This Christmas Santa (in the guise of John Loh) brought us a most wonderful gift — a special edition JJ Industries front Ultra-Rest, customized for AccurateShooter.com + 6mmBR.com. If you have never used (or fondled) a John Loh rest, we can assure you it is a masterpiece of machining. Loh Rests are rock-solid and utterly smooth in use. The horizontal windage tracking is perfect — absolutely smooth and linear. You can move the windage all the way from max left to max right and back again and your horizontal cross-hair stays rock steady. And for fine elevation adjustments, the gold-tone “speed screw” is as good as it gets. John employs a super-fine thread pitch so you can easily make very precise up/down corrections.
The “feel” of the controls is what really sets a John Loh rest apart from the competition. Everything is ultra-smooth — as though the controls were running on tiny ball bearings. This is achieved by maintaining super-fine tolerances on all threaded components.
Click Photo to see LARGE Size
Separate Base Unit Provides Secure Footing
John Loh also provided a custom triangle base, which mates perfectly to the three adjustable feet on the pedestal rest. This base, which has circular rubber pads at each of the corners, provides extra grip and stability for the rest. In addition, it allows you to position the front rest securely without creating screw holes in your benchtop. (In case you’re wondering, yes if you already own a Loh rest, John can craft a triangle base like this for your unit.) Also, FYI, the small scratches in the base unit were our fault — we didn’t retract the pointed tips of the height-adjustment screws when transporting the unit. FYI, in the triangle base, John does machine three countersunk recesses for the screw-tips, so you can precisely locate the rest each time without scratches. To avoid scratches, simply carry the black Ultra-Rest separate from the triangle base.
Click Photo to see LARGE Size
Another nice feature John provided in our special rest was an extra black rectangular “riser” block that fits between the normal base and the upper section (riser not shown in photos). This raises the whole bag assembly up an extra inch. That extra “lift” comes in handy when your target is placed “uphill” at a much higher elevation than the benchtop. The riser block is so nicely made and finished that it looks like part of the original unit when installed.
Click Photo to see LARGE Size
Edgewood Bag and Bag-Block Included
As with all his pedestal rests, John Loh supplies a high-quality Edgewood leather and cordura bag in your choice of fore-arm width. In addition, the rest comes with a precision-crafted bag-block, with integral bubble level. The bag-block helps maintain the proper front bag geometry, and the level helps you ensure that the bag itself provides a level surface for your rifle. This is important! Many people level their rest, only to have a bag that is higher on one side than the other. In addition to the level in the bag-block, the Loh rest features an easy-to-see bubble level mounted on the rear-facing leg.
If you’re interested in purchasing a JJ Industries front Ultra-Rest, contact John Loh at (562) 602-5553 or email info [at] jj-industries.com. Sinclair Int’l also sells the JJ Industries Ultra-Rest for $879.95, but the product is currently back-ordered at Sinclair. We suggest you order directly through John.
Vince Bottomley, an ace shooter from the United Kingdom, also operates the excellent Precision Rifle website. On Vince’s handsome, informative site, you’ll find gear reviews, gunsmithing tips, competition reports, and in-depth features on interesting rifles.
Vince, who competes successfully in a variety of shooting disciplines from 100 yards to 1000 yards, has also authored articles explaining how to set up your equipment for optimal accuracy and best performance. One such feature is Choosing and Using the Machine Front Rest. Whether you’re a novice shooter, or a seasoned competitor, this article is worth reading. Vince reviews a number of the premium front rests, including the Farley Coax, and the SEB Co-axial rest.
In this feature, Vince explains how to adapt a heavy BR front rest for F-Class use in the field. He also explains how to optimize a front rest on the bench and how to use the windage and elevation controls.
Vince’s article on front rests is definitely worth reading. Plus, on the same page, you’ll find other informative features including a discussion of Case Prep, and an interesting article on barrel cleaning.
Sinclair International has just released its completely new Competition Shooting Rest BR. It’s a beefy unit, weighing over 30 pounds… and yes, it’s fully approved for both IBS and NBRSA benchrest competition at all distances. The new rest should start shipping in mid-May, 2010. The price is $599.00 including top bracket, but not the front sand-bag (both Edgewood and Protektor bags will fit).
Key features are: 1) Very low center of gravity for stability; 2) Smooth, precise windage control built in to the base-plate; 3) Ambi-dextrous design; and 4) Built-in carry handle on the front (target) side. The windage control, which employs twin tapered roller bearings for smoothness, is a clever design that provides nearly 48″ of windage movement at 100 yards. The oversized windage control knob is positioned near the rear (vertical) speed screw so you can easily and quickly control both the vertical and horizontal with the same hand. And you Southpaws, don’t worry… the post, center column, controls and windage adjustment disassemble and reassemble on the opposite side, for left-hand use.
