Prone noob - Want to get shooting mat/drag bag - don't know enough to ask legit questions

[bluto77]

I'm about to start shooting prone. I'd like to have something lay on. Obviously, I'm completely ignorant to this portion of shooting, and I don't even know what to ask and/or search for pre-posting. I'm looking for someone to at least point me in the right direction. Here's what I want.

- Something to lay on while shooting
- Plan on doing competitions in near future so something incorporated into that

And that's about it. Any and all answers (even the smart-ass ones) are appreciated.

 

[Bear24]

MidwayUSA Competition Shooting Mat PVC Coated Polyester Olive Drab

that's your best bang for your buck shooting mat right there but there are much nicer out there.

 

[cramey74]

I use an Eberlestock magic carpet mat & an Eberlestock sniper sled bag. I am very pleased with both. There are a bunch of good bags and mats out there right now so there are lots of right answers. TRIAD Tactical comes to mind, they just dropped a new drag bag that looks real nice and they also have a nice shooting mat. Tactical Operations bag/mat combo is also real nice and I have seen several floating around the for sale section lately.

 

[JasonB]

Nice long sleeve shirt with elbow padding... no mat needed. Not a fan of mats... more gear to carry, more time to setup in a FFP.

"My hypocrisy knows no bounds..." I do carry a TAB Mat, though I've used it more for a front support when I cannot use a bipod. On the rare occasions when I do show up in a short sleeve and have to shoot off the concrete or dirt. I find that even with the mat, most of the times I have one elbow on the deck... This mat is not particularly wide, which is nice because it rolls up compact.

Tactical Response Uniform (TRU) - The Perfect Business Suit for the Operator Who's All Business - Atlanco eCommerce

5.11 Tactical Rapid Assault Shirt | Official 5.11 Site


I know that my suggestion is off topic but I since you mentioned you were new to prone shooting that I would give you another avenue of thought to consider.

 

[Temp9]

I mainly use a mat to keep the thorns and spindly things off my chest. I love my TAB mat. Not as cushy as some of the other mats, but it rolls up to about the size of a 1lb bottle of Hodgdon powder.

 

[EchoDeltaSierra]

My choice was this; a quality drag bag that included a mat. Also, a mat is handy if you're shooting with a brake / comp, on a surface with loose material as it reduces kicking up dust with the muzzel blast.

Tactical Operations | Tractus Specialty Arms

 

[FN in MT]

Brownells sells one made by US Peacekeepers. The tag states #P20300. NO idea what Brownells # is though.

IIRC it was $100 or $110. If You're LE or Military they discount too.

EVERYONE who try's this mat states it's REALLY COMFORTABLE. Also has extra pockets for brass, dope sheet, etc.

FN in MT

 

[Here2Learn]

Go pa-ruse around Triad. Triad Tactical, Inc.

 

[Regalkismet]

My choice was this; a quality drag bag that included a mat. Also, a mat is handy if you're shooting with a brake / comp, on a surface with loose material as it reduces kicking up dust with the muzzel blast.

Tactical Operations | Tractus Specialty Arms

Me too....awesome bag

 

[HellsCanyonArmory]

Have had nothing but positive feedback on our Galati Deluxe mats. Dual purpose as a carry case and shooting mat. Stitching and zippers have been going strong on mine for awhile now and I am running a current special on them. Let me know if you're interested or you can check them out here:
Hells Canyon Armory | Galati Delux Shooters Mat - Shooting Mats, Cases, Drag Bags

Mike

 

[TheGerman]

- Something to lay on while shooting

The ground. Mats are for pussies.

 

[SPDSNYPR]

MidwayUSA Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat PVC Coated Polyester

I think this is your best bet, and I have 5 different mats.

 

[Grizzdude]

The ground. Mats are for pussies.

That's what I'm talkin about! If you come home with less than 50 thorns in you don't come home at all!

 

[TheGerman]

That's what I'm talkin about! If you come home with less than 50 thorns in you don't come home at all!

Hey, its not training until you have to shoot groups with a dried out, broken piece of wood root in your thigh.

 

[Fixr]

Have had nothing but positive feedback on our Galati Deluxe mats. Dual purpose as a carry case and shooting mat. Stitching and zippers have been going strong on mine for awhile now and I am running a current special on them. Let me know if you're interested or you can check them out here:
Hells Canyon Armory | Galati Delux Shooters Mat - Shooting Mats, Cases, Drag Bags

Mike

I have the 55" model that I bought for F Class matches,it was one of the few case/mats that would handle my 48" long Sako. It may be a little too soft but it does insulate you from the ground. One less thing to carry.

 

[W54/XM-388]

The TacOps drag bags are very well thought out, built tough & an excellent piece of gear

Here is a link to a sale post (sold) that had a lot of pictures:
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/options-accessories-sale/200909-tacops-drag-bag-chrony-master-beta.html

 

[FamilyMan]

Since nobody has mentioned the Grand River Tactical mat/case then I will. This mat is expensive but "to me" was worth every penny. The material and craftsmanship were top notch and it is made to your specs that you send him so it will fit your rifle perfect. For matches where you can use a mat it works perfect since you can carry your rifle in between stages and then shoot off it once tour setup. it really minimizes the amount of bulky gear you have to lug around. I shot one match the other way and immediately ordered this. You can order some upgrades for it like a dust mat which is a removable sheet of the material that will fold out in front of the muzzle to keep the down dust when using with a break and you can remove it so its not in the way when your at a match or don't need it. A suppressor pouch is available just send him the dimensions and he'll make to fit. The best upgrade I found was the scope protector which is essentially similar to the TAB scope cover with muzzle protector but at a fraction of the cost. I used it by itself to carry/transport my rifle all the time.

 

[bluto77]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Sounds like I was already on the right track. I'm thinking, for the time being, I'll just go with the Midway Pro series since it's pretty thick and seems like it would be most comfortable. That'll give me something good to learn and practice on, and then once I have a better idea of exactly what type of competition, which rifle I'd use, etc, I could get one of the bags with a mat. The Tac Ops one seemed to be very functional.

 

[Night Eagle]

I will 2nd the galati bag/mat. Its built like a tank and folds all my stuff up into it ...gun,sand bags, ammo,data book...I can be set up in minutes or take down in min where it takes others twice as long. Moving from station to station used to be stressfull,now I get off the gun,and fold the mat up zip it and get up and go...very easy...it's thick enough to make shooting off concrete comfy...