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Shooting mats...

I'd like a drag bag that opens into one. There are a few nice ones out there. I'd like to be able to make it on a sewing machine but I don't think mine can do it.

What also works very well are the FOAM military sleeping pads if you just need a shooting mat. The new ones are inflatable, don't work as well for shooting. If you were to make a drag bag yourself, you'd probably use that kind of foam for padding and for the mat.
 
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I wanted the smallest to fit in a bag and went with the tab. It’s jusy cloth with some ever so mild cushion for under the elbows. But it packs up into the size of a pickle jar.

If I were to by another it would be the midway when it goes on sale for 20.

It’s nice to lay down and not come up covered in sticker burrs with dirt embedded in your forearms. Well above I said it’s just cloth. It’s the scotchgaurded plastic backed cloth so it’s water repellant and stuff doesn’t stick to the bottom of it.
 
IMHO Reasons for a prayer rug

- it is muddy
- there is snow
- exposed concrete / asphalt / roof that is absorbing high heat

A tarp is often better. Knee and elbow pads with hard caps are often better if comfort is the issue.
 
I love mine from Midway, cheap and comfy. Especially when we shoot on rocks, weeds, and mud. Also the cement . Makes for a good changing mat when I need to get a suit on for work
 
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I grabbed a Cabellas mat at Christmas after using a Thermarest accordion for years. Love it as far as comfort goes, but a little sunshine and the black vinyl chest/elbow area goes "nuculer" real quick.
 
I'd like a drag bag that opens into one.

I'm the exact opposite. My mats always end up getting wet, muddy or dusty. So folding the mat back into a bag and tossing a rifle inside ensures it ends up either wet, muddy or scratched up from sand stuck inside. I would rather carry a separate case and mat.

The Midway pro comp being my default recommendation. It's a great water proof mat, with nice padding. It will allow you to learn if you'll use it and what you like or don't like in a mat without spending too much money. The Cabela's mat is nice as well, but the Midway mat is already wider than what's really necessary and the Cabela's mat is even bigger.
 
I've had the Voodoo, Midway , Creedmoor and Primary Arms.
I've used the Voodoo mat almost exclusively for shooting work here on the wet side of Oregon.


The Primary Arms mat is basically a thin, small tarp -super light and packable
http://www.primaryarms.com/primary-arms-compact-shooting-mat-flat-dark-earth-pagssmfde-pagssmfde
The Creedmoor is a big high-power competition roll-up mat with wings and padding- heavy, large and comfy-the only one on this list that's US made.
https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product/CREEDMOOR-ROLL-UP-MAT-GREEN/shop-by-department
The Midway is a smaller, cheaper version of the Creedmoor- heavy and large.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/276544/midwayusa-pro-series-competition-shooting-mat-olive-drab
The Voodoo mat has proven to be impervious to mud, water, cactus, glass and my general abuse.
https://www.voodootactical.net/voodoo-tactical-roll-up-padded-shooting-mat.html

That Cabelas unit looks decent- although it might get toasty in the sun.
Lastly, I'd suggest getting a mat in a light color.
 
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I use mine almost every range trip, I bought the Cabelas model when it was on sale for 40 bucks. Decent padding and a necessity when shooting off terrain. Also keeps you from losing anything in grass.
 
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+1 for TAB.. Neat and compact, you can take it in the field easily. Lives in my bag all the time. Otherwise for the square range, I throw a Harbor Freight moving blanket on a 36"x72" tarp.
 
I just went to the local upholstery and got a 3ft x 6ft bit of canvas and got them to hem it.
Cost next to nothing. Does the job without all the bullshit.
 
I run a midway matt on the square range and a Tab gear in the field. If your using a matt on concrete its nice to be padded. if using a matt on an uncovered range stay away from dark colors, they get hot in the sun.
 
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Have both the midway’s Pro Comp and Half Acre padded. Haven’t used the Half Acre yet. But the Pro Comp has gone out a bunch this year. Happy so far with it.
 
I use a voodoo mat for years. Very well padded and plenty of room for my 6'5" body. I don't use it out in the field only for range days. It's too big to pack but does a great job of keeping me out of the mud, and poky things.
 
