For those hard-to-buy-for gun people on your Christmas list (or when putting together your own “me want!” list), consider a bench rest device for testing accuracy in rifles and handguns.

The more wobble you can take out of things when you’re bench-resting your firearm to check its accuracy or sighting it in to zero with a given load, the better. The Caldwell Matrix rest just came out from Battenfeld Technologies, the same folks who brought you the redoubtable Lead Sled for taking the pain out of “benching” powerful rifles, and it looks as if they’ve hit another home run with this Matrix product.

This modular unit uses knobs to adjust precisely for elevation and is also adjustable for length. Well cushioned at both butt and frame contact points, the forward support part of the Matrix is called a “ram” in the factory literature, and is designed to be locked solidly in place with another knob. My one (small) complaint came from finding that even with that locking knob hand-tight, downward pressure could start lowering the “ram,” and therefore the gun’s position and point of aim.

I call it a small complaint because anyone serious about bench rest testing is going to adjust the gun between shots, anyway. The simple fact is, recoil moves guns. With the Matrix, I found I only needed one or two light adjustments per five-shot string of fire. Hell, most of us do more between-shot adjustment than that when bench resting off sandbags … sometimes we look like insomniacs fluffing and pounding our pillows as we beat the darn bags back into position. By comparison, the Matrix is a convenience and a time-saver.

I like that it has a built-in storage spot, and mine came with an attachment that turns it into a rifle rest, which I haven’t tried yet, though I’ve found it most satisfactory for testing several pistols and revolvers so far. The sixty-smacker asking price sounds high to those of us accustomed to simple plastic gun rests, but once you’ve used a Matrix, you’ll understand why it’s worth the money, particularly if you do a lot of shooting off the bench.  Looks cool, too. More info is available through www.battenfeldtechnologies.com.

If you’re worrying about ordering one and getting it delivered in time to get it under the Christmas tree, check the gun shops and sporting goods stores. I just saw one for sixty bucks at a Gander Mountain…saves the shipping, after all.

1 COMMENT

  1. When using it with the extension for rifles, is there enough room for a 20rd mag with an AR-15? A lot of rifle rests don’t accommodate the magazine space needed for semi-auto sporting rifles and carbines.

  2. Haven’t tried it with one yet, Andy, but I THINK it will. I’ll give it a shot, no pun intended, and let you know.
    best,
    Mas

  6. While this rest looks good,for handgun testing I will stay with my MTM. It folds up in my range bag and that means one less trip, back and forth. Question; why would one want to fire 30 rounds bench rest all at once?

  9. Based on seeing this rest here, and some research, and for $40 via amazon with free shipping, this seemed like a no brainer.

    Mostly injected molded plastic, it’s not too heavy, won’t rust out, and could live in a truck/car without worrying too much about it.

    Overall, it’s not bad, the main two thumb-screws on the adjustment sled even have metal inserts, and a decent pressure fit for the sled, that probably assures a few years of solid use. Can be used for both rifles and pistols. Removal of the storage lid should provide enough depth for AR-15 applications with 20ish round magazines (give or take).

    Only potential use negatives is that the “V”s for the gun are rather hard/stiff, and narrow in the rear. Fixable with some kind of squishy padding for a better seated fit.

    Assembly negative: the front elevation adjustment thumb-screw has a bit of steel galvanized spring inside, with a very cheap E-clip holding it on (which bends easily under pressure)… the galvy spring on mine simply *does not work* and interfers with the gearing, and any attempt to use it, even remove the elevation riser, chewed up the gearing.

    Solution to the above: I had a plastic “cap” that fit over the end of the thumb-screw… so i removed the clip and spring and put the cap on – voila, back to the simple pressure fit they intended. Works, smooth, no interference. a .223 or .308 cartridge sawed off to about 1/4 inch or so, could make a fine cap as well, I imagine.

    The spring will be laughed at for some time 🙂

    So… cheap, good enough, buy one. Better luck on the “spring” than I had…