biscuit eater

I've got a remington 700 muzzleloader with a scope on it. I have been to the range 5 times with it and am getting 3.5 inch groups or better at 100 yards. This is all the experience I have at the range or with any rifle. Have always hunted with shotgun with slugs and open sights. While at range I have seen some folks using litte sand bags under the barrel and stock of their rifles. Guess what I'm asking does these bags help much and how much does a pair of them cost?

doughboysigep

They are just another way to rest your firearm. I have a set and like them. You can seat the gun in and get a firm rest. Go to Cabelas for prices. I think a set costs $25.

Jorgy

The sand bags will give you a solid rest so that your gun isn't swaying around at all when you pull the trigger. This way you will know just how accurate your gun/load is instead of how well you can actually shoot your gun. The cost really depends on what kind you get, but they are pretty cheap if you just get the ones filled with sand. You can also cut apart a pair of jeans and fill the legs with sand and sew/tie them shut. Some other things work just as well to, the bags of bird shot that you buy for reloading, a backpack filled with stuff (as long as it's not too soft)

Shooting off of bags you should be able to get your groups down smaller and tell more easily what shoots better from your gun

Good luck!

cayugad

You can make your own out of cloth around the house, canvas works really good for this or old blue jeans. Go to the store and buy some cheap bags of white rice, or use sand around the house. Just make sure the sand is really dry. You sew the cloth up like a big sock. Put the 2# bag of rice, plastic and all into the cloth sock and you can sew the end shut or leave it long enough and just tie the end off....You will need three of these to really settle the rifle in. Actually I took the rice and opened the bag and put the rice in a larger then needed bag from my vaccum sealer and instead of sucking the air out of the bag, I just sealed the end. That way it gives me room to mold the bag.

I once took the whole leg off some old worn out jeans. Sewed the end shut with STRONG thread. Then I added three 1# bags of beach sand on the bottom and two on the top. These I did sew the end shut. I had also put the sand in the thick plastic bags and sealed the end shut with my vaccum sealer. After I added the five pounds of sand, I sewed the end of the pants leg shut. I also took my three #2 pound rice bags.

When you get to the range and set that on the table, rest the rifle on the first layer of the bags and then pack the two top bags to each side of the rifle. Then pack the #2 pound bags on each side over lapping the first. It will really make the rifle more stable, you will not float as much on and off the X when you site in, they are cheap to make...

They really do work, and if you add them to a homemade bench rest, you can almost not even hold the rifle and it should stay on target. Then it is a matter of fitting yourself to the rifle and making the same touch to the trigger each and every time. I always do this when testing a new projectile. If they do not group TIGHT it will show up here right away. You can also better judge what your powder charge is doing and decide if you need more or less powder to tighten the load. Once you find the load then you can shoot the rifle anyway you like.

After I have them tuned, I like to shoot off sticks. I hunt off sticks, and so I like to shoot off sticks. It has really made me a better shot in the field because if I can do it at home in the yard, I should also be able to do it in the woods when that deer is poking his head around the side of a tree.

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Tomster

I do something similar but costs very little. 2 years ago, I purchased a plastic tool box from Wal-Mart and put all of my muzzleloading equipement into it. Including powder, bullets, tools, flasks, flints, etc.. I also placed into it a small bath towel. When I go to the range, we have seats and tables, so I place my tool box at the end of the table towards the target. Than I place the small bath towel on top of the tool box. I use this towel and tool box as a rifle rest and shoot from there. I like this better than using the gun vise I have. I can hold the rifle fairly stable this way and determine where my shots are going. It's similar to when I out in the field but without the towel. Although, when I go hunting, I bring the tool box and leave it in the truck. This way if I have a problem or need something, I only have to return to the truck to get it.

T