Yes you need a mat or better name "ground cloth" of some sort.

I have a US Peacekeeper (similar to Crosstac, wish I had of bought a Crosstac though) and its a luxury sleeping mat practically in thickness and size. I rarely ever use it unless I want to pack all my shit to the range. Its bulky

I love my TAB which is more of a ground sheet that rolls up tight, gets attached to my shooting pack and is unobtrusive until I need it.

and you will need it.

Whether you shoot on concrete, grass or dirt, unless you just like being dirty and have your gear be a dirt attractant the mat will be your friend.

The TAB besides being small could also be multi use. It is a coated material with water resistant qualities. Not huge but could be a rain cover or tarp cover in a pinch. The padding is thin and only where your elbows go but thats fine. Great product recommend TAB.

The full size mats are great if the inconvenience of the size/weight is not a consideration. Crosstac would be my choice as made in USA.
 
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I have the midway pro comp, and I'm very happy with it, there is a lip built in for bipod feet to push against. Very nice for the price, got mine on sale as well.
 
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+1 for the midway mat.

super affordable, comfortable, durable, comes with stakes, pockets, etc. (the stakes have come in handy a few times). only downfall is it is kinda of bulky.
 
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I went down to the local discount store and bought a yoga mat. It was really cheap and makes lying in the rocks at the pit tolerable. It is bulky and wasn’t made for shooting so there is that....
 
I use the tabgear mat when I am limited on space and the huge padded midway mat when space is not an issue. They both have advantages.
 
https://www.triadtactical.com/Triad-Padded-Shooting-Mat.html

Everything you need and nothing you don't. Good construction, rolls up well.

I have the same and am really happy with it. just enough padding without a bunch of bulk. it's also either waterproof or extremelywater resistant. I used it to cover my rifle and gear in a thunderstorm yesterday and everything was dry underneath.

I roll mine up with the non-slip material on the outside. makes for a great rest on various barricades.

I'm actually considering getting a tan one so it'll be a little cooler in the heat. mines green and it starts to heat up pretty good when it's over 95 outside.
 
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I just bought a cross tac mat and omg am I glad I did.

This is what I use. I actually also have a TRIAD Tactical when I want something rollup that is light.

The crosstac is unreal though. I bought mine before a 3 day class and am I glad I did. Very comfortable. Folds flat and has the rail as well.

Everyone thinks it is awesome when they try it out but then they find out the cost and they say WHAAAAAAT? To me, it is worth every penny.
 
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I use the Triad Tactical mat. It’s the right size to attach to the out side of my pack and is just big enough for me to lay on. Easy to clean, and does good when the sun is beating down on you.
I don’t like the duel purpose soft case mat combos. Annoying to clean and haul back dirty. Used a yoga mat when I shot under cover for years. Cheap one from Walmart did great. Till I pulled it into direct sunlight. Dang that thing got hit fast.
 
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This is what I use. I actually also have a TRIAD Tactical when I want something rollup that is light.

The crosstac is unreal though. I bought mine before a 3 day class and am I glad I did. Very comfortable. Folds flat and has the rail as well.

Everyone thinks it is awesome when they try it out but then they find out the cost and they say WHAAAAAAT? To me, it is worth every penny.
Got mine on expert voice
 
I have both a crosstac and a midway pro comp- My preference is actually the midway mat.

You can't extend the 'buy once, cry once' philosophy to every single piece of kit...
I prefer the midway over the comp because the comp folds smaller, can be had at a 1/3 the price if you catch the sales right, it has a weatherproofed bottom layer that is quite robust, and it is just the right amount of padding for me. I found the crosstac to be just a touch smooshy for my 180 lb. average build. I do like how the straps never get in the way of the cross tac where they can w/ the midway.
 
I have the cabelas mat. Wife got it for me or I would never had bought one myself. It is nice to keep you out of the mud and muck. Keep everything up out of the grass so you don't loose it. Can be cumbersome to haul in and out if you have to.
 
