Ransom Rest in SoCal

[Mark9Fiji]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to work on reloading loads and barrel fit and want to use a ransom rest.

I know Angeles Range has a concrete bench but would like more options as I drive from LA to IE. Do you guys have any recommendations on ranges with 50 yard range and something I can mount the rest to?


Thanks!

[baih777]

Link to which rest you have .
Usually you don't mount a front rifle rest .
How your rifle fits the front bag can make a difference .

[splithoof]

I figure he is needing a facility to use his Ransom Rest for a handgun?

[scamp62]

If you do have a Ransom Rest, Just bolt it down on a 1" piece of plywood, and then "C" clamp it to the bench, I don't think any range will let you screw into their bench.

[Mesa Defense]

Best of luck.

I tried that, with less than optimal results. Keeping the rest in exactly the same place from shot to shot was tricky to do at a public range.

Keeping the firearm in the rest without it moving each shot is critical also.

I ended up dumping the rest as the entire process was so finicky that the information gained was unreliable.

[splithoof]

I ended up dumping the rest as the entire process was so finicky that the information gained was unreliable.

As a practical matter I totally agree. I use one for load development and accuracy potential, but after all is said and done I do not see not much of an advantage over firing a handgun from a sand bag. For my use a good bag is a lot closer to an improvised rest such as a folded-over coat, backpack, branch, etc. when it comes to hunting and field shooting positions that I would use such a sidearm in. That particular sidearm due to intended use might benefit from incremental load development that the Ransom Rest can help achieve, but in the end those gains are not worth (to me) the labor involved.
Where it gets interesting is for 1911-type pistols. The results I get from sandbags are a lot closer to what I get while running school drills and the like. The Ransom Rest groups tend to be much smaller, but can have lots of variation between guns. That amount of variation lessens from sand bags, which is again closer to real-world shooting. You might think that the more expensive custom and semi-custom guns always deliver better accuracy, but that is not necessarily the case. I have a S&W 1911 that is about 25 years old, and it keeps up with a pair of SA Pro models, and a pair of Nighthawks. A TRP model is not far behind either. Velocity measurements are not really too dependent on the type of rest used, so no real-life advantage there.