Rackenrest

[Shootermick]

Anyone use one of the Rackenrest window rifle holder jobs? Looks good with all the movement and pivot points. I mainly shoot on my own from a vehicle, so this might suit me.
Any good? Is the position ok etc?

[JohnV]

No don't do it . Having the gun outside the car like that it could get hit on a tree limb , hit by rocks coming off the front wheel drive wheels , scope lens could get broken or scratched . Also a strap over the barrel like that will impact it's zero .
I personally would never use it as it negatively impacts the rifles natural recoil tracking and may cause some unexpected high shots . Max Hunter or Spika rest is better .

[animalpest]

Tried it and it sits in the depot along with all the other on the junk pile

[Shootermick]

Righto. Good points. I’ll scrap that idea.

[Shootermick]

No don't do it . Having the gun outside the car like that it could get hit on a tree limb , hit by rocks coming off the front wheel drive wheels , scope lens could get broken or scratched . Also a strap over the barrel like that will impact it's zero .
I personally would never use it as it negatively impacts the rifles natural recoil tracking and may cause some unexpected high shots . Max Hunter or Spika rest is better .

Can you put the window up with the Spika door mount? Or does it hook into the window channel?

[Oldbloke]

Try walking.

[JohnV]

No don't do it . Having the gun outside the car like that it could get hit on a tree limb , hit by rocks coming off the front wheel drive wheels , scope lens could get broken or scratched . Also a strap over the barrel like that will impact it's zero .
I personally would never use it as it negatively impacts the rifles natural recoil tracking and may cause some unexpected high shots . Max Hunter or Spika rest is better .

Can you put the window up with the Spika door mount? Or does it hook into the window channel?

I don't know for sure never used one . Non of this stuff was available . I used my own designed one . Then when vehicles changed and it did not fit anymore I went to a simple wooden batten with a slot machined in it to drop neatly over the window glass and upholstered the top with billiard cloth and foam padding . Worked good because you could adjust the window up and down . Then that vehicle changed to tinted windows and that system could not be used anymore because it could damage the tint . So now my Nissan has tinted windows where the tint is in the glass so it may work again . I am just pointing you towards a better design as far as preserving accuracy , you will have to work out which one is best for you . I liked my slip on window rests as you just slipped them off and put the window up when needed but not so good for shooting out the right hand side . I actually shot from the drivers seat out the passenger window a lot of the time and I planed my driving to have the shooting on the left side . Not suitable for pro shooting though and not so suitable for a big cab vehicle either . I had a Suzuki buggy back then . The dynamics changes depending on how you spotlight or shoot as to whats suitable . The max Hunter allows you to lean out the window a bit further so that gives you more azimuth . I think , but don't quote me , that you can put the window up using the Spika rest .

[JohnV]

Tried it and it sits in the depot along with all the other on the junk pile

There you go the good oil from a pro who has already tried one .

[Shootermick]

Tried it and it sits in the depot along with all the other on the junk pile

There you go the good oil from a pro who has already tried one .

Yep. I’ve already got enough things in my shooting related junk pile too. I won’t be adding one of these now.

[Peter988]

Mate and I do a lot of control work. Couple hundred rounds a night is the norm. We have both used rakenrests for a couple years now and imo they are fantastic. We had both previously used other types of window mount rests and the raken rests are far superior. The strap does not affect point of impact. The rifle butt just sits on my leg as we poke along. Constant vibration from rough tracks does not affect point of aim. I can get out to open and close gates and just leave the rifle in the rest. Frankly, we would not shoot without them. Only thing is the driver needs to be a left handed shooter for best use, which ours is. Great for the right handed passenger to use.

[JohnV]

Mate and I do a lot of control work. Couple hundred rounds a night is the norm. We have both used rakenrests for a couple years now and imo they are fantastic. We had both previously used other types of window mount rests and the raken rests are far superior. The strap does not affect point of impact. The rifle butt just sits on my leg as we poke along. Constant vibration from rough tracks does not affect point of aim. I can get out to open and close gates and just leave the rifle in the rest. Frankly, we would not shoot without them. Only thing is the driver needs to be a left handed shooter for best use, which ours is. Great for the right handed passenger to use.

I don't believe it , any pressure on a free floated barrel is bad no matter what it is and no way I am letting my gun sit outside the window , going through scrub and on rocky tracks etc . Each to his own but I have seen mirrors wiped off , people wiped off utes
. It's ok for you because your tax pays for your weapons and if you trash one so what you get another . Ordinary shooters can't afford that . I have shot with quiet a few professionals over the years and done a bit myself and while they are usually great shots they treat their guns like sh*t . How come they have removed the over barrel strap on the Racken Rest 11 ??

[Peter988]

The Op asked the question. I have given him an honest opinion. Simple as that. A number of your assumptions are incorrect.

