Rear bags

Vern

Vern

Morethan1waytoskinacat
I was just looking through the new Sinclair catalog and noticed on the rear bag page advertising Edgewood bags that Edgewood is advertising the basic donuts that have been around for a while.

At first I didnt think much about it but they are advertised in several different sizes and shapes based on the Edgewood bags.

I am about to purchase a rear bag and was considering Edgewood however I thought they were suppose to be rock solid and have no need for a donut.

If I have to buy a donut to make it stable I can just buy a cheaper bag. At least they are available without a long wait.

Was this just a bad way to advertise for them or are they not all they are cracked up to be?
 
We are some benchrestshooter here in Sweden who got the Edgewood (minigater) bags.
All of us is a little bit disappointed, cause it's volatile and not so steady/stabil as we believed.

I just bought one Edgewood Dead bottom and it solve the problem, thanks :rolleyes:
But I didn't think that it was the idea and necessary to bought....

Maybee buy some cheaper bags already stabil.
 
I'm not pleased

I have a high Mini-Gator, don't know how I got a high, and it has a lot of rock and some indents along the seams in it. I landed up buying a doughnut for the thing and that makes it very stable but very high for a Farley CoAx. Too high for some ranges. The few other regular height rear Mini-Gators I’ve looked over seem to be stable without the doughnut.

To add to the problem. Sinclair in March sent me a spacer instead of a doughnut as described in their catalog. The Sinclair sales guy I spoke to when the spacer arrived didn’t shoot benchrest, know what a doughnut was, or realize their catalog description was fouled up. I had to call Edgewood and return it to them. After I paid to ship it back to Edgewood they went and charged me the difference in price between a spacer and doughnut and return shipping. I’d figure a company that charges premium prices for a suppose to be premium product would make good when they mess up instead of charging you for the fix.
 
Vern ...

Vern said:
I was just looking through the new Sinclair catalog and noticed on the rear bag page advertising Edgewood bags that Edgewood is advertising the basic donuts that have been around for a while.

At first I didnt think much about it but they are advertised in several different sizes and shapes based on the Edgewood bags.

I am about to purchase a rear bag and was considering Edgewood however I thought they were suppose to be rock solid and have no need for a donut.

If I have to buy a donut to make it stable I can just buy a cheaper bag. At least they are available without a long wait.

Was this just a bad way to advertise for them or are they not all they are cracked up to be?
Click to expand...

I shot in the Bluebonnet at Dietz Range in New Braunfels, Texas a few weeks ago. The benches are small front to back and you need all the space available to set up properly. One of the benches I shot on had a smooth cement section that was also rounded [convex] which made for a frustrating time trying to keep my rear bag from moving around. I eventually placed some paper wedges underneath it in a couple locations. It helped some.

The following week I called David at Protektor Model http://www.protektormodel.com/ and had him make me up a 5" X 7" Donut / Dead Bottom bag with an edge that is 3/4" to 1" wide and tall that is made of suede leather. Looks a lot like the Edgewood. Cost $25!

I recommend one regardless of whether your bag is High-End or Middle-of-the-Road, rock-hard bottom or soft. Some day you're going to find yourself on a bench where you're going to need one. Good Shooting! Art :)
 
If your bench is flat you probably don't need a donut. If your bench top has whoop-de-do's on the top surface you probably do need a donut no matter what rear bag. A donut is a good thing to have to compensate for a low rear bag. Some of my rifle/range/rest+bag setups require 2 donuts placed under the rear bag. At the last match I was using a new combination that needed a donut unbeknownst to me. I left my donuts at home but was able to borrow a rear riser block which saved the day. Lesson learned. Always take the donuts !!!
 
Prairie Dog Life Raft

I have one of those 5"x7" "donut" thingies, but I thought they were called "Prairie Dog Life Rafts". :D Wouldn't go to a shoot without one.

Best,
Dan Batko

"Where are we going and why am I in this basket?"
 
Of all the bags I've owned (seb, edgewood,protektor), the Protektor has been the most stable and had the best made bottom. However, this might not be a fair comparison because I had a Gator bag which is the only bag Edgewood makes that doesn't have a donut design. I had to make my own donut around the edges for that particular bag. The minigator looks to be a bit more stable. But, the bottom material and shape of the Protektor upper end models are cream of the crop and can't be beat in my opinion.

