Re: Range bag recommendations?
I've tried range bags from Sig, Tac-Ops, Midway, and a couple others that aren't coming to me right at the moment. At this point I should probably clarify what I'm refering to as a "range bag". I'm not talking about a gun case that may also hold a few small items such as mags, hearing protection, etc. I have several of those for my different weapons and they are fine for that purpose. I happened to bring my Tac-Ops bag with me that has my 9mm pistol, mags, hearing/eye protection, and ammo, for a range session later today.
I'm refering to a bag that can hold the peripherals that I like to have at hand when I shoot rifle at my outdoor 600 yd range. Specifically, things such as weapon-specific tools (for DTA Covert), gun lube/cleaning supplies (although I try not to do much of that at the range), hearing/eye protection, cased scopes (most of mine are mounted on LaRue CD mounts), rear bag, mags, ammo, LRF, sling(s), Kestrel, data books, minimal set of tools including pliers, allen wrentches, screwdrivers, pens/markers and stapler/staples for targets, and probably a few other odds and ends.
I'm sure some will think why do you need all that crap? The answer is I usually don't. It always seems to be that I need it only when I don't have it. Because at my range I can back my truck right up to the firing line, it is convenient to have a bag that can hold all of this stuff.
My dissatisfaction over range bags I've tried that were specifically designed for that purpose stems from many factors, not all of which are specific to every bag. Space is often a factor. I find many of the bags to be poorly thought out with regard to interior arrangement and optimal utilization of space, so that even though the bag seems large enough from the outside, you can't fit nearly as much into it as it would seem. Another issue is that many seem to be extremely flimsy with regard to the construction/materials of the shell. I like a bag that will stand on its own, stay open, and not fall over as soon as i take something out. Finally, I've not seen any range specific bags that had straps/fasteners/hardware that were worth a damn; usually very cheap.
So after trying many different version of range bags, I decided that a good tool bag was more in line with what I was looking for. A good qualtiy tool bag is typically extremely sturdy and well thought with regard to its interior arrangement. Further, there is a huge selection to choose from in terms of size and arrangement of internal/external compartments. I'll be the first to acknowledge that not everyone wants to carry nearly as much crap to the range as I do. IMO, tool bags seem to have been selected for what works over a period of many, many years, whereas the range bags I've used seemed to be designed by someone that had never actually used one.
In summary, to each their own. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone else's choice of range bags, but rather to offer the OP a slightly different take on something that might suffice for their needs, that are reasonably priced and usually available in many different flavors. I certainly have not tried every manufacturer of range bag out there and I'm sure there are some I would be completely satisfied with. But after going with the tool bag pictured above, I've simply not found the need to look any further. Like all else, YMMV.