Bench rest bags & plastic bead filler

[unionrdr]

I got these bench rest bags from Outdoor Connection @ Walmart.com for $16.99 last October.

Finally decided on the filler media, figuring two 1lb bags of these beads @ $3.63 each would be enough for both. Nope. Bags are smaller than I anticipated...

No one's fault but mine, of course. The two 1lb bags only filled the front bag 2/3's of the way up. Seen her by how far down I compressed the front bag.

No more 1lb or 2.5lb bags left, so I had to order a 5lb bag for 24 bucks & change to finish filling them. They look like they'll do the job just fine though. Bags are sturdily built & have a clip to put them together for easy carrying. I'll add that pic when the other bag of beads gets here. Otherwise, I think they'll compress just fine & beads are moisture proof as a filler media.

[TerryH]

Interesting. The beads are a good idea. I have rice in mine. Figure I can at least have a snack if worse comes to worse. 

[unionrdr]

I like the plastic beads as they won't get damp or moldy. Should be a bit lighter than sand, etc?

[wolverine]

great idea!

mine are filled with corn and a bit heavy for toting around.

i'll give this a try,  thanks!

[T-Higgs]

Interesting idea, but I like my shooting bags heavy and generally use kitty litter.
If you could control the contours, I wonder how expansion foam  would work, if you're looking for cheap and light. Or, expansion foam in the top half or 2/3's and heavier material at the bottom for ballast.


?,
Higgs

[unionrdr]

A 5lb bag of the bead/bean bag filler should be just enough to fill two BR bags like these. They'll weigh a couple pounds apiece, so that should be heavy enough for our purposes? Range bag was to be delivered today, still waiting on package that got transferred to USPS in Lorain yet again. And 5lb bag of beads, maybe by the end of the month by their reckoning. Need'em now...Like to start sighting in next week. Hatsan is up first. Need a longer case for the Winchester 1400cs. Member on Airgun Nation is going to do some machining on the Crosman 160's gas valve for me so I can mount it as intended, & ream out valve stem hole to fit new valve stem.

[avator]

I had rice in mine and replaced some with chopped up carpet padding and some with rubber mulch. Now I'm thinking maybe airsoft ammo.

[unionrdr]

A lot of folks on the forums & Facebook pages are using Airsoft BB's. I wonder if they're cheaper than these bean bag beads?

[Wrockdawson63]

I use ground walnuts is medium can get at pet store or an online supplier. Makes for a light bag.

[Smoketown]

I ordered some plastic pellets on ebay used for injection moulding.

You can mark them with your thumb nail but they don't crumble like some beanbag fillers do. 

The leather bags wound up a bit light so I added some 7 1/2 shot at the bottom ... Prefect!

The nylon "bulls bag" got a bit of lead in the lower legs too.

That way, when I pick them up or throw them down, they almost always land right side up.   
(They don't shift on the edge of the rolled down truck window either.)   


Cheers,
Smoketown

[unionrdr]

Well, the additional 5lb bag of bean bag filler beads came in the other day. Unsurprisingly, it took 5lbs to fill both bags. What surprised me the most is that they're made right over in Strongsville! D'oh! So if you buy the BR bags I did, just buy this to fill'em up with.;

[only1harry]

I tried to go this route years ago and shopped around for empty shooting bags.  However with the cost of beads it came out to be more expensive than buying some brand name filled bags.

This is the Caldwell factory filled bags I use when I don't want to lug my heavy $200 shooting rest to the range.  The front/rear bag combo was on sale at Gander Mountain 4-5 years back for $24.99.  They had the front bag for $14.99 and the rear for $9.99 on sale at the time in a big floor display.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Caldwell-Dead-Shot-Shooting-Rest-Combo&i=412987

The same Caldwell set is now $34.99 at GM (it was $29.99 1-2 years ago), but you can have it shipped free to your local store if you have one.  You can also get this combo from Amazon with free/ship. if you are a Prime member.  This set is worth it and I 'd pay $35 if I had to do it over again.  Just providing another option because I have not had luck finding a cost effective way to fill empty bags.

Harry

[maraudinglizard]

I stuffed old t-shirts in mine, didn't want to clean up the beads and rice fall out. Just the right weight as well. No problem nesting the guns either.

[JoeV]

I like my bags heavy, and I'm fit enough that it doesn't bother me to move them wherever they need to be. I used play sand to fill mine. Got a pair if empty Caldwell bags for $20 shipped a couple of years ago, and I see now they're priced the same but shipping is about $5.

[cpt_sfc]

I use bags made from soft leather or shot bags and fill them with Barley, Glue & sew em shut. Also I take swimming noodle on,end of summer, clearance and cut pieces and glue together in a tri angle stack, then cut each top pc down to the height I want. All you have to do is flip it over to the side you need. Wt. nothing much. cost about .50 cents. You can take one and run a razor knife down a side and it will pop over a window edge if you shoot from a window.

[avator]

Crown Royal comes in a neat little purple bag. Select come in an even nicer micro fiber bag. Fill a Ziploc sammich bag, or 2, with what ever you like and pop it inside, there ya go.....
I have nothing else to add to this reply.

[only1harry]

I like my bags heavy, and I'm fit enough that it doesn't bother me to move them wherever they need to be. I used play sand to fill mine. Got a pair if empty Caldwell bags for $20 shipped a couple of years ago, and I see now they're priced the same but shipping is about $5.

I am the same way Joe.  I like my shooting bags to be on the heavy side.  I still have a pair of bags (Shooter's Ridge I think) which I have been meaning to fill with sand from the beach when I go the Jersey shore.  Been forgetting the last few years I 've been to the shore, but next summer I am definitely getting some of that Jersey sand   They charge me a fee to lay on the sand, so I might as well help myself to some of it.  Noone is going to miss it.  With my luck they 'll probably charge me with theft or criminal mischief for taking a few pounds of sand

[Sprungout]

Harry, I recommend Gunnison beach at Sandy hook....nobody will notice you taking sand.

[avator]

You pay the shipping and I'll send you all the sand you want... you pick the fire ants out.

[unionrdr]

I don't think they're all that light. Front bag is 3lbs + weight of bag, rear about 2lbs. And the fill spouts Velcro shut & fold over into pockets on the bottom. Seems like they'll be okay? I'll see when I can get son to take me to the range when Crosman 160 gas valve comes back any day now. Then Crosman & Hatsan go to range together to make the most of that $15 weekday range fee.
I also called Crosman last Monday & asked about an assembly lube for the ancient 160. He looked it up-after I reminded him it was Co2-and told me to just use Pellgun oil on the seals. I'd already done that the first time, not finding any alternatives mentioned anywhere. So Pellgun oil it shall be...
He also told me they gave " Steve's pages" many old copies of their service manuals for his PDF I downloaded. I used my Kindle app as the reader for all my PDF's. Nice-n-handy on the desktop!