Nice.

For many years, I used homemade sandbags.

"Play sand" dried in the oven at 200* for hours, stirring occasionally.
After cooling, I used two "zip lock" bags (per sandbag) and "zipped" the bag, squeezing out as much air as I could.
Using empty 'shot bags' (I used to shoot a LOT of shotgun!) and slid the 'zip lock' sandbags inside of the shot bags, then fold over the end, and sew it shut with #17 mono fishing line.

I found that three of these bags would fit nicely into a .50 caliber ammo can.
Keeps them safe and dry!

They last a lonnnnnnnnng time.
One set lasted several years, until a member of my sportsman's club borrowed them, and moved away, and took them with him.

 

I just couldn't get the pistol settled with sandbags. I felt like there was still excessive movement in my hands. This thing seems to be very well designed and made. I'll find out soon enough (hopefully) with a trip to the range.

 

Well that Glock has some bling on it

 

Yessiree! It's a P80, though. A G34 clone. My first P80 build. I decided to make it a pure range toy with a bit of bling. Proud of the fact that it has functioned perfectly from the 1st shot to the 1,275th (so far).

 

Some more photos. I got an accessory called the "pistol post." It's designed to be substituted for the V-shaped front rest when you're using a snubby or subcompact semi-auto.

If you use the big V-shaped front rest with either of those, you're likely to burn up the padding from the muzzle blast or the cylinder gap blast.

642 Snubbie in the regular front support. Note the cylinder gap's proximity to the padding.

From the top, you can see the 642's cylinder gap pressed up against the padding AND you can see the muzzle falls short of the end of the padding.

Same situation with the muzzle of the Glock 27:

The muzzle blast is going to singe the marine carpeting and padding.

Solution? The "pistol post!"

I may try to get to the range tomorrow or Friday for some testing!

 

Interested to hear how it worked after your range visit! Thanks.

 

Personally I've never allowed anything but my hands to touch a handgun when firing for accuracy. I use sandbags on a bench rest. My hands are sticking out beyond the sandbags, so the handgun doesn't touch anything but my hands.

Remember the bullet exits the barrel during the recoil rise. Anything that affects that, will cause bullet impact to be different than when you are just shooting without using support.

I remember one time at an uncontrolled range. I posted two standard bullseye 25 yard targets on the100 yard range. I then fired six shots with my S&W model 19, 357 magnum, while using iron sights and resting my wrist on sandbags that were on a shooting bench.

Then another guy drove up and wanted to shoot. I said: 'Let me fire six more, and then we can go down and check and post targets.' I stood up and fired 6 rounds using a two handed grip at the other target.

We went down to the target stands. The first target had all six rounds in the black bullseye. The target fired while standing, had all 6 within the circles and several were in the black.

I'd say my system worked pretty well.

 

Personally I've never allowed anything but my hands to touch a handgun when firing for accuracy. I use sandbags on a bench rest. My hands are sticking out beyond the sandbags, so the handgun doesn't touch anything but my hands.

Remember the bullet exits the barrel during the recoil rise. Anything that affects that, will cause bullet impact to be different than when you are just shooting without using support.

I remember one time at an uncontrolled range. I posted two standard bullseye 25 yard targets on the100 yard range. I then fired six shots with my S&W model 19, 357 magnum, while using iron sights and resting my wrist on sandbags that were on a shooting bench.

Then another guy drove up and wanted to shoot. I said: 'Let me fire six more, and then we can go down and check and post targets.' I stood up and fired 6 rounds using a two handed grip at the other target.

We went down to the target stands. The first target had all six rounds in the black bullseye. The target fired while standing, had all 6 within the circles and several were in the black.

I'd say my system worked pretty well.

Yes, the gun moves as soon as ignition happens. It's Newtonian Physics. And if the gun was CLAMPED down in the rest, it would STILL move, but differently. So, that will affect accuracy compared to holding in ONLY in my hands. But the difference in accuracy will still probably be less than it will be in my (relatively) SHAKY hands.

