Sandbags

[Corner Pocket]

Though I usually shoot my pistols from a standing freehand stance, I have sometimes wished that I had a sandbag or two when testing something. I'd appreciate hearing any ideas on coming up with a "homemade" sandbag that some of you may have crafted... Thanks!

Corner Pocket

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

Use lead shot bags

Fill with either sand or cron cob media (lighter than sand) and sew shut!

 

[Griz44]

Old blue jeans legs, filled with your used corn and walnut media.

 

[Mark K. C.]

Believe it or not , but I have used a TV tray and bags of beans and bags of popcorn seeds out in my back yard. There was nothing wrong with that.

 

[Rottweiler]

What Griz said, but I use sand in mine. Don't bother with sewing them shut. I twist a piece of wire TIGHTLY around the ends with a pair of vise grips. Not to change the subject but, THAT is as close as vise grips should ever come to a firearm

 

[RugerBob]

I used a denim pant leg and filled it with spent primers. Works ok with me and gives me something to do with all those old primers. Got 2 other reloaders who save theres and between us 3 it don't take but a year to get enuff to get a decent sized one, Bob

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

save the primers RugerBob to scatter around the area where you've buried guns/ammo. will drive anybody useing metal detector crazy. it will respond like very heavy mineralized ground and unable to tune out. rake the ground up and scatter them and rake dirt over then scatter more atop the dirt.

 

[RugerBob]

LOL Marlin. was thinkin of using posthole diggers and drop in 4" pvc tubes , then scatter some coinage. but the spent primer ideal sounds very good. drive em crazy.

 

[Corner Pocket]

Many thanks for the replies. I can make the denim pant leg work for me.

CP

 

[scrat]

My boys and i made a couple of them with jeans. we cut the jeans about a foot long then cut a 2 big circles. then we all took turns sewing the corners like crazy. then filled it up. We used everything from saw dust, old media, rice, primers, some very old un popped popcorn kernals. They actually turned out pretty good. later on we took another piece of the jean material and sewed on a handle.

 

[dmftoy1]

I'm a big fan of lead shot . . . .but it's not as cheap as it used to be.

 

[scrat]

lead shot bags though work really good.

 

[ants]

Rather than filling the cloth bags directly with your choice of filler, put the filler in small plastic baggies, but only fill each bag one-third or maybe half way. I use about 7 or 8 half-full baggies in a 25# shot bag. That allows the sandbag to be shaped into different configurations to fit your stock, and it keeps that shape better as you shoot.

 

[rg1]

I've filled 25lb. shotgun lead shot bags with coarse sand. Wife helped me sew the ends shut on her sewing machine. I've got a few empty bags left if you're interested? You could sew them shut by hand but the stitches need to be close, double stitched, and tight to keep sand from leaking. Some use rice in their bags to make them lighter.

 

[GP100man]

i roll up a coat or bags or what ever to rest my forearms on , it`s the best i`ve shot with any of my hand guns.

GP100man

 

[Chuck Dye]

Janitorial supply dealers have nice, clean, dry sand for use in ashtrays. You can often get major discounts on, or even gifts of, broken bags. Let your fingers do the walking...

 

[qajaq59]

I've used Kitty Litter for years. The mice don't want to chew into the bags and it doesn't go bad. However, keep it away from your cat.

 

[CajunBass]

save the primers RugerBob to scatter around the area where you've buried guns/ammo. will drive anybody useing metal detector crazy. it will respond like very heavy mineralized ground and unable to tune out. rake the ground up and scatter them and rake dirt over then scatter more atop the dirt.

Man this is the truth. I've done a lot of Civil War relic hunting around Central Virginia, and NOTHING will drive you nuts like musket caps. (boot eyelets, buckshot, 22 cases, shotgun caps, bottle tops, chewing gum wrappers, etc. are on the list too.) You'll get a good reading, but they are hard to find in the dig. And primers are even smaller than musket caps.

OH, and for sandbags, I use bags of beans, rice, etc., and put the plastic bags in old socks.

 

[Mike 56]

Tube socks and kitty litter for me.

Mike

 

[snuffy]

As the name implies, sand is the best filler. Why? Because sand is moldable to adjust the stock of a rifle when shooting groups. When using a front bipod or tripod rest, the rear bag is what controls elevation for that last tiny adjustment. How? By the non trigger hand squeezing that sandbag to raise the crosshairs above the bullseye, then relaxing the grip to lower it right on.

Sand is also heavy. DUH! That means it is also more stable, and stability is what you want when shooting off a bench

It is of utmost importance that it does NOT leak from the bags. Sand is as hard as glass, it's the worst thing you could get in the action of a firearm. When I'm making sandbags, I first put it is ziplock bags, then tape them shut. Then a strong thread is used to sew them shut.

My buddy's wife works at a bank. She has access to old coinage bags. They're much bigger than shot bags I have, they make a wonderful rear bag for rifle shooting.

 

[scrat]

Thats why canvas bags and jean material is the best. I would not even trust tube socks with kitty litter. As for sand. Well thats debatable. You check out cabelas and they recomend rice. Then i have a shooting bag i bought at cabelas. Over time it deveolped a small leak at one of the seems. So i took some of the stuff out to sew it. Its not sand. not too sure what it is. But its not sand.

 

[Mike 56]

Tube socks and kitty works great just don't get them wet. I also have some made of blue jean legs filled with rice they also work well.

Mike