I went and counted, I have 8 different rests for all kinds of different shooting. every one is filled with sand. never found a soft front rest to ever be a good idea.
Like I was saying earlier the most common cause of vertical is your load being off just a little, a little more or less powder normally cures it. can also be caused by a tail wind or your swivel stud contacting your rest under recoil
Think if you go search the archives of BR Central you will find where it’s been discussed a few times that hard front rests will induce vertical stringing. Also I have never tore a bag apart to see what they used, but since this isn’t a match who really gives a sh*t what it’s filled with.
Since I also have multiple rests and bags for use in certain situations, I have found that for hunting rifles with rounded forends that a soft bag on front filled with corncob works just dandy, I also have one that is loose filled sand which is a little harder but after fluffing the bag it also works just Jim spiffy for its intended use of shooting hunting rifles. Also have a couple of bags that are match legal for shooting flat Varmint or BR stocks. For sh*ts and giggles,
IBS rules
Rest. A front rest sand bag shall support the front part of a rifle: a rear rest sand bag shall support the rear part of a rifle; neither rest may be attached to the bench, the rifle, or to the other.
They must be movable in all directions independently of the other. Any part of the rifle resting
thereon must maintain one half inch distance from any part of the rest holding the sandbag on
which the rifle rests. Wherever the rifle makes contact on its sides there may a maximum one
half inch in height and a minimum of one half inch thick on each side. This does not apply to any
devise holding the sand bags in place or any fore-end stop.
Sand bags on front rests must be a
minimum of one and one half inches wide from the direction of the muzzle to the butt stock and
rear rest sand bags must be a minimum of one and one half inches wide by three inches long.Multi-piece front bag systems are acceptable as long as they meet all other criteria listed in this
definition. Only “Heavy Guns” are allowed rear rests that utilize mechanical adjustments. Rifles will be removable from their front rests without lifting any part of the front rest from its contact
points with the bench it is occupying.
Sandbag.
A sand bag is defined as a bag with or without a pedestal, with a leather, cloth or synthetic cover that is capable of being easily flexed by the fingers. They may contain a dry finely divided nonmetallic substance such as, but not limited to, “Heavy Sand”, sand, gravel or grain, without additive and packed loosely enough that bag can be easily deformed by pressure of the fingers.
The cover of the sand bags must not be bound in such a manner to prohibit free movement of the contents. Lubricants on the sand bag may be used. Front and rear rest sandbags must be such that when lifting the rifle from the rests, the rests does not lose any contact from the bench it is occupying. Vertical spacers under a rear bag are allowed as long as they do not contain any protrusions which can be inserted into the bench top or a sandbag.
NBRSA is a little different,
The front sandbag. The front shall be a bag, without additions, containing sand only, and at least 1⁄2” thick over its entire surface. The portion which contacts the rifle shall contact the entire surface under the fore end. Tape on the sandbag is legal.