Ransom Rest

[Alex L]

My club has just bought a Ransom Rest, obviously to test the accuracy of some of the pistols.

What distances give the best readings for groups? - 25m or 50m or some other distance?

Has anyone used one of these, and can give any adive or information, please?

Thank you,
AL.

[David Levene]

What distances give the best readings for groups? - 25m or 50m or some other distance?

Test at the same distance as the match you are shooting. If you are loading for 25m shooting then that is the grouping you are interested in. What happens at 26m or beyond is immaterial.

Has anyone used one of these, and can give any adive or information, please?

Make sure the carriage is fully pressed down against the stops before every shot.

[Levergun59]

Make sure the rest is secured to a solid table, and the table is secured to a concrete floor.
Chris

[Spencer]

when in doubt, read the instructions

[Nev C]

Regarding reading the instructions:
"protable"? and what is an LSIDE? I hope the machines are of a better quality than the instruction book.

[Misny]

My club has just bought a Ransom Rest, obviously to test the accuracy of some of the pistols.

What distances give the best readings for groups? - 25m or 50m or some other distance?

Has anyone used one of these, and can give any adive or information, please?

Thank you,
AL.

The Ransom Rest is the gold standard of machine rests. I have owned one for many years. I test ammo at 50 yards, as that's the farthest distance I shoot in matches. There is a huge difference in how ammo performs out of a gun from 25 yards to 50 yards. Just because an ammo/gun combination shoots 1/2" at 25 yards doesn't mean that the same combo will shoot 1" at 50 yards. I shoot 10 shots per group to test accuracy. I count all shots and measure shot groups center-to-center from the farthest shots out in the group.

I mounted the RR on a 1/2" piece of plywood with strips of wood on the bottom ends to keep it up off the mounting platform as recommended. I use four C clamps to secure it to the mounting platform. I once used a 30 gallon steel drum filled with concrete, with a steel plate attached to the top as a mounting platform and it worked well. Some use a steel pipe driven into the ground filled with concrete with a steel plate on top. Just make sure that your mounting platform is very solid. I tighten the gun into the "hands" or grip inserts of the RR very securely. I don't use the trigger actuating system to trip the trigger. I just use my trigger finger. The less you touch the gun, between shots, while in the rest, the better. There is a "ledge" on the press for resetting it between shots...use it! The windage base will save some time on the range. It allows you to put a few groups on a large piece of paper without going down range.