Keeping your rifle steady while shooting greatly increases both precision and accuracy. Unsteady rests and offhand shooting are necessary in some circumstances, but you should always utilize a solid shooting rest if you can. While a backpack, bipod, or even a folded up towel can work in a pinch, shooting bags are the best solution. Keep reading to learn what makes a shooting bag the ideal rifle rest and to choose the best shooting bag for your needs from our top ten list.
If you do not have time for the details, here are our top picks for Shooting Bag :
- Caldwell DeadShot Boxed Combo Front and Rear Bag
- East TN. Outfitters Tactical Shooting Bags
- Twod Outdoor Shooting Rest Bags
- Lyman Match Shooting Bag & Bag Jack Combo Kit
- Caldwell Tactical DeadShot Combo
- Allen Filled Bench Shooting Bag
- Protektor Model Rabbit Ear Rear Bag
- TufForce Shooting Rest Bag
- PORTAL Gun Shooting Rest Bags
- Caldwell TackDriver Bag
Table of Contents
- Shooting Bag Benefits
- Shooting Bag Drawbacks
- What to Look For in a Shooting Bag?
- Best Shooting Bags on the Market Reviews
- 1 Caldwell DeadShot Boxed Combo Front and Rear Bag
- 2 East TN. Outfitters Tactical Shooting Bags
- 3 Twod Outdoor Shooting Rest Bags
- 4 Lyman Match Shooting Bag & Bag Jack Combo Kit
- 5 Caldwell Tactical DeadShot Combo
- 6 Allen Filled Bench Shooting Bag
- 7 Protektor Model Rabbit Ear Rear Bag
- 8 TufForce Shooting Rest Bag
- 9 PORTAL Gun Shooting Rest Bags
- 10 Caldwell TackDriver Bag
- Final Thoughts
Shooting Bag Benefits
Shooting bags provide a lot of benefits to shooters. Especially to long range shooters, precision shooters, and shooters sighting in a rifle or testing a new ammunition load. The main benefit to using shooting bags is their unbeatable steadiness. They utilize shape and weight to create a cradle of sorts that can shift and change to suit any style of rifle. If you have never used shooting bags before, you are in for a treat. They help to eliminate the frustration that can come from a shaky or otherwise unsteady rifle rest. Sighting in a rifle becomes an easy task instead of a chore when you know your scope or sights aren’t going to shift before, during, or after the shot.
Another benefit to using shooting bags is that they are generally made of soft material or are equipped with a soft lining. This prevents any damage from befalling your favorite gun that could occur from resting it against an unforgiving surface.
Shooting bags are affordable, durable, and extremely useful for just about any shooter out there.
Shooting Bag Drawbacks
As with any gear, shooting bags aren’t perfect. While their benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks, it is important to mention them anyways so you can make a fully informed purchasing decision.
One of the main drawbacks of shooting bags is transportation. They can be heavy and bulky once filled and take up a lot of room in your gear bag. It can become tempting to leave them behind when you are packing up for a trip to the range.
Another drawback is dealing with filling the shooting bags. While some shooting bags come prefilled, there are some models that must be filled by the shooter. That usually means buying a bag of sand, kitty litter, corn media, or other filling material, from the hardware store which is an additional cost and chore. Not to mention how messy dealing with sand can be.
The drawbacks of shooting bags are definitely minor and are far outweighed by the benefits
What to Look For in a Shooting Bag?
Shooting bags come in a lot of shapes and sizes. It is important to consider the type of firearm you will be using them with before you decide on which ones to purchase. Do you shoot an AR-15 with 30 round magazines? Do you need bags that can accommodate a variety of different firearms? These are just a couple of the questions you need to consider before making your choice.
Here are some other things to look for and consider while shopping for shooting bags.
Filled or Unfilled
Shooting bags are available as both filled and unfilled models. If you don’t want to mess with filling the bags yourself, go with filled. However, unfilled models do offer a little more freedom such as the ability to choose the type of fill you want, how filled up you want the bags to be, and the ability to empty them out for storage purposes.
Functionality
Do you want bags for both the front and back of the gun? Do you only need a single bag in front? Is versatility important to you? These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself before buying. Shooting bags are available in multifunctional models, single bags, and multiple bag sets to suit whatever your specific needs are.
Material
Shooting bags are almost always made from very durable material to make sure none of the filling leaks out. The thing you will want to watch out for is the material that lines the area of the shooting bags where your rifle or firearm will rest. A softer lining will protect the finish on your gun.
Now that you know the benefits, drawbacks, and things to look out for, let’s take a look at our list and find the best shooting bag for you.
Best Shooting Bags on the Market Reviews
1 Caldwell DeadShot Boxed Combo Front and Rear Bag
The Caldwell name carries a lot of respect amongst shooters for making high-quality gear. Their DeadShot Combo front and rear shooting bags are no exception. This combo set of shooting bags are constructed from 600 Denier polyester material that is both tough and water-resistant. With one of the heaviest front bags on the market at 8 pounds, the DeadShot Combo offers a rock solid rifle rest for long range and precision shooting.
These shooting bags can clip together for easy transport, storage, and to make sure they always stay together. Available in both filled and unfilled versions, the Caldwell DeadShot Combo shooting bags are an excellent choice for any shooter.
