Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
I only had the chance to use it for one 20 round string yesterday before the heavens opened up on us and drowned our spirits and the match, but I am sold on my new SEB rear bag. I have been using a Protektor model 41 for many years now, and there are no flies on that unit. It has served me very well all this time but when I built my current F-TR rifle in 2012 using the fabulous PR&T F-TR stock, I soon noticed that I should consider some other type of rear bag. I elected not to change anything until after Raton 2013. With that now in my rearview mirror, it was time to address the rear bag. I was looking at the Edgewood models but in the event, I acquired a SEB rear bag, the regular model.
One of the features of this bag is the use of micro-fiber for the ears. This bag has that microfiber cloth on the inside, right where the rifle stock glides. I had been thinking about using talcum powder, on my Protektor just like some F-openers do, but that was getting a little too bizarre for me. The microfiber is just the ticket, in my opinion.
I filled the main body of the bag with about 9 pounds of Sinclair heavy sand, and it’s fairly tight now. I also filled the ears with heavy sand and left them somewhat loose for now. I will probably be adjusting their fill level over time; we shall see.
When I first got down on the mat with the rear bag and placed the rifle stock in it, I noticed how easily the latter was sliding between the ears. I also took note of the fact the top of the bag is longer front to back as compared to my Protektor; I measured it as almost 6 inches for the SEB and around 4 for the Protektor. The ears on the SEB are over 4 inches long, compared to 3 inches for the ones on the Protektor. This provides better support and enhanced control for the nearly flat stock on my rifle. I would also think this is probably not a good thing for more regular stocks found in FTR rifles because the top is longer and the friction is so much less. The area between the ears is also covered with microfiber and the stitching is well executed. This SEB rear bag is a dream for my flat bottomed FTR rifle and should be absolutely great for F-Open belly benchrest rifles. And look, no baby powder needed.
So after adjusting the bipod for the position, I shot my match. I was impressed with the ease of adjusting the rifle and how nicely it tracked on recoil. This was absolutely great; I was spoiled. At the end of that match, I realized I had just shot a score of 196-8X; not bad at all for 1000yard F-TR. I’m not attributing the score to the SEB bag, but it did not inconvenience me in the least the first time I used it. To me, that’s an important feature; it worked perfectly out of the box and is an improvement over my Protektor. I realize a rear bag change is not a big deal, but when we continually say that everything must be just right in order to score well in F-class, this is just one more of those things.
This SEB rear bag is now a keeper and the Protektor will stay at home. Now I can’t wait to get my hands on the SEB bipod. I had one for testing last year, but could not resolve the attachment issue to my rail before I had to send it back.
One of the features of this bag is the use of micro-fiber for the ears. This bag has that microfiber cloth on the inside, right where the rifle stock glides. I had been thinking about using talcum powder, on my Protektor just like some F-openers do, but that was getting a little too bizarre for me. The microfiber is just the ticket, in my opinion.
I filled the main body of the bag with about 9 pounds of Sinclair heavy sand, and it’s fairly tight now. I also filled the ears with heavy sand and left them somewhat loose for now. I will probably be adjusting their fill level over time; we shall see.
When I first got down on the mat with the rear bag and placed the rifle stock in it, I noticed how easily the latter was sliding between the ears. I also took note of the fact the top of the bag is longer front to back as compared to my Protektor; I measured it as almost 6 inches for the SEB and around 4 for the Protektor. The ears on the SEB are over 4 inches long, compared to 3 inches for the ones on the Protektor. This provides better support and enhanced control for the nearly flat stock on my rifle. I would also think this is probably not a good thing for more regular stocks found in FTR rifles because the top is longer and the friction is so much less. The area between the ears is also covered with microfiber and the stitching is well executed. This SEB rear bag is a dream for my flat bottomed FTR rifle and should be absolutely great for F-Open belly benchrest rifles. And look, no baby powder needed.
So after adjusting the bipod for the position, I shot my match. I was impressed with the ease of adjusting the rifle and how nicely it tracked on recoil. This was absolutely great; I was spoiled. At the end of that match, I realized I had just shot a score of 196-8X; not bad at all for 1000yard F-TR. I’m not attributing the score to the SEB bag, but it did not inconvenience me in the least the first time I used it. To me, that’s an important feature; it worked perfectly out of the box and is an improvement over my Protektor. I realize a rear bag change is not a big deal, but when we continually say that everything must be just right in order to score well in F-class, this is just one more of those things.
This SEB rear bag is now a keeper and the Protektor will stay at home. Now I can’t wait to get my hands on the SEB bipod. I had one for testing last year, but could not resolve the attachment issue to my rail before I had to send it back.
