sandbag filler

**Mal H** · May 27, 1999, 12:47 AM

I have a Bud's Bulls Bag filled with sand but the thing is very heavy and getting heavier everytime I lug it to the range. Does anyone have an alternative to sand for a good filler? I was thinking sand in the bottom and cleaning media in the top or vice versa. Any suggestions?

Fred · May 27, 1999, 10:11 AM

I use just cleaning media in my benchrest bags. Works very well for me.

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Regards - AZFred

Cat · May 27, 1999, 10:23 AM

We used to use absorbent material for chemical spills. Probably expensive if you have to go out and buy it. It also was a little dusty for awhile.
Cat

**Mal H** · May 27, 1999, 10:28 AM

Thanks for the replies. Fred, in your experience does the cleaning media give the bag enough heft so that the rifle stays where you put it?

Cat, your name and post gave me an idea. How about cat litter? That stuff is heavy, but not like sand, and it is fairly inert.

Joe 543 · May 27, 1999, 01:08 PM

BEANS, man, BEANS! I made a great inexpensive bag for use in surveillance photography. All you need is a tightly woven sock, black for less visibility if your using it in a car, and some dry beans. I think I used red or pinto beans myself.

Good luck! Joe

**Mal H** · May 27, 1999, 02:12 PM

I had thought about using dried beans of some type, but I thought, because it was organic, that small critters might consider my sandbag to be their lunch. Do you think this would be a problem over a long period of time?

Rosco Benson · May 27, 1999, 02:32 PM

Stop by a fabric or craft store and pick up a bag of the plastic beads used to fill stuffed animals (a la "beanie babies"). These
are inert, won't absorb moisture, and relatively light for their bulk. They're cheap too.

Rosco

Fred · May 27, 1999, 02:34 PM

Mal,

Yes, at least for me, I'm satisfied with the weight of the bags with media (walnut) in them. The front bag is either the rabbit or owl ear type (can never remember which one), and the other two I use are just rectangle shaped. All work well. Hope that helps.

------------------
Regards - AZFred

Cat · May 27, 1999, 10:55 PM

MalH,
For the same reason you don't want to use beans (organic material might draw critters) think what cat litter might attract....

One reson we used the stuff we did was because it was lighter. We were carrying these puppies into the field and wanted more portability even at the expense of a little stability.
Cat

**Mal H** · May 28, 1999, 12:33 AM

Thanks again for all the good ideas. I weighed the bag I am talking about - 19 lbs. That's like carrying 2 extra scoped varmint rifles every time I go out. The plastic bead idea sounds real good, I'll see if the local craft shop has some.

JA · May 29, 1999, 06:06 AM

I filled all my bags with plastic pellets that spilled out of a railroad hopper car. I was working inspecting a cut of cars one night( I'm a railroad carman) saw the spill and the light bulb went off. Scopped up a plastic bag full and put them in used shot bags. Light weight,inorganic, and no dust as from sand or catlitter/oil absorbant fillers.

slabsides · May 29, 1999, 09:33 AM

I have two old bags that I stitched out of a heavy plastic fake suede left over from a car reupholstery job. They are filled with dried navy beans. Light, and in the dozen or so years I have had them, and stored them in rodent-rich environments, they remain critter-free. Just the same, I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for boxcar spills in future...those plastic beads sound useful!

**Mal H** · May 29, 1999, 03:19 PM

I just filled my Uncle Bud's with the plastic filler beads I found at a craft shop. This is the way to go. They have very good heft and stay-ability. The bag went from 19 lbs. down to 8 lbs. and, believe me, that's a big difference when you have to carry it a fair distance.

**4V50 Gary** · June 1, 1999, 11:01 PM

Joe 543 - if you use beans, the govt. may list you as subversive for stockpiling foodstuff.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt

Rew · June 3, 1999, 06:53 PM

This is going to sound teribble but I have been using dried beans for a long time. One time when camping/hunting the food had not made it into the kit. Soooo we ate squriel and beans with a souse make form crushed beans and the droppings from the squriels. one of the best meals I ever ate. Thouse "sand" bags can come in handy sometimes.

Rew

**Mal H** · June 3, 1999, 07:23 PM

The beans sound ok, but, squirrel droppings?

**4V50 Gary** · June 3, 1999, 10:49 PM

Ditto Mal H.

Rew · June 3, 1999, 11:44 PM

OK, OK, the greese from the squrrels. Bad use of the langauge. (Grin)

chargar · June 8, 1999, 03:55 PM

I have had rice in my bags for years with no problems and no critters.

May 27, 1999, 12:47 AM	#1
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	I have a Bud's Bulls Bag filled with sand but the thing is very heavy and getting heavier everytime I lug it to the range. Does anyone have an alternative to sand for a good filler? I was thinking sand in the bottom and cleaning media in the top or vice versa. Any suggestions?

