12 Best Rifle Bench Rest’s of [2021] – Reviewed

When you’re sighting in your rifle, you want to eliminate as many variables as possible. This means using the same accessories, and even the same ammo you’ll be using when you’re hunting. It also means taking yourself out of the equation. For this, you’ll need a bench rest to hold your rifle steady while you’re tuning in the sights.

Remember: a bench rest can help you sight in your rifle, but it won’t make you any more accurate. There’s no substitute for practice, practice, practice. In most hunting situations, you’ll need to be able to shoot accurately with the rifle shouldered, which is significantly different from shooting from a bench.

One exception to this is if you’re in a target shooting league. Many leagues allow shooters to use a bench rest, although most won’t allow you to use one with a clamp. Before you make your purchase, make sure to consult your league’s rules so you know what’s allowed.

12 Best Rifle Bench Rests of 2020

1. Caldwell The Rock Deluxe

Technically, it’s a combination of two rests: a tripod rest for supporting the stock, and a bag rest for supporting the butt of your rifle. The tripod rest supports the front of your rifle and has a coated metal pin that serves as a stop to keep the front of your stock from sliding too far forward.

The three feet can be fine-tuned independently to get it perfectly level, and the large dial in the center can be used to effortlessly raise and lower the front of your rifle.

This is one of the most versatile rests on the market. Not only can you use it for rifles, shotguns, and crossbows, but you can use it for pistols because the bag rest won’t get in your way like the backs of some stands will.

Pros

• Tripod rest and bag rest in one package
• Independently adjustable tripod feet
• Forend stop keeps your rifle from sliding forward
• Bag rest is waterproof and refillable
• Easy to use adjustment knob

Cons

• More expensive than most stands
• Not useful for repairs

Why It’s Recommended

This rifle rest is equally useful for sighting or target shooting. If you want a lightweight rest for use in the field, simply take the bag rest with you and leave the tripod at home.

2. Caldwell The Rock BR Ambidextrous

Like The Rock Deluxe, The Rock BR is a combination of a tripod and a bag rest, which makes it versatile enough to use with any type of firearm. That said, this rest is designed for serious target shooters.

In addition to a coarse elevation adjustment knob, there’s also a finer control knob for windage adjustments. Like most tripods, it also has three independently adjustable feet, so you can set it dead level on almost any bench.

The tripod features a clamp that holds your stock firmly in place. This is great for accuracy, but it’s not sufficient for serious machine work since there’s no fixed support for the butt. The stand is adjustable to a wide range of heights, so it will accommodate AR-style rifles with large magazines.

Pros

• Includes two front-end bags for different size stocks
• Comes with a bag rest for supporting the butt
• Adjustable for elevation and windage
• Three adjustable feet
• Sits up high for guns with larger magazines
• Adjustable forend stop

Cons

• Fairly pricey
• Not useful for repairs

Why It’s Recommended

This stand is useful for target shooters, or for people with high-capacity magazines. Because the bag rest and tripod are separate, it’s also useful for pistol shooters.

3. Caldwell The Rock Jr

Like the other “The Rock” models from Caldwell, The Rock Jr. is a tripod rest that ships with a bag rest to support the butt of your rifle. Unlike the other models, this is a budget stand that doesn’t have a whole lot of extra features. It has a knob for coarse elevation adjustment, and there’s a locking lever that will hold the elevation in place once you’ve got it tuned in.

On the other hand, the tripod feet aren’t adjustable at all. This won’t be a problem if you’re shooting from a level, picture-perfect bench, but most real-world conditions are less than ideal. In reality, you’ll probably need to use shims under one side or the other to get your rifle leveled.

This stand is useful for rifles, shotguns, crossbows, and pistols.

Pros

• Affordable and portable
• Includes a bag rest for butt support
• Large knob for easy elevation adjustment

Cons

• Few adjustment options
• Not useful for repairs

Why It’s Recommended

The Rock Jr. is a good budget option for people who don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. It will get the job done without scratching your stock.

4. ALLEN CASES Remington Shotsaver

The Remington Shotsaver is a no-frills, standalone tripod rest that’s more useful for target shooting than it is for sighting in. That’s because it doesn’t come with any kind of butt support, so you’ll need to buy a separate bag rest if you want to use it for sighting.

There are some known manufacturing issues with this model. They don’t mask off the screw-holes in the base when they’re painting it, so the first few threads are coated in paint and the screws for the feet are hard to get started as a result.

On the other hand, it beats The Rock Jr. in one important category: adjustability. Since the feet can be set at different heights, it’s useful on a level and uneven surfaces alike.

