Plans/guidance for a making a Bower Rest System?

[ibebirdman]

Has anyone out there built a handgun rest system similar to the Bower Rest System? I would like to get some plans or at least some helpful hints on what works or does not work.  Maybe some pictures of your creations if someone was willing to upload them?

Thanks,

Joel

[Ladobe]

I've owned a couple of versions of the Bower rest sysytem and have pictures someplace.   But I just got home last night from a 6 week hospital stay after major surgery so am still too weak to hunt for and post them right now.   If you are still looking later when I am able to hunt for and post them I will.  Sorry.

Larry

[ibebirdman]

Ladobe,

I read your other post about your situation and I wish you the best of luck. I have run accross some of your older posts and really appriciate your thoughts on shooting long distance with a Contender.

I am in no real hurry, so whenever you feel up to rustling up those pictures that would be fine.

Joel

[WayneS]

Larry,
I too wish you a speedy recovery

Joel, I'm stuck at home recouping from to total hip replacement and could use some reading material and it would be greatly appricated if you could direct me to the material you mentioned by Larry

[lastchanc54]

I just built my own version. I will be happy to send you some photos. I don't know how to post them here yet but I can email them. Send me your email address to talktome@clintonwa.com
I will share the information on how I figured out the measurements and so on.

[Ladobe]

Joel,

Felt good enough today to find some of the pictures that may help you on the Bower and other long range rest systems that work well with TC pistols.   

Explanations first I guess:   Basically the theory behind Don's rest system is a system where the pistol can literally stand on its own perfectly level at the right sight elevation for the hold wanted at the range being shot, allowing the lightest of touch by the shooter to control only trigger release and recoil at the shot.   That is achieved by a system base that is fully adjustable for level on the shooting bench, an elevation adjustable front rest block for the forend and a base block for the grip to sit on.   Further, the front rest block and forend (and maybe also the grip and grip block) are matched in tapper front to back with wide flat surfaces, the front rest block and grip block are covered with fine (600 grit) sandpaper.   In use, the rest is leveled to the bench, the rough height is set for the front rest by turn screw or slot, then the TC pistol with modified forend/grip is slide forwards and backwards lightly sanding the wood until the pistol stands hands free solid and level on the rest.   The tapered wood allows the final fine elevation adjustment by where you stop the slide forward or back to bring your sights onto the target hold you want for the range/load you are shooting.   

Hope I didn't make that sound as clear as mud, but in use the system does in fact work very well.   With my Bower and JDJ wildcats I have shot to 1500 yards with this system seriously in the varmint fields, with a few pot shots taken out to about 2400 as well, and I used to shoot my 6.5 Super Bower/Bullberry in 1000 yard matches locally, where I could keep most in or very near the 10" bull on the 6' square target.   With the rest system the 6.5SB has done a 9-shot 650 yard 2 3/8" group.   Optics for the handcannons is the limiting factor for all handcannon long range pistols as rifle scopes can't be used on them due to recoil... so targets at 1000 yards plus with either 10X or 12X glass are still pretty small and hard to get target acquisition repeatability on.   Since it has easily done ragged hole 300 yard groups, I have zero doubt at all that my 6.5 would shoot very tight groups even at 1000 if it had a bumped pistol scope on it with at least double the 10X or 12X magnification it has always worn - 3X would be even better.

Anyway, pictures are of 2 different vintage Bower rests and a 30 Alaskan Bower with his older version modified forend/grip installed.   There were many other styles, and many I made my self (wider, longer and more tapper), but this will give you an idea.   Also a couple of pictures of other long range rest made by TC shooters that would be very servicable.   I am sorry I didn't keep tract of who made them and took the pictures, so hope they will forgive my posting them with out the credit due to them.  While both of these have fine merits and I think would be very usable for many shooting situations, neither would work as well as the Bower system when the ranges get REALLY LONG.   Off a whisker at the bench turns into a very large miss at extreme ranges, and the sanded into a solid lock-up of the pistol assures less error IMO.

BTW, since Don's health forced retirement very little of the Bower products are available anymore apparently.   The gent who bought him out does the shooting clinics still I believe, but as far as I know no longer offers the rest, let alone barrels and dies chambered for the Bower Wildcats.   Please correct me if I am wrong folks.  No problem on the rest as they would be easy to make yourself.   Not so with the barrels and dies, which is sad as they are exceptional in the Contender (especially if instead of a rechambered factory barrel you have a custom premium barrel blank chamber by Don like I do - LOL).   Already the Bower barrels and dies are becoming very rare and collectable, and have always been in very short supply.  

