Prone shooting bags

[Si-Snipe]

Hey guys.

 

Can anyone suggest some really suitable solid shooting bags for prone shooting? I have a couple of rear bags so it's mainly the front.

Thanks

Si

[justin credible]

www.uksandbags.com

They'll deliver by the pallet load if needed, very suitable, very solid.

[BuckhurstBen]

http://precisionrifleblog.com/tag/wiebad/

Check this article out, I remember seeing some really long V shaped bags that envelops the whole of the forend but can't remember the name of them, looked pretty stable.

Ben

[Akeld]

Dog gone good, do a range of front bags, never used one myself though

[Big Al]

You could lie behind this set up Si if you dont have a back like mine! - Caldwell Tackdriver front bag filled with rice.

 

[gbal]

Si, I like maximum stability for shooting-but a concrete bench and a 20lb plus coaxial Farley or Seb isn't practical usually!

sometimes a good bipod is possible (think Seb joypod eg) .

 

But I also like the 'butterfly"design front bags- essentially an X cross section ,with four fillable ears/wings. These do not need a back bag,and are a very stable rifle support,without excess weight-and that is controlable,using different fillers. I like the bottom two -usually rather larger-to be heavier,and the top wings relatively light,just a recoil channel really. Sand is too heavy,though you can mix/match as required in filling- prefer rice and small polystyrene balls...the latter of course very light,if some carrying is likely.

Prone,or for thatmatter on a bench etc,the longer versions of these bags support the rifle effectively along the length of the forend.

The longer the bag ,the more stable the rifle,of course-mine is 15 inches,excellent...and in current medium half/half rice/poly fill,7.5 lb.( remember,back bag rest is not needed.)

 

Dogone Good ; Bull's Bag,and Caldwell do them- in about that price order,and there are some options on colour,and material;I don't think they all do 15 inch. Mine is a Bulls Bag (£65 ish). Check for heights....I'd think you could have some variability by strapping the bottom wings with an adjustable belt laterally,at a slight cost in stability. A bag footprint block of covered polystyrene can raise the height to whatever you wish,if needed.

You can of course botch an approximation-a la old sock rear bag- with any filled cloth tube,but it won't be so stable. :-)

 

Just seen Big Al's Caldwell post-that's the design-I prefered the BB with bigger base wings,and smaller top ones,and 15 inches of it,but Al shoots pretty impresssive groups-of course,he barrels the rifles too!

 

gbal

[Si-Snipe]

Thanks guys. Some interesting feedback there. I'll have a good look into it now.

[stillair1]

I filled my first Caldwell bag with corn. It split after a couple of months.The replacement kindly warranted by my local RFD has been filled with plastic granules used in injection moulding.It turned out a bit lighter too. No issues so far.

Just to clarify, the split in the original bag was down to qc china's end, nothing to do with the roasted corn filler. Injection mold pellets are hard granules .

[terryh]

I filled my first Caldwell bag with corn. It split after a couple of months.The replacement kindly warranted by my local RFD has been filled with plastic granules used in injection molding.It turned out a bit lighter too. No issues so far.

This ^^^, and some!

 

Any of the raw 'plastic' pellets, urethane, nylon, whatever, are far superior to anything organic. most mold shops will have pellets that have been dried too much or spilled, wrong colour added i.e no use to them, but plenty useful for bag filling.

 

The bag, front or rear, will get wet or damp at some point in its life and nature then takes over, the bag will split or the filling starts to grow or go moldy.

 

if you find the right material then it will flow in a rear bag but lock up when squeezed

[tburkes]

You do NOT want any urethane type filling that feels like rubber O-ring material. The material will not pack down tightly and you'll have hell trying to maintain a steady hold on small targets. Not all fill shapes are the same either. As Terry states you want a fill shape that fills/moves easily but will lock together when squeezed or packed down so that it provides a steady sight picture.

[MrCetrizine]

I found cat litter to be the best filling. It's light but not too light and compacts together really well and it's also cheap. Plus, if you get caught short in the middle of nowhere.... need I say more

[Si-Snipe]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll add that weight is no consideration as it's for use at the back of my truck. I require max stability for ultimate precision.

[gbal]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll add that weight is no consideration as it's for use at the back of my truck. I require max stability for ultimate precision.

Then get the longest bag available,and use Zircon/similar heavy sand-though you might still want to try somedifferent mix in the upper channel ears,depending on the rifle stock forend profile for best fit.

You can of course also use a back rest,though you'd have to be careful that in squeezing the back bag you did not nudge the real bag support -my exerience was that the back bag simply isn't needed at all with a long main bag. Ifyou can,try different materials-especially for the rifle contact (and possible weather).Most givesome grip,reducing felt recoil/improving sight picture-there is in any case less "bipod twitch".

g

[Toby]

I have used Dog gone good bags from Gary Stone extensively the last 10 or so years. Use them for range use, zeroing/load development and winter foxing. I have used the small medium and large bench bags. My choice is the medium. They are top quality, come prefilled with plastic granules and have a lifetime guarantee on seams etc unlike the cheaper makes. My oldest one has 10 yrs of hard use and still looks like new, just a bit saggier.

[Swarovski1]

Definately one of my next toys.thanks

[Toby]

[forbie]

For filling go to the local pet supplies and get aquarium dry sand. Heavy though