Shooting Mat Question

[SSG Platz]

Midways shooting Mats are on sale for half price this week, I just picked one up, $100.00 mat for $50.00 how can you afford not to?

~PlatzOut~

[Edheler]

Both of their mats are on sale through the end of June. Below are the links to make this easy for everyone.

MidwayUSA Competition Shooting Mat PVC Coated Polyester Olive Drab: $24.99 (normally $49.99)
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/169107/midwayusa-competition-shooting-mat-pvc-coated-polyester-olive-drab

MidwayUSA Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat PVC Coated Polyester Olive Drab: $49.99 (normally $99.99)
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/276544/midwayusa-pro-series-competition-shooting-mat-pvc-coated-polyester-olive-drab

Thanks for the pointer SSG Platz, I needed a spare mat for shooters to be able to borrow!

[SSG Platz]

Midway USA had their shooting mats on sale for 50% off this week. $100.00 mat for $50.00, you can't afford not to get one!

~PlatzOut~

[Pitmaster]

The Midway mats have been going on sale fairly regularly lately. I've bought 4 of them at half price back in March.

[zamboni_driver]

Midway branded stuff like matts and range bags go on sale every other month.

[Spartan]

  So, if your goal is to have a mat that that helps your shooting (elbow slippage, comfort, stability, postion consistency " I put my left elbow here on this spot and my right elbow here on this spot , my magazines go right here, this is where I put my chamber flag/ ECI" so when you dry fire at home or shoot on the range you can help maintain a consitant position as you have marked spots on the mat.  You you might loan it to someone at an appleseed that needs the help or you could also use to sleep on when camping at appleseeds to save on hotel costs...then I'd say get the Midway or CMP "Creedmoor" mat.  If your goal is to be really great at Yoga, then Id say get a yoga mat.  I know you dont want to buy a thousand dollars worth of shooting gear just to do appelseeds, but that mat will last a long time and new shooters that show up with nothing but a tarp to shoot on gravel would much appreciate borrowing it from you.  It all depends what your goal is. Buy once cry once:)) 

[GoldFish]

In retrospect I'd honestly invest in one of Fred's (or other) shooting jackets before i'd pick up a mat.  By the time you need a mat to keep out of the snow they'll be on sale for Christmas at midway :-)

+1 on that!  I use my shooting jacket WAY more than I use my mat; it's easier, faster, and IMO, more comortable to shoot in/on than a mat.  Unless it's wet and/or muddy, I'd rather have a shooting jacket if I could only have one.

If you do want a shooting mat, then go with the mat that Edheler linked below, as it's probably the best "real" shooting mat for the price.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/169107/midwayusa-competition-shooting-mat-pvc-coated-polyester-olive-drab

My .02 

[Justsomedude]

Dunno...

My local range is Gravel covered with spent Brass and the Range that hosts my Appleseeds is Concrete.
I like my Mat!

[SSG Platz]

I have both, and I like both equally well, it all depends on what I want to do, most times I use both, because they both server overlapping functions but neither does all of what the other does. Matt makes me comply for my whole body on the ground, shooting jacket has nice padding in the elbows, but I mainly use it to help keep my sling up in proper position, and the padding between the stock and my shoulder is nice as well when you move up from the .22

~PlatzOut~

[Yuppiejr]

There was significant rain during my last Appleseed shoot and I am 100% behind the cheap wool/poly blanket option as a shooting mat.  Unlike tarps or shooting mats with a poly cover it doesn't collect/pool water while keeping sand, mud and grit out of your gear (grit gets caught in the blanket fibers rather than blowing around your mat).  It dried quickly when the rain quit and was clean enough with a quick shake over the grass to knock out the sand and dirt.  It's also less brutal on the elbows than the shooting mats with the textured / hockey tape like grip areas on it at the elbows and knees. 

Mine is a wool/poly surplus blanket I picked up at Mill's Fleet Farm for $8 and it packs down to about 1/4 the size of my mat.  I keep a Midway shooting mat in the stable if I'm shooting on concrete or gravel but the wool blanket is my preferred setup going forward.

[Caliper]

If you are shooting at a club with a concrete firing line, you may find the Midway mats uncomfortable.  My first AS events were on concrete and my g/f and I made some custom mats using the blue sleeping bag pads and painters canvas.  Soft enough to be comfortable but not too squishy. 

Now that I've gotten around more,  have to agree that shooting in the dirt or sand is A-ok without a mat.