That all said, the gun isn't clamped down in this rest. It's still being held by my hand. Recoil backwards and muzzle flip upwards is still happening with this type of rest.

I will bet that using this rest will be more accurate than holding the gun in my hands on a bag rest. It will be interesting to observe any difference in precision, as well.

But, I'm willing to test it! I choose to accept the mission! Thanks for the idea! Stay tuned!

PS... the primary purpose of the rest is for zeroing iron sights and optics. After that, accuracy will be more a function of my fundamentals and steadiness (or lack thereof) with a greater degree of variability than the difference between zeroes, whether done on a bench rest or in my hands.

 

I use one I do find it useful for load development and sight adjustment.

 

You have the CTK rest? Or a different one?

 

I still use an a ,, well not sure how old rifle rest and leather bag like in link below . Not mine but looks the same - orange no name rest- Hoppes maybe like in photo below along with one of several sand bags I can use as a palm and grip palm rest . Now maybe I could do better with a dedicated handgun rest but I am capable of 1.25" groups with a all apexbgs barrel included I fit to it m&p core with 2moa red dot my oldest grandsons a little better at 1" . MY old 8"DW revolver with a 2moa ultra dot on a buehler mount and rings is still good for 4" moa with the same hunting load I made since '76 . 170gr sp at 1400fps . With dot optics use a aim point large enough to see a contrasting color ring around your dot size that you can see . With my 2moa dot 4" black circle at 100 yards !! Thats what I use for the revolver . M&P core is a 3: dot at 25" yards . Open sights ! I wear trifocals so groups are always just ok . Probably why I only test a pistol when new once and my revolver at the start of a season for 6 rounds fired .

 

10shot group at 15 yards with cz S2 with a cajun barrel bushing using the pistol rest.

 

Checking sight alignment from the S2.
I don't get as consistent results with my polymer pistols me personally I think it's a combination of things one is combat sights have way to thick of a front sight blade other is my technique probably needs work and glock triggers are not meant for target work.

 

Fastest and easiest way to sight a pistol is with a chamber laser. Then do a final check off hand. Using a rest will yield a different point of impact than shooting off hand.

 

Bore laser gets me close.... at home... before heading to the range. And, I'm about to go out the door to the range! I'll see how it does!

 

Rests are good for determining group size, but off hand shooting is different than from a rest. I usually zero pistols at 10 yards with a chamber laser, and check at 10 yards. It's never been more than 1/2" off.

 

There is a difference it seems I see it more in vertical spread than in windage but that's only if iam actually shooting good that day.
If it's a bad day lol all bets are off.

 

OK! Today's range experience was interesting! I had never shot from a solid rest before. And, I'll say I was fairly disappointed. I expected to see pretty tight groups. I did not, for the most part. But, I learned something, too.

All targets were at 25 yards.

First target. Hmmm....

2nd target with different brand of ammo. hmmmm...

3rd and 4th targets. Bottom one is a little better.

5th target (all aimed at center). Oy!

Decided to try one offhand at 25 yards. Hell... my offhand is about as good as I am with the rest!

OK... let's see how I do with a bag rest instead of the rigid CTK pistol rest... Maybe a bit better? Hmmm!

Back to the CTK rest. Better! Best one, really.

Another with the CTK rest. This is where the epiphany happened. I had been firmly pressing the gun into the CTK rest. And, I was getting some wild shots. I decided to loosen my grip and let the pistol "free recoil." Suddenly, the group centered and tightened up!

Last target was back to offhand. It was getting hot; I was getting fatigued and flinchy.

 

Vp9 I believe I was gripping to tight also.
Iam not sure what the load was but it was probably something I just threw together.
I need to try it more with striker polymer pistols. I will say this though trying to get tiny groups with a front sight post that's thick as a log sucks and the trigger pulls double sucks.

 

Simple sand bag has worked for years and years

 

I've used off hand for years and years point being?