2 East TN. Outfitters Tactical Shooting Bags
The tactical shooting bags from East TN. Outfitters are designed to appeal to even the most serious shooters. This combo set includes an extra wide front shooting bag and an angled rear bag to form an excellent platform for everything from an AR-15 to a bolt-action rifle and even a pistol or crossbow.
The front bag is also equipped with six ammo loops to keep your favorite cartridges close at hand as well as MOLLE webbing on the front. The MOLLE webbing allows you to attach other important accessories that are MOLLE compatible. East TN. Outfitters are veteran owned and their shooting bags are designed with the tactical, long range, and precision shooter in mind.
3 Twod Outdoor Shooting Rest Bags
These shooting rest bags from Twod are made from 600 Denier Polyester for use in all conditions. They create a solid shooting rest for benchrest shooting, precision shooting, and long range shooting. These shooting bags feature an oxford cloth and leather lining on top to protect the finish on your rifle.
Shoulder carrying straps and a clip together system make these shooting bags easy to carry to the range and back.
4 Lyman Match Shooting Bag & Bag Jack Combo Kit
For the ultimate in versatility and adaptability, the Lyman Match Shooting Bag and Bag Jack Combo kit is the ideal choice. If you shoot with a variety of different firearms, this might be the best choice for you. It can accommodate everything from a sleek bolt-action rifle, to pistols, and even an AR-15 loaded up with a 30 round magazine. The included 10 inch by 10 inch bag jack can be adjusted to any height between 2.75 inches to 12.27 inches for a custom shooting position.
The shooting bag itself is made from 600 Denier nylon and features a micro-suede padding on areas that make contact with the firearm being used. The micro-suede also won’t catch on accessory rails and other mounting surfaces. The shooting bag also features a carrying strap and a tensioning strap to adjust the height of the bag.
5 Caldwell Tactical DeadShot Combo
If you are an avid AR-15 shooter and are in the market for shooting bags, look no further than the Caldwell Tactical DeadShot Combo. This set of shooting bags was specifically designed for tactical rifles and even has enough clearance for a gun with a 30 round magazine. In addition to being ideal for AR-15 rifles, the Tactical DeadShot combo is also great for tactical bolt-action rifles.
These shooting bags are made from extremely durable heavy duty ballistic nylon and come prefilled. The rear bag is designed to be positioned in two different ways to fit rifles of different designs. The rear bag can also be adjusted for height using a hook and loop strap system.
6 Allen Filled Bench Shooting Bag
This filled shooting bag from Allen is designed as a front bag for benchrest and PRS shooting. The non-slip bottom and non-toxic poly bead filling offer shooters a solid platform for making precise and accurate shots. This benchrest shooting bag has rifle wells on the top and bottom with one being deeper and one more shallow to fit a wide range of guns. The wells are lined with reinforced and textured synthetic material to both protect the finish on your gun and keep your rifle from sliding around.
With a compact size of 8 inches long by 7 inches wide by 5 inches tall and a shoulder carrying strap, this shooting bag is also easy to carry to the range and back.
7 Protektor Model Rabbit Ear Rear Bag
The Protektor Model Rabbit Ear Rear Bag brings some class to the shooting bag market with handsome top grain leather construction. This rear bag comes filled with heavy sand for a rifle rest that won’t move until you want it to.
The pair of 2.5 inch tall ears makes this shooting bag an ideal rest for rifles with traditional hunting stocks. The Protektor Model Rabbit Ear rear bag is 100% made in the USA. A matching front bag is also available as a separate purchase.
8 TufForce Shooting Rest Bag
The modular design of the TufForce Shooting Rest Bag allows it to be used as either a front or rear bag. The design also makes it an excellent option for handgun or pistol shooters who need to shoot from a rest. The unique adjustment string that this shooting bag is equipped with allows shooters to quickly adjust its shape to fit their needs.
Made from 600 Denier PVC material, this military green shooting bag is shipped unfilled. It can hold up to 11 pounds of sand for an extremely solid shooting rest and features a carrying handle for easy transport.
9 PORTAL Gun Shooting Rest Bags
If you only have occasional use for a set of shooting bags, the lightweight PORTAL gun shooting rest bags are a great option. These prefilled front and rear bags are made from durable 600 Denier polyester and feature a suede leather top and bottom for increased grip and gun finish protection.
10 Caldwell TackDriver Bag
The TackDriver shooting bag from Caldwell has been designed to fit nearly any long gun from rifles to shotguns. The innovative design of this bag allows it to grip the forend of the gun which gives shooters the confidence that their rifle will hold steady.
Available both filled or unfilled, the TackDriver’s fill spout is stored inside the bag. It is secured with a strong hook and loop closure that helps to eliminate leaks. The integrated shoulder strap and handle aid in carrying the bag from one location to another.
Final Thoughts
Shooting bags are an important tool for hunters, long range shooters, precision shooters, shooting contest competitors, and anyone else who needs a steady base to fire from. There are a lot of shooting bag options available for nearly any situation. Keep all your own specific needs in mind to help make sure you make the best shooting bag choice for you.