Shooting Rests
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 by Mark Olis

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A BETTER SHOOTING REST

The X Seven Bulls Bag

By North American correspondent Thomas Tabor

Contributing Editor To SSAA and Varmint Hunter Magazines

When it comes to shooting from a rest, I believe there are two primary areas of consideration . Of course the shooter wants a high degree of stability to shoot from, but many shooters are also looking for a system that per mits them to align the firearm quickly and easily with the target. The types of rest to accomplish those goals are varied, but also fall into two main categories:the adjustable screw-type forearm rests and the various sandbag systems. I believe that many sho oters select the mechanical-style rests simply because of the system's ease of alignment. On the other hand, I a lso believe that those shooters preferring to shoot from sandbags do so because of the steadiness that sandbags provide and as a c onsequence, they place less emphasis on how quickly they can get their rifle on-target.

In many situations, sandbags are not always user-friendly when it comes to alignment.You can alw ays try to fluff-up the bags or you can pound a groove cradle int o the surfaces, but the amount of adjustment produced is pretty minor in most cases. Also, if you are using a set of owl-ear or rabbit-ear-style bags, about the only way you can adjust those for height is to wedge something under the bags.

The good news is that in late 2008 a new system was introduced to the market that I believe addresses the concerns of all shooters who like to shoot from a rest. That system is called the X Seven Bulls Bag Advantage and it combines many of the inherent advantages in sandbags, heel and toe bags and owl-ear bags. The bags are height-adjustable simply by changing the combin ation and/or the location of bags.

As The 'Seven' in the name repre sents, the X Seven is actually seven individual shooting bags stored and compacted into a single unit. The shooter can opt to use all seven bags together, which produces a long, cradling,, wrap-around rest, or the bags can be separated and used to form many other set-up combinations.

When all seven bags are used together, a common grouping consists of one rectangular bag and one owl-ear bag placed inside each of the two zippered saddlebags. The two sa ddlebags are then attached together by employing the exceptionally strong Velcro attachments, which has been sewn into the bag surfaces. After that, what the company calls a 'vise-grip bag' is then Velcro attached on top. This produces a long wrap-around shooting cradle, which provides a rock-solid rest.

The patented butterfly grip of the vise-grip bag actually forms a deep channel for the forearm of your rifle to settle into. The two cylindrical parts of the vise-grip bag firmly wrap themselves around the rifle-stock, making contact on the bottom and both sides of the stock. In this set-up, the legs of the saddlebags can be either spread further apart or squeezed closer together. By doing so, this will elevate or lower the point of aim of the rifle. Further adjustment can be easily accomplished by simply changing the Velcro attachment points.

The seven bags are capable of being shifted around in order to form at least 50 different configurations, one of which is sure to fit virtually every possible shooting situation you might encounter. This might include such set-ups as the toe and heel rifle, pistol and handgun positions; and various configurations using a variety of the bags as stackable units. By changing the bag positions or switching the bags around, this will also allow you to exactly align the rifle with the target.

Another arrangement could involve using the owl-ear bags separately or stacked one on top of another using any of the other bags as base units. The bags can be turned on end, stuck together using the Velcro attachments of the vise-grip bag can be placed on top of whatever base arrangement or other item you think is appropriate. The X Seven company officials themselves even admit that their customers are continually coming up with new combinations and configurations that they have found useful in their shooting activities. However, in addition to providing more flexibility of use and an extremely solid, cradling rest, some shooters believe the X Seven Bulls Bag system actually reduces the 'felt' recoil of the rifle.

The bags are primarily constructed of a combination of materials including durable 900 polyester in a camo tree pattern and a heavy-duty, rubberized, non-slide material called 'tough-tech'. The usual gun rest areas of the vise-grip, owl-ear and saddlebags are covered with a soft suede-leather material to provide the ultimate in firearm finish protection.

All bags within the X Seven Bulls Ba gs system are generally sold and shipped unfilled.This saves on the cost of shipping and allows the purchaser to select whatever medium they would like to fill the bags with. Generally, this would include the use of such materials as sand, kitty litter, polymer, ground walnut, corncob, birdseed or rice. If you prefer, however, the bags can be ordered filled at the factory. A 1.5" slot opening has been provided in the end of each bag to be used for that purpose. Once filled, the opening is securely held shut with Velcro strips.

