Best Shooting Bags – What The Pros Use

I’m presently publishing a collection of posts that spotlight the gear the 200 top-ranked shooters within the Precision Rifle Collection (PRS) are operating in long-range rifle matches. (Study concerning the Precision Rifle Collection.) This group of opponents represents the most effective precision rifle shooters within the nation. This text will deal with what capturing baggage they use to assist them get regular from susceptible and positional photographs.

Greatest Taking pictures Baggage

Taking pictures baggage have come a great distance over the previous 8-9 years. In 2015, the highest opponents had been all utilizing light-weight sq. baggage and outsized baggage to fill massive gaps of their our bodies when capturing from an improvised place (view the “What The Execs Use” baggage article from 2015).

Since that point, there have been two massive improvements associated to capturing baggage which have modified the sport:

The Sport Changer Bag Design: The Sport Changer was launched in 2016 by Clifton Reasor of Reasor Precision. Naming a brand new product “Sport Changer” is a daring transfer – however he was completely proper! That V-shaped, saddle bag design modified the sport. Inside 12-18 months of the introduction of the Sport Changer bag, PRS match administrators needed to begin shrinking goal sizes as a result of shooters had been in a position to get considerably extra regular from barricades and props utilizing that new bag.

Sand Fill Baggage: Over the previous 5 years, most shooters have moved to sand-filled baggage, particularly for capturing from improvised positions. If you happen to in contrast how regular your rifle was on the identical actual mannequin of bag, however one had light-weight fill, and the opposite had heavy sand fill – you’d see the sand bag gave you dramatically much less wobble. A number of PRS Champions have advised me that they take into account a sand-filled bag as a part of the non-negotiable, must-have gear to be aggressive within the PRS.

At present, just about all the top-level opponents are utilizing baggage comprised of waxed canvas. Waxed canvas has a versatile, responsive texture that may be very malleable. If you drop a rifle on prime of a waxed canvas bag, the fabric immediately conforms to the rifle’s contours. Two-time world champion and PRS Champion Austin Buschman suggests rewaxing your bag often. He may do it a couple of occasions throughout a match. When waxed often, the bag additionally has somewhat little bit of a grip or stickiness to it, which will be useful when placing it on a barricade, publish, rocks, and so forth.

In a JTAC coaching class, Austin Orgain defined that they’d tried plenty of totally different thicknesses of waxed canvas materials, however to get it supple sufficient to essentially contour to the rifle, the producers have to make use of a thinner canvas materials. In the event that they used a thicker materials to make them extra sturdy, they wouldn’t work as effectively. So even the most effective baggage gained’t final perpetually, which is why professional shooters see baggage as consumables. (Professional Tip: Carry some Shoe Goo to restore holes throughout a match.)

How Many Baggage Do You Carry At A Match?

In my survey of the highest 200 ranked shooters within the PRS, the primary query I requested was: “What number of capturing baggage do you often carry with you at a PRS match (together with a plate bag, if relevant)?” Right here is their reply:

85% of professional shooters carry both 2 or 3 baggage. Now, a type of baggage is likely to be what we consult with as a “plate bag,” which is a particular form of bag which you can connect to your rifle. Here’s a take a look at what a typical bag mixture may appear to be that you just’d see a professional shooter carrying at each match:

Clearly, the few individuals who solely carry 1 bag use the identical bag as a rear bag when capturing from a susceptible place and a positional bag when capturing from a barricade. However it is not uncommon for shooters to hold one bag that’s primarily used as a rear bag beneath the buttstock when capturing from a susceptible or modified susceptible place and one other positional bag that’s positioned beneath the forend when capturing off a barricade or prop. The rear bag is usually bigger, and the positional bag usually has a sand fill.

I particularly requested shooters in my survey what model, mannequin, and fill they used for his or her rear bag and what model, mannequin, and fill they used for his or her positional bag. I’ll cowl the entire breakdown beneath, however first, here’s a take a look at what number of shooters used the identical actual bag for his or her rear bag and positional bag:

64% of those top-ranked opponents stated they use the identical actual bag for each their rear bag and positional bag (similar model, mannequin, and bag fill). Nevertheless, 7 of the shooters within the prime 10 stated they use a special rear bag and positional bag.

