Looking for comments regarding setting up a Ransom Rest Master Series.

Greetings,

Cleaning the friction disk is detailed in the Random Rest Instruction Sheet.

They have updated their manual. My old one was three pages of typed data.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwjx4qjW1N3iAhVtIDQIHbXWDl4QFjAAegQIBRAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fransomrest.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F12%2FRansom-Rest-Instruction-Manual.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0jHw-tsAtFo_eMm1gge8Yo

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave!

Well I could not wait and so went to the range to look at that concrete block (I also did some shooting).  Yip, it's yellow, but no threaded rods but instead there are 4 bolts each with a washer screwed into it.  I could not get them off by hand (intentional I am sure so people don't take off with them) but I did measure everything.

So the block is 24" long (towards downrange), 20 3/4" wide and 30" high.  This thing must weigh a ton!  The thread area of the bolt I was able to measure with a pair of calipers and they all came out to 0.622" in diameter (5/8"??).

I also got down and took a photo downrange along the surface of the block and it is at the level of the target area, so yea, this was build intentionally for a RR I am sure.

My plan is to go back with a wrench to remove the bolts and use a piece of large paper to trace out the holes so that I can accurately transfer their location to my board for drilling.

perfect.

Take a little penetrating oil, those bolts are probably rusted.

Take a few of these.

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Hand-Tools/Punches-Grommet-Tools/Blind-Hole-Spotters?product_id=nv&rd=k&pcrid=183709198238&navid=12102936&gclid=CjwKCAjw__fnBRANEiwAuFxET1CjCCsLBf-a3YJkqJsG9BR6ED1Jt6wrmSCTnEgwkCwNm7XqIMAUwRoCAxoQAvD_BwE&mkwid=sum0oOEGi%7Cdt&cid=ppc-google-New+-+Hand+Tools+-+DSA_sum0oOEGi__b_183709198238_t_S#navid=12102936+4287417066

17/32 is the tap drill for 5/8 coarse thread and they should drop in fine. Then just hit the board with a rubber mallet... presto chango you have the location. Drill the holes 1/8 bigger (3/4) and you should be set.

Wobbley I will bring some Kroll, but I actually think they have been used and not rusted in as my buddy told me just last month that he saw someone using a RR in that area so there is hope.

Unfortunately I don't have any of those blind hole spotter but lots of drill bits and so that is a good idea and I will bring a few of those if I bring my board along.

The board you're taking there is the one I'd put the arcs in, rather than the rest itself.  You mentioned something about a pivot pin through the rest.  I'd mount the rest securely on the board.

You might be able to thread some shortened carpenter's pencils into three holes and drill and place one bolt for the fourth.  Then mount the board by the single bolt hole and rotate the board on the pencils to get your arcs.  When you mount your rest to the board, you'll want to leave room to reach the bolts, of course.

At least at this point, my plan is to use two separate 3/4" plywood boards.  The first one would be the same size as the concrete stand and bolted down using its 4 bolts.  The second one will be smaller with the two strips of wood underneath that RRI suggest and the RR will be attached to.  I plan to put a hole through both boards that the pivot pin will go into that way it would be easy to pivot the second board. The second board will be held down once adjusted to proper POI with four of those horizontal hold down clamps that I have already brought from Harbor Freight Tools.  That way easy adjust and hold down.

Save your pocket change for an actual windage base.  Makes a big difference.  Allows me to put 6-8 groups on the back of a full size target without going downrange.  The makeshift approach to windage may well reflect itself in your group sizes without you knowing it, i.e. it decreases the overall rigidity of the setup.

My overall interest in load development at least at this point is limited.  As mentioned earlier, I am a tactical shooter and not a bullseye shooter.  If I was a bullseye shooter, I would likely invest in the windage and also their base but...

At least to me, its not a question of affordability but an effort to reduce the amount of "stuff" I have.  Those who are older in this group knows what I am talking about... 

Jlow et al., fascinated to see this. I acquired anRR recently and agree completely with Will’s comments about processmattering as much or more than mounting, assuming an acceptable approach to the latter. I got the clamps that RR uses, which are Rock River L-clamps, at some expense in dollars and more in verbal abuse from some range friends. I’ve used them on basic benches at two clubs, one in an indoor lane, with steel framing and a composite countertop, and one wood-framed. Way below specs for concrete, etc., but I’ve gotten very tight groups out of a Pardini SP, several 1911s, an M41 and an STI 2011. I’ve found that the biggest issue with a learning curve is proper seating in the grip inserts. Pardini inserts come with an adapter that I had trouble securing adequately to the gun.
My experience led me to wonder whether the heavy-duty mounting specs are more relevant for rifles. However, I haven’t tested at 50 yards yet.
Good luck and enjoy! You can learn a lot about your guns and the bottom line, for me, is the confidence from knowing that the gun is really zeroed.

