• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Bag rider education/help

B

brianf

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 8, 2010
7,239
9,648
46
NY
Been clicking around trying to learn about bag riders.

Of course there are a million on the market but they seem to fall into a few designs

straight shaft 1/2-5/8 in diameter a few inches long

rectangular approx 1” depending about the same length

stylized dual purpose hand hook/bag rider

those all seem to be parallel with barrel /direction of recoil

then I see a few (some of the same designs) that are sloped, so you can had small/fine elevation adjustments with out havto mess with the bag or front rear/bipod

is there a real difference or is it personal preference.

I’m guessing the rear bag style may influence the bag ride ears/no ears

im also guessing shooting a 6mm from a bench may need a different approach than a 408 from the ground

any Info is appreciated

thanks
 
Really its shooter preference and how you use a bag. The purpose is to give a solid and easy point of contact. I prefer slightly sloped for elevation adj greater than a squeeze. I can slide forward or back. A static bench setup or repeat prone vs odd positions could make a difference in how you approach it.

I think part of it though is the chassis can get caught on bags so have a "bag rider" mimicks a traditional stock interface
 
  • Like
Reactions: Speed and brianf
The bag rider one of my XLR can fe flipped from straight to sloping, tried them both, difference is minor.
My other XLR has a homemade straight one.
The sloped is a bit more convenient in field conditions where speed is a factor and the straight is nice on a bench or ELR.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Squibbler
I’m guessing not but do you see a pure accuracy difference?

do you have to adjust technique if changing from strait to sloped but staying in the same position?
 
I prefer it as it gives me the most comfortable alignment prone and on the bench...which is how I shoot mostly.
I fit a KRG to my Christiansen as they only sell the monopod style.
0143400B-69A7-4ECE-86F6-7DCE0105A45C.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianf
What do you guys think about the bottom shape

Flat vs round

any difference
 
So it seems like flat bottom, non sloped is benchrest bag riding set up.

and a rounder sloped is in the field use
 
Thanks Just how I am.

Ocd...have to know everything.

Does anyone in real ELR shoot the big stuff free recoil?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 1moaoff
I have several that are made by Mark and Sam in Oz. They are adjustable in both elevation and windage. Nice products and designed well!
 
tried to find a video that was not pushing one product over another but rather an explanation to why or why not to use a bag rider this was pretty close just for get the brand that's totally up to you which bag rider brand you pick for your gun if you do .
 
  • Like
Reactions: JHOFF and brianf
brianf said:
Thanks Just how I am.

Ocd...have to know everything.

Does anyone in real ELR shoot the big stuff free recoil?
Click to expand...

Not that I've been around. When I'm out shooting the long stuff...I want my scope to move very little. I need to keep my target and surrounding ground in focus and wait that 4...5...6...7 seconds and see a splash and make a very quick adjustment and fire again before the conditions change. While the big muzzle brakes take away like 60% of the recoil....it would still move too much to let it free recoil...where in ELR you aren't exactly set up with the front and rear rests at the same height with a straight back recoil...you will be mostly having recoil of the butt going down toward the ground with the barrel pointing upward.
 
Thanks for the reply

It makes sense that the butt is low to begin with...

With the butt being low , I guessing a flat bag rider would be better than a sloped?

Sloped rifle (pointing up) plus slope bag rider = way off target during big recoil?

Thanks.
 
I shoot Elr with a slope rear almost the same angle as the xlr came with. I use that to make elevation adjustments. I have a parallel one for my wife. Without a adjustable one, I would want sloped so you’re not having to deal with so much to try and make elevation adjustments. With an adjustable one, I think a straight is just fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deersniper and brianf
I like non slanted rider so that it tracks in a straight line with recoil. I can squeeze and adjust a rear bag to make that 1" in elevation easy enough which is basically the biggest selling point of the slanted. What I hate is the butt falling out on recoil and I end up looking up at the trees. Which, admittedly is recoil management but I also dont like to make it tougher on myself.

