K
kdvarmint
Guest
Just got a new Bald Eagle rest and an empty front bag. What type of sand should I fill it with?
Steelhead1
G Vanlier
Heavy sand from Sinclair.
Dusty Stevens
Hollow Point Dispenser
I use paver sand from lowes. Play sand works too. Anything but heavy sand.
Folks fill their bags with different sand. But, sand is what you should fill it with regardless of which type if you're going to shoot competitively. Finer sand packs better and settles more quickly. Make sure you realize what I said there so that when your bag stretches you'll have enough sand. For the first fill, find a spacer to put under the bag to compensate for the fill tab such that your bag sits flat and go from there. If you don't like it as it is you can refill or remove as necessary. Once you get it like you want it, cut the fill tab off (glue it closed), remove the spacer and glue the bag to your rest. This is not usually a quick process and one bag is not like the next.
Read the rules if they apply! Yes, there's folks that don't meet the rules...maybe as many or more that do meet the rules. In fact, the rules may have changed such that this statement doesn't matter any more.
All said and done, the method used kinda depends on the rest top and the sand chosen. A rest top that has adjustable sides such that you can "tighten" up the bag when necessary makes it easier.
And finally, a good bag goes a long way in your shooting career. Do it right!
Read the rules if they apply! Yes, there's folks that don't meet the rules...maybe as many or more that do meet the rules. In fact, the rules may have changed such that this statement doesn't matter any more.
All said and done, the method used kinda depends on the rest top and the sand chosen. A rest top that has adjustable sides such that you can "tighten" up the bag when necessary makes it easier.
And finally, a good bag goes a long way in your shooting career. Do it right!
Butch Lambert
Active member
I agree with Dusty. I believe a hard packed front bag contributes to vertical.
Dusty Stevens
Hollow Point Dispenser
Zircon sand "heavy sand" is made to pack into molds. And if youve ever seen a sand cast mold it packs and holds shape like concrete. Thats the last thing you want in a sandbag for shooting but to each his own. I hope everybody uses it
Boyd Allen
Active member
Shinny,
The rules for short range benchrest are pretty specific, and according to my reading (I encourage you to do your own.) corn cob media is not legal for that application. Personally, while I understand the need for continuity in the rules, if there is an advantage to a softer fill, I would not be opposed to a rule change that allowed it. Perhaps that could be tried within the sporter class, since it seems to be the designated vehicle for experimentation.
Boyd
The rules for short range benchrest are pretty specific, and according to my reading (I encourage you to do your own.) corn cob media is not legal for that application. Personally, while I understand the need for continuity in the rules, if there is an advantage to a softer fill, I would not be opposed to a rule change that allowed it. Perhaps that could be tried within the sporter class, since it seems to be the designated vehicle for experimentation.
Boyd
A
abintx
Guest
50% sifted parakeet gravel and 50% playground sand. 
J
Jefferson
Guest
I just used zicon in the front bag this past 2 weekends, on sunday I am the heavy varmint grand aggregate MONTANA state 2014 champ.
this weekend past (a couple of days ago) I am the canadian super shoot 2 gun winner,
in montana I also got the 200 yard small group
in canada I shot a .173 agg in 100 light varmint, a new range record provincial (state) record and it is being measured for the benchrest shooters canada canadian record,
SO DO NOT BELIEVE ALL YOU READ ,try it for yourself,
what they are not telling you is how to fill the bag, how to form the bag, how to try different distances where your stock overhangs the front bag, how the bag keeps it shape and how the ears are held into the stock (I shoot a JTR stock (my design) with high sides (mmm similar ot the new kelbly stock, wonder where they got the design), and it rides the bags better with a hard packed zircon and the bag is formed to keep the stock under recoil,
not saying they are wrong but try it for yourself, you may be suprised, and it id difficult to get any front bag where it works all the time but mine does quite well and I shoot not type,
just saying for some it will work for the masses stick to middle of the road advice, even speedys article on front bag and sand is not all correct as it
DEPENDS ON STOCK DESIGN BAG FULLNESS REAR BAG HOLDING THE STOCK STOCK DESIGN AND SO ON ,
not just the one variable of bag hardness with zircon,
question do your ears contain the same firmness or is the right ear stiffer???? and how stiff do you fill the ears and HOW TIGHT DO YOU CONTAIN THE STOCK, the JTR design allows the grip to be qite firm yet lift the gun out of the bags under the current nbrsa rules, does yours then there is the difference in design and function nuff said many will dispute as they do not yet understand
Jefferson
S
Stonewall
Guest
Thank you Jefferson !
Fine post.
Glenn
Fine post.