Yes, absolutely in terms of the importance of "process", I've been reading about it and that is the next part of my journey after I put together a good mounting.  As the saying goes, the whole setup is really only as good as it's weakest part.

I think it is fair to say that when RRI build the whole setup, they engineer it for the worst case situation.  That's not to say that us 9mm shooter should po po the importance of a steady mount but one can indeed go overboard.

Agreed that one can learn a lot about our guns with this setup and of course the zero...   Looking forward to a lot of good learning!

I'm new to precision pistol shooting. I bought a RR for fun and load testing for a Sig P210A (and a M1911). I mounted the RR to a pair of oak boards totaling 1.5" thickness, then on 3/4" x 2" front and back oak strips as/per RR's instructions. I use 4 c-clamps, clamp it to a steel base plate, which is welded to three steel pipes that are buried in cement at our range. It's certainly stiff, but it's also a long cantilever "beam" and will "ring" as there isn't the damping present like 500# of concrete offers. So I accept a bit of vertical stringing, and fire slowly. The comments on panel pressure and consistency are right-on. The P210A panels are not a frame-mount design (as in the case of the M1911 panels)...so they are molded to fit the Target-style Sig wood grips. I don't like that design because it adds another "interface" even when the wood grips seem tight to the pistol frame. I have found quite a bit of inconsistency in testing depending on the method I use to secure the P210A in the panels, and how the trigger bar is setup (since it's a pivoting trigger). When I mount a pistol in the panels, I grab the slide and pull it upwards until the RR's stop-screw limits any further pivoting, to check for any play, then repeat pushing downwards. I also do the same applying a lateral force (right/left). I accept "movement" as the panel's polymer deforms, but I'm also looking for even the slightest "slip" somewhere. I tend to get small amounts of slip with the P210A panels, but nothing for the M1911 panels (which again are a frame-mount design). When all is working well, I've gotten some pretty good 50 yard groups. With the factory Sig 10.5# recoil spring, Starline brass, Fed 100 primers, 1.100" to 1.105" COAL, 3.3gr e^3, 147 gr XTP, 920 fps MV.

Encase that in concrete and  you'd be set

Greetings,

The four toggle clamps will certainly reduce movement in the Z axis (up and down).

However, I feel there may be some movement along the X and Y axes as a result of shear forces from the recoil.

You might try some strips of thin rubber under the front and rear wood strips to increase friction. If it works well, cement the strips to the Random Rest spacer strips.

Cheers,

Dave

One suggestion I heard was to put a bottle of water on one side of your base. After a shot wait until the water in the bottle stops moving before shooting your next shot. It's surprising how much some benches move even when they seem very stable. But often they tend to settle back to their original position if you give it those few extra seconds - the water bottle gives you a pretty clear visual...

TexasShooter - sounds like a plan!

jlow wrote:Well I could not wait and so went to the range to look at that concrete block (I also did some shooting).  Yip, it's yellow, but no threaded rods but instead there are 4 bolts each with a washer screwed into it.  I could not get them off by hand (intentional I am sure so people don't take off with them) but I did measure everything.

So the block is 24" long (towards downrange), 20 3/4" wide and 30" high.  This thing must weigh a ton!  The thread area of the bolt I was able to measure with a pair of calipers and they all came out to 0.622" in diameter (5/8"??).

I also got down and took a photo downrange along the surface of the block and it is at the level of the target area, so yea, this was build intentionally for a RR I am sure.

My plan is to go back with a wrench to remove the bolts and use a piece of large paper to trace out the holes so that I can accurately transfer their location to my board for drilling.

Is this Washtenaw? Sure looks like it....it was built for mounting a RR and I have used it with the gentleman that built it. They don't get much sturdier and immovable than this! 

That's correct - at Washtenaw.

Ok. That block was installed prior to the slab around it and it goes 42-48" below ground level and below the frost line. One can very definitely eliminate that from the RR test equation.

Super!  Great to know....