Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag Empty Black/Tan 600D Polyester

Elevate Your Precision: The Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag – The Unsung Hero of Accurate Shooting

Achieving consistent accuracy with a firearm, whether at the range, in the field, or while sighting in new optics, often comes down to one critical factor: stability. The slightest tremor or instability in your shooting platform can lead to significant deviations downrange, turning a tight grouping into a scattered pattern. For both seasoned marksmen striving for peak performance and new shooters looking to build fundamental skills, finding a reliable, versatile, and user-friendly solution to enhance stability is paramount. This is where a high-quality shooting rest becomes indispensable, and few options combine simplicity, durability, and effectiveness as seamlessly as the Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag.

Designed to provide rock-solid support for rifles, shotguns, and even pistols, this empty shooting bag empowers users to customize its weight and feel, creating the perfect anchor for their specific shooting needs. It addresses the common frustrations of wobble, fatigue, and inconsistent shot placement by offering a stable, cushioned interface between your firearm and the shooting surface.

Why Every Shooter Needs a Dedicated Rest: The Quest for Pinpoint Accuracy

Why invest in a shooting bag when you could use a backpack, a rolled-up jacket, or an improvised rest? The answer lies in the pursuit of precision and consistency. Improvised rests, while sometimes convenient, rarely offer the same level of stability, uniformity, and shock absorption that a purpose-built shooting bag provides.

• Eliminating Human Error: Even the steadiest hands can introduce subtle movements. A dedicated shooting bag minimizes these involuntary motions, allowing the shooter to focus on breath control, trigger pull, and sight alignment, rather than wrestling with weapon stability. This is particularly crucial when zeroing a scope or testing different ammunition loads, where even a tiny shift can skew results.
• Reducing Fatigue: Holding a firearm steady for extended periods, especially heavier rifles, can lead to muscle fatigue and discomfort. A shooting bag takes the weight, enabling longer, more comfortable shooting sessions. This means more rounds downrange and more productive practice time without the onset of shaky muscles.
• Consistent Point of Impact: A stable rest ensures that your firearm returns to the exact same position shot after shot. This consistency is vital for identifying true groups and understanding your firearm’s capabilities, rather than mistaking shooter-induced wobbles for firearm inaccuracy.
• Recoil Management: While not eliminating recoil, a properly supported firearm in a shooting bag can help mitigate the felt recoil, making follow-up shots quicker and more comfortable, especially with larger calibers.

The Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag is engineered precisely for these challenges, providing an optimized platform that truly elevates your shooting experience.

Unpacking the Allen 18420: Features That Drive Performance

The Allen 18420 isn't just a simple fabric bag; it's a thoughtfully designed piece of gear built for the demands of the shooting world.

Built to Last: The Power of 600D Polyester

At the core of the Allen 18420's durability is its construction from high-quality 600D polyester. This material is renowned for its strength, resilience, and resistance to wear and tear, making it an ideal choice for outdoor and range conditions.

• Exceptional Durability: The 'D' in 600D stands for Denier, a unit of measurement that indicates the fiber thickness and density. 600D polyester is a robust fabric known for resisting rips, tears, and abrasions, ensuring the bag can withstand repeated use on rough surfaces, concrete benches, or dusty ranges.
• Weather Resistance: While not fully waterproof, 600D polyester offers good water resistance, meaning it can shed light rain or dew, keeping your chosen filler dry and protected. This is a significant advantage over materials that might absorb moisture, leading to potential mold or degradation of the filler.
• Longevity: This material choice means the Allen 18420 is built for years of reliable service, resisting fading from UV exposure and maintaining its structural integrity even with heavy use. It’s an investment that pays off in consistent performance.

Intelligent Design: Empty for Ultimate Customization

One of the most defining characteristics of the Allen 18420 is its "empty" state upon purchase. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but it is a deliberate and significant design choice that offers unparalleled benefits to the user.

• Tailored Weight and Feel: Unlike pre-filled bags, an empty bag allows you to choose your own filler material, which directly dictates the bag's final weight, density, and pliability. Do you need a super-heavy, immovable rest for long-range precision shooting? Fill it with dense sand. Do you need something lighter and more portable for hunting trips? Opt for lighter plastic pellets or rice. This customization is key to adapting the bag to various shooting disciplines and personal preferences.
• Cost-Effective Shipping: Shipping a heavy, pre-filled bag would significantly increase freight costs. By providing it empty, Allen keeps the initial purchase price more accessible, allowing users to source their preferred filler locally and affordably.
• No Spills During Transit: An empty bag eliminates any risk of filler leakage during shipping or storage, ensuring a clean and hassle-free experience from day one.
• Versatile Shape and Stability: The bag’s dimensions are thoughtfully designed to cradle most rifle and shotgun forends securely. Its structured shape, combined with the right filler, creates a firm yet forgiving platform that minimizes rifle wobble and jump, making it perfect for bench rest shooting, zeroing optics, or target practice. The dual-lobe design provides versatile support points for various firearm configurations.

