What's everyone use for a rear rest while shooting in the field? Mainly looking at prone shooting, if possible.

[Lee7588]

My father and I have a trip to Northern Colorado in a few weeks and I am curious as to what everyone prefers for a rear rest.

I have an Atlas CAL bipod and originally just considered using my pack as a rear rest while shooting prone, but now I am considering buying a rear bag. This will be our first time to CO, so we don't know exactly what to expect.

For those of you that have hunted in Northern CO, how hard is it to get a prone shot? Is the grass usually too high?

Are packing in and setting up a spike camp or day hunts? I think it was 338 dude that suggested using your first, that I what I do or I use something I already have in my pack (jacket or sweatshirt). If you are packing in a rear bag that is just one more thing to pack out.

 

[Lee7588]

My father and I have a trip to Northern Colorado in a few weeks and I am curious as to what everyone prefers for a rear rest.

I have an Atlas CAL bipod and originally just considered using my pack as a rear rest while shooting prone, but now I am considering buying a rear bag. This will be our first time to CO, so we don't know exactly what to expect.

For those of you that have hunted in Northern CO, how hard is it to get a prone shot? Is the grass usually too high?

Are packing in and setting up a spike camp or day hunts? I think it was 338 dude that suggested using your first, that I what I do or I use something I already have in my pack (jacket or sweatshirt). If you are packing in a rear bag that is just one more thing to pack out.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Northern Colorado is pretty vague, everything from rolling grassland to high mountains to sage brush and desert. A taller bi-pod that lets you sit up would be more advantageous, then use your back pack if shooting prone position.

Good luck shooting from a prone position. Do you lay down where you come from?

 

[thomasbangs]

I carry 2 large meat sacks in one bag and 2 small meat sacks in a separate bag in my day pack, the bag with the small sacks make a excellent rear bag and my day pack or pack makes the front rest. I got the idea from one of my sons as that's what he uses when shooting prone in the field in hunting situations. While hunting elk you will most certainly have a pack of some kind and meat sacks.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

I mostly hunt deer from a ground Bling or an elevated box blind . I use the Caldwell tripod that is like a cradle, and the BOG Death Grip Carbon. I like them both for sitting in a blind all day . Your hands are free!

 

[BrentM]

Was thinking this over a bit.... I train and help instruct positional shooting in a couple schools each year. You didn't ask about anything more than a rear bag support but something you may wish to think about is the use of a tripod. A fiesol 3342 with leveling head and arca clamp is around 3 lbs and serves as a platform for your bino's, spotting scope, front support, rear support, and a club for angry beavers. Yes, it is additional weight but with the way this unit works you could easily eliminate a bipod (you can easily shoot prone with this tripod) and rear bag if you desire. Properly set up balance point with a arca rail and clamp and some practice you can make 1000 yard shots off the tripod without rear support. I prefer to use my backpack, a trekking pole, or a stick for rear support. Tons of options on how to use tools like this if you are willing to spend the money and time on it. I have killed a bunch of coyotes off the tripod, a few deer, and wolves. Below is photo of my set up after shooting a wolf at 515 yards and chasing that pack down 3 miles in the snow. I really didn't have a prone option, my back pack would have been ok for front or rear support but in this case I went with the tripod, shooting stick rear, and it was perfect. I was pretty excited and that set up is rock solid.

 

[fnlights]

Was thinking this over a bit.... I train and help instruct positional shooting in a couple schools each year. You didn't ask about anything more than a rear bag support but something you may wish to think about is the use of a tripod. A fiesol 3342 with leveling head and arca clamp is around 3 lbs and serves as a platform for your bino's, spotting scope, front support, rear support, and a club for angry beavers. Yes, it is additional weight but with the way this unit works you could easily eliminate a bipod (you can easily shoot prone with this tripod) and rear bag if you desire. Properly set up balance point with a arca rail and clamp and some practice you can make 1000 yard shots off the tripod without rear support. I prefer to use my backpack, a trekking pole, or a stick for rear support. Tons of options on how to use tools like this if you are willing to spend the money and time on it. I have killed a bunch of coyotes off the tripod, a few deer, and wolves. Below is photo of my set up after shooting a wolf at 515 yards and chasing that pack down 3 miles in the snow. I really didn't have a prone option, my back pack would have been ok for front or rear support but in this case I went with the tripod, shooting stick rear, and it was perfect. I was pretty excited and that set up is rock solid.

Do you have a clamp or something on that trekking pole? I do have a BogDeath grip tripod and a glassing tripod.

I plan on going to the range tonight and messing with it in the sitting position while using my trekking poles or my glassing tripod to see if I can get something remotely stable.

 

[BrentM]

Do you have a clamp or something on that trekking pole? I do have a BogDeath grip tripod and a glassing tripod.

I plan on going to the range tonight and messing with it in the sitting position while using my trekking poles or my glassing tripod to see if I can get something remotely stable.

It's a primos shooting stick. It's one hand height adjustable with the grip lever.

Suggestion, look up, rear support techniques in PRS matches. There is a very stabile way to use a rear support using your support hand under the butt. Most use a tripod leg since a tripod is more stable then a single pole. Also, if your bp has a frame, use the bp tucked up against you and rest the butt on the bp.

Wiser makes a trekking pile connector that turns them into a shooting stick. Worth a look too

 

[brentru]

It is around Clark, CO if that helps out at all

About the only place around there where you will get a good prone shot is from an open ridgeline (if you can find one) or from one edge of a meadow to another. Pretty heavily wooded up there. A taller bipod was a good recommendation.

 

[Outdoorplay]

this is what I use, the lags open to 90 degrees, so you can shoot from any height, from sitting to standing

I hike a lot on my hunts my hike some of the areas that I hunt are anywhere from 2 miles to 7 miles, so they also work well for walking sticks.

 

[338 dude]

The more I think about it and look at pictures, the more that I think this might be the best plan.

I do have a BOG Deathgrip tripod that I plan on taking out - the issue being, wow is that thing still hard to hold dead steady. I plan on testing it out with a rear shooting stick to see if that helps out at all - or my trekking polls

I have one too they are heavy

 

[338 dude]

this is what I use, the lags open to 90 degrees, so you can shoot from any height, from sitting to standing

I hike a lot on my hunts my hike some of the areas that I hunt are anywhere from 2 miles to 7 miles, so they also work well for walking sticks.

I like those too I had a set but lost them on a hunt in Georgia

 

[fnlights]

I have one too they are heavy

For sure. That thing is literally a tank

 

[BrentM]

For sure. That thing is literally a tank

Any idea what it weighs? The fiesol 3342 with 50mm ball head and RRS qd arca clamps is 3.5 ish lbs. Little less with leveling head. Pretty slick if you are willing to spend the money and go to arca rails etc. Use mine for bino's and spotters