Quick Hits: Triad Tactical Shooting Gear

I’ve been a long range shooter for most of my life. It would be fair to say that I’ve been around the block on this stuff, and I’ve seen trends come and go in my time as a writer. What hasn’t changed much is the need for top-shelf support gear for these rifles and few do it better than Triad Tactical.

A Brief History of Triad Tactical

Triad Tactical was founded in 2001. In the summer of 2000 Steve (the owner) got a position on the local SWAT team. He was handed a duffle full of old gear, all in poor condition. He started thinking about how to do things better and was already a competition shooter, so he knew there was room for improvement.

He was later assigned to the sniper team and had to source his own equipment. The department bought some UMP 40s and he ordered some support equipment for them and eventually became a dealer for nylon gear, too. After that Steve started Triad Tactical to sell and make better gear. It’s worked very well. 

Steve started developing his own products in 2008. The first were stock packs for sniper rifles. From 2008 onwards Steve began adding new products he developed under his brand. The wedge shooting bag came about 2010 and proved to be very popular. Magazine pouches for AI magazines came about 2012.

Triad eventually became a hub of small-company products that were precision rifle related. He was engaged in some precision forums and took advice from shooters on what to work on. The products that he makes and sells now are geared for real-world precision shooting and I’ve come to rely on them to produce my content with accurate (pun intended) results. 

I’ve used these items heavily over the course of a couple of months of constant classes, competitions, and range tests. I wanted to beat the everliving tar out of these things to see if they could stand up.

Baseline: they all work better than advertised.

Triad Tapered Rear Bag

I’ve used a lot of sh*tty bags in my time as a shooter. My first was made of some military OD green socks filled with sand or beans, I can’t quite remember which, it’s been that long, but I still have it somewhere.

The Triad bags come in a couple sizes, I have both here and have used them extensively. I even threw them to my kids to let them play with them to see if they could be made to fail in any way. Turns out these are some very durable products and I’m not entirely sure what I’ve been doing for most of my shooting career without them.

I’d love to go into more specifics other than that they are bags you use for precision shooting, but that’s pretty much the gist of it. They are user-friendly, lightweight, and can be conformed and used just about anywhere to establish a good supported position. I use them not just for the rear bag, but also as a cushion of sorts on hard barricades and in tandem with a bipod.

For us tripod shooters out there, I use them when in a seated position as a wedge for my knees or hips to build a stable position low to the ground. My use of tripods has increased, and I think that this will eventually become a main part of rifle shooting. People think you need only the tripod to become stable, but that’s really false. You need to build out a stable position regardless of how many legs your rifle is sporting.

I give these bags a 5/5 stars for sheer utility. Absolutely great product.

Triad Down Under Support

This is a product I’m honestly surprised hasn’t been done before. It’s a stiffened wrap you put on the sling that allows you to create something of an emergency field support under the gun. Think of it as a bag in a way. You can bend it under the stock to create stability or lock into position with the sling from a tree or field support and push into it to steady the rifle.

The product is deceptively simple, it’s just a stiffened wrap that can attach to just about any sling. I have it on a couple of mine and I really, really like it, especially on PRS style rifles. I’m a sling guy and use them for stability more than most people I know, and this is an absolute win in my opinion.

I give this product a 5/5 stars as well. And they are pretty inexpensive, too.

Triad Forend Wrap

Another no-brained item here is the forend wrap. This is attached with either Velcro or laced on with elastic cord. You could use regular paracord or leather if you wanted to be edgy as well.

I have had one attached to the Q Fix for a while. It’s a very functional and practical low-profile rubberized fabric that is exceedingly tough and has just the right amount of grippiness.

I have one on a 450 Bushmaster bolt gun and a couple others spread across my working guns. The wrap isn’t really designed to provide heat protection if you want to blast away for the afternoon. It’s more of a support item to increase the handling characteristics of your rifle in the field or when shooting of bags or barricades. I find that it virtually eliminates slipping when shooting off a pack.

Again, another 5/5 recommendation.

Triad Padded Shooting Mat

This is a great shooting mat. I’ve used it as my primary mat for the last few months and it is really a well-though out product. It folds up very small and can fit under a pack. It is light and easy to carry and won’t take up room in your bag or car.

The mat is smaller and more minimalist than other mats out there and it is not full body length, but upper 2/3 for most people. This is a field mat, not a big Boomer pad or range mattress. There are those that will appreciate this fact, and others that won’t. Some people really like having their entire body separated from concrete at the range or they just really hate the feeling of grass on their feet or something. I had a guy at the range say I’d get ants on my legs because they were off the mat. These are clearly the End Times when you can be at a range operating firearms and not know how ants work.

This one gets 4/5 stars because the tie-down loops are not attached to the mat, it is possible to lose one as a result, but if you have basic sewing skills that can be remedied in like five minutes.

Triad Modular Stock Pack

I used to shoot with stock packs for years until adjustable cheek pieces became available as a standard feature on many guns. I remember I had one on my first attempt at a precision rifle back when I was into shooting for personal enjoyment and fun.

I used to carry all the wrenches to work on the gun and scope in that stock pack, and I built the comb up with duct tape, hockey stick wrap, and Bondo. I was a better shooter in those days, probably because I had so little to work with.

The Triad pack here is very modular, you can get a variety of Velcro-on accessories including cartridge loops, magazine carriers, and the comb is adjustable with stackable hook-and-loop strips.

Not everyone likes stock packs, but there is no doubt that they have very high utility for people who are in the field or need quick onboard access to ammunition or gear.

I really like Triad’s execution here and I think you will, too. 5/5 for this one.

Wrapping Up . . .

I really like what Triad has done with each of these products. I have used them very heavily and not a stitch is out of place on anything. If you want an introduction to the brand, start with the rear bags. I think that you will find those to be the most useful in your accuracy journey.