Practical Aesthetics: Black/Tan Color Scheme

The black and tan color combination is more than just visually appealing; it's practical. These neutral tones are less likely to show dirt and grime from the range, blending in well with various outdoor environments and shooting setups. It’s a classic, understated look that prioritizes function.

Who Benefits Most from the Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag?

This versatile shooting rest is an invaluable tool for a wide spectrum of firearm enthusiasts. If you find yourself asking "How can I improve my shooting accuracy?" or "What's the best way to support my rifle when zeroing?" then this bag is designed for you.

• New Shooters: Learning the fundamentals of marksmanship is easier when you're not fighting a wobbly firearm. The Allen 18420 provides a stable foundation, allowing new shooters to focus on trigger control, breath, and sight alignment, building confidence and good habits from the start.
• Hunters: Before hunting season, every hunter needs to confirm their rifle's zero. This bag offers the stability needed for precise zeroing, ensuring ethical and accurate shots in the field. It's also portable enough to be used in hunting blinds or from a truck bed.
• Target Shooters and Competitors: For those involved in benchrest shooting, casual plinking, or even some competitive disciplines, consistent support is non-negotiable. This bag helps achieve tighter groups and better scores by minimizing variables.
• Optics Enthusiasts: Installing and zeroing new scopes, red dots, or other sighting systems demands absolute stability. The Allen 18420 provides the steady platform required to make precise adjustments and confirm your point of impact.
• Reloaders and Ammunition Testers: When comparing different bullet weights, powder charges, or factory ammunition, you need to eliminate as many variables as possible. A consistent shooting rest like this bag helps isolate ammunition performance from shooter error.
• Varmint Hunters: When setting up for a long shot on a distant target, a stable rest can be the difference between a hit and a miss. Its adaptability means it can be used in various field positions.

Customizing Your Support: Choosing the Right Filler

The "empty" design of the Allen 18420 is its greatest strength, offering unparalleled customization. But with choice comes the question: "What should I fill my shooting bag with?" Here's a breakdown of popular options and their characteristics:

• Silica Sand / Play Sand:
  • Pros: Very dense, providing excellent stability and weight; inexpensive and widely available; good for absorbing recoil.
  • Cons: Can be heavy to transport; susceptible to moisture if not properly sealed (can clump or grow mold); may produce fine dust.
  • Best For: Permanent bench rest setups, maximum stability, heavy recoil management.
• Rice:
  • Pros: Readily available and inexpensive; provides good density; less dusty than sand.
  • Cons: Susceptible to moisture and can rot or attract pests if wet; not as heavy as sand.
  • Best For: General range use, good balance of weight and cost.
• Plastic Pellets (e.g., Airsoft BBs, BB gun shot, poly pellets):
  • Pros: Very durable and moisture-resistant (won't degrade); lightweight, making the bag highly portable; no dust.
  • Cons: Less dense than sand, meaning less overall weight and stability; can be more expensive.
  • Best For: Portability, field use, hunting trips, situations where weight is a concern.
• Dry Corn / Dried Beans:
  • Pros: Affordable and widely available; decent density.
  • Cons: Prone to attracting pests; can degrade if exposed to moisture.
  • Best For: Budget-conscious users, but with caveats regarding longevity.
• Cat Litter (Non-clumping, Clay-based):
  • Pros: Inexpensive; readily available; absorbs some moisture (but can clump).
  • Cons: Very dusty; can break down over time; can form hard clumps if it gets wet.
  • Best For: Temporary, budget-friendly option, not recommended for long-term use.

How to Fill Your Bag:

1. Select Your Filler: Based on your needs for weight, portability, and weather resistance.
2. Use a Funnel: A wide-mouth funnel will make the process much cleaner and easier.
3. Fill Gradually: Don't overfill. You want the bag to be firm but still malleable enough to conform to your firearm's shape. Leave a little room for the filler to shift and settle.
4. Seal Securely: Ensure the opening is tightly sealed to prevent leaks and protect the filler from moisture. Many bags have Velcro or zipper closures, sometimes with an inner liner.

The Allen Advantage: Trust in a Legacy

For decades, Allen Company has been a trusted name in outdoor and shooting accessories. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and practical design has earned them a strong reputation among hunters and shooters worldwide. When you choose an Allen product, you're not just buying a piece of gear; you're investing in a product backed by a legacy of reliable performance. The Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag embodies this commitment, offering a durable, functional, and affordable solution to a fundamental need in shooting.

Whether you're struggling to tighten your groups, need consistent support for zeroing a new optic, or simply want to enhance your comfort during extended range sessions, the Allen 18420 Bench Shooting Bag offers a simple yet profound solution. Its robust construction, customizable design, and practical features make it an essential tool for any shooter serious about precision. This essential piece of gear, along with a wide array of other shooting accessories, is readily available at DEGuns, your trusted source for firearms and shooting equipment.

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