The X Seven company has built in a significant degree of flexibility for their potential customers. If you prefer, you can purchase the complete X Seven Bag Pro-Series Advantage set, which co nsists of all seven bags comprising two Hi-Front Rests, two Low Owl-Ear Rests, two Rectangular Rests, one Vise-Grip Bag and a carry-strap. The company also provides the option of purchasing partial bag sets. For example, you could purchase what the company calls The Future system, which is a set of three bags consisting of one Hi-front Rest, one Low Owl-Ear Rest and one Rectangular Rest. Another option would be to purchase the Next Generation four-bag set comprising one Hi-Front Rest, one Low Owl-Ear Rest, one Rectangular Rest, one Vise-Grip Bag and a carry strap.

The next thing about purchasing an entry-level three-or four-bag set is that you can always add to yo ur gag system later if you so desire. For example, if you have purchased a three-bag set, you can complete you X Seven B ulls Bag Pro-Series at any time simply by purchasing the additional four bags. Alternatively, if you purchase the four-bag set, you can achieve the same result by adding t he three-bag set later on.

Even more purchase flexibility includes the option of buying what the company calls the Uncle Buds' Bulls Bag. This is essentially the company's first model and is a little more basic and less versatile than the new X Seven. The Uncle Bud's Bulls Bag includes a similar style of grip as the X Seven, but does not use suede-leather for the resting surface and the four bags making up the system are permanently attached together. While these bags provide essentially a similar type of side and bottom firearm grip as the X Seven, the unit isn't as flexible in its use, particularly when it comes to shooting height adjustments.

I had the pleasure of testing both the X Seven Bulls Bag and the Uncle Bud's Bulls Bag and found them both to be exceptionally fine and very well constructed products. Both bags were filled at the factory with kitty litter, which produced solid rests with substantial weight. The construction materials used in both of these products seemed to be very good, durable and resistant to wear. In the past, the seams of some of my shooting bags have come apart and I'm sure I'm not the only one that has happened to. However, this problem has been virtually eliminated with the X Seven Bulls Bag, as the seams are double-stitc hed and a binding has been added that is doubled back over the initial seam.

All of the shooting rest systems sold under the X Seven of Uncle Bud's names come with a complete 100 per cent money back satisfaction guarantee for life. If you ever have any problem with any part of these bags, contact the company and they will be glad to make it good.

I liked my Bulls Bags so much that I believe they will likely become my preferred bench rest shooting systems from now on . The lighter weight of the Uncle Bud's Bulls Bag, coupled with its reduced price over that of the complete X Seven system, has a great deal of appeal, but as I mentioned, it isn't as versatile as the X Seven. Nevertheless, I found the gripping potential and positive rock-solid anchoring to be close to the same in both systems.

The Uncle Bud's Bags com e in various sizes and color patterns to select form and carry a recommended retail price form $US57 to $US80. In the case of the X Seven Bulls Bag, the color is limited to a very attractive camo three pattern.When purchased in its entirety, the complete X Seven system retails for around $US125. The recommended retail price for the three-bag The Future set is $US55, while the four-bag Next Generation is around $US77.

While at the time of writing I knew of no Australian dealers handling the X Seven of Uncle Bud's products any of these products can be ordered directly from the factory by mail order. The spokesperson for X Seven did indicate that when ordering from outside the United Stated that the shipping charges cannot be instantly calculated at the time you p lace the order. As a result, these charges would have to be added to the billing at the time of shipment.

Over the years, I believe I have used just about every style of bench rest shooting system every style of bench rest shooting system ever brought into production. As a result, I would be the first to admit that I like the ease at which the various screw-type mechanical rests allows me to align my firearm to the target and I certainly like the stability that is provided by the traditional style of sandbags. However, after trying the X Seven Bulls Bag system, I think it incorporates the best of all worlds and provides more flexibility than any other product that I know of. I would encourage every shooter to take a close look at the advantages that the X Seven provides and see if this system has the ability to squeeze your group sizes down, making you a better shooter.