Pros

• Affordable and portable
• Independently adjustable feet
• Large elevation adjustment knob

Cons

• Not as durable as some rests
• Not useful for repairs
• No butt support

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for a budget rest and aren’t concerned about butt support, this isn’t a bad way to go. It’s lightweight, and it has enough adjustment options to be useful in the field.

5. MTM Site-in-Clean

The MTM Site-in-Clean Rest is a niche stand that you’ll either love or hate. To begin with, the base is hollow and has special storage slots for cleaning rods. Since it’s also collapsible, it’s easy to carry your stand and your cleaning kit everywhere you go.

That said, it’s made of plastic, and is extremely lightweight. The grips are rubberized, so they won’t scratch your wood, but the MTM just doesn’t have the weight to handle the recoil of a large rifle or, God forbid, a shotgun.

This is unfortunate since the grips can be clamped down on any size barrel, making it ideal as a cleaning and maintenance station. Both the front and rear grips can be moved forward or backward, and can even be removed. It will fit any size rifle, shotgun, crossbow or pistol, but stick to low caliber firearms if you’re going to do any actual shooting with it.

Pros

• Grips your rifle well enough for maintenance
• Forks can be repositioned for a better fit
• Hollow base for storing cleaning supplies
• Collapsible for easy storage

Cons

• Too lightweight for high-caliber rifles
• Made of plastic

Why It’s Recommended

This is a great rest for people who want to sight in small bore rifles like a 10/22. It also makes a suitable cleaning stand for larger rifles and shotguns.

6. Caldwell Stinger

The Caldwell Stinger is a full support rifle stand, which means it cradles the entire gun, both the stock and the butt. The front and back supports can be adjusted independently, which makes it ideal for most firearms other than pistols and lever-action rifles. Rimfire and centerfire rifles, crossbows and shotguns will all work well on this stand.

The rubber grips are soft enough to protect your gun but firm enough to hold it in place. This makes it ideal for maintenance and repairs, as well as for sighting in your firearm. The frame is made from hollow steel tubing, which is strong and lightweight.

Left-handed shooters beware! While the Stinger is technically ambidextrous – nothing gets in the way of your trigger finger – the elevation adjustment knob is located on the left side of the stand. You’ll either need to shoot right-handed or take your hand off the gun whenever you want to adjust the elevation.

Pros

• Full support design is good for maintenance
• Large elevation adjustment knob
• Butt rest has 1” of height adjustment
• Strong and lightweight
• Well priced for the quality

Cons

• The elevation adjustment knob is inconvenient for left-handers
• Front feet are not independently adjustable

Why It’s Recommended

The Stinger is a well-designed stand for zeroing in a scope or performing maintenance and repairs. It’s definitely not for pistol shooters, though.

7. Caldwell Lead Sled DFT 2

The Lead Sled is one of the most adjustable full support rests that money can buy. The front and back supports can be independently adjusted for height, and the fine windage adjuster gives you precision tuning for the perfect shot. The front rest can travel forward or backward up to 16 ½”, so this will support any firearm from a 10/22 up to a 12-gauge shotgun.

The butt pad is spring-loaded and claims to reduce up to 95 percent of recoil. We don’t know if it’s that good, but it makes a 12-gauge feel like a rimfire rifle, so it’s pretty good. The baffled tray can be loaded with up to 100 pounds of lead shot for increased stability. The rubberized grips are firm enough to use this stand for maintenance, too.

Pros

• Baffled weight tray for stability
• Recoil reducing butt pad
• Adjustable for height, windage, elevation, and gun length
• Useful for repairs and maintenance

Cons

• Expensive

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for a rifle rest that supports any size of the gun, the Lead Sled is the answer to your prayers. It’s expensive, but it’s worth every penny.

8. Caldwell Steady Rest NXT

The Steady Rest is Caldwell’s budget full support stand. There’s a lot to like here, depending on what you’re looking for. To begin with, the weight is as low as the cost, so portability isn’t an issue. It has a slim design, so the controls are easily accessible with either hand.

The butt support can also be removed, so you can use the front support for pistols or simply as a support for larger rifles.

On the other hand, this test has some limitations. The grips are made from an open-cell foam that wears down quickly. While the plastic underneath is pretty soft, this leads to a lot of wobbles. It’s also too light to be used for sighting in shotguns or centerfire rifles.

