When you shop for a lightweight rifle rear bag, the number on the scale is only the start. The other question is where the bag rides. Sling Steady weighs 9.5 oz (Pro 9") or 6.3 to 6.8 oz (Sport 7"), goes on with no tools and rides on your rifle sling, so it is Sling Steady Ready whenever the rifle is. In our testing, shots landed 28% closer to the bullseye with Sling Steady under the stock. Muzzle rise was about 75% lower. It also helps manage recoil. Here is what to check on any bag, and how ours answers each point.
Weight you will actually carry
A listed weight tells you less than it seems. Two things to check:
- Bag only, or bag plus everything it needs? If a bag needs a strap, a pouch or space in the pack, that is part of the cost of carrying it.
Every Sling Steady bag ships filled with SteadyFill. None is sold empty. The weights we list are for the filled bag: 9.5 oz for the Pro 9" and 6.3 oz (Black) or 6.8 oz (other colors) for the Sport 7". It goes on the sling you already carry, so there is nothing else to add.
Size: match the bag to your stock
A light bag is no use if it does not fit under your stock. Look for a size made for the rifle you shoot.
- Pro 9", 9" × 2.5": for bolt-action, sport and hunting rifles.
- Sport 7", 7" × 2.5": for AR-platform rifles.
Our Pro-or-Sport guide goes into the choice in more detail.
Fill you can adjust
Firmness is personal. Some shooters want a bag that holds its shape. Others want more give when they squeeze. A bag with a fixed fill gives you one feel; a bag you can open lets you choose.
Look for a port you can open and close by hand. Sling Steady has hook-and-loop ports, so you can add or remove SteadyFill and set the firmness yourself. Our firmness guide shows how.
The contact face and the build
Saving weight should not mean giving up the surface the stock sits on. Check what the contact face is made of, and how the bag is built to hold up to being carried, dropped and dragged.
Sling Steady uses a three-layer build:
- a neoprene-based outer shell
- a synthetic suede stretch layer
- an abrasion-resistant grip fabric on the contact face
Every bag is made in the USA.
Where a lightweight rifle rear bag lives between shots
This is the point most buyers skip. A light bag still has to be somewhere when you are not shooting. If it lives in the pack, a range bag or the truck, then getting it out is part of every shot.
Sling Steady rides on your sling or attaches directly, so it's never left in the truck. When you get into position, it is already at the back of the rifle. No tools, nothing to unpack.
Stability you have with you, not stability you left in the truck. New to the idea? Start with what a rear squeeze bag is, and why it belongs on the sling.
What comes in the box, and what does not
Before you buy any bag, check what you get and what you still need.
- In the box: the Sling Steady bag, filled with SteadyFill.
- Not in the box: a sling. The bag rides on your sling or attaches directly, and fits most sling widths. Slings and adapters are sold separately.
Quick checklist for any lightweight rear bag:
- Does it need anything else carried with it?
- Is there a size made for your stock?
- Can you adjust the fill by hand?
- What is the contact face made of?
- Where does it ride when you are not shooting?
- What is in the box, and what do you still need to buy?
Run any bag through those six questions and the weight figure starts to make sense in context. A light bag in the pack and a light bag on the sling are not the same thing to carry.
Both Sling Steady bags are $89.99. Shop Sling Steady.
Related reading: Pro 9" or Sport 7" · Setting bag firmness with SteadyFill · What is a rear squeeze bag?
Sling Steady is Ready When You Are.