I have the cabelas shooting mat and have little bad to say about it. It is large, even when rolled up. It is a bit heavy. It has good padding for when you are shooting from a rocky or concrete surface. There is a webstrap stop on the front to fit your bipod legs into, in order to prevent them from moving when you load into it- if that is your thing. It is more than necessary for most field uses. I would not take it on a multi-day hunt, for example. The black vinyl gets SUPER hot in the sun- if you flip it over that problem goes away. This is my "don't leave home without" mat for range and competition (where applicable) shooting. Any time I can take the weight, space, and portability penalty, I take this mat.

I also have the primary arms shooting mat. This rolls up into a very small package, but is little more than a hemmed piece of light weight tarp- with a couple of web straps, some clips, and a little bit of cushion. This says in my truck as an emergency mat- in case I forget my big mat. It also doubles as a ground cloth where necessary. This mat- I feel- has higher utility than the cabelas mat, because of its size. But, it is not as comfortable to use (very little/no padding), is shorter (knee length vs over well over 6 ft), is narrower (doesn't have wings either), and is generally of lighter duty build (not enough weight to push down grass on its own). I really like this mat, but it sucks where shooting from a concrete pad. I also intentionally broke the plastic buckles and replaced them with G-hooks. This substantially increased the potential durability by removing the most obvious fail point (the brittle plastic buckles).

I don't have any experience with any other mats, but I don't foresee me buying any more until these where out. They represent 2 extremes of the mat utility equation and fill their niche to my satisfaction. But, if I had my druthers, I would have the cabelas mat with a tan vinyl patch instead of black.
 
I like the Voodoo Tactical mat. I've got a couple I keep in the truck for range days. Very well built. Well enough to be handed down a few times probably. They are lightweight, perfectly padded, roll up nice an small, and they come with molle compatible straps if you wish to pack it around. They are not terribly wide, so if you are looking to set up a yard sale, you'll want to look elsewhere. If you just want to lay down and shoot, perfect mat IMO.
 
+1 on the Voodoo. Have 2, price was right and they work great. Attach to my packs, and other than the occasional stubborn root, are fairly comfortable. Considering the RiflesOnly mat for my next unless theres a better option
 
I've used my TAB mat for around 8 years now. Also have a Drag Bag from TacOps, and it comes with an awesome padded mat. I take the TAB on trips, and use the TacOps around my home. Truthfully, I don't use either very much. They are a pain in the wind, and if it is raining or snowing, I'm wearing weather appropriate gear anyway, so I stay dry. I also don't shoot in those conditions for more than about an hour, so if I did, maybe I would use a mat more. I mostly shoot on grass, so that is obviously a factor too.
 
I went with the Midway Lightweight Tactical shooting mat and have been quite happy with it. It does the job of keeping me off the dirt, providing some padding when shooting off concrete and is waterproof enough for the early morning matches on grass. And it's coyote in color so it doesn't get too hot. I wanted something that wasn't too heavy for use in a field situation where I don't want lug a big comp mat. It fits the bill.
 
After using a Cross Tac pad last month I decided to ask for one for fathers day.

Yeah its spendy but then again I buy two AICS mags or a set of NF ultralites without hardly thinking about it but spending that much on a dang shooting mat always seemed silly. But it should last a long time and I know after trying several of them I prefer it by a wide margin over the other ones I have tried.
 
I have a Cross Tac mat. It doesn't roll up nice and small like a lot of others, but I don't have a need to stuff it in a pack and carry it around with me. I like the way it folds and doesn't roll in on itself, so I never worry that I'm gonna be lying on something dirty or wet when I trek it around.
 
I use Galati Gear mats and I really like them. I don’t do much walking to get to where I shoot (I have way too much shit) so I usually bring the big Galati Gear rifle case/ drag bag/ mat combo. It’s got super thick padding and a hell of a lot of room when it’s unfolded. I’ve got two of these and a dedicated mat only , all from Galati Gear. They are expensive but of the highest quality.
 
The cross tac is awesome. The only thing I don’t like about mine is the location of the handles. Right at the twig and berries position when prone and using the rail against the bipod. Wish the carry handles were just cloth and laid flat. But I’ll gladly deal with that since everything else about it is perfect.