Front bag legality - F-Open vs. Benchrest vs. Rimfire

[dgeesaman]

I see the Mini-X and the Fclass Products upgraded top have a very slick width adjustment. It appears the front bag is either three or four separate pieces. This will be ideal for the casual shooting I do with a variety of rifles including sporters. But I'm wondering if it wouldn't be allowed for any kind of benchrest competition like NBRSA, IBS, or rimfire benchrest.

If I get one of these width adjustable front setups, what kind of benchrest competition should I expect it to be not legal for?

Thanks,

David

 

[LHSmith]

For IBS Shortrange group or score:
"The front bagmust be such that the rifle can be easily removed in the vertical direction without any front sandbag adjustment. The bag must also be designed to maintain a 100% contact with the bottom of the fore-end when in its shooting position. The cover and filling of the front bag shall meet the requirements described in paragraph (3) concerning the rear bags. The front bag shall also be a minimum of one half inch thick in the vertical direction within the width of the fore-end."
Above from IBS website, so I would assume it is the latest.

 

[dgeesaman]

So that doesn’t say whether the “front bag” can be multiple segments or not. Do the sides and bottom all need to be one component? Can it be one component with multiple fill chambers?

 

[LHSmith]

There have been numerous front bags over the years that were stitched together, a bottom and 2 sides. I used one when I started BR. The mini-seb bag I see in the bulletin, has a valley in the middle and therefore does not meet the !00% contact on bottom, nor (I believe) the 1/2 " criteria.

 

[dgeesaman]

There have been numerous front bags over the years that were stitched together, a bottom and 2 sides. I used one when I started BR. The mini-seb bag I see in the bulletin, has a valley in the middle and therefore does not meet the !00% contact on bottom, nor (I believe) the 1/2 " criteria.

Ok that makes sense. So by that reason, a two piece bottom section is not allowed because it doesn’t contact the rifle where the sections meet.

And the sides can have separate sand chambers as long as they are all connected / stitched together?

Thanks,

David

 

[LHSmith]

Here is IBS Long Range rules about front bags:
"A front sand bag rest shall support the front part of a rifle: a rear sand bag rest shall support the rear part of a rifle: neither rest can be attached to the bench, the rifle, nor each other; they must be movable in all directions independently of the other. Any part of the rifle resting there on must maintain a minimum of one-half inch distance from any part of the retainer or container holding the sand bag on which the rifle rests. Whenever the rifle makes contact on its sides, there may be a maximum of sand one-half inch high and a minimum of one-half thick on each side. Sand bags on front rests must be a minimum of one and one-half inches wide by four inches long and rear rests sand bags must be a minimum of one and one-half inches wide by three inches long. No device of any kind can restrict the upward and/or rearward movement of the rifle. Any; sand bag used as a rest that is not supported by a retainer and that has movement without restraint need not comply with this rule."

 

[LHSmith]

Ok that makes sense. So by that reason, a two piece bottom section is not allowed because it doesn’t contact the rifle where the sections meet.

And the sides can have separate sand chambers as long as they are all connected / stitched together?

Thanks,

David

From the bulletin pic, I don't see the bottom as 2 pieces. As far as the requirement that bag must be stitched together- I don't believe that's the case, I was just stating it was a common bag design when I began because you could adjust the bag to accommodate a 3" fore-end for VFS or group, down to 2-1/4" for Hunter Class or down to a sporter hunting rifle. I am specifically referring to the original Bald Eagle windage adjustable rests that had movable side ears. I believe the original Seb Coax had 3 separate bags, and the only knock against them was the 1/2" dimension which IIRC was corrected in later Seb bags.

 

[Don Shelton]

I see the Mini-X and the Fclass Products upgraded top have a very slick width adjustment. It appears the front bag is either three or four separate pieces. This will be ideal for the casual shooting I do with a variety of rifles including sporters. But I'm wondering if it wouldn't be allowed for any kind of benchrest competition like NBRSA, IBS, or rimfire benchrest.

If I get one of these width adjustable front setups, what kind of benchrest competition should I expect it to be not legal for?

Thanks,

David

I had a mini I used in long range benchrest. If your talking about the top from Blake barrels and f class products,they make a 1 piece bag that is legal,the 4 piece is not

 

[seb]

David,
Just tell your dealer (Ernie Bishop or Mike Ratigan) that you want the 'F-Class' bag or the 'BR' bag when you order the rest.
I make both.
If you don't specify the front bag, it will be supplied with the standard F-Class bag.
You cannot use the F-Class bag (with valley / stitched in the middle) for registered BR comps.
My one pc BR bag is eligible/legal for any BR comps, on the other side it is not an ideal bag for F-Class.

seb
www.sebrests.com