HTH,

Larry


http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestearly1.jpg
http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestearly2.jpg
http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestearly3.jpg
http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestearly4.jpg
http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestearly5.jpg

http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestlater1.jpg
http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/bowerrestlater2.jpg

http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/longrangerest1.jpg
http://wildcalls2k.com/1gbo/longrangerest2.jpg


(edit to update/correct spelling)

[weasel]

Ladobe,

Hope your surgery went well, nice to have you back. Also nice to hear good words of Dons' work, he was regarded as a kook for a while and finally was beginning to enjoy some recognition before his health issues took over. I have a 6mmSB, 7mmSB, and a 6.5 Hustler. Had to go to Colorado so he could school me on proper techniques, twice.

Have been playing with some XP100s now, I tried using a Rifle scope with some success. I set the gun up in the rest,get the sight pic I need with my eye close to the scope, back off and sight thru the small circle of sight in the center of the scope, just enough sight pic to see the bull on 32X. This was @ 100yds, haven't tried past that. So far have just used Tascos and BSA scopes, so far they've held together.

Impressive yardage you're shooting!

[Ladobe]

weasel -

I agree, it is too bad Don never achieved the following and notoriety he so richly deserved like another crusty old kook did, JD Jones.   I greatly enjoyed talking to Don and learned a lot from him that applied to all my reloading and shooting over the years, way more than I ever learned from talking to JD (even though I have been a very serious JDJ shooter much longer than a Bower shooter).   Some of Don's methods were ground shattering and still are the best methods out there IMO. 

I had most of Don's earlier wildcats at one time or another, but settled on the 22 & 6.5 Super Bower and 30 Alaskan Bower as my mainstays.   All I have now is the 15" 6.5SB built as a a rare joint project between Don and Fred at Bullberry from a premium blank (not a rechamber).

While all of the Bower proprietary cartridges can be at least equalled with other standard and wildcat offerings, especially since the Encore came along, the romance of having and shooting a Super Bower on a Classic Contender frame holds more to an old fool like me than even the JDJ's or super magnums do, and I have shot them twice as long as the Bowers and have owned many times more JDJ barrels than Bowers.   My all time favorite for pure fun with a Classic Contender is a hard choice between the 6.5 Super Bower and 375JDJ.

As I said, "off a whisker at the bench turns into a very large miss at extreme ranges" dictates that while I know many folks use and get away with the rifle scopes on the big boomers with your method of something similar, it still leaves way too much margin for error when the targets are very small and the ranges are very long for me.   Could be a critical miss in a match, and much worse in a hunting situation (more than just the difference between a miss or hit on an animal, but maybe a wounding shot instead of a humane kill).   To each his own though with what works for them. 

[xphunter]

Marc Sheehan, the man who bought out Don does make rests (an Improved version over the one Don made for me-I have both).  He also makes forends and the adaptor to the grip.
Marc does not chamber/rechamber though as Don didn't either.  Don had severalpeople over the years do it for him and I thnk Marc has someone for chambering , but you would need to contact Marc for that.
Marc's number is: 402-657-8062

Ladobe, Take care of yourself and get healed up.
Ernie

[Ladobe]

Thanks for chiming in Ernie... I knew you eventually would see this and would have the most up to date info.   

I guess I could have posted Marc's contact info, but didn't bother as so few people seem to care about Don's wildcats even though they and his methods are some of the very best out there for the TC's.

Thanks again pard,

Larry

[lastchanc54]

Ladobe,
    Wow, you have some great photos. I like the designs and attention to detail. I do not have a shop or much for woodworking or machine tools. I built a functional version with a drill, skill saw, hack saw and a hammer. For a do it youselfer, I proved it can be done effectively. Given the level you have take yours, I can see you have some equipment and some enginering skills. Great Job. Thank you for sharing.   

[Hopalong7]

Over the years there are TWO things that I've always noticed about Larry's photos.
   1- They usually contain the drop-dead good lookingest(did I just invent a new word) shootin irons.
   2- The background scenery makes me want to saddle-up and head west.
THANKS for both.!!!   GOOD SHOOTIN', Walt   

[Ladobe]

lastchanc54 -
Thanks for the nice comments.   I do have a complete woodshop that used to make everything from shooting aides to custom calls to craft items out of exhibition exotic woods, and part of my working lifetime I was a PE.    However, I did not build either of these Bower rests... they came from from Don himself and are just two of many versions/designs he tinkered with over the years.

