DeadShot Shooting Bags, a Must-Have Combo

Idaho –  -(AmmoLand.com)- This Product Review started off to only cover the Caldwell Dead Shot Bags but I always carry along a few of their Lead Sled Weight Bags so I can get the perfect height for my rifles while shooting.

As was the case when I went out to the prairies to test out my new Bowden Tactical trigger that I just installed on my AR today. So, I’m going to lump both items into this Product Review since I always use them in conjunction with each other.

As a kid dad had a rest he built on our farm and sighted in a pile of rifles for all of our hunting buddies every deer season. After I left home, I’d pile a coat or two on the hood of my pickup and sight in my rifles. As time progressed, I learned more and took a chair out to the prairies and shot off of my tailgate. An improvement but not the ultimate solution. Then I started taking a chair and a card table to shoot off of. Better but still not adequate.

Now I’ve evolved to where I use either a card table and Caldwell sandbags or one of the Caldwell portable Stable Tables and sandbags to sight in my rifles. In the old days I’d use coats or blankets to lay my rifle on. That was rinky-dink at best. I recommend buying an assortment of Caldwell bags. Using them makes it a lot more…. I don’t want to say professional, maybe the word is functional.

DeadShot Shooting Bags, Front, Rear & Combo

Today I tested out the Caldwell Dead Shot Bags which are awesome. But I still say to hit the ultimate level take some Caldwell Lead Sled bags. That way you can achieve the perfect/most comfortable height for your rifle. For instance, on an AR with a 20-shot mag obviously, it is higher than a rifle with a 5-shot mag. You always end up needing to tweak the height a little one way or another don’t you?

I like to have my rifle laying a hair high. Then I can press it down a hair or weak it so while taking the shot it is perfect.

You want to make sure that your stock is resting on the bags and not the barrel. Due to the harmonics when you fire a shot if a bag is under the barrel, it will adversely influence the point of impact for the bullet. When laying your rifle on a rest for a shot never lay the barrel on a rest. Always lay the forestock.

Some Caldwell bags come pre-filled and some come empty. I always carry (unbeknownst to her) one of my wife’s measuring cups. They work great to scoop up dirt to fill your bags. In the old days, everyone used lead 8-shot to fill the bags. Hence which is why they are called lead sled bags. Shooters laid lead shot bags on their Lead sleds to reduce recoil.

Sure, you can carry blankets and coats to the gun range to shoot off of but the Caldwell bags are 100 times better. You’ll never regret buying some. A long-range shooter was teaching me a few tricks years ago at a Profesional Outdoor Writer gathering. He had a small Styrofoam-filled gag that he placed on top of a Caldwell lead bag and then laid the forestock on top of it. That way if the rifle was a little too low, he could squeeze the bag which lifted up the rifle.

Then of course if you’re sighting in a lot of big caliber rifles all at once or testing out some of the tail-kicking turkey loads you’ll want to use a Caldwell Lead Sled or a Caldwell Hydrosled. These will keep you from flinching but also pile some sandbags on the sleds to help further reduce recoil.

The individual MSRP’s on the Dead Shot Bags and the Lead Sled Weight Bag are $34.99 each, but Caldwell has a money-saving package for AmmoLand News readers at just $34.99 for both. Below are the specs for both of them.

DeadShot Shooting Bags, Front, Rear & Combo

Features For The Dead Shot Bags

• Place Them On Almost Any Shooting Surface
• Made Of Durable, Water-Resistant 600 Denier Polyester
• Quick Connect Feature Makes Bag Transport Easy
• Available In Filled Or Unfilled

Features For The Lead Sled Weight Bag

• Size 5.5″ X 10″ X 3″
• Holds Approximately 7 Lbs. Of Sand Or 25 Lbs. Of Lead Shot
• Standard Size Is Available In Single And A 4 Pack

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About Tom Claycomb

Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoor writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening #ad for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”