Below is copied from the IBS rulebook, as found online. I have added the boldface (for emphasis) and italic, (to add a note).
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7) A front sand bag rest shall support the front part of a rifle: a rear sand bag rest shall support the rear part of a rifle: neither rest can be attached to the bench, the rifle, nor each other; they must be movable in all directions independently of the other. Any part of the rifle resting there on must maintain a minimum of one-half inch distance from any part of the retainer or container holding the sand bag on which the rifle rests. Whenever the rifle makes contact on its sides, there may be a maximum of sand one-half inch high and a minimum of one-half thick on each side. Sand bags on front rests must be a minimum of one and one-half inches wide by four inches long and rear rests sand bags must be a minimum of one and one-half inches wide by three inches long. No device of any kind can restrict the upward and/or rearward movement of the rifle. Any; sand bag used as a rest that is not supported by a retainer and that has movement without restraint need not comply with this rule.
8) Rests rest changes or recoil systems must comply with rule 4 and be shown to and approved by the rest committee and/or range officer before being used in competition. Rifles must rest on sand bags only; no multiple recoil ("return to battery") systems on front or rear rests are allowed.
[rule 4, for reference]
4) A sand bag is defined as a bag with or without a pedestal, with a leather or cloth cover, that is capable of being easily flexed by the fingers, and contains a dry finely divided nonmetallic substance such as, but not limited to, sand, gravel, or grain, without additive and packed loosely enough that bag can easily be deformed by pressure of the fingers. The cover of the sand bag must not be bound in such a manner to prohibit free movement of the contents. Lubricants such as talcum powder, Vaseline, or mica may be used on the bag for lubrication.
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Couple things to note:
1. Best I can tell, there is no rest committee. So, taken at face value, and perhaps absurd, no front rest is legal until the range officer says it is.
2. What may fill a bag is different than short range. Grain, for example is allowed. The rule seems to allow anything that isn't metallic. But Zircon (heavy sand) may be illegal. Is it a metal? Zircon is specifically allowed in the general, short-range rules section (which prohibits anything but sand), but of course, the long-range rules supercede the general rules for long range.
3. Note the "easily flexed by fingers, too. Maybe that's Orangutan fingers? Orangutan's are pretty strong. Otherwise, most front bags are probably illegal. Up to the R.O.?
The cover of the sand bag must not be bound in such a manner to prohibit free movement of the contents might be taken to prohibit the Edgewood bag with the reinforced top? Up to the varying R.O.'s?
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Some clean-up of the rules is almost certainly needed; can that be done by the committee without a rule change & membership vote?
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7) A front sand bag rest shall support the front part of a rifle: a rear sand bag rest shall support the rear part of a rifle: neither rest can be attached to the bench, the rifle, nor each other; they must be movable in all directions independently of the other. Any part of the rifle resting there on must maintain a minimum of one-half inch distance from any part of the retainer or container holding the sand bag on which the rifle rests. Whenever the rifle makes contact on its sides, there may be a maximum of sand one-half inch high and a minimum of one-half thick on each side. Sand bags on front rests must be a minimum of one and one-half inches wide by four inches long and rear rests sand bags must be a minimum of one and one-half inches wide by three inches long. No device of any kind can restrict the upward and/or rearward movement of the rifle. Any; sand bag used as a rest that is not supported by a retainer and that has movement without restraint need not comply with this rule.
8) Rests rest changes or recoil systems must comply with rule 4 and be shown to and approved by the rest committee and/or range officer before being used in competition. Rifles must rest on sand bags only; no multiple recoil ("return to battery") systems on front or rear rests are allowed.
[rule 4, for reference]
4) A sand bag is defined as a bag with or without a pedestal, with a leather or cloth cover, that is capable of being easily flexed by the fingers, and contains a dry finely divided nonmetallic substance such as, but not limited to, sand, gravel, or grain, without additive and packed loosely enough that bag can easily be deformed by pressure of the fingers. The cover of the sand bag must not be bound in such a manner to prohibit free movement of the contents. Lubricants such as talcum powder, Vaseline, or mica may be used on the bag for lubrication.
* * *
Couple things to note:
1. Best I can tell, there is no rest committee. So, taken at face value, and perhaps absurd, no front rest is legal until the range officer says it is.
2. What may fill a bag is different than short range. Grain, for example is allowed. The rule seems to allow anything that isn't metallic. But Zircon (heavy sand) may be illegal. Is it a metal? Zircon is specifically allowed in the general, short-range rules section (which prohibits anything but sand), but of course, the long-range rules supercede the general rules for long range.
3. Note the "easily flexed by fingers, too. Maybe that's Orangutan fingers? Orangutan's are pretty strong. Otherwise, most front bags are probably illegal. Up to the R.O.?
The cover of the sand bag must not be bound in such a manner to prohibit free movement of the contents might be taken to prohibit the Edgewood bag with the reinforced top? Up to the varying R.O.'s?
* * *
Some clean-up of the rules is almost certainly needed; can that be done by the committee without a rule change & membership vote?
