Laugh if you want but I don't know what they're used for. I've seen them in stores. Are they to hold a rifle while you work on it or is it for shooting with?

Some are for working on, like the Tipton,
there are others that are designed to handle shooting with them
I have the Tipton and I use it while cleaning and when mounting scopes etc

one of the things that bugs me about my rifle is that I can't tell if my groups are the size they are because I haven't sighted in my scope perfectly or if my technique is off or both. I shoot from a bipod. I'm looking for a way to eliminate almost all of the human error when sighting it in so that I know it's just me and not the rifle when I'm actually shooting. Thought maybe a gun vise had something to do with that

what's a cheap one for accuracy testing?

Quoted: one of the things that bugs me about my rifle is that I can't tell if my groups are the size they are because I haven't sighted in my scope perfectly or if my technique is off or both. I shoot from a bipod. I'm looking for a way to eliminate almost all of the human error when sighting it in so that I know it's just me and not the rifle when I'm actually shooting. Thought maybe a gun vise had something to do with that

then you need a GOOD bench set up, with a good quality front rest and rear bag.  

I good front rest, by the time you've bought the top and the actual rest, is gonna be around $300 to $350...that's a LOT of money for the casual shooter.  The ungodly stuff the bench rest crowd shoots...where 5 shot groups in the .250" size come in last place...can be over $700 for something like a Farley.  

An investment in a Sinclair, Hart, or other name brand will be for a lifetime...you'd never wear one out in normal circumstances.  

Rear bags go for about $20 to $40, depending on what you get.  

I'm not a hunter, and shoot almost exclusively at outdoor ranges.  I went ahead and made the investment in a Sinclair, since I'll use it just about every time I ever shoot rifles.  

If you don't want to spend the money for this level of setup, there is still some ok stuff out there. Caldwell's The Rock rest isn't too bad, it goes for around $80.  I've seen some folks use 10# bags of rice, but I don't know how the hell they can keep a rifle steady on those.  

I plan on getting into bench rest shooting (already have the rifle), and will at some point treat myself to a Farley.  That's certainly overkill for most folks, though.  

If you want to do accuracy testing, get one of the Uncle Mike's Bulls Bag. It's a sand bag that vises the rifle nice and firm for shooting. I have one and love it.



Find 'em here  www.gun-rest-bags.com/

for interrogating insulant guns when they wont talk

Quoted: one of the things that bugs me about my rifle is that I can't tell if my groups are the size they are because I haven't sighted in my scope perfectly or if my technique is off or both. I shoot from a bipod. I'm looking for a way to eliminate almost all of the human error when sighting it in so that I know it's just me and not the rifle when I'm actually shooting. Thought maybe a gun vise had something to do with that

You can use a vise for that, or of you haven't tried yet, use your bipod to hold up the front of the gun and prop the stock up on sandbags so you're just holding the gun to control recoil but not to aim it.  That's how I sight in my scoped rifles.

They are for helping remove a breech plug that has rusted badly in your muzzleloader

Here is the baddest of the bad:

www.farleyactions.com/farleycoaxial.html

The guy I bought my benchrest gun from has one of these...they are unbelievable.