where you hunt your not taking long shots.