Tents for shooting prone

bh-ltr

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 10, 2007
645
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Eugene, OR
Ok so I'm a pansy but I live in Oregon and I'd like to be abe to setup at the edge of a canyon and setup a tent where I can shoot for a long period of time 4 to 6 hours mostly in the prone position and have myself and the gun fully covered from rain. I'll have one wall nearly fully open so condensation shouldn't be much of an issue. I'd prefer that it go up in one operation rather than a tent and separate rainfly and I'd prefer that it has a bottom on it but would entertain any and all ideas that didn't. Finally I would prefer that it have the ability to protect another second person without having to be too terribly close...

Any thoughts are much appreciated!
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

just get one of the easy up tents that is ten by ten, you can add walls or not and set the height that you want. You can usually buy them pretty cheap at cabelas or academy if you catch them on sale. They list them for 70 bucks.

Personally I would stick to the ez up brand, as they make a good product I have owned probably 100 of them and have around 30 right now.

Walter
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wburke2010</div><div class="ubbcode-body">just get one of the easy up tents that is ten by ten, you can add walls or not and set the height that you want. You can usually buy them pretty cheap at cabelas or academy if you catch them on sale. They list them for 70 bucks.

Personally I would stick to the ez up brand, as they make a good product I have owned probably 100 of them and have around 30 right now.
Walter
</div></div>

Yep, get the 10'x10' shelter, and an 8' or 10' square area rug at Walmart.
We shoot all year long, rain or shine.

008-7.jpg
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fw707</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wburke2010</div><div class="ubbcode-body">just get one of the easy up tents that is ten by ten, you can add walls or not and set the height that you want. You can usually buy them pretty cheap at cabelas or academy if you catch them on sale. They list them for 70 bucks.

Personally I would stick to the ez up brand, as they make a good product I have owned probably 100 of them and have around 30 right now.
Walter
</div></div>

Yep, get the 10'x10' shelter, and an 8' or 10' square area rug at Walmart.
We shoot all year long, rain or shine.

008-7.jpg
</div></div>

+1 on this advice. We do the same thing up here. The nice thing about the bigger, 10x10 or 8x10 "tailgate tents" as I call them is that they are height adjustable on all 4 corners for uneven ground, they go up in minutes (faster if you have more than one person to help set them up), and they'll give you plenty of room for a shooting position for at least one person (more actually) as well as a setup for your spotting gear and other crap to keep everything out of the rain/snow. I generally use a ground tarp roughly the same dimensions as the canopy and when I stake the tent down, the ground cover goes down under it and gets staked too.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

+ + + ^ ^ ^ on the EZ-Up shelter.

Due to the adjustable height, it's great for positional shooting. It can be set from about 4' to a little over 6'.

A word of caution: if it IS windy, anchor it down with guys or weights. I saw one get flipped by the wind, and it bent up some of the aluminum struts. Needless to say, it wasn't anchored.

Kevin
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

The only downside to EZUP is the legs can bind up easily. Before you collapse wiping the legs and maybe some lube, will prevent it becoming twisted. Lube all the pivot points, if things become twisted its hard to open and close the frame.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

Excellent ideas gentlemen. Turns out a 10x10 ez up is on sale at Cabelas for 70 bucks. I'll call tomorrow and see if they have them in stock locally for pickup. If not I'll have it shipped to the store free of charge.

Thanks much for the advice gentlemen!

Gotta say I'm very much looking forward to getting my rifle back from the smith so I can take my dad out shooting! I've even got a new cabelas that just went in a few months ago in town.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

A piece of gear I take with me most places is my silnylon tarp. I have some 550 cord that stays attached to it all the time.

For quick shade or shelter I rig it up wherever I am. Ultralight and my 8'x10' tarp fits in a Crown Royal bag (size wise). Great emergency kit and very practical for a lot of stuff. That and a piece of Tyvek as a ground sheet to keep your butt dry.

Ultra light stuff that has worked for me.

Just food for thought from another perspective.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

Any tube or wedge design with a vestibule on the end as far as a tent goes.

Simplest and easiest is 2 walking sticks or cut poles and a tarp. Many good personal sized tarps out their. I use an ENO. Anywhere you can either tie a ridge line or use walking sticks and stake out the corners you will have full coverage and no condensation.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

myself and other buds use a 10X10 easy up canopy, with the addition of tarps and bungy cords you can block rain, sunlight, wind or combinations of for a fairly cozy set up in any weather conditions.
hope this helps.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

The shooter nest is nice but has to be the most overpriced bivy on the planet. It is priced above the range of some very good four season mountaineering 2-4 man tents.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frankythefly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Another Idea is the "Shooter's Nest" from Eberlestock.

ShootersNest%20sm.jpg


http://www.eberlestock.com/Shooter's%20Nest.htm </div></div>

Holy Hell that things High Dollar!
shocked.gif
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 105amatt</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frankythefly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Another Idea is the "Shooter's Nest" from Eberlestock.

ShootersNest%20sm.jpg


http://www.eberlestock.com/Shooter's%20Nest.htm </div></div>

Holy Hell that things High Dollar!
shocked.gif
</div></div>

It is expensive but worth it. I took it on a hike of mt Whitney this summer and it was awesome. It allowed me to bring other stuff without increasing my load above the already 85lb pack I was carrying.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

So I got to head out with my dad in a nice little clearing that allowed ranges to 550 yards. Started raining toward the end of the shoot so it was VERY nice that the tent was there. Thanks again for the all the recommendations gentlemen. Next time I'll bring a bigger tarp...

2012-11-02%2013.56.01.jpg
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

Good deal! Glad you got it setup and are pleased. It isn't the most extravagant (and certainly not the most expensive) solution, but its always worked well for me over the years.
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JohnnyC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If anyone is considering the Eberlestock Shooters Nest, take a look at the Outdoor Research bivy's first. Damn near the same thing and can be had for cheaper. </div></div>

Got a link handy?
 
Re: Tents for shooting prone

for the purpose the OP stated, a lot of the suggestions are not that practical
- the pop up shelters are great for sun shades, but are not going to be anything close to dry after minutes, much less hours in rainy conditions
- the bivy idea would be good for a light/less visible all weather hunting hide, but again impractical for the in and out of a day shooting in rainy conditions
not to mention the one shown is about triple price

to me the best solution would be a tent that is usually designed for basecamp hike in situations, 2 entrances - each with a large floor-less vestibule, that way you are not crawling in and out over the set up rifle and the potentially hot brass/bipod legs do not F up the nylon floor

- a basic option:

http://www.rei.com/product/739354/rei-mountain-2-tent#video-inner

- decent deal on a larger model:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28442