Holding a rifle or pistol absolutely still while sighting it in is difficult because shaky hands, breathing and your heartbeat transfer some movement to the gun, making it impossible to achieve the best accuracy. Rest bags serve to support the gun and to act as a damper, absorbing slight movement before it can be transferred to the gun. Shooting rest bags are inexpensive to make and essential to accurately firing a gun.
Items you will need
Old pair of blue jeans
4 large plastic food storage bags
20-lb. bag of sandbox sand
Sewing machine
Step 1
Cut two 10-inch-wide sections from the thigh area of an old pair of blue jeans. Cut two 6-inch-wide sections from the calf area of the same jeans. Use only sections that are free of rips and tears.
Step 2
Fold the jeans sections inside-out and sew one end of each section closed (you are making a small bag). After sewing, turn the jeans section right side out.
Step 3
Place 8 ounces of sandbox sand into a plastic sandwich bag and close the bag. Place the plastic bag containing the sand into a 10-inch section of jeans material and sew the end of the jeans material shut. You now have a plastic bag containing sand within the jeans section that has been sewn shut at both ends. Make two of the 10-inch bags.
Step 4
Place 4 ounces of sandbox sand into a plastic sandwich bag and close the bag. Place the plastic bag containing the sand into a 6-inch section of jeans material and sew the end of the jeans material shut as you did in step 3. Make two 6-inch bags.
Warnings
- When using rest bags ensure that they are not so far forward as to be placed in front of the gun barrel. This will produce an unsafe situation should you fire into the bag at close range.
Tips
- Two 10-inch and two 6-inch rest bags will be sufficient for most situations, but you can make as many bags as you have jeans.
- Replace rest bags every few years, as they wear out or burst open.
References
- "The Gunner's Bible"; Bill Riviere; 1985
- "The Hunter's Guide to Accurate Shooting: How to Hit What you're Aiming at in Any Situation"; Wayne Van Zwoll; 2004
- Practial Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals"; Brian Enos; 1990
Tips
- Two 10-inch and two 6-inch rest bags will be sufficient for most situations, but you can make as many bags as you have jeans.
- Replace rest bags every few years, as they wear out or burst open.
Warnings
- When using rest bags ensure that they are not so far forward as to be placed in front of the gun barrel. This will produce an unsafe situation should you fire into the bag at close range.
Writer Bio
Living in Tucson, Gerry Arlen Good has been writing for 34 years in a wide variety of environments including government, military and business. Good received a B.S. in psychology from Fitchburg State College and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College.