[JohnV]

Fair enough I may have over reacted but you directly mentioned my posting , however you never addressed the fact that the new Rackenrest has done away with the strap over the barrel and that was my point that you disagreed with so I have every right to redress . There are no assumptions I have seen with my own eyes everything I talk about . Professional shooters think because they are pros that they know everything about guns , reloading and gunsmithing , and the vast majority don't and I have been one myself and known quiet a few in the past . Do you know any pro shooter that , builds his own rifles , swages his own projectiles , has 50 years of gun and reloading experience , is military trained and NSW Govermnet weapons trained and trained as an Army sniper but never deployed , is a combat veteran and been a pro shooter also and worked on cattle stations and farms ? I doubt it . I don't make assumptions sonny .
Explain why they have done away with the strap over the barrel .

[Peter988]

You assume we are pro’s! No tax write offs for us. We have to take care of our gear as much as the next bloke. I was not directing my comments at anything you had previously written. I was trying to help the Op by providing advice from the large amount of experience we have using the item. I won’t bother doing that again.

[animalpest]

Fair enough I may have over reacted but you directly mentioned my posting , however you never addressed the fact that the new Rackenrest has done away with the strap over the barrel and that was my point that you disagreed with so I have every right to redress . There are no assumptions I have seen with my own eyes everything I talk about . Professional shooters think because they are pros that they know everything about guns , reloading and gunsmithing , and the vast majority don't and I have been one myself and known quiet a few in the past . Do you know any pro shooter that , builds his own rifles , swages his own projectiles , has 50 years of gun and reloading experience , is military trained and NSW Govermnet weapons trained and trained as an Army sniper but never deployed , is a combat veteran and been a pro shooter also and worked on cattle stations and farms ? I doubt it . I don't make assumptions sonny .
Explain why they have done away with the strap over the barrel .

Many professional shooters dont even load their own ammo. (but then again, nor do police or military
snipers). Nor do they build their own rifles or swag bullets (not sure why they would). Doesnt mean squat as far as being a professional. But they might know about gun rests they have tried.

[Bruiser64]

Mate and I do a lot of control work. Couple hundred rounds a night is the norm. We have both used rakenrests for a couple years now and imo they are fantastic. We had both previously used other types of window mount rests and the raken rests are far superior. The strap does not affect point of impact. The rifle butt just sits on my leg as we poke along. Constant vibration from rough tracks does not affect point of aim. I can get out to open and close gates and just leave the rifle in the rest. Frankly, we would not shoot without them. Only thing is the driver needs to be a left handed shooter for best use, which ours is. Great for the right handed passenger to use.

Your experience is very similar to my own. I have Racken rests for my car and my sxs. I really rate them. I have been using a Racken rest for about 4 years. I find they hold the rifle securely when driving along at shooting speeds. They also provide a very steady rest to shoot from. I was out shooting a fortnight ago and shot a fox 296 metres away from the Rackenrest in my buggy. What I have noticed is they didn’t work that well in the single cab utes when I have shot from them as I couldn’t move the seat back far enough. However they work really well in my Pajero and my Kawasaki Mule.

[Lazarus]

Fair enough I may have over reacted but you directly mentioned my posting , however you never addressed the fact that the new Rackenrest has done away with the strap over the barrel and that was my point that you disagreed with so I have every right to redress . There are no assumptions I have seen with my own eyes everything I talk about . Professional shooters think because they are pros that they know everything about guns , reloading and gunsmithing , and the vast majority don't and I have been one myself and known quiet a few in the past . Do you know any pro shooter that , builds his own rifles , swages his own projectiles , has 50 years of gun and reloading experience , is military trained and NSW Govermnet weapons trained and trained as an Army sniper but never deployed , is a combat veteran and been a pro shooter also and worked on cattle stations and farms ? I doubt it . I don't make assumptions sonny .
Explain why they have done away with the strap over the barrel .

He can't John, for the simple reason that they haven't.
Perhaps you might check your facts before preaching at people.

Here's a video about the Racken rest 2, you may notice it has a strap over the barrel.

https://youtu.be/4ND5Msv_2aQ?si=T8-cg_F61PlqRmaE

[Peter988]

Just resurrecting this for ShooterMick. I am in the boondocks at the moment and using the Rackenrest so I thought I would throw up a couple photos. Don’t want to get into any arguments about why they should or should work. Simply - they work for us.

First and second photo is my setup. The front strap does not need to be really tight - just enough to stop the fore end jumping out.

[Peter988]

Mate attaches his slightly differently

[Peter988]

Rest worked ok the other night.

[Blr243]

When I see pictures of rifles in Ute s Im reminded of how lucky I’m to be shooting of a quad , thermal scanning and shooting 180 degrees no windscreen no doors. Just don’t ask me how cold my face gets in winter

[Peter988]

When I see pictures of rifles in Ute s Im reminded of how lucky I’m to be shooting of a quad , thermal scanning and shooting 180 degrees no windscreen no doors. Just don’t ask me how cold my face gets in winter

I like that. We say the opposite in winter. How lucky we are to have the heating and not be on a quad lol. Guts effort there !

[Blr243]

Doin dam runs on big blocks midday in mid summer is a time I like being in the Ute instead of the quad Gotta love the air con on those hot days And bucket seats so much more comfy too. When I first saw the animals hanging on the fence in the pic above I only saw the very top of the photo and I did not look properly. Ii thought it was hares hanging on the fence. Only now just saw properly. Great work on that pair of dogs Pete. Well done got to be happy with that.