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.