As far as flat vs round, the flat will track in the bags bags better but for something not shot off concrete its really down the list of what makes a difference.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Squibbler, brianf, Greg Langelius * and 1 other person
I actually made my own jack like 4AW’s for a bunny ear bag.
If your at a nice range with a bench or prepared ground they’re nice.
Out in the deserts and forests were I shoot they are a pain in the ass and with the quality bags now available you lose very little to nothing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianf
I started out shooting for accuracy in BR.

I found the atmosphere a bit too obsessive for my personality; but that did not, in any way, mean that I didn't like and use their specialized bells and whistles.

Lately, I've been on an AR kick, buying/building AR's chambered in traditional 223/5.56, as well as 6.5 Grendel and .308. Of late, I've converted mine to resemble/perform in a bag rider manner. Time/conditions for shooting, as well as the lockdowns, don't allow for extensive testing, but the guns and rests/bags are ready. Hopefully, this will remedy itself soon,.

I use M-Lok handguards, and stocks like the Choate E-2, which have the straight bottom first seen (by me, at least) in the McM A-5 stock. These stocks have flat/rounded bottoms that tend to fit well in rabbit ear bags, and the M-Lok handguards have unobstructed flat bottoms that fit the platform on BR type rests. This allows the rifle ergos to resemble the bolt guns I've shot in F Open with some success. When they recoil, they track straight. I do not allow free recoil with anything but 22LR; but some recoil motion is inevitable, and I can have some confidence that this motion should not deflect the bore axis from its intended POA.

Two of my AR's (my M4gery and my PA-10) use mounted bipods. These are not characteristic, but are the UTG Recon Flex design, a new one which mounts in the side M-Lok slots, and should provide minimal interference with motion along the front rest. One note, long magazines don't work well with these solutions, and I tend to have at least a handful of ten round magazines for supported shooting.,

All my AR stock replacements have required new A2 style buffer tubes and buffer systems/assemblies. Despite the labor and cost, I believe this is a worthwhile investment. Some of the AR's already have A2 style stocks, and need some sort of shoe to provide that horizontal rider surface. They exist, and are on my A2 stocks. The same rifles have Hogue rubber coated tubular handguards, so they also now have 2" wide black Duck tape applied to their bottom surfaces.

The whole idea is to ride straight and reduce friction.

This is my approach; I'm sure there are others; and no reason why some of them aren't better.

Greg
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianf
A straight bottom bag rider I found is best for the big heavy rifles. This year I’ll run a Phoenix on the front for gross adjustment and my new bag rider for the XLR in the back for the micro adjustments. I like when the rifle tracks straight back on recoil and the reticle doesn’t move. One less variable to add to the mix. There are some significant handling differences between a 50bmg with heavy recoil vs my 300norma improved. I can shoot the Norma improved well with a rear squeeze bag, the big heavy Armalite.. not so much. The armalite shoots real small groups with a good heavy bag and a good setup. I like to keep the TRG with the Norma barrel set up and proficient for field matches, that’s what it’s built for.

Need to add the adjustable foot to the back end, and I’ll bolt the stock XLR bmg butt pad on the mechanism. Should be a good setup when it’s done. Image attached for ideas. Will fit on the xlr stock tube.
 

Attachments

  • D65C625B-375C-4FF1-8C08-E529BCA2E193.jpeg
    D65C625B-375C-4FF1-8C08-E529BCA2E193.jpeg
    315.3 KB · Views: 117
  • Like
Reactions: Geno C. and brianf
northern50 said:
A straight bottom bag rider I found is best for the big heavy rifles. This year I’ll run a Phoenix on the front for gross adjustment and my new bag rider for the XLR in the back for the micro adjustments. I like when the rifle tracks straight back on recoil and the reticle doesn’t move. One less variable to add to the mix. There are some significant handling differences between a 50bmg with heavy recoil vs my 300norma improved. I can shoot the Norma improved well with a rear squeeze bag, the big heavy Armalite.. not so much. The armalite shoots real small groups with a good heavy bag and a good setup. I like to keep the TRG with the Norma barrel set up and proficient for field matches, that’s what it’s built for.

