I just a got a new MZ and want to go to the range and get some shots off. My question is this; can anyone out there suggest a cheap way to puts some sand bags together or have home made plans of shooting bags they can send my way. I am not ready yet to buy a Lead Sled. All I want is to rest the front of my rifle on something solid to shoot off the wood bench at my shooting range.
There are some easy ways... when I bought my Cabela's range bags they suggested they be stuffed with rice. I see no reason why you could not take some one pound rice bags and stuff them into a sock or make your own bags. Old shot bags work well.
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I bought a couple bags of rice and filled an old tube sock with it. Now, I do use a front rest from Caldwell, but for my back rest I use the rice filled sock. I can't imagine why you couldn't build one for the front as well. It's nice and sturdy-and cheap!
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Old blue jean legs filled with rice or sand and then sewn shut should also do the trick. Actually at my hardware store you can buy sandbags but they are too big for what you want to do with them, but could be opened and made smaller.
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As the other guys have said, old tube socks filled with sand or rice works very well. I like sand better if you don't have to carry the bags too far. Rice is a lot lighter.
Here are a couple of suggestions. If you use sand, put one of those plastic grocery bags in the sock, then fill it with sand. Tie of the plastic bag with a piece of string, then tie off the sock. You might try constricting the center of the tube with a piece of string also, so to make them look like a bow tie. They hold the gun a little better that way. Also, get yourself a piece of old carpet and cut a bunch of ten inch squares to put under the sock bags. You can add or subtract carpet squares from the front or rear bag to adjust the hold exactly the way you want it.
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Old blue jean legs filled with rice or sand and then sewn shut should also do the trick. Actually at my hardware store you can buy sandbags but they are too big for what you want to do with them, but could be opened and made smaller.
Exactly what I use. I use old jean legs filled with sand. Actually used cat litter in the last one(clean of course) because I was out of sand and needed one for the next morning and Walmart being the only place open of course didn't have sand in stock at the time. It actually works well. I use two of them in the front and one bag in the rear.
I have a fold out table and use the caldwell front and rear bag set 29.00..take a couple of chairs and shoot in the washes near my house on BLM..the jeans and rice or T shirt ideas are a good option.
As you can see, just about anything tube shaped will work. If you don't have access to shot bags, then jean legs would be a good choice. Also, if weight is an issue you can use rice instead of sand. Another alternative fill is bird seed. Both the rice and bird seed are very light but still work well. (just avoid getting them wet). You really don't need those costly leather bags and rests like the lead sled or others. Abotu 5 or 6 bags will do just fine.
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I use an old ironing board I modified for the purpose of shooting and some flour bags I cut 6" by 8" blanks out of and sew up and filled with rice. I won the IL Round ball bench state championship with it in 1978 shooting against some fancy equipment.
There are a couple of things I would recommend: Either use 3 legs or set the legs in to the ground. Three legs on portable bench of any kind as you might have to use it on uneven ground.
Make sure the forearm rest is adjustable up and down your target may not always be on level ground.
Make sure there is no wobble in any thing.
Put at least 3 inches of rice bag or padding under the forearm so the gun will shoot on the sights for off hand also.
Do not over fill your bags they need to fit themselves to the gun.
Be sure to put a bag under the but and hold it with your left hand and squeeze it to adjust your up and down.
Hope this helps.
Lee
Homemade Range Sand Bags or Rest?
