The best rear bag for a hunting rifle is the one that is still with you when the shot comes, so judge a bag on what it adds to your load, how it stays with the rifle and whether you can set its firmness. Sling Steady's Pro 9" is a rear shooting rest bag that sits under the stock of a bolt-action hunting rifle and rides on your sling or attaches directly, and it is one of several bags worth a look.
What to judge a hunting rear bag on
Carry weight. Whatever the bag weighs, you carry it on every hunt. It is the first number to check.
How it stays with the rifle. A bag left in a range bag or the truck is not a rear rest when the shot comes. Check whether it clips to a pack, tethers to the stock or rides on the sling.
Fill and firmness. Fill decides how the bag feels under the stock. A bag with adjustable fill lets you set it firm or soft.
Fit and price. The bag has to sit under your stock, and the price spread across makers is wide.
Named options, as listed on 4 Nov 2026
| Bag | Weight as listed on 4 Nov 2026 | Price as listed on 4 Nov 2026 | How it carries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Action Precision Lightweight Bag | Under 5 oz, not including swivel; filled or empty not stated | $44.99 | Tether to the butt stock; swivel options |
| MDT Renegade Ultra-Light Shooting Bag | Less than 2 oz; filled or empty not stated | $79.99 | Hand strap and carabiner loop |
| MDT Traveler | 8 oz with Spex Lite fill, 1 lb with House Fill; filled or empty not stated | $69.99 | Lanyard to a QD swivel or HK clip, or looped onto the sling |
| LS Wild Mini Ultralight Rear Bag | About 1.4 oz | $39.99 | Loop and carabiner to the outside of a pack |
| LS Wild 2.5 Ultralight Rear Bag | About 2.5 oz in 500D Cordura | $65.00 | Two integrated straps |
| WieBad Loop Rear Bag | 1.2 lb; filled or empty not stated | $35.00 | Carry method not described |
| Armageddon Gear Game Changer (retailer listing) | 7 lb with standard beads, 1.5 lb with SpexLite; filled or empty not stated | MSRP $124.95 | Webbing handles at both ends |
| Sling Steady Pro 9" | 9.5 oz, ships filled | $89.99 | Rides on your sling or attaches directly |
Weights are the makers' own. Where a page does not say whether a weight is filled or empty, the table says so. The Game Changer row comes from a retailer's listing, because the Armageddon Gear page could not be read.
Where other bags beat Sling Steady
Several weigh less. MDT lists the Renegade Ultra-Light Shooting Bag at less than 2 oz and LS Wild lists its Mini Ultralight Rear Bag at about 1.4 oz. Several cost less as well: Short Action Precision at $44.99, the LS Wild Mini Ultralight Rear Bag at $39.99 and the WieBad Loop Rear Bag at $35.00.
If your hunts are long walks and you want the smallest load, one of those may suit you better than a Sling Steady bag.
The Game Changer sits at the other end of the weight range. In a Precision Rifle Blog survey of the top 200 PRS shooters, published October 2024, 77% used an Armageddon Gear Game Changer. That is a survey of match shooters, not hunters.
Where Sling Steady fits
The Pro 9" is 9" × 2.5" and weighs 9.5 oz. It ships filled with SteadyFill, and hook-and-loop ports let you add or remove fill. The build has three layers, with an abrasion-resistant grip fabric on the contact face. It is made in the USA, patented (US 12,339,095) and costs $89.99. Sling Steady is a veteran-run company.
In our testing, shots landed 28% closer to the bullseye with Sling Steady under the stock, and muzzle rise was about 75% lower. It also helps manage recoil.
The Pro 9" is the size for bolt-action, sport and hunting rifles. The Sport 7" is the size for AR-platform rifles.
What the bag adds is availability. It rides on your sling or attaches directly, so it is on the rifle and not in a pack pocket. Stability you have with you, not stability you left in the truck.
How to choose
If carry weight is everything, start with the bags with the smallest listed weights in the table and check how each one attaches. If you want the bag to stay on the rifle without a pack, compare the tethered bags with Sling Steady. If you shoot a bolt-action hunting rifle and want to set the fill yourself, the Pro 9" is made for that rifle.
For a bolt-action hunting rifle: the Pro 9". For an AR-platform rifle: the Sport 7".
Related reading: What is a rear squeeze bag? · Pro 9" or Sport 7" · What to look for in a lightweight rifle rear bag
Sling Steady is Ready When You Are.