The Sinclair Competition Rest’s components are “super-sized” compared to older Sinclair front pedestal designs. The new rest’s center column diameter is upsized to 1.95″ from 1.375″, the threaded post is increased to 1″ diameter from 3/4″, and the leg screws are now .5″ (up from .375″). The rear fluted speed screw is also oversized. The new Competition Rest also includes mounting holes for attachment of raised ammo caddies or a timer-holder. In addition, the Sinclair Competition Rest features a new, lockable fore-end stop assembly that adjusts for length, height, and cant (angle).
John Loh of JJ Industries has generously donated a complete front rest to be sold at the World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) held at the Krokodilspruit Range in Pretoria, South Africa, June 22-29, 2009. Proceeds from the sale will be used to defray the expenses of the USA Benchrest Team. The rest will be on display at the World Championships next week, and sold to the highest bidder.
This WBC-10 Special Edition rest is based on John Loh’s impressive, 18-lb JJ Ultra Front Rest, sold for $879.95 commercially. John has added some unique upgrades for this one-of-a-kind, 22-lb Special Edition. The center shaft is beefier, with a larger diameter. All the knobs (other than the bearing bronze rear adjuster) are crafted from machined aluminum. Loh front rests are already noted for allowing super-smooth and precise vertical and horizontal adjustments, and the larger center column makes this special unit even better. The rest comes with a 3″-wide Edgewood front bag fitted with a spacer block with bubble level. The side plates for the top bag are inscribed with “TEAM USA” and “World Benchrest Championships – South Africa 2009″ is engraved on the front of the base plate.
Mark Trope, Webmaster of the Gun Owner Network website, has written a very thorough review of the SEB Coaxial front rest. Mark’s SEB Rest Review covers all the bases, showing how the rest works with a variety of rifle types, including both wide-forearm match rifles and narrow-forearm sporter rifles. Mark provides dozens of clear photos of the rest, showing many of the fine points of SEB’s impressive design. The review shows how to set-up and level the rest, and how to tune the “feel” of the joystick to suit your preferences. Some rest users prefer the joystick to move quite freely, while others prefer to dial in some resistance so there is no chance of movement when you remove your hand from the joystick.
After covering the features and performance of the SEB Rest, Trope turns his attention to the SEB “BigFoot” rear bag. He explains why it’s a super-stable choice in rear bags, one of the best products available. You’ll note we acquired a SEB BigFoot rear bag for our latest AccurateShooter.com Project Rifle (see story above). After providing tips on how to fill the bag with heavy sand, Trope shows how to adapt a RubberMaid “ActionPacker” plastic storage bin to carry both the SEB Front Rest and the BigFoot Bag.
If you are considering the purchase of a joystick-style front rest, or joystick-style rest top, you should definitely read Trope’s Rest Review. It will definitely help you identify the features you need, so you can make an informed decision, whatever brand you ultimately choose. To learn more about the SEB coaxial rest, or to place an order, contact Sebastian Lambang’s American dealer, Ernie Bishop:
Ernie Bishop
306 West Flying Circle Drive
Gillette, WY 82716
(307) 257-7431
ernieemily [at] yahoo.com
This Christmas Santa (in the guise of John Loh) brought us a most wonderful gift — a special edition JJ Industries front Ultra-Rest, customized for AccurateShooter.com + 6mmBR.com. If you have never used (or fondled) a John Loh rest, we can assure you it is a masterpiece of machining. Loh Rests are rock-solid and utterly smooth in use. The horizontal windage tracking is perfect — absolutely smooth and linear. You can move the windage all the way from max left to max right and back again and your horizontal cross-hair stays rock steady. And for fine elevation adjustments, the gold-tone “speed screw” is as good as it gets. John employs a super-fine thread pitch so you can easily make very precise up/down corrections.
Edgewood Bag and Bag-Block Included
Vince Bottomley, an ace shooter from the United Kingdom, also operates the excellent 
After covering the features and performance of the SEB Rest, Trope turns his attention to the SEB “BigFoot” rear bag. He explains why it’s a super-stable choice in rear bags, one of the best products available. You’ll note we acquired a SEB BigFoot rear bag for our latest AccurateShooter.com Project Rifle (see story above). After providing tips on how to fill the bag with heavy sand, Trope shows how to adapt a RubberMaid “ActionPacker” plastic storage bin to carry both the SEB Front Rest and the BigFoot Bag.
