Rear Bag

[seanhagerty]

How do I decide if I need a rear bag with high ears or low ears?

Looking at the protektor series. I guess they call em Rabbit ear vs Bunny ears

Sean

 

[oneflyer]

What works best for you usually dictates what you use. However if your rifle has a cheek piece or monte carlo style, the higher ears may retard the rearward movement of your rifle and upset it in the bag. Not a situation you want. The higher ears provide some degree of stability with your rifle in many people's opinion.

 

[Shynloco]

How do I decide if I need a rear bag with high ears or low ears?

Looking at the protektor series. I guess they call em Rabbit ear vs Bunny ears

Sean

Sean,
If I might suggest, see if some folks at your range have different style bags and and simply ask if you can borrow one for a few shots and see which works best with your rifle. Pay close attention to the rifle sliding back and forth and see which style of bag has the smoothest slide during the recoil phase. And remember, the amount of sand in the ear areas can be adjusted in the better made bags and each ear has it's own flap to put in or take out sand. You can literally adjust the ears to your preference. And take a look at the bottom of your stock and see if you have a flat plane over the type "v" that is on most hunting style stocks. Most Benchrest stocks have a flatter plane bottom (prevents that side to side movement that "V" styles give) which provides greater stability which is why they have a flat plane. Hope that helps a little. But those Protectors are very nice bags, although mine at all Edgewood (both front and back) that can get pricey. BTW, both makes have websites where you can see their models first hand.

 

[artbosco]

How do I decide if I need a rear bag with high ears or low ears?

You try them both, then decide. You'll never know, until you actually use them.

 

[in2deep]

Don't forget too that the ear width is even more important than height for many rifles and alot of the newer stocks have especially wide bottoms up to 3/4".

 

[Cigarcop]

Don't forget too that the ear width is even more important than height for many rifles and alot of the newer stocks have especially wide bottoms up to 3/4".

Edgewood just came out with a Mini Gator spaced for the 3/4 wide bottoms and shipped them to Sinclair, I believe they are available in some shorter (bag height) sizes as well.

 

[seanhagerty]

I tried a couple, and ended up getting a Protektor tall eared bag. I am amazed how much difference a good bag can make in stability of the rifle.

Now I just need to fix all the other broke things with my shooting style.....

 

[artbosco]

I am amazed how much difference a good bag can make in stability of the rifle.

Especially ... when you fill them correctly.

 

[TimP]

Especially ... when you fill them correctly

Could you explain that. I know it is personal preference to some degree.

 

[artbosco]

Especially ... when you fill them correctly

Could you explain that. I know it is personal preference to some degree.

I'll let Speedy Gonzalez, Benchrest Hall of Fame inductee do that. Here is a summary:

SAND BAGS and HOW TO FILL THEM .... By Speedy Gonzalez

TWO hard bags cause guns to bounce when firing a round. Bags must absorb the shock of the firing pin moving forward and rearward rifle thrust and torque. When this isn’t done rifles jump and roll in the bags. This causes wild shots. Some Texas shooters agree that:

1. You can't have 2 hard bags.
2. Heavy sand magnifies the problem.
3. If you squeeze bags, pack ears hard and leave bag base pliable for required movement. Pack front bag as hard as rules permit.
4. Free recoil shooters should pack both bags firm, but not hard.
5. Use play ground/silica sand. Sift, then mix with 25 to 50% of Harts parakeet gravel.

Heavy zircon sand causes ears to rock back and forth and low shots. Edgewood/Speedy rear bags eliminate this. If you use Cordura bags spray with pure silicon or Rain-Ex.

Double stitched, leather bottom bags, slide with recoil. Use standard Protector with Cordura rabbit ears, an Otto ring bag, and a Cordura front bag, or an Edgewood/Speedy rear bag.

 

[TimP]

Especially ... when you fill them correctly

Could you explain that. I know it is personal preference to some degree.

I'll let Speedy Gonzalez, Benchrest Hall of Fame inductee do that. Here is a summary:

SAND BAGS and HOW TO FILL THEM .... By Speedy Gonzalez

TWO hard bags cause guns to bounce when firing a round. Bags must absorb the shock of the firing pin moving forward and rearward rifle thrust and torque. When this isn’t done rifles jump and roll in the bags. This causes wild shots. Some Texas shooters agree that:

1. You can't have 2 hard bags.
2. Heavy sand magnifies the problem.
3. If you squeeze bags, pack ears hard and leave bag base pliable for required movement. Pack front bag as hard as rules permit.
4. Free recoil shooters should pack both bags firm, but not hard.
5. Use play ground/silica sand. Sift, then mix with 25 to 50% of Harts parakeet gravel.

Heavy zircon sand causes ears to rock back and forth and low shots. Edgewood/Speedy rear bags eliminate this. If you use Cordura bags spray with pure silicon or Rain-Ex.

