You aim with a rear squeeze bag by holding the rifle with your shooting hand, and using your other hand to squeeze or ease the bag under the toe of the stock. Squeezing lifts the butt and drops the reticle, so small elevation changes come from the squeeze rather than from your shoulder.
The skill is small, slow movements. Here is how it works and where shooters go wrong.
Where the bag goes
Under the toe of the stock. A Sling Steady bag is a rear shooting rest bag that sits under the stock. It ties into the rear QD point or sling swivel and stays on the rifle, so it is already under the toe when you settle in.
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.
Hand position
LS Wild's product page describes the squeeze this way: grip the stock between thumb and first finger, and squeeze with the other fingers to raise or lower it. Keep the thumb on one side of the bag and the fingers on the other, with the rest of the hand relaxed.
The support hand does not push the rifle around. It adjusts the height of the base and nothing else. Your shooting hand and cheek weld stay where they are.
Squeeze to drop the reticle, ease off to raise it
Easing off lowers the butt and lets the reticle rise. WieBad's Loop Rear Bag page puts the same method this way: "Squeeze to elevation, ease off to settle."
Make the change in small steps. Squeeze a little, check the reticle, then stop. Chasing the reticle with a big squeeze is how you overshoot.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing too hard. A tight bag is firm, but it is tiring. Outdoor Life's review of an adjustable bag rider (updated 24 July 2023) notes that squeezing is hard to hold for long periods and less consistent than a mechanical adjuster.
- Moving the whole rifle. If your shoulder and cheek move with the squeeze, you have changed the position, not the height.
- Fighting the fill. If the bag is too firm or too soft for you, change the fill instead. Hook-and-loop ports let you add or remove SteadyFill. Our post on setting bag firmness shows how.
- Squeezing through the shot. Make the adjustment, settle, then break the shot. Do not change the squeeze while the trigger is moving.
Support the front first
The squeeze only changes the rear. The front of the rifle still needs support from a bipod, a pack, a rest or sticks. If the front moves while you squeeze, you are adjusting two things at once.
Set the front, then use the bag for the fine change. Relax your hand between shots so it does not tire over a string.
Practice before you need it
Dry-fire with the bag first. Get into position and practice small squeezes against a fixed point on the wall. Squeeze a little, watch the reticle drop, then ease off and watch it rise. You are teaching your support hand to move a little and stop.
Then take it to the range. Our prone position guide covers building the position around the bag.
The bag for a bolt rifle
The Pro 9" is for bolt-action, sport and hunting rifles. It is 9" x 2.5" and 9.5 oz, ships filled with SteadyFill, and rides on your sling or attaches directly. It has a three-layer build with an abrasion-resistant grip fabric on the contact face. It is made in the USA, comes in Black, Sand, Digital Camo or Woodland Camo, and costs $89.99. Sling Steady is a veteran-run company.
Try the squeeze yourself: the Pro 9"
Related reading: Building a stable prone position with a rear bag · Hard or soft: setting bag firmness with SteadyFill · Range day: using a rear squeeze bag on the bench and prone
Sling Steady is Ready When You Are.