Final 12 months, I interviewed two-time PRS Champion Austin Orgain and two-time IPRF World Champion Austin Buschman. I talked to each of them extensively about their preferences on capturing baggage. They independently advised me that they each strongly desire a sand fill of their positional bag and take into account a waxed canvas sand-filled bag as a part of their non-negotiable, must-have gear. However, neither of them like to make use of a rear bag with sand fill – they usually every had the identical reasoning. Right here is how Orgain defined it: “I don’t like sand fill for a rear bag. I just like the poly fill that has the little plastic beads in it for a rear bag. I really feel like every time I’m making an attempt to make use of a rear bag with sand as I attempt to squeeze it so it takes up extra space, the sand all the time looks like it’s making an attempt to fall out on me. A sand bag within the rear simply doesn’t make me really feel tremendous regular. With a poly bead rear bag, while you squeeze it, every little thing appears to remain there the place you need it to, and also you should not have to maintain squeezing somewhat extra to maintain your rifle the place you need it.” Additionally they each desire a bigger rear bag, which is why they each carry a rear bag and a special positional bag.

We’ll take a look at the fill that these pro-level shooters are operating of their rear bag and positional baggage later on this article, however hopefully, that provides you somewhat context on why some shooters may desire to hold a number of baggage with them at a match.

Greatest Rear Bag

Model & Mannequin

The chart beneath provides a full breakdown of what baggage the top-ranked PRS shooters stated they primarily used as their rear baggage in matches.

Over 99% of those professional shooters had been utilizing both an Armageddon Gear Sport Changer or a Wiebad Fortune Cookie! Each bag designs have a saddle or V-shape {that a} shooter can place over a barricade to create a flat capturing floor. There are a couple of sizes of these two baggage accessible, and the photograph beneath reveals all the fashions that had been utilized by greater than 5 of those shooters as a rear bag:

77% had been utilizing one of many Armageddon Gear Sport Changer capturing baggage. There are a couple of totally different sizes of Sport Changer baggage, and of these utilizing a Sport Changer as their rear bag, 40% run a Schmedium Sport Changer, 33% run the unique OG Sport Changer, 22% run a Plus One Sport Changer, and 5% run a Pint-Dimension Sport Changer.

23% had been utilizing one of many Wiebad Fortune Cookie capturing baggage as their rear bag. Once more, there are a couple of totally different sizes of Fortune Cookie baggage, and right here is the breakdown: 48% had been utilizing the Tator Tot Fortune Cookie, 28% had been utilizing the Max Fortune Cookie, 23% had been utilizing the Mini Fortune Cookie, and three% had been utilizing the Micro Tator Tot.

Right here is Austin Buschman’s tackle a rear bag: “After I first began, I used a very small rear bag, after which I finally discovered you nearly can’t have a sufficiently big rear bag. You’ll be able to all the time use the nook of it if you’ll want to get down actually low, and if you’ll want to stand up actually excessive, then you may stand it on its finish and fluff it up. I can go to nearly a foot excessive with my Wiebad Max Fortune Cookie if I needed to on a stage, and I can go all the way down to the filth on the low finish if I have to.”

There was just one shooter who wasn’t utilizing both a Sport Changer or a Fortune Cookie, and that was Keith Baker, who stated he was utilizing a “Baker Bag.” I attempted to seek out any information on-line about that bag however couldn’t provide you with something. I additionally reached out to Keith however hadn’t heard again from him earlier than I revealed this. I assume it’s a customized bag he developed for his personal use – but when I get extra information, I’ll replace it right here.

Fill for Rear Bag

Now let’s take a look at what fill these shooters stated they had been utilizing of their rear bag:

67% of those prime marksmen use sand of their rear bag, together with 5 of the shooters within the prime 10.

17% chosen that they used “Ultralight Beads” of their rear bag. Git-Lite and SpexLite are two extremely popular light-weight bag fills and are probably what most of these shooters are utilizing. Another shooters particularly stated they use SpexLite or Git-Lite, however lots of them merely stated it was some kind of “Ultralight Beads.” It isn’t all the time clear what kind of ultralight fill a producer makes use of while you purchase a bag, so I’d suspect many of those shooters may not know the particular model of the fill. If you happen to add within the different 2 individuals who specified SpexLite or Git-Lite, then 18% had been utilizing an ultralight fill of their rear bag.

13% of those shooters stated they had been utilizing “Poly Beads” because the fill of their rear bag. That was the fill materials in baggage for the longest time, and it’s someplace between sand and ultralight beads by way of weight.

For instance, listed below are the approximate weights of the Armageddon Gear Schmedium Taking pictures Bag with totally different sorts of fill:

Heavy Sand: 9.2 lbs.

Customary Poly Beads: 4.0 lbs.

