OK Guys,

While I can shoot a 416 Rigby off the bench at least half a day, the Nitros are a different story. The bench concentrates all of the recoil right into your shoulder. And the "push" we all get freehand becomes a whack.

I've been doing a lot of research on this (I was a middle linebacker in college, and while indestructible then, age 50 has arrived) and I have 3 candidates for the bench with a boomer.

Number one. The Lead Sled. A ton of people like this. It works by placing a lot of weight in the bottom pan, which reduces recoil. Some people have had a problem with it in terms of stocks splittng. Others have had no problem. My thought - the concept will reduce recoil by the rest remaining stationary, but something has to give. If te rest does not move, all of the energy is absorbed by the rifle. Under $150 US dollars.

Number two. The Lahti rifle Evaluator. Looks good. The military uses it as well as US federal law enforcement. It has a piston or shock absorber that takes the recoil. The rifle does not absorb the shock, the platform does. This looks like the real deal, but I am looking for opinions. The standard shocks handle up to a 577 NE. The mag shocks will handle anything Nitro, even the 700. You can get this $199 American.

Number 3. The National Match Rifle Rest. The rest and not the rifle absorbs the recoil. The damn thing looks great, but at $440 American with another $25 for an essential part, you have to wonder.

Anyone have any experience with these rests? I am not inclined toward #1, something that puts all of the stress on your rifle.

Opinions, please.