Help me out with the ol'bags

C

calvados.boulard

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Hi everyone,

So I'm far from new when it comes to shooting, but it recently dawned on me that I don't know what I don't know when it comes to my Proktor front and rear bags. I have a Cowan front pedestal rest, and two top ends with bags mounted in them. One is a sporter style bag (No 1 small owl), and the other is the medium width (No 2 regular owl), and a rear bag (13F). The kind folks at protektor were nice enough to ship them pre-filled with heavy sand. They are all packed pretty darn hard with sand. The problem I'm experiencing is that my rifle isn't tracking in the bags. It tends to jump upon being fired. What can be causing this? Are the hard packed bags the source of the problem? Should I drain some of the sand out?

Thanks everyone,
Cal.
 
Need to know what guns u r shooting with, the caliber, and how tight the stock is in the bag,

The diameter of the barrel and so on.


Jefferson
 
Lower the front and see if that helps. I was having a similar problem and I lowered the front and solved the jump issue. Although, the best solution would be to use a bipod and properly load it and lose the front bags.
 
The rifle should slide back and forth freely in the bags. Are you sling studs preventing it from sliding freely? If they are remove them. Make sure you have the side tension on the front bag ajusted properly ( not so tight that it prevents the rifle from sliding back and forth) The use of bag wax ( Sinclair sells it) or talcom powder or even baby powder on the bags will make them very slick so the rifle will slide easily them. If you find that the rear bag seems to over filled then remove some of the sand but don't throw it away because as the leather stretches from use you may have to add it back in. You have a fairly good rest and bag set up that is far superior to any bipod you just need to learn how to use your set up properly. You are shooting a heavy barreled 223 so the should be no muzzle jump at all, it should recoil straight back. One other thing you can do is loosen your grip on the rifle and allow the rifle to recoil straight back. Google "Free Recoil" there is a couple of vidios that will show what I am talking about. Also notice in the vidios how the rifles are recoling straight back with no muzzle jump at all. Hope this helps you out.
 
Last edited:
r204 said:
The rifle should slide back and forth freely in the bags. Are you sling studs preventing it from sliding freely? If they are remove them. Make sure you have the side tension on the front bag ajusted properly ( not so tight that it prevents the rifle from sliding back and forth) The use of bag wax ( Sinclair sells it) or talcom powder or even baby powder on the bags will make them very slick so the rifle will slide easily them. If you find that the rear bag seems to over filled then remove some of the sand but don't throw it away because as the leather stretches from use you may have to add it back in. You have a fairly good rest and bag set up that is far superior to any bipod you just need to learn how to use your set up properly. You are shooting a heavy barreled 223 so the should be no muzzle jump at all, it should recoil straight back. One other thing you can do is loosen your grip on the rifle and allow the rifle to recoil straight back. Google "Free Recoil" there is a couple of vidios that will show what I am talking about. Also notice in the vidios how the rifles are recoling straight back with no muzzle jump at all. Hope this helps you out.
Click to expand...

Very nicely explained r204
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the replies. My responses to your great comments are below:

6MT said:
Lower the front and see if that helps. I was having a similar problem and I lowered the front and solved the jump issue. Although, the best solution would be to use a bipod and properly load it and lose the front bags.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by lower the front? Are you saying I should reduce the height of my pedestal rest and compensate with the rear bag?

r204 said:
The rifle should slide back and forth freely in the bags. Are you sling studs preventing it from sliding freely? If they are remove them.
Click to expand...

The swivel studs have been removed, but the hole is still present. I've debated filling them in, but haven't yet.

r204 said:
Make sure you have the side tension on the front bag ajusted properly ( not so tight that it prevents the rifle from sliding back and forth)
Click to expand...

This is one of the things that makes me think I have too much sand packed in my front bag. I can adjust the side tension, but only as far as the packed bags will allow. It does add a slight bit of pressure to the sides of the forend, but not very much...just enough to prevent side to side play.

r204 said:
The use of bag wax ( Sinclair sells it) or talcom powder or even baby powder on the bags will make them very slick so the rifle will slide easily them.
Click to expand...

I have used baby powder in the past. Seemed to work, but messy as heck. I'll check out the bag wax you speak of.

r204 said:
If you find that the rear bag seems to over filled then remove some of the sand but don't throw it away because as the leather stretches from use you may have to add it back in.
Click to expand...

I've been running these bags for a few years now and have noticed some stretching on the rear bag, but next to none on the front bags. The stretching on the rear seems to be limited to the base, and not the ears. The ears are still just as hard as they day they arrived.

r204 said:
You have a fairly good rest and bag set up that is far superior to any bipod you just need to learn how to use your set up properly. You are shooting a heavy barreled 223 so the should be no muzzle jump at all, it should recoil straight back.
Click to expand...

I have a MPod and a Remple that I shoot as well with pretty good success...just trying to get the same or better out of my Cowan/Protektors. Ahh the trials and tribulations...

r204 said:
One other thing you can do is loosen your grip on the rifle and allow the rifle to recoil straight back. Google "Free Recoil" there is a couple of vidios that will show what I am talking about. Also notice in the vidios how the rifles are recoling straight back with no muzzle jump at all. Hope this helps you out.
Click to expand...

I've experimented with different grips over the years but haven't found the magic combination. I will keep experimenting and see what I can come up with. I will check those videos out. Thanks for the links.

MikeinCalgary said:
Once in a while when my rifle acts up it's because the sand in the front bag gets compacted. I just squeeze it a few times to break it up a bit.
Click to expand...

My front bags are solid enough that they aren't really squeeze/mashable. How soft/flexible should my front bags be?

Thanks again everyone,
Cal.
 
r204 said:
Here is a couple of links that I found there are plenty more if you do a search.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTHjjCcr_44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhxVS5A3gk
Click to expand...

I just checked out these videos. The first one I had seen before. The second was quite informative. I think I may be doing what he describes in his second point, which is when shooting off the bench I'm placing the buttstock too far out on my body/shoulder. This doesn't seem to be an issue for me when shooting prone off a bipod. Next time I'm out I'll try to get behind the stock a bit better.

Thanks again for the great advice,
Cal.
 
Does your rifle slide back and forth easily in the bags? If it doesn't you will have to ajust the side preasure on the bags (front rest) or remove some of the sand so it can slide freely. Same goes for the rear bag. On the rear bag that you have are the ears filled seperately from the base of the bag or is it all filled from one opening? If you stock does not slide easily in the bags it will throw your shots off.
I use Edgewood front and rear bags. My front bag is hard as a rock but it fits and is formed to stocks forend . I also use heavy sand in my bags which aids in the bags holding the shape of the stock.
 
r204 said:
Does your rifle slide back and forth easily in the bags? If it doesn't you will have to ajust the side preasure on the bags (front rest) or remove some of the sand so it can slide freely. Same goes for the rear bag.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't slide back easily. I will remove some sand.

r204 said:
On the rear bag that you have are the ears filled seperately from the base of the bag or is it all filled from one opening? If you stock does not slide easily in the bags it will throw your shots off.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if they are separate or not. I'll have a look tonight.

r204 said:
I use Edgewood front and rear bags. My front bag is hard as a rock but it fits and is formed to stocks forend . I also use heavy sand in my bags which aids in the bags holding the shape of the stock.
Click to expand...

I've drooled over Edgewood bags for a while. I just don't have the backseesh to splurge on them, so I'll have to stick (pun intended) to my Protektors for now.

Thanks again,
Cal.
 
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