SpexLite Ultralight Beads: 1.2 lbs.

Empty Waxed Canvas Bag (no fill): 0.3 lbs. (5.0 ounces)

These 3 hottest fill sorts are commonplace choices which you can order a bag with, however you may see there may be quite a lot of different bag fill sorts that a few of these top-ranked shooters are operating. Nevertheless, all of these different choices had been simply stated by 1 shooter every.

A number of experimented with some form of mixture of sand, commonplace beads, and ultralight fill, probably making an attempt to “strike the fitting stability” between how steady a bag was and the general weight.

Glass Bag Fill

Professional shooter Sheldon Nalos stated he used “tremendous high quality glass beads, like what you’d discover in a weighted blanket.” The photograph reveals what 1 lb. of fill seems like for traditional plastic poly beads in comparison with the identical weight of micro glass beads. Here’s a hyperlink to micro glass bead fill on Amazon.

Just lately, Wiebad began providing glass-filled baggage. Here’s what they are saying about it: “Much like our present Heavy Sand Fill in weight, the Glass Bead gives a much less granular really feel when dealing with and utilizing the Fortune Cookie. Smaller grains of medium gives speedy settling of the media contained in the confinements of the outer shell.” I additionally noticed this Instagram publish from professional shooter Corey Voges a couple of weeks in the past, the place he shared his expertise making an attempt Wiebad’s baggage with glass fill:

One of many massive variations between Wiebad and Armageddon Gear capturing baggage is that the AG Sport Changer baggage mean you can exchange or regulate the quantity of fill via a spout on the tip. Wiebad’s baggage don’t have a solution to entry the fill – with out ripping seams after which stitching them again up later. With that stated, a Sport Changer bag usually comes overfilled, which means the bag accommodates extra fill than what most professional shooters would say is the perfect quantity of fill to make use of. However you may open up the port, take away a few of that fill, and regulate it to no matter degree you favor – and even exchange it totally with a special fill. In distinction, the Wiebad baggage include a fairly excellent quantity of fill out-of-the-box, however you may’t regulate it (simply).

Edge Sand Bag Fill

The final fill kind I wish to contact on briefly is Edge fill or “Edge Sand” fill. Austin Orgain advised me he’d been making an attempt out that fill, and here’s what he advised me about it: “I actually like sand in a positional bag, however I’ve additionally been taking part in round with Wiebad’s new Edge fill. The Edge fill is meant to be just like sand however helps in moist situations. Generally, when a bag with sand in it will get moist or waterlogged, it will get actually exhausting and doesn’t work very effectively to shoot off of. Think about a sand fortress that’s packed actually tight and nearly turns right into a brick. The Edge fill is meant to be higher within the water, however to this point, I nonetheless just like the sand fill higher if I’m going to be in dry situations. I really feel just like the rifle sinks into the bag somewhat higher, and the bag kinds to it somewhat bit higher.” So, that’s one thing to remember if you’re capturing in moist/wet situations.

Lastly, if you wish to dive deeper into the science and efficiency traits of bag fill, I’d extremely suggest you hearken to this Miles to Matches podcast from Chad Heckler & Francis Colon: Miles to Matches Ep. 109 – Bag Fill with David Schabel from SpexLite. I discovered it very fascinating!

Greatest Positional Bag

Now, let’s shift our focus from the rear bag to what positional bag these guys had been operating. As I discussed within the introduction, a few of these guys are operating the identical bag for each – however some desire to hold a bag that’s particularly optimized for positional use. Here’s a full breakdown of what all of those professional shooters had been utilizing for his or her positional baggage:

Model & Mannequin

As soon as once more, the Armageddon Gear Sport Changer capturing bag is the most well-liked possibility amongst these top-ranked shooters. 71% of the professionals had been utilizing a Sport Changer as their major positional bag. 54% of these operating a Sport Changer had been utilizing a Schmedium, and 34% had been operating a Plus One Sport Changer. There have been additionally 9% utilizing an OG Sport Changer as their positional bag, and three% stated they’re utilizing a Pint-Dimension Sport Changer (together with Andy Slade, who positioned 2nd total within the Open Division and gained $30K on the 2023 AG Cup).

28% of those shooters use a Wiebad Fortune Cookie as their positional bag, together with 5 of these within the prime 10. Of these utilizing Wiebad baggage, 59% had been utilizing a Tater Tot Fortune Cookie bag, 24% had been utilizing a Mini Fortune Cookie bag, 12% had been utilizing a Max Fortune Cookie bag, and 4% had been utilizing a Micro Tater Tot bag. One fascinating word is that 4 of the highest 10 shooters stated they use a Mini Fortune Cookie, which makes it the most well-liked positional bag among the many prime 10.

