Lyman Tac-mat

A quality shooting mat stops you from getting soaked laid prone on the range, yet subtle features make for a better shooting position, helping to make each round count.

Spec

Lyman Tac-Mat products come in two design solutions for your shooting needs. Both show a Cordura construction and can be folded into a rectangular 915 x 355mm (36”x16”) shape for transit.

Once unfolded, they open out to a 915 x 1800mm (36x71”) foundation for rifle, ammunition and accessories. Both share features like non-slip panels for knees and elbows as well as briefcase carry handle and shoulder strap. The wrap-around Velcro straps will fasten the mat to your rifle case, helping to minimise the amount of luggage that you have to walk out to the firing point. The padded shoulder strap is adjustable for length and doubles up as a bipod foot restraint when shooting. This is particularly helpful on hard or slippery firing points as it allows you to ‘load’ the bipod feet against your own body weight, which is holding the mat stationary.

Spot the difference

The two designs differ because the basic model shows a 600D Cordura construction in either flat dark earth or black colours, plus it is 8mm thick. The heavy-duty brother is a darker coloured sage green and manufactured from 1000D Cordura, plus it comes with 12mm of padding to insulate you from gravel, stones and cold ground. It also includes a heavier base to resist water ingress, zippered pockets for ammunition, slots for pens on both right and left sides, plus corners eyelets to pin it down in blustery conditions.

The regular mat’s nonslip panels help lock the position of your elbows against the weight of the rifle, but the 1000D model has full-width, non-slip fabric enabling a more versatile shooter position. The light mat will absorb some water under pressure on either surface but can be treated with water repellent sprays for longer-term wet usage. Both dry out quite easily if they do get a soaking.

Tightly woven Cordura shrugs of dirt and debris, making it easy enough to wipe clean when wet or brush off when dry. Weight is 2 kg for the light mat and 3 for the heavy-duty version, neither is much of an issue when all-day comfort may well be at stake.