I still remember the first range bag I ever owned. My Mom gave it as a Christmas present and I used to joke that it was a life changing piece of equipment. I called it my bag of organization, and it worked wonders for range trips with my family. Instead of throwing handguns into multiple bags and ammo getting shoved into various compartments in the car, this bag allowed me to keep everything organized in one complete bag. However, as my shooting passion grew, so too did the number of range essentials that I tried to fit into it. Sadly, this bag began to show signs of wear faster than I expected, and its more compact size that I once thought so handy, began to make me choose which items would get left behind. The only other option was bringing additional bags once again.
As that bag began to fail me I drifted towards making do with other bags, often just a backpack with one pistol and a few hundred rounds of ammunition. While there is nothing wrong with the focus bringing one handgun to the range allows, it does make it difficult to change things up. Introducing friends and family to shooting became more difficult as bringing a variety of handguns for the live fire portion was once again more of a hassle than a simple task. I had also discovered that shooting on private land introduced even more necessary range equipment to bring for an effective range day. The back of my 4Runner began to be cluttered with loose items and packing for the range required far too many trips from the gun room to the truck. I had resigned myself to using multiple bags and hoping I remembered everything during the packing process.
Cue Sentry and their Sentry Sentinel multi-gun range bag, aka another life changing bag of organization. Yes, I may be overly dramatic, and it is true that my range trip woes sound more like that of a whining child than anything of substance but bear with me. If you are pressed for time, or already don’t feel like reading further I’ll make this easy. Buy this bag! It is truly the greatest range asset I have for making trips to the range easy and organized. This bag has solved all the aforementioned issues, and some of its truly innovative features have spoiled me to the point that I doubt I will enjoy a range trip without it.
Upon unpacking the bag, the first thing I noticed was the size of this bag; it is nearly double the size of my past range bags. The voluminous size of the bag has allowed me to simply throw nearly everything and anything I needed for the range into it, and I have yet to fill the bag anywhere near capacity. Initially I was a little worried the size of the bag would be cumbersome. Those fears have since been laid to rest as the carrying handles and shoulder strap have made using the bag, regardless of how heavily loaded, far less of a burden than I at first feared. The shoulder strap is connected through plastic buckles, which I thought fail with too much weight. I’ve carried over 40lbs of gear in this bag and even with intentional jolts and yanking on the strap I have yet to notice any damage.
The main compartment comes with two bright orange dividers that can be attached via hook and loop anchor points to separate the large compartment into three smaller ones. These dividers are quite useful for keeping your gear organized. Lately I’ve been struggling to manage my time properly, so I’ve skipped using the dividers and taken to just throwing any gear I might need into one giant compartment. While this does seem a little less organized, the size of the bag allows me to easily find anything I need in that one large space. My range trips have lately required the use of a chronograph, and yet as bulky as that device and its tripod are they still fit perfectly into the SENTRY range bag.
Next, we will move on to the outer compartments. At either end are typical zippered compartments, simple utilitarian pouches with enough room for anything from hammers and staple guns to handguns and targets. The side compartments running the length of the bag are where some truly innovative features present themselves. The pockets are lined with elastic bands on one side and elastic pouches on the other, both designed to hold pistol or rifle magazines. The reason the one side has pouches rather than the simple elastic sleeves comes from quite a creative design.
Secured by 4 buckles and a zippered section on either end, this outer wall of the bag unfolds into a 16″ x 31″mat. This mat can remain attached as a clean, dry surface for laying your guns and gear on if a bench isn’t available. It can also easily be detached entirely for a variety of uses. Shooting on top of a storage trailer on a local farm in the fall heat I found the mat a lifesaver from the hot metal, as well as offering padding for my elbows during extended prone shooting. Such a useful mat that could be easily folded up and attached seamlessly to the bag was something I never knew I needed, but now consistently find use for. The other side is a more traditional compartment, and both have zippered pockets to keep smaller items secure.
If you still find yourself needing more space than this bag provides, which I would find surprising, there is some additional innovation that can solve this potential issue. SENTRY has developed a new attachment system, allowing additional pouches or bags to be attached at nearly any angle or position imaginable. This patent pending 1080 technology, can be a great option for keeping medical gear handy in any position you desire, yet still have it securely attached to prevent loss or premature wear from having it floating loose elsewhere.
In marketing there are two big questions you must answer to successfully bring a new product to market. What problem currently exists that my product will solve? If it is a product that people do not yet know they need, how do I convince people that they need this item? This bag successfully filled needs I had and fulfilled some I didn’t know I had. Between the quality material used in this bag, the generous carrying capacity, and the innovative features this bag has been a great asset to my range trips. I am truly surprised at how much I enjoyed using this bag, and at how helpful the innovative design was to my range days. If you find yourself in need of a more purpose built and capable range bag, give the multi gun range bag from Sentry Sentinel series a look, I think you’ll find yourself as happily surprised as I was.
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Cost: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Functionality: 5/5
Weight: 5/5
Total: 24/25
Material Disclosure
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.
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