Choosing your rest
Choosing your rest
AR250 or Trident?
Same joystick, same build, same travel at the target. What differs is how much rifle each one holds and how much bench it stands on.
AR250 Front Rest
Compact enough to travel with. Named for Air Rifle, Rimfire and the perfect WRABF score of 250.
Four front bag options at checkout · duties and shipping included
View the AR250
Trident Front Rest
Wider base, more mass, stainless steel where it counts. Built around centerfire recoil.
Benchrest Centerfire or F-Open · duties and shipping included
View the TridentCompare them one thing at a time
Pick a dimension below. Both rests answer the same question side by side, so you are never comparing two different things at once.
AR250Rimfire & air rifle
Built for
Air rifle & rimfire
WRABF Light Rifle, Heavy Rifle and Sporter
ARA and IR 50/50, every class
Not the tool for
Centerfire benchrest
A 10.6 × 5.9 in base will not hold a centerfire gun still under recoil
TridentCenterfire & F-Open
Built for
Centerfire benchrest
NBRSA and IBS Light and Heavy Varmint
Varmint for Score
And for
F-Open
ICFRA and NRA — the F-Open build adds leg extensions and perimeter weights
Both ICFRA and the NRA require a bipod attached to the rifle in F/TR, so a pedestal rest of any size is not permitted on the firing line in that class. It is still the right tool for load development off the bench.
AR2508.5 lbs minimum
Up to
15 lbs
Of rifle, on the counterweight it comes with
Matches the WRABF Heavy Rifle ceiling of 15.06 lbs
12 kg, 26.5 lbs, with the Additional Counterweight
Rest weight
7.8 lbs
With all standard accessories attached
Lighter to carry between ranges
Trident8 lbs minimum
Up to
24 lbs
Of rifle, on the counterweight it comes with
Clears the F-Open limit of 10 kg with room to spare
18 kg, 39.7 lbs, with the Additional Counterweight
Rest weight
10.5 lbs
With all standard accessories attached
More mass staying put under recoil
Standard configuration, on the counterweight each rest comes with. The Additional Counterweight raises the ceiling to 12 kg (26.5 lbs) on the AR250 and 18 kg (39.7 lbs) on the Trident.
AR250Travels easily
Base
10.6 × 5.9 in
63 square inches — packs into a case
27 × 15 cm
Materials
Anodized aluminium
Black and gunmetal grey
TridentStays put
Base
13.4 × 13.4 in
34 × 34 cm
180 square inches — nearly three times the AR250
Materials
Aluminium & steel
Anodized aluminium with stainless steel where it counts
AR250You choose at checkout
Adjustable top
1–3 in
3pc bags, any width in the range
Or add the upgrade kit to a rest you already own
Fixed top
2.25 or 3 in
One width and nothing else — measure before you order
TridentNothing to choose
Always
1–4 in
The 3pc adjustable bag is standard, not an extra
Which reaches
Unlimited
4 in forends are legal in NBRSA and IBS Unlimited and Heavy Bench
AR250In the box
Comes with
Your chosen front bag
Joystick and adjustable counterweight
Leveling screws, BR feet, manual, spare bolts
Bag choice
Four options
Adjustable 1–3 in, both fixed sizes, or one fixed size
TridentIn the box
Comes with
Adjustable 3pc bag
Standard, not an extra — 1 to 4 in
Joystick, counterweight, feet, manual, spare bolts
F-Open adds
Legs & weights
Leg extensions and perimeter weights already fitted
Shipping is DHL air freight, tracked door to door, dispatched in around seven working days. There is no second bill when the box arrives. Press Request Pricing on either product page and the pricing catalogue for your country opens straight away, with a banner to download a copy. Nothing is emailed and there is nothing to wait for.
An AR250 with the Leg Extension Kit suits centerfire rifles up to 15 lbs. The kit takes the base to Trident size and adds 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) of weight at the edges. Above 15 lbs, take the Trident.
360° top swing · two elevation systems with a fail-safe · rapid post with four locking positions · mariner wheel on a needle thrust bearing · lever locks on both elevation systems, so the central post has no play · telescopic joystick, 7.5" to 12" · joystick travel of 33.5" by 59.9" at 100 yards · reversible shooting direction · removable bubble level, left or right · adjustable stopper, round or flat face · four leveling screws — three long with counter nuts, one short
Common questions
Can I shoot centerfire on the AR250?
Up to 15 lbs of rifle on the counterweight it comes with, and up to 12 kg — about 26.5 lbs — with the Additional Counterweight fitted. Weight is only half the question, though. A heavy gun on a 10.6" × 5.9" base will move under recoil in a way that costs you groups, whatever is holding it up. The Trident exists for exactly that reason.
