Baney Weighs Merits of Heavy Sand
You’ve heard of Heavy Metal, maybe even Heavy Water, but what about Heavy Sand? Every serious shooter should know about Heavy Sand for benchrest sandbags. Heavy Sand can weigh up to twice as much as ordinary silica sand (sold as “Play Sand”). By filling your rear bag with Heavy Sand rather than silica sand, you can nearly double the bag’s mass, and that can translate to better bag performance. A heavier bag resists movement and stays aligned better during recoil. If your bag moves during recoil, or becomes misaligned from shot to shot, that can alter your point of impact and open up your groups. Adding weight to your rear bag is a simple, cost-effective way to shoot more consistently, with greater overall accuracy.
Jason tested and compared four kinds of sandbag fillers: Zircon, Chromite, Riverbed Sand, and ordinary Play Sand. Zircon is the heaviest type of sand readily available to shooters, followed by Chromite. Zircon is 98% heavier than Play Sand, while the black Chromite sand is 94% heavier than Play Sand. Riverbed Sand, commonly sold in pet stores as “Reptile Sand”, is less dense, measuring about 55% heavier than Play Sand.
Increase Bag Weight Up to 10 pounds
Compared to silica sand, how much extra weight can Heavy Sand (Zircon, Chromite, Riverbed) add to your sandbag? Up to 10 pounds, depending on the size of your rear bag. Check the chart below for the specifics. By filling a standard bunny ear bag with Zircon (vs. silica sand), you can increase bag weight by about 5 pounds. A super-sized BigFoot bag can gain 10 pounds in overall weight when filled with Zircon as opposed to silica sand.
To learn more about Heavy Sand (and where you can buy it), read Jason’s comprehensive Sand Comparison Article. It includes photos of the different sand types and links to Heavy Sand vendors, such as R.W. Hart (Zircon) and Sinclair International (Chromite).
Garnet sand is only slightly less dense than zircon, and I have found it easier to locate locally. I got mine, for a good price, from a company that sells to sand blasters. After determining that that a suitable granule size was available, I asked if they had any broken bags. They did, and were glad to scoop up the contents, put them in a 5 gallon plastic bucket, and ship it to me, at a discounted price. I think that ended up with 50# for about $35 delivered. IMO you don’t need heavy sand in front bags, or rear bag ears. There are products that pack better.
I also use Garnet sand from a water-jet cutting machine to fill my bag. I haven’t weighted it but its very heavy for its size.
do the granuals of these specialtly types of ‘bag’ sand lock together and retain shape any beter than normal sand?
Hi aus f class,
iv been using Zircon sand in my rear bags for a few years now, Its particle size is similar to very fine dry beach sand. But a lot heaver per kg. it wont retain or “lock together” any better than dry beach sand will.
“But a lot heavier per kg…” that’s a good one.