March 18, 2024
By Alfredo Rico
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In PRS-style competitions, a support bag is a must. Whether used as front or rear support or to fill holes in your shooting position, it can turn a wobbly shooting setup into something rock-solid, which translates to more hits and more fun.
Primary Bags A bag that can conform to many shooting obstacles and provide a large surface area for stability will become your go-to bag. This will take care of most of your shooting stability needs. Bags like the Armageddon Gear Game Changer and WIEBAD Fortune Cookie are the most popular do-it-all support bags and can be used as a front and rear support. The Game Changer has two triangular legs, while the Fortune Cookie is distinguishable by its shape. Their shape is designed to balance quickly around a post, barricade, or rooftop without flopping off. The pliability of the textile allows the bag to conform to uneven surfaces and give the shooter a flat platform to shoot from. The bag shapes are versatile to use on any side to gain height or length. The Game Changer and Fortune Cookie are available in many sizes, several materials, and fills.
When determining the fill, consider that heavy sand provides the firmest support, will conform best to whatever you may put the bag on, and its weight will keep it planted wherever you rest it. The downside is that it is the heaviest, too. Bags filled with lightweight materials are easier to carry around, and the lightest can be strapped to your backpack without disrupting its balance. The downside is that they don’t plant themselves as solidly onto an obstacle as a heavy bag and are more susceptible to small movements due to their low density. To get an idea about weights, the Shmedium Game Changer with heavy sand weighs 9.5 pounds, the Sticky Game Changer OG with the polymer fill weighs 5 pounds, and the Fortune Cookie Max with the Spex-Lite 5125 Lightweight fill weighs 2 pounds.
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If you’re starting out, I recommend the Shmedium Game Changer with the heavy sand fill. It’s not too heavy to lug around. After that, the Sticky Game Changer OG with the standard fill (it’s polymer) or the Fortune Cookie Max with the poly fill are the way to go. The latter two bags are larger, and that extra size gives more support to the rifle. The Fortune Cookie Max is light enough to take hunting. If you’re an experienced competitor, you know you can make any bag work but will have a preference.
Secondary Bags Although you can do a lot with a primary bag, it’s always good to have a secondary bag to either fit in tight spots or specialize in a particular obstacle. They are also made in different sizes and shapes. One of the most versatile bags I found is the Tator Tot Fortune Cookie. It is smaller than the Max but a perfect size to fit in tight spots. You still have the benefit of the C-shaped jaws, keeping it planted to a barricade, but it’s pliable to lay flat when needed. I found it a tad small for a primary bag, but it can serve that role. For very tight spots, Armageddon Gear’s Mini Plate Pad is thin enough to fit in tight spaces, too. It has the added benefit of fitting the Gray Ops Mini Plate Pad Pro. Its heavy fill provides a solid, flat foundation for the rifle’s forend. The Cole-TAC Tricorne’s design is unique among the group; its three legs lock onto posts, tripod heads, and tank trap ends on three sides.
Small bags like Long Shot Precision’s LSP Small Bag , Armageddon Gear’s Squishy Rear Bag, and Cole-TAC’s Woobie Bag make for excellent rear support and, to a lesser degree, serve as front support. The LSP Small Bag is small enough to fit in the hand and stick under the buttstock to quickly attain a solid, prone shooting position. The Squishy Rear Bag is larger, made of a stretchy fabric, and has plastic bead fill. It conforms to many surfaces well and gives you a lot of height when squished. The Woobie Bag is firmer and larger than the other two and moves less under recoil. One of my favorite dedicated rear bags when shooting prone on pavement, dirt, or gravel is Triad Tactical’s Large Tapered Rear Bag. Its wedge shape allows me to quickly fill uneven gaps in the terrain without having to contort the bag for height. It is also a firm bag, so once I get the rifle on target, it takes little effort to keep it there.
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Body Bags Body bags are different than support bags in that they are used to fill gaps in your body position rather than support the rifle. The bags are usually cubes, have a fluffy fill, and are lightweight. This comes in handy when you are in an awkward shooting position and have a hard time settling your body to stabilize the rifle. Although they may not be used frequently, they are easier to tuck into your body than a backpack or trying to stack several bags together. WIEBAD makes several models called a Pump Pillow, while Cole-TAC has the Mega Bag in various sizes. They can be attached to your buttstock cup or belt using a carabiner.
Stability Plates There are stages where you will want a front bag attached to your rifle, so you can use a tripod for additional stability. This is where the Gray Ops Mini Plate Pad Pro with Armageddon Gear’s Plate Pad is handy. The Mini Plate attaches to the rifle’s ARCA rail. Both are available on the Gray Ops website. The combo allows you to maneuver the rifle from one shooting position to another while holding onto the tripod. There are bras available to attach other Game Changer bags.
Final Thoughts It’s easy to go overboard on bags, but getting a primary bag will take care of most of your support needs. For the rest, let circumstances dictate which additional bags you will need. There will be no shortage of competitors willing to lend you their bag for a stage. Try them to see which ones work well for you.
