Do you shoot off sandbags?

R

RX-79G

Moderator
Unless it is a tiny pocket gun, I always spend part of a range session with a newer gun firing groups from a sandbag or other stable rest.

I find this invaluable to confirm sight alignment, get a better feel for trigger pull separate from grip, discover accuracy potential and look for causes of flyers. And while I've never had a real problem with shooting a gun poorly, it is a way to confirm whether an accuracy problem is the gun or you.

I've gotten the impression from forums and at the range that most people do not do this often, if ever. While it is not the standard way one might use a Beretta 92, I really think it is both a good training and diagnostic tool that let's you know what gun and shooter are capable of when you take shaking arms and stance out of the equation.

It is also really fun. My brother and I used to shoot shotgun hulls at 50 yards with a Ruger .22 off sandbags, and I had a 9mm that I shot and 8" group to POA at 100 yards. It gave me a lot of confidence with both weapons.
 
The only way to truly know where the POI is requires some sort of rest. Otherwise all you're doing is checking your personal capability. Granted, your POI with a specific handgun and load is dependent on how you hold but you still need to know where the sights are actually pointing.
 
When I'm sighting-in, I try to always shoot some 25yd groups off sandbags. I introduce too much random error when shooting offhand. A 6"-8" offhand group will look centered, but when a group is half that size, shot from a rest, it will usually become apparent that 2/3 or more of the shots are biased in one direction or another, and a sight adjustment is necessary.
I was going to shoot a match with some 50yd shots, and since I'd never shot my gun at anything that far away, decided I'd better see where it was hitting. Even though groups seemed well-centered at 25 yards, at 50, all my shots were right of center.
 
Of note, I've always found that quality pistols shoot to POI from the factory, and the factory sight adjustment is centered. And they'll usually do that with a range of ammo in the median bullet weights.
 
I never use sandbags or any other kind of rest. I've found that attempting to do so results in slight deviations from shooting unsupported. That is, sighting in over a rest will not group exactly the same as when standing using a two handed hold. This is especially true if the support is under the gun's butt, which affects recoil of the gun.

For me, standing, using a two handed hold, maybe bracing my body against some support, provides the best results.

Bob Wright
 
RX-79G said:

Of note, I've always found that quality pistols shoot to POI from the factory, and the factory sight adjustment is centered. And they'll usually do that with a range of ammo in the median bullet weights.
Click to expand...

I believe you mean POA, point of aim. But I will disagree with you on your statement, at least in my case. Most of my guns have required some sighting in when new. These Colts, Smiths, and Rugers, which I consider quality guns.

Here are targets shot with a new Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum:



Note the first shots were well off to the right, then corrected with four clicks left windage.

Bob Wright
 
Bob, I should have said that I was referring to fixed sight guns.

There is too much variability in an adjustable sight to expect them to come adjusted to POI.
 
If you draw a line down the center of the target on the right, you'll see that you still have twice as many, or more, rounds hitting right of center as left of center. The affect is magnified with distance, and you'd probably have all of your rounds right of center at 50 yards.
 
The only way to truly know where the POI is requires some sort of rest. Otherwise all you're doing is checking your personal capability. Granted, your POI with a specific handgun and load is dependent on how you hold but you still need to know where the sights are actually pointing.
Click to expand...

I disagree. If you are a competent pistol shooter, shooting offhand you should be able to tell from your groupings how you need to adjust your sights. Obviously disregard fliers, but if you are getting consistent groups, which you should be, all you have to to is adjust your sights from there.
 
I use a rest when I'm doing load development and shooting through my chronograph. I line up the chronograph with a background target so that I can get an accurate read on the POI at the same time that I'm getting my chronograph data.
 
I don't use sandbags - but - I do own a couple of rests.
They add another dimension to the otherwise boring routine on punching holes in paper.

When all the places one can shoot restrict you to using only paper targets (nothing reactive and/or no "plinking"), you have to come up with some sort of variation or quite frankly - shooting just plain sucks as a past time.
 
You need to eliminate variables somehow,,,

You need to eliminate variables somehow,,,
And sandbags or a rest does just that.

Every time I get a new-to-me gun,,,
I haul out the rest to determine where it's shooting.

It is rather disconcerting at times,,,
On a bench a gun shoots a tight 1" group at 25 yards,,,
Then I try it freehand and I don't shoot anything approaching that. :(

I do agree that bags should be put away after you verify the sights,,,
An acquaintance told me how he shot 3" groups at 25 yards,,,
So we went shooting and he hauled out his gun rest,,,
He actually thought he was doing very well,,,
But hey, he was having fun doing it,,,
Who was I to burst his bubble.

Aarond

.
 
Any new firearm,I initially shoot off sandbags.
Once I confirm point of impact with point of aim,
I shoot real world positions,especially rifles.
When I used to shoot target rifles,I always
shot off of sandbags.
 
Do you shoot off sandbags?
Click to expand...

Perhaps more than I shoot offhand.

With any new pistol to check sights and grouping with different loads.

For reloading, I wouldn't attempt load development with out using bags/support. I'm almost always tinkering with reloads.
 
I shoot off bags, sticks or a rest quite a bit. Several of my hunting handguns are intended to be rested. Regardless of the handgun I'm using, I prefer to shoot at deer with some kind of rest, even in the field. I feel I owe it to the animal to be as accurate as I can. Kinda silly not to practice the same way I'll hunt. Most of my range time with these handguns is spent @ 70 yards......not 7-15. SD/HD firearms are different of course.
 
I have access to a ransom rest that I use from time to time but the only time I use it is for working up reloads. With my eyesight I can’t shoot 1 inch groups at 25 yards like my gun can. (Gold cup 2 inches and S&W 1955 target 1 inch).
I have sand bags (Leather) and they are only for long guns.
 
There's just as many ways to screw up a shot off of sandbags as any other method of shooting.
Especially for handguns.
So, like others have said, I only use them for checking rifles and loads.
And even then, have learned not to trust the results completely.
It's highly unlikely I'd ever be carrying around a bench and bags in the real world.
 
I prefer sandbags

For a number of reasons, I also shoot off sandbags, depending on the task at hand. I also use shooting sticks and a Hyskore rest. On the bench, I prefer the bags over a bi-pod. ..... :)

Watch those revolvers on the sandbags as they will get torn up. I've got a few patches to prove that. ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
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