Hunters have a lot of options at their disposal to help steady a shot in the field. Shooting slings, bipods, and shooting sticks all have their place in a hunter’s bag of tricks. But for me, the most versatile and useful shooting aid is a fabric bag that contains a lightweight fill.
The one I’ve used more than any other is Armageddon Gear’s Game Changer, but there are plenty of different options out there and if you have access to a heavy-duty sewing machine and know how to use it, you can make one yourself.
I carry this bag everywhere I hunt or shoot, and once you learn how to use one, you’ll probably want it with you all the time as well. What I really like about the Game Changer are its overall dimensions and the rabbit-ear configuration, which allows it to adapt to a wide range of situations. The bag is about 11 inches long and 5 inches wide, and weighs less than 2 pounds.
Once you learn to use a lightweight shooting bag, you’ll probably want it with you every time you carry a rifle afield. (Bill Buckley/)
You can use a bag in conjunction with a bipod to create a solid support from a prone position. This technique is what most people think of when using a bag.
But because of its size and shape, you can set it on a lot of different surfaces and rest the rifle right on top of it. It can sit on a log, a rock, a fence post, or even across the rail in a tree stand. Generally speaking, you’ll place the rifle so that the bag is right in front of the trigger guard, under the rifle’s balance point.