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Shooting Mats

D

dreever

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 14, 2004
191
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Michaux State Forest Adams County Pa.
I need a shooting mat that is large enough for a big guy six three and wide enough that i don't feel cramped that has enough padding for shooting off of gravel and concrete as well as grass, rocky terrian etc. I want something decent without spending a couple of hundred dollars.
Suggestions would be appreciated.
 
agree on midway... when buying from them find an item that ships free like a hat and add that to your order and see how it affects your shipping.. also I tend to call in my orders and talk the guys the phone and they get me better shipping rates!
 
I just bought a mat, and did lots of homework. At $49.99 on sale, the Midway Pro mat seemed to be the front runner. But, it is out of stock, and expected re-stock is late June according to their site. Since it's not even April, and I want to shoot, I bought a Cabela's mat. It was $74 shipped, and it's plenty big enough for me. I'm by no means a skinny guy, and at 6'1", only my feet hang off the mat. It is very well padded. Have a look, might be what you're looking for.
 
I looked around quite a bit, and ended up buying the tactical tailor shooting . I am not quite as tall as you are but the mat suits me quite well. one of my shooting partners is 6'3" 250 and he fits on it fine. That being said it's not overly roomy for him. I like tactical tailor stuff they're made in Washington and they have really good Customer service. The only downside to the mat is that I believe it was around $100.
 
Whoops, forgot to talk about the padding. The padding in the mat is very adequate for shooting from rock, gravel or anything softer. I frequently use it to shoot from hardpack gravel roads and very very rough rocky shooting platforms. I have only been using it for about a year and so far so good.
 
Anyone tried the TAB Gear Shooting Mat? From the pics I've seen it does'nt look like it has much in the way of padding.
 
midway pro mat is top in my book. i do alot of shooting in the woods and here in wa there isnt alot of dry ground. i wanted a cheap mat that i wouldn't feel bad about geting wet or muddy. and if you shoot in the snow like i do it definitely helps insulated you from the cold ground. i liked it so much ive bought three of them, one for each shooting buddy i go with and they love it to. i would wait till they are on sale to pick one up. plus the bipod strap is very useful for preloading.
 
The tab Shooting mat is nice however it is just fabric. The nice thing about that is you can wash it easily. One of my shooting partners has it and there is absolutely no padding at all.
 
Another +1 for the Midway mat. I have used mine for a little over a year with no issues. The padding is adequate and the mat is plenty wide enough to keep you off the ground if it's wet.
 
NcSTAR Rifle Case Shooter's Mat Combo PVC Tan

my son and I both have this, as do several of the guys we shoot with, can use it to haul your rifle and shoot off of. we've shot off all kinds of terrain with it and like it. feet won't be on it but don't see that as a deterrent.
$65. hope this helps.
 
I'm big on made in the USA stuff, so I searched around and found the Crosstac Long Range mat. Nice padding and has a front bipod rail. Manufactured by our fellow citizens in the beautiful state of Montana. The only drawback is that it's triple the cost of the Midway mat, but I'm willing to spend extra for the Made in the USA label.
 
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Triad Tactical, Inc.*::*Triad Tactical*::*Triad Padded Shooting Mat

The Triad Padded Shooting Mat fills the gap between large/heavy shooting mats that can only be transported in a vehicle, and the thin, un-padded lightweight models. Its long enough to keep the shooters body out of contact with the ground and wide enough so your elbows dont hang off. With two layers of Codura(top/bottom) and 1/8" foam padding middle, the Triad Padded Shooting Mat offers protection without sacrificing portability. There is a 19" section of non-slip, durable material to set your elbows and buttstock on, which adds to the padding. There are 550 cord loops at the corners if staking is needed.

When the mat is rolled, it is secured with three webbing straps, with METAL hooks (no more broken plastic buckles). These adjustable straps are removable and can be used to attach a rolled mat to other gear.

The Triad Padded Shooting Mat can be rolled up in two configurations; narrow roll and wide roll.
The Triad Padded Shooting Mat is a proprietary product of Triad Tactical, manufactured in the USA.

Sizing information:
Weight 2.5 pounds
Width 36.5"
Length 57"

Narrow Roll:
18"x5.5"

Wide Roll
36.5"x3.5"
 
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I love my Triad mat, but it might be a little small for you. Ideal for someone 6 ft or under.
 
The TAB gear has padding, but only in the elbow area. I have it and the tac-force. Tac-force is a carry bag too and is good for rocks ETC..... I carry my TAB gear in my pack, I can shoot from it to if I'm not laying on it of course. It is real nice when your not needing padding but staying out of thorns and cactus and such. How is the midway on carrying in a pack for distances.
 
If you really want a mat with significant padding, a mat that won't let sharp gravel poke through, etc. there is only one choice. Okay, there's probably more than one choice, but I would not recommend either the Midway mat or the TAB Gear mat (the latter is really more about being highly portable and staying clean since there is effectively no padding minus a small and thinly padded area near the front).

All that said, here is your mat:

Crosstac

I'm 6' 4". Only complaint is that the fabric is tough and can be abrasive to some extent - careful when belly flopping down to get into position fast during high speed stages; your elbows can get raw if you're not covered up and careful. This is not really much of a complaint. As you can tell from the shape of the mat, you're not going to be rolling it up and packing it around on your back (well, not readily, anyway). That's a good thing in my book. When you're going somewhere you have the opportunity to take this, do it - it's far more comfortable than any thin roll-up alternative. When you can't? Well, take your roll-up.
 