Need to add the adjustable foot to the back end, and I’ll bolt the stock XLR bmg butt pad on the mechanism. Should be a good setup when it’s done. Image attached for ideas. Will fit on the xlr stock tube.
Click to expand...


thanks for the info

im guessing that adjustable bag rider that is pictured is a custom product?
 
brianf said:
thanks for the info

im guessing that adjustable bag rider that is pictured is a custom product?
Click to expand...

For now. I’ll begin carving on it over Christmas/New Years. Hopefully have it done by the end of New Years. Busy as hell at work with other projects. If it’s a hit, maybe I should make a few of them. I’ll post some pictures as it comes to shape.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianf
I make my own and just keep them simple. I just use a vee style bag and it's very stable. Here's one on my AI
73629.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: b2lee
As promised.. got a little work done on this thing. Hand wheel, bronze bushing, vertical posts and bag rider foot will be later this week.
 

Attachments

  • E543C64F-74E7-4847-BAA2-FA0130BFA24F.jpeg
    E543C64F-74E7-4847-BAA2-FA0130BFA24F.jpeg
    308.8 KB · Views: 145
  • Like
Reactions: oneshot.onehit and Geno C.
Another design 4 squeeze bag type bags which is nowhere near the best option for Quality tracking and accuracy. Having a bag Rider that is adjustable that is shaped to fit between the ears of a f class bagrider is your best option
 
badassgunworks said:
Another design 4 squeeze bag type bags which is nowhere near the best option for Quality tracking and accuracy. Having a bag Rider that is adjustable that is shaped to fit between the ears of a f class bagrider is your best option
Click to expand...

I didn’t install it for F-Class or any other type of competition though.
 
slambeach said:
I came across, adjustablebagrider.com, looks like a good idea, anybody try one??
Click to expand...


Nice, and expensive. Buddy installed on on the back of his xlr. That’s where I got the brainchild idea for the one I built.
 
Geno C. said:
🤫 something better should be coming for the xlr from them.
Click to expand...


Meh, I’m already ahead of them and I have what I want. They discontinued all the stock inlets I might ever want anyhow. Glad I got my lefty ar50!stock before they made themselves irrelevant.
 
northern50 said:
Meh, I’m already ahead of them and I have what I want. They discontinued all the stock inlets I might ever want anyhow. Glad I got my lefty ar50!stock before they made themselves irrelevant.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I noticed that xlr really cut back on stuff. That sucks! That was one really good thing about them. The bag rider isn’t from them though it’s from the adjustable bag rider guy. Yours is a very good solution
 
Any reason they cut back?
They seemed popular and busy...
 
No clue. I haven’t talked to them in quite a while. I was really surprised when I looked on their site a week or so ago
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianf
Exactly, they had all kinds of cool Inlets for odd stuff. I suppose volume over one off’s pays the bills.

Ahh, direct from the adjustable bag rider guy will be cool. They make nice stuff. I made bronze bushings for mine, they use linear bearings. Had to take a screen shot of the photo cause it was too big I guess. Finished product turned out nice. Runs real smooth, that was the goal. I’ll anodize it in the coming month or so. Got a bunch of other parts to make black. Need to get some other small bits and pieces made yet.
D47F565D-4511-4AF6-8F88-35F21D9D44EC.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: DMP, Geno C. and brianf
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Superchunk72
F-Class Open with PRS rig? You better believe it.
Replies
10
Views
2K
thexman
T
J
Rear Bag Rider for Boyds At-One - Testers Wanted
Replies
0
Views
472
JAMER
J
Halfnutz
CMP M1 Advanced Maintenance Course-Build your own "Expert Grade".
Replies
8
Views
394
Halfnutz
Halfnutz
JohnDeereGuy1996
Geissele GFR Maritime Reconnaissance 6mm arc write up and review
Replies
50
Views
3K
physhphude
P
Glassaholic
Rifle Scopes Steiner T6Xi 3-18x56 Review and comparison with NF ATACR 4-16x42, S&B US 3-20x50 and March 4.5-28x52
Replies
115
Views
6K
TheBigCountry
TheBigCountry
Top Bottom
Back