Pros

• Affordable and lightweight
• Truly ambidextrous controls
• The front end is removable for pistol use

Cons

• Grips wear down quickly
• Not useful for repairs or maintenance
• Too light for large caliber guns

Why It’s Recommended

This is a good budget option for sighting in small-bore rifles and makes a useful stand for all guns if you remove the butt support.

9. MTM K-Zone

The MTM K-Zone is a lightweight, modular rest that can be used with any type of firearm. You can remove the butt rest, and rest your hands on the adjustable handgun pad for pistol shooting. Alternatively, you can remove the handgun rest altogether to get more clearance for external magazines.

That said, the only adjustment you can make is the front-end height, which makes it less than ideal for surfaces that aren’t level. It’s also extremely light out of the box. To use it with high-caliber rifles, you’ll want to fill the hollow base with lead shot or pebbles.

Pros

• Usable with any type of firearm
• Handgun pad and rear support are both removable
• Reasonably priced
• Useful for cleaning or maintenance

Cons

• Requires modification for heavier guns
• Few adjustment options

Why It’s Recommended

K-Zone is a great choice for people who shoot a variety of firearms. It’s the most versatile gun rest you’ll find at this price.

10. Caldwell DeadShot

The DeadShot Shooting Bag Combo is a pair of the bag rests: a large, 8-pound rest for the stock and a smaller, rabbit-ear style rest for the butt of your rifle. It can be used for sighting in a pinch, but it’s really not designed for that, and your mileage may vary.

The nice thing about any bag rest is that they’re portable. You can throw these in a backpack with your ammo and field-dressing supplies, and take them to your favorite hunting spot. If you’re varmint hunting, you can even leave the large bag behind and use the small rabbit-ear rest for the front of your .22 LR.

Pros

• Can be used on any surface
• Waterproof
• 2 bags for front and back support
• Affordable

Cons

• Not useful for cleaning or maintenance
• No adjustment options

Why It’s Recommended

If you want a rifle rest that you can use at the range or in the deep woods, this is a solid option.

11. TufForce

The TuffForce is a bag rest that has a feature others don’t: it’s adjustable. It achieves this by having an irregular shape, so it can be rested on any side. Depending on which way you set it up, it can be 4”, 7” or 9” tall. That’s pretty cool, especially when you take into account that this is by far the cheapest gun rest on our list.

So, what doesn’t it do well? It’s a single bag rest, so it’s not any better than a bipod for sighting purposes. It’s also not useful for cleaning or maintenance since it doesn’t grip your rifle.

It’s still a great choice for hunters in the field, especially if you have a large magazine or a lever-action and need the 9 inches of clearance.

Pros

• Works at three different heights
• Waterproof
• Can be used on any surface
• Very inexpensive

Cons

• Not good for sighting
• Not useful for cleaning or maintenance

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for a functional field rest on a short budget, there’s no better choice than this.

12. Protektor Model Rabbit Ear

This is a rabbit-ear bag, meaning it’s useful for shooting in the field as long as you don’t have an external magazine. It’s very lightweight and can be carried in a large pocket. The shell is crafted from beautiful, durable top grain leather with the manufacturer’s logo stamped on the front.

If you own a tripod stand and need some butt support for sighting, this bag rest will get the job done. On the other hand, it’s pricier than a lot of rests that have more features, and it’s more or less designed for field use only.

Pros

• Waterproof
• Lightweight
• Durable, top grain leather shell
• Pairs well with a tripod for sighting in

Cons

• Expensive
• Not useful for cleaning or maintenance
• Not useful for sighting on its own

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re willing to spend top dollar for really nice shooting accessories, the Protektor is a good choice.

What to Look For When You’re Buying a Rifle Bench Rest

When you’re choosing a gun rest, there are several things you’re going to want to look for. Not everyone’s needs will be the same, so consider what kind of guns you’re using and what you’re using them for.

Types of Rests

There are three types of bench rests available: full support rests, tripod rests, and bag rests. Note that we haven’t included bipods on our list. While bipods are a helpful stability aid – particularly when you’re shooting long distances or using your scope to look for prey – they’re not as stable as a true rest and therefore aren’t the best choice for sighting in your rifle.

Full support rests

These are the most stable kind of rest because they support your gun at the front and back of the stock. Most models will work for rifles, shotguns, and crossbows. Because they support the entire gun, they’re also useful for cleaning, mounting accessories, or making modifications, such as drilling holes for a swivel sling mount.

Because they provide the best stability, full support rests are a good choice for target shooting if your league allows them. On the other hand, they’re a terrible design for pistols, since the back part of the rest will get in the way of your arms.

