DIY Sandbag Mod

[CaddmannQ]

I recently bought this cast aluminum Remington rifle rest at Turner's, and I liked it pretty well once I cleaned up the threads. The Chinese do not understand the concept of lead-in on threads.

Also I didn't like the little fake Cordura nylon and Cheapo leatherette sandbag they give you. It is super thin and filled with some lightweight plastic bits.

I made a new one from suede leather and I stuffed it with very small aquarium gravel about the size of a split pea.

I managed to, with enormous care, sew this up on my wife's little plastic dress making machine.

I'm really proud of myself because I didn't bend any needles or break any, but I went very slowly.

I double-stitched everything and then I filled it and sewed up the last corner by hand.

The bottom is larger than the bag by about a half inch in the front and back. There I punched the bottom edges with a conductors punch and laced it together with paracord.
I burned the ends with a match and glued the knot with Krazy Glue .

Here it is compared to the crummy little Remington bag which will probably just go in the trash.


If the weather's not too cold I may get it out to the range tomorrow, for its first field test. I got about 10 pounds of newly reloaded ammunition I want to test out.

 

[Djcala]

Very nice thats quality rightbthere home spun awesomeness, save the store bought for under the buttstock or your elbow. Nice work have fun on the range

 

[CaddmannQ]

Thank you DJ. I definitely shot better from the rest than off my bipod.

The stitching is adequate but not tidy. It was about the limit if what our machine can sew.
I got a chance to try it out Friday and I was pretty happy, but before I went I put a new 1/4" bolt thru the cast pad to keep it on the stem. The little clamp bolt wasn't secure, and allowed some wobbling. Now it's permanently attached.
But I knew it would be an issue.

 

[hombre243]

Thank you DJ. I definitely shot better from the rest than off my bipod.

The stitching is adequate but not tidy. It was about the limit if what our machine can sew.
I got a chance to try it out Friday and I was pretty happy, but before I went I put a new 1/4" bolt thru the cast pad to keep it on the stem. The little clamp bolt wasn't secure, and allowed some wobbling. Now it's permanently attached.
But I knew it would be an issue.

I have been using a GO Rilla bag for years. But it is gaining weight...or I am gaining in years and getting weaker. 37 lbs is a bunch...and I also have a lighter Caldwell bag that works well and only weighs 14 lbs. I have tried the Caldwell rests, and a Remington that looked like a Caldwell. Plain sandbags don't work for me. I do need a slightly taller setup at the benches I have access to. I think the person who designed them was a jokester because the benches don't fit anyone I have met at the range. The seats are too low and the tables are too high. I can shoot off my palm sitting down, or standing and shooting using the Gorilla or Caldwell bag. No fun at all.

AHA! I just thought of a remedy...I will sit on the shooting bag and shoot off a Caldwell.

 

[CaddmannQ]

Some Shooters bring their own stool to our range because we have folding chairs which aren't really tall enough for some folks. The benches are almost all concrete so there's nothing to do about that.