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Shooting mat recommendations

W

wildman2

Private
Minuteman
Dec 8, 2018
6
0
Looking for a decent shooting mat for prone shooting. Don't want to buy one and then find I don't like it 2 months from now. Need some good recommendations for prone on desert ground here in NV. Mostly rocks and sand/dirt.
Also, why to F class shooters shoot mostly prone? Versus bench?
 
I found some nice thick pads that go on a horse at tractor supply in the clearance and put those on a tarp to keep em nice. My bony elbows can't dig through it and they double for dog seats in the truck.
 
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Midway USA mat when it’s on sale - rolls up and is pretty cheap. You’ll get a ton of different answers here so just decide how much you want to spend and go from there $50-200ish maybe?
 
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I second the Midway USA mat. It is inexpensive and works great. If I'm feeling like a baby, I throw a moving blanket/pad on the ground underneath it. You can get moving pads at U-Haul or Harbor Freight.
 
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Bought a Crosstac a week ago and tried it out this morning. Really glad I bought it - very nice construction and comfy...
 
Creedmoor Sports. They've been making shooting mats that work on all surfaces for far longer than any tacticool outfit ever has. They'll also customize the padding and friction rubber to your requests, for a price.

Short story on why F Class is shot prone: because the rules say so.

Long story, F Class was a Canadian invention to allow old fullbore rifle shooters who couldn't bear shooting prone with a sling any more, or who had trouble focusing on the front aperture sight (no scopes allowed in Fullbore Rifle), or both to slap a scope and bipod on their fullbore rifle and still shoot. Eventually the class became popular enough that the DCRA (Canadian Rifle Association) made it an official discipline. From there its popularity spread throughout the English-speaking rifle world (where fullbore is most popular) and then Europeans and others picked it up too.
 
MidwayUSA's competition mats when they are on sale are great and work well.
 
Yoga mat then horse stall mat then finally Triad Tactical shooting mat. Simple easy to clean and no extras I don’t want or need so cost was low but quality is high.
 
I know this is petty but I prefer mats with provisions to load up the bipod that are NOT straps/loops. For the money it’s hard to beat the Midway competition mat.
 
Wow. You folks are incredibly helpful and informative. The Midway halfacre looks really comfy with 1 1/2" of foam core. Am I being attracted to the wrong things here? LOL. It is backordered but seems appealing.
Also, how many rounds should I load up for my first meet typically?
 
I use a "Galati Gear" shooting mat/rifle drag bag that you can carry like a back pack (w/shoulder straps and waist pad), about 1.5" thick, 10 rd cartridge loops, 2 internal pouches for accessories, 1 single pouch for suppressor, 1 pouch for cleaning rod. When open you have 3 padded nonslip pads (elbows and bipod) Worth the $ IMO. Purchased mine about 3 years ago/ no regrets. I shoot on 3/4 minus gravel rocks and can't feel the rocks when laying on the pad at all.
 
I picked up a Midway competition mat on sale for less than $50 on sale a while back, its a good mat.
I also have a Triad Tactical mat the I like quite a bit.

If I'm in one spot shooting all day, I use my Midway mat. The down side to the Midway is it is fairly large when folded up and I have to carry it separately, in addition to my pack and rifle.

If I am moving around alot, I use my Triad as it rolls up nice and tight and fits on the top of my pack very nicely with clips. Just grab my pack and rifle and move.
 
Home Depot or uhaul moving blankets or tractor supply horse blankets cheap and thick as crap. I'm low speed high drag I guess lol.
 
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Midway mat was on sale.
I keep it with my pack at all times.
Comes in handy for various uses anytime.
 
Another vote for the Midway mat. My local range's shooting line is on coarse, sharp gravel. And, it works fine (very comfortable) without any other padding / layer underneath it. I got the "competition pro" model, which is a bit bigger than their regular competition model.
 
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To all the people who suggest the “Midway mat”, which one are you talking about? Last time I checked, there are three different versions of their mat. I’ve been debating with myself on which one is the best value.
 
dgc357 said:
To all the people who suggest the “Midway mat”, which one are you talking about? Last time I checked, there are three different versions of their mat. I’ve been debating with myself on which one is the best value.
Click to expand...

I got the "pro." Bigger is better. More comfortable is better. I just put a "notify me (when back in stock) for their "Acre" padded mat.
 
How about having one made with the features you want in it?
After seeing what a lot of other guys were using & cherry picking ideas from the net,I went to an auto upholsterer & had him make me one up.
 
May be the only one here using mats from Tac Ops.

Don't know if their bags and mats are still available?
 
Something no-one ever seems to mention....
If you ever shoot in the mud, a fold up mat keeps all the crap on one side....a roll up mat distributes it equally on both sides as soon as you roll it up, and then on you and your gear, if you use it after you roll it up.
 
only thing i can say is try to get one in other than black...gets realllllly hot in the sun.
 
+1 on the Midway Pro Comp mat. A little bulky but lots of pad and the water resistant bottom material is easy to wipe or dust off.
 
Hunter280 said:
I second that, i got one to try and have not use my Midway anymore.
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I third this. I used this Savior Gear mat at a 4 day Front Sight precision rifle class, using the straps for front loading the bipod and did well out to 750 yards. And it was comfortable on the south Nevada gravel. I have given up using my old Midway mat.
 
I'm super easy please, but I found one on Amazon by a company called Vstar, i think. 60 bucks and it's a case that unfolds into the mat. Pretty durable fabric (1000d coated nylon) and works well for me. Plenty of molle to attach to your pack. Has pockets for dope cards, extra rounds and a pocket for a one piece rod. Like I said, I'm pretty easy but it works for me.
 
whiskeysierra762 said:
Eberlestock Padded Magic Carpet here. Its nice having the waterproof mat to lay on wet grass, snow, mud etc....
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I have one of those as well. In addition to the waterproofing, I like the length. I'm 6'6' so I like the longer mat to help me not have to lay in the muck.
 
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