And I ordered another bottom "spacer" for the downhill ranges I shoot and it was sent in three days and cost $25 plus $5 shipping. Can't beat that with a stick!
 
Thanks

Thanks for all the input.
I met Dan at the Blue Bonnet but I dont remember meeting Art there. But then again CRS can slip up on me:(

Thats kind of what I thought.
I sure dont see ploping down that kind of money for a bag on my limited funds just to have the same problems I would/will have with a Protector.

A friend has a problem with his Protektor sliding but I am going to take him some sticky sand paper to put on the bottom and that should solve the slide problem.

I guess Ill buy the Protektor and a donut/life raft/spacer/thingie
 
Sliding rear bags

There is a rubberized tool bax liner thats makes a good rear bag stabilizer.
Its very good on slippery benches...........
 
My rear bag

I know I get a lot of flack for my rear bag because of it's size (Dr. Bumble Bee), but with that big horse weighing 20+ pounds, it doesn't move anywhere. When I called and had it made, I had them make it just like I liked it. Flat instead of at an angle, with an extra stitch in between the ears, and an extra tall leather base.

The extra customer service they give you makes it worth the money. Plus you get a custom bag made exactly as you want it.
 
Earlm, I have thought about that but there are those that claim it makes the bag moosh a little more, or rather a little less stable.

Thanks Zombie, I may do that in the future but right now I doubt I will afford the custom bag. But next year will be another story.
I am having to buy so much this year just to get started again.
 
The upper end Protektors have layered hard leather bottoms about an inch thick. These bags don't require a donut or Otto life raft. They have large grained leather on the bottom to prevent slippage. Some ranges have painted concrete benches and are extra slick. For these ranges, I simply wet the bottom of the bag and it is basically like glueing the bag to the bench. It's almost like cheating.;)
 
goodgrouper

The bag I spoke of that a friend has is exactly like that except it slips on almost all benches.
He does wet it but it is short lived. That is why I am going to take him some sticky sand paper for the bottom of the bag.
They are nice bags at a lot less cost and that is what I have decided to buy but even then I will still get the donut.
 
goodgrouper said:
The upper end Protektors have layered hard leather bottoms about an inch thick. These bags don't require a donut or Otto life raft. They have large grained leather on the bottom to prevent slippage. Some ranges have painted concrete benches and are extra slick. For these ranges, I simply wet the bottom of the bag and it is basically like glueing the bag to the bench. It's almost like cheating.;)
Click to expand...

One of Riverbend's benches has a hump right where the rear bag needs to be. I drew this bench the first time I used a brand new Bumblebee rear bag. I couldn't believe my new super duper rear bag was rocking back and forth on every shot :rolleyes:
 
holy cow!

I use a bumblebee (DR Bag from Protektor) too and was on a very unlevel bench in Colorado last weekend and had no problems. The layered leather on the bottom flexed enough to contour to the benchtop. If the bench you were on was worse than the one I was on, somebody needs to take an orbital to that benchtop!
 
Tricrown

tricrown said:
I have a high Mini-Gator, don't know how I got a high, and it has a lot of rock and some indents along the seams in it. I landed up buying a doughnut for the thing and that makes it very stable but very high for a Farley CoAx. Too high for some ranges. The few other regular height rear Mini-Gators I’ve looked over seem to be stable without the doughnut.

To add to the problem. Sinclair in March sent me a spacer instead of a doughnut as described in their catalog. The Sinclair sales guy I spoke to when the spacer arrived didn’t shoot benchrest, know what a doughnut was, or realize their catalog description was fouled up. I had to call Edgewood and return it to them. After I paid to ship it back to Edgewood they went and charged me the difference in price between a spacer and doughnut and return shipping. I’d figure a company that charges premium prices for a suppose to be premium product would make good when they mess up instead of charging you for the fix.
Click to expand...

It seems to me that since you bought it from Sinclair from THEIR catalog it should have been their responsibility to fix the problem and make it right.
NOT for you to have to deal with Edgewood.

I have also noticed any post that allows a vendor to be shown in a negative light ends up being deleted for some reason.
I thought this was a free market society.
 
There are some very good shooters that use the Otto ring. Many times we end up fighting for our preconceived ideas of what ought to work. Often, this is a waste of time. If someone is doing something that works better, until you come up with something that is superior...copy. Another thing that often gets in the way is our natural attraction to things that look slick. Often this will bias our evaluation of its relative functionality.
 
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