Sandbags are wonderful and squishy bags of usefulness. On an especially long day, a proper sandbag may even serve as a quick pillow. However, for the purposes of your rifle, a sandbag is meant to provide support.

A rifle resting completely on sandbags.

Where does a sandbag go?

Three locations on your rifle are best suited for sandbag support.

If you’re shooting on the bench or prone, a sandbag is an easy way to support the muzzle while lifting it to a good height. Just like a bipod, a sandbag can support the front end of the rifle in a remarkably stable way. The rifle may slide back under recoil, but it’s simple enough to push the rifle forward again.

If you’re using a sandbag anywhere near the muzzle, it’s important to not let the muzzle rest on the bag. Instead, let the muzzle extend an inch or two past the bag at a minimum. I’m not kidding when I say that the muzzle blast from some rounds can tear the sandbag open, even if the bullet never touches it. I’ve had that happen on a 1903A1 firing .30-06. The blast blew open the far side of the bag and sent filler material flying, which took a while to clean up. I did hit the target, though, so not a total loss.

A Springfield 1903 rifle supported by a bag under the forend.

In the same vein, a smaller sandbag at the buttstock can steady the rear of the rifle. The bag under the butt can be incredibly versatile, doing more than just sitting plump under your rifle.

When using a rifle under normal conditions, one hand will be on the trigger. The other hand will be free to do what it needs, whether that is supporting the forend of the rifle or otherwise. If the front of the rifle is supported by something other than your free hand, such as by a bipod, the free hand can stay near the buttstock of the rifle. To change where you’re aiming, you can squeeze the rear bag to bring the rear of the rifle up (aiming lower). Relax to let the rifle move downward (and aim higher).

A bag under the buttstock being squeezed by the support hand.

The final sandbag position is difficult to specify. For certain types of shooting, such as PRS (Precision Rifle Series) Competitions, you’ll be required to shoot in unusual positions. You’ll also have to shoot on unusual supports. These supports might be anything from a windowsill to a citrus box, or maybe even a tank trap. Rather than letting the stock of your rifle sit atop the support directly, it’s often steadier to place a sandbag between the rifle and whatever hard surface it’ll be atop. The sandbag can help with steadying the rifle, provide a fulcrum for turning and pointing the rifle, and generally protect the stock from scratches that might be caused by recoil and movement.

Due to the highly varied positions and shooting surfaces, it’s difficult to quantify where on the rifle this bag might be placed - it could be anywhere from just before the trigger guard to down near the muzzle. These kinds of sandbags also have some of the oddest shapes. Choose wisely, and have some fun with it.

A competitor using a sandbag on an armrest.

Another important note - some sandbags are provided with filler material already inside. This can be anything from dried corn material to synthetic beads. If you acquire a bag that needs to be filled, please fill it with the proper material. Don’t just gather up a bunch of small rocks - they’ll tear the bag open over time.