Rear bags come in an overwhelming variety of shapes and sizes. Some are simple. Some have a ton of features. It would be easy to crank out a quick review of something as simple as a shooting bag. However, to get a real feel for how a bag performs, takes time. I spend five months working with the new Short Action Precision “Run n’ Gun” bag. I really wanted to see if once the “new” wore off, I stuck with it or went back to one of my previous bags. After five months, it’s still the bag I reach for during most of my shooting sessions.

The first test for any bag is how well it supports the butt of the rifle. When I am testing for accuracy, my preference is for a bipod and rear bag. I spend a lot of time shooting in this position and have definitely developed my personal bias. When I am trying to maximize the mechanical accuracy of a system, I need a rear bag that will support the rifle without a lot of input from my support hand. A bag that requires a lot of squeezing will still work, but I definitely notice it at the end of a shooting day. The “Run n’ Gun” bag offers three different height options depending on which way you set the bag under the buttstock. This type of design makes it very quick to set the gross elevation you require.

The fill used in a bag is also another critical component to look at. It affects the way the bag feels and how it supports the rifle. In my opinion, heavy sand wins out in the support category. However carrying five to ten pounds of sand in my shooting pack at a match is not something I would be excited about. The “Run n’ Gun” bag sits at the other side of the spectrum. At 6.5 oz it is almost “featherweight”. While we have not torn the bag open, it appears that SAP uses a styrofoam pellet type fill. While not as supportive as sand or poly-pellets, it does a good job of keeping the butt of the rifle at the height you “squeeze” it to without excess stress from the support hand.

The light weight of the “Run n’ Gun” allows for another neat feature. SAP adds a length of 1″ webbing to the corner of the bag. This webbing terminates in a Tri-glide buckle that allows you to attach it to your sling swivel. You can also option a Flush-Cup Swivel or Standard Swivel when you order. On many of our rifles, we have extra QD Cups on the stock/chassis. This little feature allows us to attach the “Run n’ Gun” to the system for the duration of a stage. Now we don’t have to worry about dropping the bag while moving into/out of a shooting position. This prevents a time penalty or the possibility of a DQ on a stage. Since the bag is so light, it is almost invisible on a 13+ pound competition rifle.

The “Run n’ Gun” bag is so much more than just another “rear bag”. Most shooters will primarily use it in that fashion, but it can be applied to several other situations. SAP includes a 1″ webbing strap with a side release buckle across the width of the bag. On the opposite side, you have a durable “Anti-skid” type material. This setup allows you to strap the “Run n’ Gun” across your bipod for barricade shooting. The webbing is even generous enough that you could strap it over the top of most semi-auto rifles so that the bag rests in front of the magazine well.

Versatility is the name of the game in Precision Rifle Series type matches. The “Run n’ Gun” bag gives you a good dose of it. While the price is not cheap at $65.99 (as tested), I feel it is a good value. This bag is durable and should last a long time in competition shooting. For most shooters, it should last for a lifetime of regular range use. I made the mistake of letting my Wife, Sarah use the bag. She has now decided that it is her favorite. Now I have to order another for myself.

Thanks to SAP for providing the bag for a review. If you decide to buy one for yourself here, please let them know where you heard about it!