What is the difference between the two Trident configurations?
Benchrest Centerfire is the standard rest. F-Open adds the leg extensions and perimeter weights, which widen the footprint and add mass at the edges where it does the most good for recoil resistance and tracking. You can also buy the Leg Extension Kit separately and fit it later.
Can I turn an AR250 into a Trident?
Not quite, and the difference matters. The kit does take the base to the same size as the Trident base, and stability comes close to it. But the top plate and the counterweight are unchanged, so the stock width the top can hold and the rifle weight it can carry stay the AR250 figures. Same footprint, different machine.
Which one do I need for F/TR?
Neither, on the firing line. Both ICFRA and the NRA require a bipod attached to the rifle in F/TR, so a pedestal rest of any size is not permitted in that class. Plenty of F/TR shooters own one for load development off the bench.
Do I choose a bag size for the Trident?
No. The 3pc adjustable bag is standard on the Trident and covers 1" to 4". Only the AR250 asks you to pick, and if you pick a fixed size you can still convert it later with the Adjustable Top Upgrade Kit.
Do I still need a rear bag?
Yes, and in some classes it is a rule rather than a preference. WRABF, IR 50/50 and ARA Factory all require the front and rear supports to be separate. A front rest on its own is not a legal setup in those classes.
Which bag size
Measure your stock width
Once you have picked a rest, one measurement decides which front bag you need. It takes thirty seconds, and you only do it once per rifle.
The Trident does not need it — the 3pc adjustable bag covering 1" to 4" is standard on the Trident, so Trident buyers pick nothing.
- Find the part that sits in the bagThe underside of the forend, roughly just ahead of the trigger guard or magazine well. That is the surface the bag actually carries.
- Measure across the widest pointCalipers if you have them, a steel rule if you do not. Measure across the flat, not around the curve of the sides.
- Note the shape, not just the numberFlat, rounded, or a chassis rail? An ARCA dovetail or an M-LOK tube is not a flat bearing surface, and a fixed-width top will not seat on it.
Most forends taper. H-S Precision publishes both figures for its stocks — the Pro-Series Varmint for the Remington 700 is 1.92" at the tip and 2.24" at its widest. A third of an inch is enough to put you in the wrong bag.
Got your number?
What your class allows
If you shoot a registered class, the rulebook has already narrowed the choice for you. Every figure below is taken from the governing body’s published rules, except where a row says otherwise.
| Discipline / class | Body | Maximum forend width | Bag size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Varmint, Heavy Varmint, Varmint for Score | NBRSA, IBS | 3.000"Flat or convex — concave forends are prohibited | 3" Bag |
| Sporter | IBS | 3.000" | 3" Bag |
| Sporter | NBRSA | No limit“The forearm can be any width and have any angle” | 3" Bag |
| Hunter, Varmint Hunter | NBRSA, IBS | 2.250"IBS measures with calipers, including any stock tape | 2.25" Bag |
| Unlimited, Heavy Bench | NBRSA, IBS | No limit4" and 5" forends are legal in this class | Measure yours |
| F-Open | NRA (USA) | 76 mm (2.99") | 3" Bag |
| F-Open | ICFRA | No width ruleLimits the rest-to-forend contact area to 76 × 76 mm instead | 3" Bag |
| F/TR | ICFRA, NRA | Bipod onlyA pedestal front rest is not permitted on the firing line, at any width | Not applicable |
| Rimfire and Air — Light Rifle, Heavy Rifle | WRABF | 76.2 mm (3.000")Plus a 1 mm grace, so 77.2 mm passes | 3" Bag |
| Rimfire — International Sporter | WRABF | 57.15 mm (2.25")Plus the same 1 mm grace | 2.25" Bag |
| Air rifle — USA Open, Spring Piston | USARB | 3"not confirmed against a current published rulebook; check yours | 3" Bag |
| Rimfire — Sporter | IR 50/50 | 2.2500"At the widest point of the stock — not confirmed against a current published rulebook; check yours | 2.25" Bag |
| Rimfire — 10.5 lb, 13.5 lb | IR 50/50 | 3"not confirmed against a current published rulebook; check yours | 3" Bag |
| Rimfire — Unlimited, Factory | ARA, IR 50/50 | No limitThe current ARA rulebook sets no dimensional restriction on stocks in any class — the IR 50/50 half is not confirmed against a current published rulebook; check yours | Measure yours |
Sources, checked September 2026: NBRSA Rules & Bylaws, short range, Revision #48 January 2026 · IBS Rulebook #12a for Score and Group Disciplines, updated 15 January 2024 · IBS Rimfire Rule Book, Rev 2.00, 1 May 2026 · ICFRA F-Class Technical Rules 2023, Rev 2 · NRA (USA) F-Class Rulebook, revised January 2026 · WRABF Rules 2023–2027 V4.4, revised 5 May 2026 · ARA Rule Book 2026. Rules are revised from time to time — confirm against your own class’s current rulebook before you order.