Tripod rests

This is the most popular kind of rest for target shooting. Because they support the front of the stock while you support the butt, you can use them to get perfect left-right accuracy while retaining the ability to quickly raise or lower the barrel to compensate for range.

They’re also extremely versatile. You can use them for rifles, shotguns, crossbows or pistols.

That said, they’re not as good as a full rest for sighting in your firearm, since you’re still holding the back of the gun yourself. If you’re going to use one for sighting, it’s a good idea to use a small bag rest to support the butt.

Bag rests

These rests are basically sandbags, often with flaps or an indentation to cradle the firearm. They’re very stable, but they can deform easily and aren’t as easy to fine-tune as other kinds of rests.

On the other hand, they’re easy to transport and work equally well in a deer stand, in an open field, on the hood of a car, or on the bench at a shooting range.

Ergonomics

While all of the bench rests we’ve reviewed are ambidextrous, this isn’t always the case. Some rests, including a large number of older rests, have knobs and obstructions on the left side that can be inconvenient for left-handed shooters.

Ergonomics are still an important consideration, though. A lot of rests have bulky bases, which isn’t a bad thing when you’re just using them to sight in your rifle.

If you’re using them in a competition, though, or for hunting from a deer stand, they can significantly reduce your rate of fire. You don’t want that prize buck spooking and running because your stand got in the way of your trigger hand.

Size

Size isn’t much of a consideration at the range. After all, you’re only carrying your rest from the car to the shooting bench. On the other hand, if you intend on using your stand in the field, you’ll want a smaller model. This is where bag stands come in handy.

They may not be as stable as some other designs, but they’re easy to throw in a backpack and take out when you need them.

Versatility and Safety

Depending on what you’re using it for, you may need your rest to fill several different roles. If you’re using your gun rest once a year to sight in your rifle before deer season, just get a full support rest and be done with it. You’ll get the most accurate sighting with the fewest variables.

If you’re target shooting, things get a bit more complicated. To begin with, your league rules may prohibit rests with a vise. You may also have to fire rapidly at targets at different ranges. For this purpose, a tripod rest will give you a good balance between stability and adjustability.

If you’re using your stand in the woods, a bag rest is probably the best choice for you. They’re not as stable as other types, but they’re better than nothing and they’re easy to transport.

The bag rests and tripods can also be used with pistols, while most full support rests can’t. If you’re using your rest for a variety of firearms, these types will allow you to use your entire gun collection.

Finally, you’ll need to think about safety if you’re modifying your firearm. Anything that requires drilling, like mounting sling swivel mounts or tapping the top of the gun for sights, is a very delicate operation. Fractions of a millimeter can make the difference between a well-drilled hole and a disaster waiting to happen.

This is particularly true when you’re tapping the top of the chamber since drilling too deep can weaken the chamber and cause it to explode. A full support rest with a vise is the best choice if you’re doing this type of work.

Sighting Tips

If you’re using your bench rest to sight in your rifle, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind to get the best possible accuracy.

• Use the same type of ammo you’ll be hunting with. Even rounds of the same weight with the same grain cartridge will perform differently in flight. Small variations in shape, the exact pitch of the cartridge neck, and the type of round used will all affect flight characteristics. These differences are usually minimal out to about 50 yards but can be substantial at medium hunting ranges.
• Don’t rest the barrel on the gun rest. The barrel vibrates when a shot is fired, but anything that’s touching the barrel can dampen these vibrations unevenly, causing the round to drift up, down or to the side. For this reason, always rest the stock on the rifle stand, and leave the barrel untouched.
• Test your gun when it’s oiled and when it’s fouled. Gun oil can cause the firearm to perform differently for the first couple of shots. For some rounds and rifles, it can even cause “fliers”, or rounds that are wildly off-target despite the gun being properly sighted and on-target. If this is a problem for you, the best thing to do is to sight in your rifle when it’s fouled, clean it, and fire off a couple of shots before you go hunting in order to re-foul the barrel.

Bottom Line

As we’ve seen, there is a variety of rifle bench rests available. As we’ve also seen, which one of them is the best depends on what you’re using it for. The best rifle rest is going to be the one that’s best for your rifle, for the rest of your gun collection, and for your exact purposes.

People who are just sighting their gun in, or are doing extensive modifications, will be best off with a full support rest. Competitive shooters will generally be best served by a tripod rest. And hunters will often prefer a bag rest due to the small size and portability.

Whether you’re sighting in your rifle, doing extensive repairs, or using your stand for a variety of firearms, we hope our reviews were helpful. Even if you decide to go another direction, we hope our tips have helped to steer you in the right direction.

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