Front bag filler

[maxpower]

I am updating the bag in my front rest soon and was wondering about different filler materials. My fore end is 2 flat rails and it tends to compact very hard when I use sand in the bags. What have you found which works well to stop the bags from packing down too hard when running railed forends? How about bare case tumbling media?

 

[LHSmith]

Medium grit Black Diamond blasting media-Tractor Supply ~$ 8/ 50 # bag

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Paver sand. Anything but heavy sand.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I mix fine silicone spheres with my sand. Minimizes packing, but it can flow into a hump easier. I have to "dress" the bag every so often.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Paver sand is sold at lowes. Its the sand you sweep into a brick sidewalk. Its finer than play sand

 

[maxpower]

Paver sand is sold at lowes. Its the sand you sweep into a brick sidewalk. Its finer than play sand

So, you want it finer than normal playground sand then?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The play sand sometimes have bigger chunks that need filtered out. The paver sand is i guess a higher quality and doesnt need anything like parakeet gravel. Its good right out of the bag

 

[Joe R]

Dusty Stevens said:
Anything but heavy sand.

Dusty,
why not heavy sand? That is what I put in my front rest. Did I screw up, again???

Joe

 

[maxpower]

The play sand sometimes have bigger chunks that need filtered out. The paver sand is i guess a higher quality and doesnt need anything like parakeet gravel. Its good right out of the bag

OK, I thought something like Parakeet gravel would have resisted packing down too hard??? Not that I have tried it.

 

[dkhunt14]

OK, I thought something like Parakeet gravel would have resisted packing down too hard??? Not that I have tried it.

I thought the same thing. Last year I mixed Parakeet Gravel in my front bag and it seemed to not get as hard. Matt

 

[@nd]

Corn/walnut media (kitty litter) not as heavy as sand and does not hold water too bad.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

But is illegal in comp

 

[dkhunt14]

Dusty I bet if they dumped all bags they find everything from kitty litter to lead shot. Matt

 

[LHSmith]

^^^^^+1 that cheaters do exist, but in this case to their own peril. IMHO there is no better medium for bags than what's specified in the rule book -"sand only". The secret is to find a sand ( whose composition varies greatly depending from what part of the world it comes from) with the right properties that give the respective bag it's ability to enable optimum tracking.
Using lead shot would be counter intuitive because the last thing you want is having your rifle set on tiny balls and expect to maintain a stable sight picture ...let alone expect the rifle to return to battery without making rest adjustments.

 

[dkhunt14]

^^^^^+1 that cheaters do exist, but in this case to their own peril. IMHO there is no better medium for bags than what's specified in the rule book -"sand only". The secret is to find a sand ( whose composition varies greatly depending from what part of the world it comes from) with the right properties that give the respective bag it's ability to enable optimum tracking.
Using lead shot would be counter intuitive because the last thing you want is having your rifle set on tiny balls and expect to maintain a stable sight picture ...let alone expect the rifle to return to battery without making rest adjustments.

I would think mixed with sand it would keep from packing, like getting to hard. I know lots are mixing with parakeet gravel and also Kitty Litter or corn cob. Matt

 

[dmoran]

I don't believe kitty litter or media would be illegal.

"43.0 A sandbag is a bag with a cover that can be easily flexed by the fingers, the contents of which shall be a finely divided, granular, non metallic substance, such as sand, gravel, or grain, each without additive, and packed loosely enough so that the bag with contents can be easily deformed by pressure of the fingers." <> Penn1000 rules (similar to IBS wording)

Donovan

 

[JimPag]

Dusty,
why not heavy sand? That is what I put in my front rest. Did I screw up, again???

Joe

Joe. Heavy sand tends to pack up and harden. You don't want that. Triple O sandblasting sand works fine. I have been told by a couple of experienced shooters who shoot very well on a regular basis that u can use heavy sand in your rear bag, but not in the ears.

 

[LHSmith]

I would think mixed with sand it would keep from packing, like getting to hard.

BTDT....all I got for my efforts was poor tracking and a hernia

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Sand with varying grain size is what i like. I dont like blasting media because its too round for me but thats just me i know folks like it. Play sand thru a wire window screen works well. Then add in some parakeet gravel to keep it from packing and that works well too.