I have the Midway Pro series mat mentioned. It curls on the edge and takes a while to settle. This interested me in the above:

"Unlike roll up mats with edges that constantly curl up when you deploy, our mat folds, unfolds and deploys flat instantly. It also stores flat... nicely sliding behind the seat of pickup, in your closet, on a shelf, etc. Superior quality foam rated to -20F so it won’t crack, plus it's the perfect thickness & density for both comfort and stability. Perhaps the best feature: our unique, heavy duty bipod rail system will help give you more precision every time you squeeze off a round. "

The Midway has a bipod thing too, but the curl drives me nuts.
 
There's definitely no curl with the crosstac mat - it really is nice dense foam that holds its shape. The absolute nuts for shooting off a cold concrete deck, rocks, etc. it's also nice and wide - great for shooting straight behind the rifle or canted as in slung prone.
 
17874 said:
I love my Triad mat, but it might be a little small for you. Ideal for someone 6 ft or under.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with that. I would use my Triad mat exclusively if it was larger.
Is there any plans to make larger(longer) one in the future?
 
Not right now. We want to keep it portable so the idea is that is should protect you from elbow to just below the knees. Some people want a mat long enough to hold their feet and the bipod. That's not us....
 
After a good bit of research, I went with the Triad mat. It's wide enough for your needs. Length versus portability is well done in my opinion. It just works for me.
 

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bouvie said:
I'm big on made in the USA stuff, so I searched around and found the Crosstac Long Range mat. Nice padding and has a front bipod rail. Manufactured by our fellow citizens in the beautiful state of Montana. The only drawback is that it's triple the cost of the Midway mat, but I'm willing to spend extra for the Made in the USA label.
Click to expand...

This for sure, if you're mil/leo or have a C&R, you can get it with a discount from Brownells. AWESOME mat, and USA made
 
bouvie said:
The only drawback is that it's triple the cost of the Midway mat, but I'm willing to spend extra for the Made in the USA label.
Click to expand...

The thing is, it's only triple the cost but at least five times the mat, at least if comfort, durability and cleanliness are among one's concerns. Well worth it! (if my other messages didn't convey my love for this mat enough already)
 
I was stuck between the Triad Tactical, Creedmoor sports, and TAB. I ended up going with the Triad Tactical since I am only 6' and liked the fact they it looked more portable than the Creedmoor and had at least a little padding since I do almost all of my shooting in the woods/field.
 
ADA said:
Does the Crosstac compress and store as easily as some of the others mentioned?
Click to expand...

It doesn't compress; it folds up (and in a fashion that keeps the underside away from the top so the part you lie on doesn't pick up all the mud, burrs and other sticky garbage from underneath the mat for next time you unfold it).
 
Triad said:
Not right now. We want to keep it portable so the idea is that is should protect you from elbow to just below the knees. Some people want a mat long enough to hold their feet and the bipod. That's not us....
Click to expand...
That makes sense,
I like to be able to set my bipod legs just on edge of the mat but during winter with all the snow/rain/mud it's nice to not have half my body off of it when I do. That being said I love the portability of the the triad so come summer I feel it will be a go to mat. It's a great product made Very Well.
 
Midway Pro series will not be in stock untill 6/27/2013. Because of it's price you can buy the Crosstac now. Why is everybody out of everthing!
 
Just bought one of these. Beautiful work but I have not gone to ground yet!

Large and well padded with high dollar padding.
bouvie said:
I'm big on made in the USA stuff, so I searched around and found the Crosstac Long Range mat. Nice padding and has a front bipod rail. Manufactured by our fellow citizens in the beautiful state of Montana. The only drawback is that it's triple the cost of the Midway mat, but I'm willing to spend extra for the Made in the USA label.
Click to expand...
 
Champion's Choice makes some very tried and true mats
Right Handed

30" x 72". Has two ties and a handle to roll up like a bed roll. The mat has a grey Boatex water repellant cover, 3/8" foam liner and 3/8" felt extra pad in the top portion for extra cushion. The L-shaped non-slip neoprene pad is 24" deep to give maximum elbow area. Also, there is a non-slip 12" pad for the leg which minimizes any movement in the prone position. Right Handed.
 
<---- 2 low class for Gucci like that....

I abandoned prayer rugs years ago. I just wear grubby clothes and hard shell elbow pads. If it is too wet and muddy, I pull a tarp out of the back of the rig and call it good.
 
Shooting Mat

U S Peacekeeper mat. WELL padded, well made and even has a carry handle.
Unsure if made in the USA, but mine has held up well on gravel , concrete and dirt.

IIRC I bought it from Brownells so got the LEO discount which helps. Retail is $135 I think I paid a hundie from Brownells.
 
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I'm digging the US peacekeeper set up. May have to check it out.
 
I use the Wilderness Tactical Precision Rifle Deployment Pad and like it lots. It can be rolled or folded. it rolls up perfect to fit inside my pack and has an adequate amount of padding for gravelly sort of surfaces. My only complaint is with short sleeve shirts the fabric is a little abrasive and my elbows get sore after up and down a bunch. MADE IN THE USA.
Precision Rifle Deployment Pad
Bill
 
Has anyone tried the Epsilon shooting mat system? Ive been eyeballing them for a while and they appear really well well built.
 
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