Filling Caldwell DeadShot or Other Shooting Bags

[Liberty1776]

Bought a set of unfilled Caldwell DeadShot shooting bags. They were $16.10 way back then...in ancient 2017. (They're $26 now. Let's go, Brandon!)

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Initially filled them with beanbag plastic pellets at $3.52 per pound. Took three pounds. The Styrofoam pellets fly all over the place, were very difficult to handle, didn't fill the bags, and the bags were very light. They felt and acted like beanbag chairs -- not very supportive. So I've got $12 of pellets I don't even like. Not recommended at all.

A guy on YouTube uses kitty litter.

https://youtu.be/f3m6nm1wRSc

Walmart sells basic unscented, non-clumping 7-lb bags of clay kitty litter for $1.58 each. I needed 1-1/2 bags. Ill use the remaining litter to soak up future oil spills in the garage.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kitty-Diggin-s-Fragrance-Free-Cat-Litter-7-lbs/21268937?athbdg=L1100
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To pour the kitty litter cleanly into the bags' spouts, the guy instructed his listeners to rummage through your neighbor's trash and locate a 1.75L plastic whiskey bottle.(Clearly, no one on this forum would be caught dead owning a plastic whiskey bottle, amirite? A Kessler bottle works perfectly, not that I had one....)

Cut the mouth and bottom off with a knife or a bandsaw. Perfect funnel with a long neck large enough to take the coarse kitty litter.

For the smaller bag, I used a cut-off 2-liter soda bottle (from my own trash, of course) that also makes a useful, wide-spout funnel. (This funnel is great for pouring powder back into its jar from the powder-drop after reloading. No spills. But I digress.)

My kitty-littered bags now have heft and are very full and sturdy.

For all of $3.00.

[Johnch]

I also have 2 sets of those bags

I used a mix of lead shot and corn cobb for 1 , for the range
I only have to carry stuff 15 feet
When I filled these bags I added the lead shot to the bags to the weight I wanted
I then added the corn cobb , as it adds almost no weight

The other I filled with just corn cobb , as I wanted a light weight set
As I carry them ground hog hunting

I buy 50 lb bags of ground corn cobb that is sold for pet bedding
The Fine is about the same a what I used to buy with the Lyman brand

I also used a 2 liter pop bottle funnel

John

[M-Tecs]

Heavy sand is outstanding.

https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/bag-sand-comparison-test/#:~:text=Many%20serious%20Benchrest%20shooters%20f ill%20their%20sand%20bags,makes%20the%20sandbag%20 heavier%20and%20more%20stable.%20

[Liberty1776]

...I used a mix of lead shot and corn cobb...

John

Shot is great, but its cost is going stratospheric. I paid $50 for a bag of shot. When I can get it.

[wilecoyote]

cheaper kitty litter for the big one, yellow plastic 6mm. softair pellets for the little one_
both with a removable thin wooden and rubber insert below.
my compromise between cost, weight and functionality,
because I must carry this and all the my other stuff by hand, with a trolley, from home, up and down some stairs, carting all to the boat, to the boat to a car, or bus or train, car/taxi again to the range. and back_

[Jsm180]

I filled mine with rice.

[Finster101]

I used plastic pellets for filling cornhole bags. They are small like rice and dense to provide decent weight. Being plastic there is no mess. I got it on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0735HYN6R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[gmsharps]

Industrial garnets work fine also. They do not absorb moisture and have the weight for stability.

gmsharps

[shaune509]

Washed pea gravel, bag cheap at Lowe's and excess has many other uses around the property. ie garden pots, small cement repair etc.
Shaune509

[Minerat]

I filled mine with washed crusher fines from a rock quarry, cost free. Well only the gas to get them. Find the local gravel mine they will probably let you fill a 5 gal bucket of squeegy (pea gravel)/sand mix for free.

[Liberty1776]

I used plastic pellets for filling cornhole bags. They are small like rice and dense to provide decent weight. Being plastic there is no mess. I got it on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0735HYN6R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cornhole bag filler. Hmmm. I wonder if popcorn would work, like rice.

[Finster101]

With the plastic cornhole bag filler you don't have to worry about insects or critters getting into it. It doesn't hold moisture. It is very dense and has a good weight to it, it is every bit as heavy as sand would be. It also makes the bag very malleable depending on how tightly you fill the bag.

[Loudy13]

I used rice for about 10 bags then they got wet in the garage and molded?, used aquarium rock (new) after that. filled the last 3 a few days ago with Pinto beans.

[Handloader109]

I have a cloth bag I use for supporting items when I laser them. Filled with dried split peas. Well 4 years later mouse decided that he liked them... go with sand, gravel, plastic. But not anything a mouse might like

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[Mal Paso]

Cornhole bag filler. Hmmm. I wonder if popcorn would work, like rice.

Rodents are a reason not to use food for filler. Could be a problem for some.

[Rapier]

I use old primers, they weigh about half what lead shot weighs and are pretty cheap, considring. I also use them in old empty shot bags for my bench bags. Up side is, if I ever take to reloading fired primers, I have a fair supply on hand.

[1Papalote]

Used corn cob or walnut media is in my canvas lead shot bags from yesteryear