Both ICFRA and the NRA restrict F/TR to a bipod attached to the rifle. That is a rule about support, not about width, so no bag size makes a pedestal rest legal in F/TR. It is still the right tool for load development and practice off the bench — just not for the firing line in that class.
If you are not shooting a registered class
Then nothing constrains you, and the only number that matters is the one on your own rifle. These are the ranges published by stock and chassis makers — use them to sanity-check your measurement, not to replace it.
| What you shoot | Typical forend width | Choose |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose-built benchrest stockMcMillan Edge and Benchrest, Kelbly BRFB and Klub, Protektor, Shehane Tracker | 2.95" – 3.00"Pinned there by the 3" rule ceiling | 3" Bag |
| Hunter-class benchrest stockMcMillan HCBR and Edge HBR, Kelbly HCFB | 2.25" | 2.25" Bag |
| Factory varmint or tactical rifleRemington 700 varmint, Savage 12, Tikka, Bergara, CZ 457 Varmint | 1.9" – 2.4"Nearly always tapered — measure, do not assume | Adjustable Top |
| Chassis rifleMDT, MPA, KRG, Accuracy International | 1.5" – 1.7"And rarely flat — most run an ARCA dovetail or an M-LOK tube along the bottom | Adjustable Top |
| ISSF-pattern match rifleAnschutz 1907, 1913, 10 m air | 60 mm (2.36")ISSF caps forend breadth at 60 mm | Adjustable Top |
| Hunting sporter | 1.6" – 2.0" | Adjustable Top |
Only MPA publishes a forend width at all, and theirs run 1.57" to 1.70". More decisive than the width: the bottom of most chassis is an ARCA dovetail or an M-LOK tube, not a flat bearing surface. A fixed-width top will not seat on a dovetail no matter what size it is.
Choose your bag
Match the number you measured to one of these three. These are the AR250 options — you pick one at checkout.
The Trident ships with the 3pc adjustable bag as standard and covers 1" to 4" — wider than any AR250 option. Still measure, but only to confirm you are inside that range. The three cards below are for the AR250.
2.25"
Hunter class benchrest, rimfire International Sporter, IR 50/50 Sporter
- You measured 2.25" or a shade under
- Your class caps at 2.250"
- One rifle, one width, settled
2.25" Bag
3"
Light and Heavy Varmint, Varmint for Score, F-Open, WRABF Light and Heavy Rifle
- You measured 2.9" to 3.0"
- The most common competition width by a wide margin
- One rifle, one width, settled
3" Bag
1"–3"
Chassis rifles, factory varmint stocks, ISSF match rifles, anything tapered or non-standard
- You measured between the two sizes
- Your forend is rounded or on a rail
- You own more than one rifle, or expect to
Adjustable Top, 3pc Bags
In between two sizes?
Take the adjustable top. It is the same answer every time, and it is not a hedge — a bag that is close but not right lets the rifle settle differently shot to shot, which is exactly what a front rest exists to prevent.
It also survives the next rifle you buy. And if you already own a fixed-size top and change your mind later, the Adjustable Top Upgrade Kit fits an existing AR250, so nothing you have bought is wasted.
Take the 3" and 2.25" pair rather than the adjustable top. Two fixed bags swap faster between rifles than one adjustable top gets re-set, and you already know both numbers.
Still choosing
AR250 or Trident?
Which rest is a different question from which bag. It comes down to your discipline and how much rifle you are holding — not to the width you just measured. We put the two side by side further up this page.
Not sure your measurement is right?
Tell us about your rifle and we will tell you the size
We build these by hand and we would rather answer a question than take back a rest that does not fit. Send these four things and you will get a straight answer, usually the same day.
- Make and modelIncluding the stock or chassis if it is not the factory one
- What you shootThe class, or just the discipline if you are not registered
- Your measurementThe number and where on the forend you took it
- A photoThe underside of the forend, if you have one handy
- Or ask us bothIf you have not settled on a rest either, say so — we will answer the rest and the bag together