May 27, 1999, 10:11 AM	#2
Fred Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 1998 Location: CA Posts: 465	I use just cleaning media in my benchrest bags. Works very well for me. ------------------ Regards - AZFred

May 27, 1999, 10:23 AM	#3
Cat Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 467	We used to use absorbent material for chemical spills. Probably expensive if you have to go out and buy it. It also was a little dusty for awhile. Cat

May 27, 1999, 10:28 AM	#4
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	Thanks for the replies. Fred, in your experience does the cleaning media give the bag enough heft so that the rifle stays where you put it? Cat, your name and post gave me an idea. How about cat litter? That stuff is heavy, but not like sand, and it is fairly inert.

May 27, 1999, 01:08 PM	#5
Joe 543 Member Join Date: December 21, 1998 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 92	BEANS, man, BEANS! I made a great inexpensive bag for use in surveillance photography. All you need is a tightly woven sock, black for less visibility if your using it in a car, and some dry beans. I think I used red or pinto beans myself. Good luck! Joe

May 27, 1999, 02:12 PM	#6
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	I had thought about using dried beans of some type, but I thought, because it was organic, that small critters might consider my sandbag to be their lunch. Do you think this would be a problem over a long period of time?

May 27, 1999, 02:32 PM	#7
Rosco Benson Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 1998 Posts: 374	Stop by a fabric or craft store and pick up a bag of the plastic beads used to fill stuffed animals (a la "beanie babies"). These are inert, won't absorb moisture, and relatively light for their bulk. They're cheap too. Rosco

May 27, 1999, 02:34 PM	#8
Fred Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 1998 Location: CA Posts: 465	Mal, Yes, at least for me, I'm satisfied with the weight of the bags with media (walnut) in them. The front bag is either the rabbit or owl ear type (can never remember which one), and the other two I use are just rectangle shaped. All work well. Hope that helps. ------------------ Regards - AZFred

May 27, 1999, 10:55 PM	#9
Cat Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 467	MalH, For the same reason you don't want to use beans (organic material might draw critters) think what cat litter might attract.... One reson we used the stuff we did was because it was lighter. We were carrying these puppies into the field and wanted more portability even at the expense of a little stability. Cat

May 28, 1999, 12:33 AM	#10
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	Thanks again for all the good ideas. I weighed the bag I am talking about - 19 lbs. That's like carrying 2 extra scoped varmint rifles every time I go out. The plastic bead idea sounds real good, I'll see if the local craft shop has some.

May 29, 1999, 06:06 AM	#11
JA Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: JACKSONVILLE,AR,USA Posts: 68	I filled all my bags with plastic pellets that spilled out of a railroad hopper car. I was working inspecting a cut of cars one night( I'm a railroad carman) saw the spill and the light bulb went off. Scopped up a plastic bag full and put them in used shot bags. Light weight,inorganic, and no dust as from sand or catlitter/oil absorbant fillers.

May 29, 1999, 09:33 AM	#12
slabsides Member In Memoriam Join Date: May 27, 1999 Location: Maine Posts: 614	I have two old bags that I stitched out of a heavy plastic fake suede left over from a car reupholstery job. They are filled with dried navy beans. Light, and in the dozen or so years I have had them, and stored them in rodent-rich environments, they remain critter-free. Just the same, I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for boxcar spills in future...those plastic beads sound useful!

May 29, 1999, 03:19 PM	#13
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	I just filled my Uncle Bud's with the plastic filler beads I found at a craft shop. This is the way to go. They have very good heft and stay-ability. The bag went from 19 lbs. down to 8 lbs. and, believe me, that's a big difference when you have to carry it a fair distance.

June 1, 1999, 11:01 PM	#14
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Joe 543 - if you use beans, the govt. may list you as subversive for stockpiling foodstuff. ------------------ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt

June 3, 1999, 06:53 PM	#15
Rew Member Join Date: March 3, 1999 Location: Colorado Springs CO. USA Posts: 36	This is going to sound teribble but I have been using dried beans for a long time. One time when camping/hunting the food had not made it into the kit. Soooo we ate squriel and beans with a souse make form crushed beans and the droppings from the squriels. one of the best meals I ever ate. Thouse "sand" bags can come in handy sometimes. Rew

June 3, 1999, 07:23 PM	#16
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	The beans sound ok, but, squirrel droppings?

June 3, 1999, 10:49 PM	#17
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Ditto Mal H.

June 3, 1999, 11:44 PM	#18
Rew Member Join Date: March 3, 1999 Location: Colorado Springs CO. USA Posts: 36	OK, OK, the greese from the squrrels. Bad use of the langauge. (Grin)

June 8, 1999, 03:55 PM	#19
chargar Member Join Date: October 15, 1998 Location: Texas Posts: 23	I have had rice in my bags for years with no problems and no critters.