"I've never been beaten by a stock or a rear bag."
Gene, not to be argumentitive but I suspect you and I have been beaten by both !!!
A great shooting system is every part working in concert... Get a bad scope, barrel, bedding, or any other part of the system and your agging potential starts to dwindle. Every part of the system matters.....
Hi Pat,
Sounds as if you know something about stocks and rear bags that I do not. I think I have the answer to the stock part of the equation with the Ultralite but do you have any secrets to share with us about rear bags? Anything you can share would be most welcome and how could it detract from your own efforts? You have nothing to prove; you have already proven to one and all that you are one of the best benchrest shooters in the world. You have written your name into the record books and shot your way into the HOF. That says it all.
The rear bag rules and interpretations thereof have created a lot of controversy during the twenty years I have been involved in benchrest. I believe it's time we got realistic about this and eliminate some of the outdated, ambiguous rules such as, what the bag may be filled with, what it can be made of, whether or not a bag stabilizer can be used and whether or not it can be attached to the bag etc., etc. Who cares?
If the rules, as they are presently written, were followed to the 'T', there would be very few rear bags that would pass inspection. For example;
The rules state the rear bag shall be filled with sand only with no additives. This alone would eliminate about half the bags on the line because many add talcum powder, parakeet gravel, lanolin, Barite, rosin, and other additives.
What is the definition of sand? Is it ground up glass, black foundry sand or could white sand from the Monahans sand hills be used? What is the minimum/maximum size of granule? Must it be naturally occurring or can it be ground up concrete? If beach sand is used, must it be washed clean of salt? See what I mean? Such silly rules leave the door open for those who love nothing more than stirring up trouble.
If we are going to look the other way for some and not others, why have the rule in the first place? Why not make it simple and remove all restrictions on rear bags. If a shooter wants to fill his rear bag with lead shot, it's okay with me. If he wants a solid concrete rear bag; why not? I don't have a problem with it. If the huge 'Gator' bags are legal, why not a smaller Edgewood or Protektor bag filled with whatever?
Later,
Gene Beggs