PRS Champions Clay Blackketter, Austin Orgain, and Austin Buschman say all of them run the Wiebad Mini Fortune Cookie on most positional levels as a result of the mini isn’t as tall as different baggage, which supplies them minimal clearance above the barricade. Having your rifle nearer to the barricade principally creates a smaller fulcrum, which they imagine helps you keep heading in the right direction higher via recoil.

Fill for Positional Bag

Right here is the breakdown of what kind of fill these shooters are operating of their positional bag:

93% are operating a sand fill of their positional bag! That features all the guys within the prime 10. Actually, there may be just one man within the prime 25 operating something however sand. Whereas a couple of are experimenting with different mixes or fills, it looks as if a sand-filled bag is a must have for positional photographs.

Plate Baggage

Plate baggage are principally a solution to connect a bag to an arca rail on the underside of your rifle’s forend. Having a bag connected to your rifle can shave a couple of seconds on levels the place it’s important to transition between a number of positions.

Additionally, you will often see professional shooters operating a plate bag within the entrance and a bipod behind it on a stage. That helps on levels the place among the photographs have to be off a bag and a few could possibly be susceptible or modified susceptible off a bipod. Most professional shooters would favor to take a shot from a bipod and rear bag if there may be any means potential to do this on a stage. You’ll be able to see Austin Orgain operating such a stage beneath and utilizing a plate bag for the photographs off the facet of the truck mattress earlier than he stood as much as take the final photographs from the highest of the truck cab utilizing a modified susceptible place with the bipod within the entrance and a rear bag. I took that photograph as I watched him shoot the stage, and I can’t bear in mind for positive – however I wager he cleaned it! 😉

Sadly, I didn’t particularly ask the shooters what plate bag they had been operating on the survey, so I don’t have exhausting information to report on that. Nevertheless, I shoot with sufficient of those guys and journey to sufficient professional matches to confidently say that there are two manufacturers of plates and baggage which can be hottest:

Grey Ops Mini Plate PRO paired with both Armageddon Gear’s Mini Plate Pad bag or Wiebad’s Plate Bag.

Space 419 RailChanger X paired with one among these appropriate baggage from Space 419: OG Sport Changer Bag, Pint-Dimension Sport Changer, or the Cole-Tac D-Bag Plate Bag.

Orgain stated that the way in which he makes use of his plate/bag combo probably the most isn’t truly on his rifle. It’s when it’s mounted on to his tripod, and he rests his binos on prime of the bag and makes use of it just like a positional bag to regular his binos to seek out targets, watch wind downrange, and spot impacts for different shooters. Some folks wish to clamp their binos right into a tripod, however resting them on prime of a bag could make transitioning between targets sooner and should take out extra of the micro-vibrations from the tripod and assist the optic be extra regular.

There are a ton of shooters who use a plate bag to relaxation their binos and spot photographs for different shooters at a match. You usually want a double-arca adapter to connect a plate bag to the highest of a tripod, like what many of the shooters beneath are utilizing.

Waxing Your Bag

Austin Buschman teaches that we have to rewax our waxed canvas baggage, as a result of it lubricates the fibers and makes it into a special bag. He can inform the distinction in how the rifle recoils between a freshly waxed bag and one that’s dry or soiled. Many of those professional shooters wax each inch of their positional bag, particularly the seams, which may lengthen the lifetime of the bag.

“I wax my positional bag fairly usually,” Buschman explains. “I prefer it to be actual cheesy. I exploit Otter Wax, which seems like somewhat bar of cleaning soap. I would rewax it proper earlier than a positional stage if I need it to be somewhat bit extra cheesy. And I make it some extent to not drop it within the filth if I don’t should in the course of the day as a result of I don’t wish to mess up the cheesy wax floor. On some levels, it is likely to be higher for me to make use of that very same bag for some positional photographs after which additionally use it as a rear bag, and if that’s the case, I don’t fear about it and let it get soiled. However, more often than not, I’ll use my different bag as my rear bag, and this one is primarily for positional photographs.”

Coming Up Subsequent

If you happen to loved this content material, there may be extra to return! Over the following few months, I’ll be publishing a ton of knowledge on what the highest precision rifle shooters are utilizing. Take a look at the opposite “What The Execs Use” articles which have already been revealed this 12 months.

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