Make loaner youth shooing mats, heck make them for the old folks also!
CMP Link below
http://www.odcmp.org/0414/default.asp?page=PRONEMAT
I saw that email. My first thought was "why would I want to spend $30 for materials for a mat that looks like an Girl-Scout-Craft-Project-Gone-Bad when Midway makes great mats for the same price? Or their really nice one for $20 more?"
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=shooting+mat
Or walk into wallyworld that sells fitness equipment. $23 no shipping on grrl-scout project.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-36-x-78-Equipment-Mat/21672521
These have held up well through two season and waiting for the third to start.
Because it is inexpensive for a folding mat. And folding mats have some advantage on the firing line. Chief among these is that you don't have to goof around with getting it flat. Since the kids shooting sporter air rifle in partiocular are generally shooting on concrete they need a mat and these make sense. You can fold a roll up mat, but it is not as convenient.
Here are commercial prices for folding matts from Creedmoor and champions choice
Creedmoor Deluxe Foldup: $94.95
Champion Shooter Supply: $89.95
Or an old scrap piece of carpet, but I look for the inexpensive way out.
HH
I used a scrap of carpet on the concrete at Ramseur for my first AS in 2008. I finished day one with scraped up elbows and banged up knees. On day 2 I put a blue closed cell under the carpet and bought an elbow pad for my left elbow. That made things much better.
Carpet and the like works fine as a temporary measure or on dirt or grass. But on gravel and concrete you want something more. You want your shooters focused on shooting, not their bleeding elbows or aching knees.
I have a creedmoor deluxe rollup mat with a light green top and white rubber. It is much nicer after a day of shooting in 100 degree temps and bright sun than a dark green and black mat. It has also lasted 3x as long as the midway mats that I used to buy (which tended to self destruct after a year or so of hard use. This one has been going strong for 3 years and shows no signs of failing in the near future. When I bought it it was a little more than 2x the midway mat (like 2.5x or so).
That's a good option when you're committed to shooting all of the time. For the intro shooter, carpet and an elbow wrap out of my SB box works just fine.
HH
Haha. Last time I posted that Midway had their matts in sale all I got was post on how cheap they were made and how much a rip off shipping was. Post this and it's how you can buy a cheap one easier than make one, or use something besides.a mat.
:wb:
Million ways to skin a cat, I know.
:wb:
I think I will quit posting links and stuff to the forum. :(
Post what you think is important. It will help some. And helping people should be what we are all about.
Hi RedFox,
Like Jim said post away. If someone finds it useful that is what counts. These mats will still be very light and blow around in the wind.
It did give me an ides to uses some of the camping mats that I already have, as to curl is irritating. I have found some canvas material that I will combine this technique with and the material will hold grommets to steak it down. If I had to buy the materials it would be cheaper to buy the mats than make them.
The black mats I linked to lay flat and are a bit heavier so they do not blow around as easily. The down side is they are black and can get hot in the sun.
It is about finding what works for you and your budget and skill level/set.
See you on the trail!
"I saw that email. My first thought was "why would I want to spend $30 for materials for a mat that looks like an Girl-Scout-Craft-Project-Gone-Bad when Midway makes great mats for the same price? Or their really nice one for $20 more?"
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=shooting+mat"
If I was going to shoot prone anymore, I would like to make a mat from the same material that GI shelter halves are made of and some GI webbing. It will probably cost more than the mat Redfox posted about but will be cheaper than the Midway one. Not by much but cheaper. So why not just by the Midway mat and save myself the trouble? Because different people like different things. Just because YOU don't like a particular mat or project like this, don't be critical of the person who wants to do something different.