Looking for the best way to steady my gun when testing loads. At $400 the Ransom is off the list. Lots of options and price ranges so I thought I'd check in here to see which ones work and which are junk.

I've got a low-end recommendation for you lol - haven't found a need to go beyond the now $23.49 at Amazon.

It is *very* light, disassembles if needed to fit in a range bag - though it fits in mine without that. Adjusting the rear support is a bit cheesy but functional; adjusting the front rest works just as you'd expect.

Pistols with iron sights and rail (or front) mounted lasers work fine. Grip mounted lasers that work from the side of the pistol are a bit problematic and require careful placement to shine past the front rest.

I've fired a 1911, FS pistols, and a Ruger LCP from it just fine. It's not a Ransom Rest lol, but it works OK.

I'll be interested in seeing what others use too

Now that's in my price range.

Sorry, I invested in a Ransom rest several years ago along with the then needed inserts, which were several. Wish I had done it 40 years before. If you really want exacting results one meore than a couple firearms this is the way to go. I spend too much time trying to perfect my loadings to leave them to chance. If a gun didn't measure up with the Randsom in several tries, it went down the road. To me at least the RR is the final word before taking the gun into the field. If you don't know the best you can do with any given gun/load, I do not know how you can expect to get the results you want. Some times you must approach such desires from more than one direction. If you want results like this free hand then myself at least, I want the rest-- JMHO

My Colt Commander series 80 carry gun:

Don't apologize for buying the best. Your points are well taken. If I could I would too there are just to many other items on the list right now.

Just use a simple sandbag, a good two-handed grip and a solid position. You get good results, and the gun shoots to the same POI as it does when not being rested. No, it's not quite as accurate as a machine rest, but it is good enough to make good choices concerning ammo.

Keith

I bought the Bulls Bag X7 rest, which has a bunch of different configuration option so it can be used for both pistol and rifle. Just another option to look at between the Caldwell Pistolero and Ransom Rest options.

I use my range bag off the bench.
Low tech, granted. However, if a handgun can shoot 1" @ 25 yds/2"-3" @ 50 yds.., I can do it with this setup.
My needs are no greater than this.

Pretty much what I'm doing now. Works ok but find myself needing in my bag and having to move it around. Just want an inexpensive alternative so I can leave it set up.

I know what you mean about a Ransom Rest but keep your eyes open cause they can be had. After twelve years I sold-traded mine off with ten inserts and literally regretted it within a week cause the range where I was doing repair work sold and I lost Ramsom Rest privileges. They were renting it out after that.

Good leather bench bags work fine but it takes pactice to be able to call your shots with enough consistency to test loads.

Good luck

I had a ransom & sold it. You can shoot just as accurately at 25yds off sandbags. The ransom just allows the accuracy over dozens of strings of fire. I use a 4x8 flat with a single sandbag on top. Shoot with wrists resting on the bag, allowing the gun free recoil. Resting the bbl or frame on the bag works, as long as the gun can free recoil, but quickly tears the bag up.
Fwiw, ransom rest testing at 21ft, really? It doesn't tell you much about any gun or load. Just about everything shoots a ragged hole at 21ft off a rest. A good shooter can even do that offhand?

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Since I reload shotgun ammo........

I fill the empty lead shot bags with sand and close with a double wrap of wire, twisted tight and then bent over.

Two bags works for me and if I need more height a 4x4 block of wood with a 2x6 nailed to the bottom is very steady and light to carry. About 15" of height if needed.

Our pistol club bought a Ransom rest about 25 years ago along with a half dozen inserts. Any member can check it out and use it. If they need any additional inserts they buy what they want and donate them to the Club when finished. I use this when working up a new load. When just sighting in I use a couple sandbags, (25 lb shot bags filled with old used corn cob media, a lot lighter than sand).

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I use a Hoppes pistol rest. About $35.00.

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Goal Life Member
Traveling Man

Someday I hope to be good enough to test my loads shooting free hand but for now I'm afraid I'll have to stick with a rest or I'd never know how a load shoots.

Gives me a goal to shoot for though. Good idea on the arm exercises too!

I do NOT use a pistol bench rest anymore because in the past when I have sighted in a handgun using one, the POA/POI changes for me when standing up and shooting off-hand. I now just do all my sighting in and shooting from the standing position I normally shoot from.

I only use bench rests while sighting in a scoped rifle and for that I usually just use sandbags.

I built my own I designed it. It made out of aluminum its fully adjustable with leather bags filled with tumbling media. Lite and works like a charm made several for friends they love them.

I am also in the "rest your wrists, not gun" school of thought. Yes you can get good accuracy resting the gun, but, at least for me, POI shifts too much from what hand held without a rest will be. The more recoil, the more so. I often use a gun rested on sandbags for accuracy testing, wrists rested to zero for field use, then off hand to fine tune. Also resting your elbows on sand bags can prevent a lot of discomfort when shooting heavy recoiling handguns.

Larry

I think a Ransom Rest is for quantifying accuracy potential and POI is not important. If you read the NRA's American Rifleman you'll notice that group size is all they care about, then don't care about POI.

This makes sense for sighting in but for me testing the accuracy of different load/bullet combos I am just not steady enough off-hand to know what I'm getting out of a load.