Rear Bag Questions

[bench]

Been to a few 1000yrd F/TR shoots and I see all types of rear bags,some small some large some cloth some leather some with tight ears and some with loose ears.
Can someone please explain what funtion a rear bag is supposed to help with and what options a fella wants for a rear bag.
This purchase will be for a tube gun with a bag rider attached to the but stock.
Thanks

 

[BoydAllen]

I doubt that a tube gun would be a good candidate for being shot free recoil, so let us assume that you will be holding the rifle. I would say that there is more risk in using a hard stiff bag than one made from thinner more flexible leather. Also, if you are shouldering and holding the rifle, there should not be much of a tracking issue. I would start with a simple Protektor Model rabbit ear bag, and look around in the Sinclair catalog for what is called an Otto ring (after its inventor Skip Otto) or a donut to put under it. I wouldn't bother with heavy sand, and I would refrain from filling it so that it is too hard. What sort of front rest will you be using?

 

[bench]

Boyd
It will be a bipod mounted to a tubegun and will be shooting from prone position and holding the rifle 308 win.

 

[BoydAllen]

Well, If I was paying attention, I would have gotten most of that from your first post. Sorry about that. If you look at the Edgewood bags main page, I believe that they have some new options for F Cllass shooters. I am sorry to say that I would not be comfortable shooting off the ground, because, to me, F Class seems like a heck of a good way to enjoy shooting. Perhaps someone with more specific experience can help you. What sort of bag are you using now, and what would you improve about it?

 

[Hombre0321]

In your rear bag you are going to need ear placement to fit your bag rider. You also are going to need some way to make your elevation changes shot to shot. Most F/TR stocks have a canted butt stock for these changes by sliding the rifle front and back. With your bag rider and I assume a parallel bag rider you are almost going to have to bag squeeze to get those elevation adjustments. No problem doing that at all, but you will need a bag filled to such a firmness that you can still make those changes. The type of bag is really up to you. Edgewood makes excellent bags as does Protektor...

Roland

 

[XTR]

I think the stock you use makes a difference in what bag works for you, but I also think rear bags are one of those things that will have a lot to do with how you shoot and your ergos. Some folks are comfortable getting behind a short bag and others want one that's taller. I use an Edgewood mini-gator.

Getting a solid base that wont wobble on you and getting the ears filled to a point that supports the stock through the recoil w/o causing the POI to shift up or down is the key. Danny Biggs uses a shooting mat with a hole cut in it so the bag isn't on padding and has gone so far as to mount his Edgewood to a board. (same size as the base but it's a board. I'm thinking that I may cut the hole in my mat by next yr not that I notice the wobble but it should lower my bag 1/4 to 1/2 inch and I think I'll like it better that way.

Of all the equipment that we use in F class I think the rear bag takes the longest to figure out in order to get consistent shots.

edit:

I'll toss in a little more here. If you're just starting and you're shooting in the low to mid 180s for 20 shots or 130s for 15 shots then you're getting beat up by the wind and you're not really going to notice the bag too much. When you start getting more wind calls right and shooting low 190s (or 140s for 15 shots), or those mornings when there is no wind, then you'll start trying to figure out those flyers that don't have an explanation. I'm talking about the ones that fall outside of the 10 ring in the corners or sneak out high or low. It may not always be the case but those are often something on your end and not something in the middle. Those often get blamed on the bullet, but I've got a suspicion that in my case at least it's me and/or my bag.

 

[bench]

Thanks guys for all the good comments and info on the rear bag.
Bench