Farley front bags. Farley vs Edgewood questions?

[Steve Wilson]

I felt my Farley 3 inch bag was too hard. It still had wrinkles even after I put a 3 inch block of wood in it and gave it a few whacks with my fist. Also, I can feel the forearm bounce on the front bag with my 6.5x284. I took out a little bit of sand yesterday but haven't given it the whack test yet. Do you know what kind of sand they use? It is a dark brown, fine grained sand. Not black like the last heavy sand I bought from Sinclair. Maybe sandblast media?

I have a new 2 inch Edgewood with the reinforced top, Farley style front bag that I haven't filled yet. I'm also thinking of ordering an Edgewood, reinforced, 3 inch Farley style bag. My 2 inch Edgewood looks like it will lay very flat on top, because of those little notches in the inside corners. My Farley is the new style top with the round outside corners.

So, the questions:

What sand does Farley use?
What do you think of the Edgewoods?
Should I order no reinforcement, single or double?
What sand should I use?

Thanks,

 

[Immike]

Farley bag shifts around alot go with edgewood any sand will work i prefer common fine grain sand to get tightness. The heavy is needed more in rear bag base.

 

[KT]

I would like to know what you end up with because I just ordered a farley!

 

[Immike]

Steve use washed sand so it wont pack too tight and once you get it just right take hot glue and seal the fill tab to prevent leaks. I will be at st Louis range sun teaching the long range class if u need help.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Mike,

Washed sand? What kind of washed sand? The only washed sand I am familiar with is silica.

Hope to see you Sunday and thanks again.

 

[Steve Blair]

I use Edgewood's Farley front bag with extra reinforcing. The internal reinforcing helps keep the surface flat. The bag is filled with crushed walnut polishing media. It does not pack overly hard, seems to maintain pliancy over time, and does not bounce with either a 17 pound for 22 pound gun.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Sleepy,

Don't the rules say that your bag must contain sand? I know some folks add a bit of corn starch or other additive but I believe all of the rules say your bag must be filled with sand.

 

[Steve Blair]

Is that a benchrest rule? I shoot F-Class and there is no filler material restriction, either front or rear. I use Sinclair Heavy Sand in the rear Edgewood Minigater Grab Handle for weight.

 

[Immike]

I just use common sand and screen out the rocks and trash then wash out the dirt in a bucket then dry if u leave it dusty and dirty it will pack

 

[Steve Wilson]

Sleepy,

I only shoot centerfire benchrest, not F Class so I don't know what your rules are but I am all but certain that in benchrest, you can only have sand in either of your bags.

 

[Steve Blair]

That seems a little strange. Why would they care? Well, if that is the rule, that is the way the game is played.


If you must use sand, it seems like a screened, coarse grade would cause the least packing. Is there some specification for what constitutes "sand"?

 

[Immike]

The older a match gets the more silly rules it has im sure in time fclass will have a few and Mr gattor is right u can use a fine screen to remove the smaller particles by putting the sand in your wifes favorite stockings and washing

 

[Immike]

If u read the rule book even closer in bench the front bag must hold rifle 1/2 inch
above the rest which makes a farley bag illegal without 1/4 inch shim under it!

 

[Steve Wilson]

My interpretation is that the rule is addressing how thick the front bag needs to be, not taking the front and back into consideration of that 1/2 inch. I don't have a copy of the rules handy. Have you ever heard of a challenge? Is anyone using that shim?

 

[Immike]

I dont have them either u can get on their web and review them. And no i have yet to see an inspection of bags in any way but if you are winning then everyone is watching.

 

[Killshot]

If u read the rule book even closer in bench the front bag must hold rifle 1/2 inch
above the rest which makes a farley bag illegal without 1/4 inch shim under it!

That is not in the F-Class rules.....

Must be a Benchrest-only thing?

 

[ddkearney]

Steve,
I just got one of the new Farley rests last fall and also the 3" Edgewood extra-reinforced front bag. Used some recycled white zircon Sinclair heavy sand in the front bag; will use a 50/50 mix of coarse and fine sand in my rear bag.
Don

 

[Steve Wilson]

Don,

I ordered a 3 inch and a 2 1/4 Edgewood reinforced front bags from Sinclair on Monday. They are supposed to be delivered here today. BUT I held off on ordering any heavy sand, while waiting for this discussion to play out. Now I gots no sand. I was really thinking that the advice would be to use either white silica or the brown sandblast sand, instead of heavy sand. These first two I can buy locally, if I order from Sinclair today I can still have the heavy here by Friday. Hmm. What to do? Probably go with the playground or sandblast media.

 

[Immike]

As long as u dont over fill the bag u wont have any problems . I want u to call Ron Hoene at stlouis benchrest he is hall of famer and can put u on right track.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Mike,

I will probably go with just regular playground silica. I have talked with Ron on several occasions about front bag sand and I think he has always told me to use the silica. And that there was no need for heavy in the front bag and that heavy might pack too hard in a front. At any rate, I know you don't want to pack them too full, or too soft.

The next trip to the range will only be to fireform 100 pieces of brass for the new 6 Dasher. That will be plenty good of a test to see how the forearm rides, if I feel any bouncing and/or have the crosshairs cant over. Of course, the recoil with the Dasher is nothing compared to the 6.5x284 so I might have to re-evaluate it when I screw that barrel back on.