I like it. Do you use it for any official bench rest shooting?
Homemade Rear Rider and Roller Rest
Homemade Rear Rider and Roller Rest
I am new to rimfire benchrest and during my first couple of matches got to see some amazing rifles and rest set-ups. Based on this limited exposure, it seemed like some sort of mechanical rear rest might be the way to go (vs. a bag). I wanted something to go with the used Sinclair front rest I purchased recently, but 1) my new(old) 40XB has a steep stock angle, 2) I am frugal, and 3) I like to make things. So I put together the rear rider and rear roller rest pictured below. These were both made with materials laying around the Mancave, ordered on eBay/Amazon, or picked up at the local hardware store – nothing esoteric.
The rear rider (RR) was fashioned from ¼” x 1” steel flat bar and ¾” aluminum rod. Yes - sacrilege - two holes were drilled in the rear of the stock. The rider is surprisingly solid.
![]()
![]()
The rear roller rider has a base of ¾” steel and weighs 11.2#. After several designs and attempts, I went with pillow block bearings (1/2” ID) for the roller frame. The roller itself was formed from 1.75” acetyl plastic (Delrin) and is spooled on a ½” bolt. The final(-ish) rest has three leveling screws with stop nuts.
![]()
![]()
![]()
While it was a bit tricky getting the angle of the rider to match that of the barrel, in limited testing it tracks perfectly as it rides the rest on recoil. (No competition trial yet.) It also works very well with my Boyd’s stocked 541-T, and I’m sure this would work on many different rifles. (I am building another rear roller rest for my centerfire BR rifles.) While I found several commercially available rear rests available, all were fairly pricey, and I thought I’d share my build, which totaled about $60, not counting stuff I had on hand.
(Also posted in the Remington 40X forum.)
I am new to rimfire benchrest and during my first couple of matches got to see some amazing rifles and rest set-ups. Based on this limited exposure, it seemed like some sort of mechanical rear rest might be the way to go (vs. a bag). I wanted something to go with the used Sinclair front rest I purchased recently, but 1) my new(old) 40XB has a steep stock angle, 2) I am frugal, and 3) I like to make things. So I put together the rear rider and rear roller rest pictured below. These were both made with materials laying around the Mancave, ordered on eBay/Amazon, or picked up at the local hardware store – nothing esoteric.
The rear rider (RR) was fashioned from ¼” x 1” steel flat bar and ¾” aluminum rod. Yes - sacrilege - two holes were drilled in the rear of the stock. The rider is surprisingly solid.
The rear roller rider has a base of ¾” steel and weighs 11.2#. After several designs and attempts, I went with pillow block bearings (1/2” ID) for the roller frame. The roller itself was formed from 1.75” acetyl plastic (Delrin) and is spooled on a ½” bolt. The final(-ish) rest has three leveling screws with stop nuts.
While it was a bit tricky getting the angle of the rider to match that of the barrel, in limited testing it tracks perfectly as it rides the rest on recoil. (No competition trial yet.) It also works very well with my Boyd’s stocked 541-T, and I’m sure this would work on many different rifles. (I am building another rear roller rest for my centerfire BR rifles.) While I found several commercially available rear rests available, all were fairly pricey, and I thought I’d share my build, which totaled about $60, not counting stuff I had on hand.
(Also posted in the Remington 40X forum.)
5
