Sandbags – they seem simple. But, I never thought I would have to comment on sandbag etiquette:
We get our sandbags from the Allen County Highway Department. The Highway Department is very co-operative, we just go out to the south barn, fill the bags, load them in the truck and bring them out to the range. The bags are not terribly high quality, so we double bag the sandbags. They should last a long time, but several factors make our bags wear out a lot quicker than they should.
FIRST: People rest the muzzle of their rifle on the sandbag. This is the biggest single factor that damages sandbags. The blast from the muzzle burns a hole in the woven cover on the bag. It only takes a couple of shots to melt through both layers of bags and the sand starts to drizzle out of the hole. If we catch this soon enough, we can put what is left of the bag in another bag, but many times the bag is thrown on the shooting deck, the sand runs out in a pile and we end up having to clean up the mess and throw away the broken bag.
POINT OF ETIQUETTE ONE: Don’t lay your muzzle on the sandbag. Not only does this burn a hole in the bag – it is not a very stable shooting position.
SECOND: Picatinny Rails: A Picatinny Rail on the underside of your rifle will cut up the bag. Back to Point One, these are not really durable bags. That rail is very hard on the bags. We try to keep some carpet squares on the shooting benches to lie on top of the bags. If the squares have wandered off, sit the rail on your hat and remember to bring a towel or something to put under the rail the next time you come out to the range.
POINT OF ETIQUETTE TWO: Don’t lay a Picatinny Rail on a sandbag without some protection between the rail and the bag.
Third: Wet Sandbags: Please don’t leave sandbags lying in a place that will let them get rained on. In the first place, it makes the bag about 50% heavier and harder to move around. Most people don’t want to lay their rifle on a wet bag. In cold weather, a wet bag freezes solid and turns into a block – not useful for bench shooting. That frozen bag sticks to the bench and tears the bag when you try to pry it loose.
POINT OF ETIQUETTE THREE: When you finish with sandbags, please move them to a location where they will not get wet from rain or snow.
The bottom line: A little thought and courtesy will reduce the work associated with maintaining sandbags and will give everyone more bags and nicer bags to shoot from.
Thanks to everybody!