Glenn
Dusty Stevens
Hollow Point Dispenser
I just shot a 396 27x and my father shot a 397 28x this past weekend 200&300yd with paver sand so you just have to experiment with your setup and try everything.
J
Jefferson
Guest
I would agree thanks dusty
and in a general way too hard a front bag can cause problems just like to soft a bag (in more ways than one)
Jefferson
Dusty Stevens
Hollow Point Dispenser
Zircon works well when its fluffed up frequently
A
amamnn
Guest
I do nothing but play around with loads and such to see what's what as far as my wallet and I are able to determine. One of the more contentious subjects over the years has been the bags: sand used in both bags, how much, what kind, and in what firmness in either bag and what kind of construction of bag......I am no expert.. I have only my own experience to go on. But, I have used several types of bags both front and rear and also different kinds of sand in them. Since the original Q was about front bags I will confine my comments and observations to them only.
I am lucky enough to have access to a few types of common sands that occur in my part of the country and mainly these have been free to me. These range from very fine sand from the lower strata on my own property where the well drillers brought it up, to the coarser sands commonly used in playgrounds or sand boxes. I have even tried the artificial "sand" used in public ashtrays found in large buiuldings around the country until the anti-smoking people gained ascendancy. I have had to pay for the heavy type and the zircons. It seemed to me that all these different types of sand would pack at some point and I would be stringing vertically--in various types of bags under various circumstances. It may be worth noting that I have done most of my BR type shooting, and hence sand experiments in a very-----very----wet climate--Western WA state. This may account for a lot of my troubles with very fine sands, that I did not have in Arizona when I lived there. I should also mention that can get all sands in all bags to pack hard--it's only a matter of how fast and to what degree.
To make a long story even longer, I tried bags of different constructions--mainly all leather bags, cordura sided, leather (or artificial leather) topped and bottomed bags, and most recently, cordura topped, leather sided and bottomed bags.
I typically shoot 20 to 35 shots in a string depending upon the cartridge and particular test I am running. The latter bag seems to stay flexible throughout the string. The others seem to pack hard before I finish. Using the leather sided bags with heavy, or zircon appears to give me a stable platform that does not pack hard (before I am through with a string) or bounce as with the lighter sands and/other bags. All leather bags worked the worst for me as they were very bouncy for a while and then went dead. Fabric sided leather topped bags packed right away as far as I could see.
These are my experiences and not offered as exhaustive and comprehensive tests. I am sure others have had different experiences with all the sands and bags, and have formed other opinions, but perhaps have not had the time or opportunity to try all the ones I have....of course no bag/sand combo was perfect through multiple strings without "fluffing" as far as I could tell. Tested cartridges were 6BR, 22BR, 30BR, .223 rem. .243 WSSM, .30-06, 6ppc. .22LR, .17 HMR, .17 mach2. over a number of years.
I am lucky enough to have access to a few types of common sands that occur in my part of the country and mainly these have been free to me. These range from very fine sand from the lower strata on my own property where the well drillers brought it up, to the coarser sands commonly used in playgrounds or sand boxes. I have even tried the artificial "sand" used in public ashtrays found in large buiuldings around the country until the anti-smoking people gained ascendancy. I have had to pay for the heavy type and the zircons. It seemed to me that all these different types of sand would pack at some point and I would be stringing vertically--in various types of bags under various circumstances. It may be worth noting that I have done most of my BR type shooting, and hence sand experiments in a very-----very----wet climate--Western WA state. This may account for a lot of my troubles with very fine sands, that I did not have in Arizona when I lived there. I should also mention that can get all sands in all bags to pack hard--it's only a matter of how fast and to what degree.
To make a long story even longer, I tried bags of different constructions--mainly all leather bags, cordura sided, leather (or artificial leather) topped and bottomed bags, and most recently, cordura topped, leather sided and bottomed bags.
I typically shoot 20 to 35 shots in a string depending upon the cartridge and particular test I am running. The latter bag seems to stay flexible throughout the string. The others seem to pack hard before I finish. Using the leather sided bags with heavy, or zircon appears to give me a stable platform that does not pack hard (before I am through with a string) or bounce as with the lighter sands and/other bags. All leather bags worked the worst for me as they were very bouncy for a while and then went dead. Fabric sided leather topped bags packed right away as far as I could see.
These are my experiences and not offered as exhaustive and comprehensive tests. I am sure others have had different experiences with all the sands and bags, and have formed other opinions, but perhaps have not had the time or opportunity to try all the ones I have....of course no bag/sand combo was perfect through multiple strings without "fluffing" as far as I could tell. Tested cartridges were 6BR, 22BR, 30BR, .223 rem. .243 WSSM, .30-06, 6ppc. .22LR, .17 HMR, .17 mach2. over a number of years.
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