Double stitched, leather bottom bags, slide with recoil. Use standard Protector with Cordura rabbit ears, an Otto ring bag, and a Cordura front bag, or an Edgewood/Speedy rear bag.

Thanks

 

[apakesha]

I bought a rear protector bag from from the source already filled. I shoot a win 308 and I was having problems with the rear bag settling and I had to keep adjusting the front rest (jj industries) for elevation. It would not settle in and stablize. It kept settling. It got so annoying that I took a rubber bunge cord and wrapped it around the rear bag base a couple of times. That solved the problem of the settling sand in the rear bag. Anybody experience the same problem?

 

[artbosco]

I bought a rear protector bag from from the source already filled. I shoot a win 308 and I was having problems with the rear bag settling and I had to keep adjusting the front rest (JJ industries) for elevation. It would not settle in and stabilize. It kept settling. It got so annoying that I took a rubber bungee cord and wrapped it around the rear bag base a couple of times. That solved the problem of the settling sand in the rear bag. Anybody experience the same problem?

I've have a few Protector bags and an Edgewood. Since the base is made of leather, they STRETCH for a period of time. So while they're new you need to monitor the stretching, and add more sand until the stretching subsides [I'm not sure it ever stops].

Even though the bag may have come filled, don't expect the initial filling to have been done correctly or for it to be the only one needed. Same with the ears, if leather, but less so. Even Cordura will stretch a little initially. Monitor that too.

 

[Red Dawg 34]

I was interested in this thread and saw the posting about filling the bag. I’ve had several Protector DR bags but they came pre-filled. I have a new SEB rear bag that I ordered unfilled. I prefer a heavier bag for shooting F Class matches but was intrigued with the mixture of play sand and parakeet gravel. Does anyone have a recommendation for what to put in the ears versus what to put in the base. I was thinking about using the heavy sand in the base and possibly something else for the ears so they work like they are supposed to work. Couldn’t tell if the recommendation of sand and parakeet gravel above was for both the ears and the base or for just the ears. Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks,

Russ

 

[Rope2horns]

I was interested in this thread and saw the posting about filling the bag. I’ve had several Protector DR bags but they came pre-filled. I have a new SEB rear bag that I ordered unfilled. I prefer a heavier bag for shooting F Class matches but was intrigued with the mixture of play sand and parakeet gravel. Does anyone have a recommendation for what to put in the ears versus what to put in the base. I was thinking about using the heavy sand in the base and possibly something else for the ears so they work like they are supposed to work. Couldn’t tell if the recommendation of sand and parakeet gravel above was for both the ears and the base or for just the ears. Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks,

Russ

Play sand seems to work about as good as anything for the ears.

 

[JFrank]

^^^Echoing Norm’s Post
Additionally I use a 80/20 mix of chromite and black diamond media blast in the base at about 90% fill

 

[creedfan]

it took me only 5 bags to find the one i like ha ha (seb bigfoot)

 

[Uthink Uknow]

It depends also on the game you play. I know F-Class guys who want the somewhat harder bag than what i use in short range BR (100-200 yards). And even in the short range game there are those who like the harder bag and use a joystick or knob turning front rest. I want a soft rear bag because I shoot in the bag squeezer method. I have Lake Huron beach sand in my rear bag in both the ears and the bag itself. When I fire a shot I can actually feel the sand run back down below my thumb and fingers. I might say I do well in the game also. As to the pack on the front bag, I’m with Speedy Gonzalez. You, or I, want a softish front bag. Hell if hard bags were good we’d be shooting off a 2X4.

 

[Red Dawg 34]

Guys, thank you for all your input.

Russ

 

[Red Dawg 34]

I have one more question about the rear bag and its use in F Class shooting (I’m currently using a JoyPod in the front). As I am now entering my 4th season of competition, I’ve noticed that my style of shooting has morphed (for the better) because of the help of experienced shooters I shoot with and the vast assistance received from the members of this AS forum. For that, I am truly grateful.

Now that I am shooting true target rifles that have parallel stocks versus the angled butt stocks like the traditional hunting stocks, I’m questioning the proper use of the rear bag. I’ve always used the bag in such a way that the downward angle between the ears faced the rear of the stock thinking the slight angle was designed to address the angle of the butt stock. Now I’m questioning that logic.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a new SEB rear bag. As SEB bags come with a cord handle, my first intention was to place the handle to the rear allowing the downward angle between the ears to track downward to the rear. When I see pics on the SEB website and other pics on the forum, I see the bag with the handle facing forward (angle facing forward). I would like the forum’s opinion on the proper placement of rear bag. This would be for a parallel stock shooting F Class as well as a parallel stock shooting off a bench with a bench rest (like the SEB NEO). Have an Edgewood bag on order for the latter.

Thanks,

Russ