Ogden’s Tactical 50 rifle case review: one bag for two rifles

Anyone who has tried to get two rifles, two scopes and a shooting mat into a car without a scratch will know the problem this case is trying to solve. Ogden’s Shooting Supplies, run by Phil here in the UK, has been making slips, mats and cartridge bags for years, and the latest generation of its tactical case is built around one idea: carry two setups in one bag.

Ed Jackson has used Ogden’s kit for years, including an earlier tactical mat and case, a shotgun slip and a cartridge bag, all of which are still in service. This is the newest version, tested with a scoped rifle carrying a Nocpix Nite digital day and night scope and a top-mounted illuminator still attached, which is a fair test of whether “generous” means anything.

What the Tactical 50 is made from, and why it matters

The review sample came in tactical black, though it is also available in coyote tan and olive green, with camouflage patterns on request. Phil uses military-spec 1100-decitex Cordura for the exterior, a coarse, durable fabric, and lines the interior with a 6oz high-tensile nylon.

Crucially, all the fabrics are fluorocarbon-finished and PU-coated, which does three useful things at once: it keeps the weather out, stops the fabric fraying, and adds tear and abrasion resistance. Those are the words you want to hear from a case that is going to spend its life in the back of a vehicle. The padding is 5mm hard-cell foam with 15mm soft-cell foam over it, which gives the whole thing a firm but malleable feel rather than the floppiness of a cheap slip.

Will two scoped rifles really fit?

Yes, and with room to spare. The case measures around 5.5in thick at the spine, with an internal length of around 50.5in and a depth of about 13.5in. That was enough to take a rifle with a Nocpix Nite digital day and night scope and a top-mounted illuminator still fitted, which is the kind of setup that defeats a lot of slips.

Unzipping the heavy-duty zips, which have integrated cord pull-assists, and releasing the securing buckles at the front and ends reveals the interior. As well as generous padding on each side there are internal butt and muzzle pockets to keep the rifles nested, and both sides carry Velcro retention straps that adjust closer to or further from the spine depending on what you are carrying. They are highly effective and a genuine asset to the design.

The shooting mat that doubles as a divider

Along the internal spine, a full-length Velcro strip secures a removable, padded, semi-rigid folding shooting mat. To improve bipod stability the mat has a section with two anti-slip panels, and that section detaches quickly to serve as a standalone seat. Fully extended the mat measures 66 x 24in.

The clever part is that it earns its keep twice. In the field it is a mat; in the car it is a protective divider between the two halves of the case, which is what stops two rifles knocking together on a rough track.

Where the moderators and the odds and ends go

One side of the case carries a new zipped external cargo pocket, 26in long and around 11in deep, which is ideal for sound moderators. Its outer face has a Velcro strip for personalised patches. Open the main pocket and you find magazine pouches and another internal zipped pocket, which is the natural home for batteries, chamber flags and the small things that otherwise migrate to the bottom of the car.

Carrying two rifles without wrecking your shoulder

With two rifle combinations inside, you are potentially carrying serious weight, and this is where the case either works or does not. Fortunately the load is made much easier by wide, padded, fully adjustable shoulder straps. That harness is one of the case’s strongest attributes and is critical to whether the thing is practical at all rather than merely capacious.

Standard carrying handles are also included, with a Velcro combiner that keeps them neatly together rather than flapping.

Strengths

• Takes two scoped rifles, including bulky thermal and digital setups
• Removable mat doubles as a divider, so it protects as well as serves
• Genuinely good harness, which is what makes the capacity usable
• Military-spec Cordura, PU coated and fluorocarbon finished throughout
• British made, with a guarantee on build and construction
• Bespoke slips available direct from the maker

Weaknesses

• Fully loaded with two rifles it is a heavy thing to carry any distance
• At around 5.5in thick it takes up real room in a car boot
• Postage is charged on top of the £179.99

Verdict: is the Ogden’s Tactical 50 worth £179.99?

The quality is excellent, as it has been across the other Ogden’s kit that has been in service here for years, and it is backed by a guarantee of build and construction, with any after-sales problem dealt with by Phil personally in the UK. You can also talk to him about bespoke slips if the standard case is not quite the shape you need.

If you regularly move two rifles at once, whether because you are testing, because you take a rimfire alongside the deer rifle, or because you and someone else travel together, this does the job properly and protects what is inside while doing it. What more could you want?