Walt -
Glad you've enjoyed some of my pictures.   Down side is the huge collection of very nice to rare factory, semi custom and custom firearms it took me a lifetime to assemble are all now just a very expensive dead weight around my neck since I can no longer hunt or even shoot.   However, the wide open spaces of the west are still here for the asking, with endless miles of complete solitude, interesting vistas and some of the best hunting on earth (what, did I just hear Walt go jump in his truck?).   LOL

Larry



 

[BobMachus]

Hi guys,

I know this is a very old thread, but would love some photos of Bowers style rests.  Evidently the host Ladobe had used is down.  I have a 6TCU and would love to use a more stable base than a shooting bag, hat or Harris bipod.  Any photos or links to photos would be appreciated.


Bob

[Ladobe]

Nope, my server is not down, and it hasn't been for the about 14 years I've had it.   I just don't host pictures on it forever.   When forum threads run down to a dozen or two pages back they seldom come back to the top again IOW.   In fact I just  trashed thousands of gun related pictures last month off my computer and server, and with them all the Bower rest pictures.   So they are gone from this source.

All it takes a search on-line pard, pictures are still out there of Don's rests.   Not as detailed or of all the variations as mine were taken of rests I had, but some are still findable for anyone that cares enough to do a little work to find them.

Larry

[BobMachus]

Glad to see you back up and active.  I didn't mean to malign you in any way regarding the server, I sure hope you didn't take any offense. To suggest I don't care enough "to a little work" is WAY off the mark however.  I tend to think I am a pretty good internet sleuth and have tried as many different combinations of the words "bowers" "pistol" "rest" "contender" "long range" and "shooting" as I could think of using this site, specialty pistols and long range huntings own search features as well using google, bing, and yahoo just to see if there were different results.  I have spent probably 3 hours over the last few months and haven't found one single photo.  I have seen some photos in the past (probably yours!) in various places, but can't seem to find any these days.  I was just hoping someone might have some photos or know of some links I haven't found, I already know lots of places where these photos aren't. Thanks again for all your contributions over the years and best of luck on your continuing recovery, I know we all appreciate your efforts.

Bob

[Ladobe]

Bob,

Good to feel almost alive again - thanks.

I never felt maligned at all but what you said.  I just stated the facts about my server and why the pictures I posted somewhere X years ago don 't come up now.

Second, my comment about pictures being out there for anyone willing to do a little work to find them WAS NOT a dig against you at all pard, just a simple comment that meant exactly what it read.

Lastly, I guess there are computer sleuths and then there are computer sleuths.   It took me all of 5 minutes tops to find you four pictures of Don's rests on-line, to resize them for GBO and put them on my server to post here just for you.  One simple Google search is all I did.   

The pics are of only 2 versions, including the last (which is now available in colors from Marc I guess).   Don would never have offered them in colors, just natural woods.   I can hear him now...  pink is for pansies and little girls; blue for little boys who still wet themselves.   

Some of the earlier versions I owned or used had similar bases and base leveling screws/locks like in the first pics below, but the forend support was an all machined cradle with wood block insert and an about 1" threaded bolt with turnstyle/lock like the old Wichita mechanical rests had - and these were each a little different from each other.   And the colorful bottom picture is version number ? of the last styles that I know of where the forend support was slipped into any of various slots to get rough elevation before you "sand-in" (top three pics use the same idea for the forend support but with the older style base).   The first of this type forend support styles had horizontal slots in two side blocks top to bottom for rough elevation instead of the verticle slots seen here with low to high slots.   I have no idea how many versions there were altogether, I'm sure dozens as Don was always trying to improve.   I personally have owned or seen 8-10 that were all at least a little different, and none of them were pink or blue.  LOL
 





In use the forends and grips are modified flat on the bottom or with attached flat shoes at the right angles to "sand-in" on the sandpaper covered supports they rested on, and the forends beveled front to back to get rough elevation by simply sliding forward or back.   A few back and forths on the sand paper base and the pistol would stand alone rock solid with no wobble at all, and only had to be lightly supported at the shot (and then caught on the handcannons when they recoiled).

HTH "computer sleuth"....
(BTW, that was a dig... but a friendly one)
(BTW2 - better save the pictures, they won't stay on my server forever.)

Larry

BTW3 - I still have my old as the hills Wichita Mechanical Rest... all it would take is setting the two leather front bags aside, 3 blocks of wood, some screws and a couple of pieces of sandpaper to make it a very serviceable Bower "type" rest that would work every bit as well as any that Don marketed did.

[BobMachus]

thanks larry,

evidently your "google-fu" far surpasses mine.  You are a Star!  If anyone else has a photo or two I would love to see them.

Bob