Do You Use A Shooting Stick? Which One?

[Snareman]

Do You Use A Shooting Stick?  Which One?

[Graybeard]

I have a Stoney Point I have used that is adjustable enough to be used sitting or kneeling and also sitting as you mention. To me it's a bit limber and not as solid as I'd prefer. I have also used home made sticks like you mention. The problem with them is that they are in effect a monopod and that's not a very steady rest. It allows motion front to back as well as side to side. With bipods motion side to side is eliminated but not front to back motion.

For the greatest stability you need a tripod not monopod or bipod rest. The Bog-Pod is a new one that's been out a year or so and while I've not yet gotten my hands on one it is to me the best looking of them out there. If I were in the market it's what I'd get.

[XD9]

I also have a set of Stoney Point shooting sticks.  I don't normally use them when deer hunting but they're great for squirrel.  I agree with GB though...they are a little unstable at times.  If you're interested in a monopod, Primos has some really good ones called Trigger Sticks.  They are fully adjustable with one hand so you don't have to take the other hand off the gun.  It's a "trigger" style adjustment that you just squeeze with one hand and that allows you to move the height up or down.

Here you go:
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0054098229076a.shtml

[kevthebassman]

I have a home-made bipod that was made for me by a friend of mine from two golf club blanks.  I have a very low chair that I hunt out of and it is the perfect height.  Off those sticks I can take rock-solid shots.

[nodlenor]

I use a homemade bipod made from two, one inch square pieces of oak wood. They are fastened together with a 1/4" bolt about 5" from the top. They are padded at the top. The height can be adjusted by how far the legs are spread. You can find this at Varmint Al's, that is where I got the idea. I have other devices but this one works the best for me. I usually hunt from a ground blind so I just leave it there so I don't have to carry it with me, but it could be carried very easily via a sling I made for it using a length of rope. One like this could be made from a lot of different materials including aluminum tubing or round wooden dowels.

[Jal5]

I am another fan of Varmint Als shooting sticks!

[backstrap]

I use the homemade style out of two half inch dowl rods,drill a hole about 5" down and put a smale bolt through the 2 rods and use a jam nut so they wont nuts wont back off,and whittle the end that sets on the ground to a point so they digg in the dirt a little so they wond slip when i use the very sold rest to shoot off of

[kyelkhunter3006]

I've got a set of the Stoney Point heavy-duty sticks, I think they're called the Safari.  They're at least twice as thick as the regular ones, yet don't weigh hardly any more.  They are stout, no bending or binding from tension on the sticks like the regular ones.  I also break them down and use just one section as a bipod for shooting prone.

I use the sticks a little differently than most people.  I kind of squat on my left leg, with my right leg bent so that I can rest my shooting elbow on it.  I found that I am MUCH steadier and more consistent shooting this way.

I also have an old folding rest that Lohman used to put out.  Found it new on ebay for $15.  It's got a front rest and a reat rest for the buttstock.  Folds flat and isn't very heavy at all.  When you get set right, it's almost as steady as a folding shooting bench.  I do all of my fine tuning from it now, as it's much more convenient to carry than my Big Game folding bench set-up.

[Sweet 6.5]

Hi

I use the adjustable aluminium tripod shooting sticks. When standing I use
the V on top. For kneeling or sitting shots I just slide down one
of the legs until I get to the correct height I want.

[Snareman]

x

[kevthebassman]

I can't shoot for s*** off of a monopod.

[Graybeard]

I can't shoot for s*** off of a monopod.

Neither can anyone else. They do nothing for side to side motion or up and down tilt. The only thing they do is stabilize the one point that is in contact with them. You can and do tend to shift back and forth and with a monopod that then drops the one point they can stabilize negating that.

They are a little better than nothing but not by a lot. A bipod is an improvement but for real stability you need a tripod.

[Don Fischer]

I use the homemade style out of two half inch dowl rods,drill a hole about 5" down and put a smale bolt through the 2 rods and use a jam nut so they wont nuts wont back off,and whittle the end that sets on the ground to a point so they digg in the dirt a little so they wond slip when i use the very sold rest to shoot off of

I made the same thing. But inside the short part I glued a piece of heavy string to set the forearm on. And rather than sharpening the ends in the ground, I drilled a hole in the bottom and epoxied a 16 penny nail in each. Have carried them a coulpe of times but prefer to shoot without them in either prone but especially sitting. Kneeling only if necessary.

[kernman]

I have been considering the idea for a long time. I am new to deer hunting and just last week I stalked to within 25 yards of two bucks and three does playing a mating game.

But one reason I didn't shoot is I did not have a solid rest, and the animals were moving around a lot. The eventually busted me and split.

Graybeard, I agree about the tri pod. However, the telescoping ones  are expensive and the homemade ones I had were too bulky, and gave me another object to carry.

I like the idea of wooden ones, maybe I could put a sling on it? Some one else suggested tentpoles. You can get cheap replacements at sporting goods stores.

[STUMPJMPR]

25 yards should have been a fairly easy off hand shot on any game animal.... I am looking at purchasing some shooting sticks because I hunt on the ground alot... I missed a 150 yard shot on Big hog last year do to not having a good rest... My arm slipped on the chair arm I was sitting in...

[liv2hunt]

I use the Stoney Point tripod.  Light to carry, very stable, compact yet expandable. Can be found at Cabela's. I use them when I'm sitting for a majority of the day's hunt. Outstanding for late season whitetails here in Connecticut when they are moving during the cold midday's of winter. Just sit and wait....

[bilmac]

I have reciently been experimenting with sticks, I made mine with sticks and a bolt as described above with a couple differences. You can get trim molding at any lumber yard, I like stuff about 1/4" thick by 1 1/4" wide, you can even get it in oak or other exotic stuff. Instead of one hole for the bolt, I drilled a series of holes and put a wingnut on the bolt, so I can use the sticks in the highest position for kneeling, or lower the crossing point and use it for prone. I even have a pair of holes line up so I can make it into a straight stick to use offhand. No it isn't as accurate as a bipod, but it is better than shooting without any help.

When you hunt antelope you have lots of time laying on hilltops trying to figure out how to get off an accurate shot without having to shoot through grass. There usually isn't any pressure about time , so the versitility of my sticks is useful.

[stumpy55]

I always use some type of shooting stick/support. For woods deer hunting I use a modified cross country ski pole. It's easy to push into the ground for added forend support. Another benefit is the added stability it gives me when moving through the woods. It has saved me from a fall countless times. The top half of the pole is covered with the rubber handle wrap for a tennis racket making a secure grip.

I have a collection of bi-pods, both commercial and homemade that I use for anything other than woods hunting. My favorite bi-pod is homemade from a pair of crutches left over from my wife's cross country ski accident. The curved wood sides are both light and strong. Some flat paint, a few wraps of the rubber tape and a small bolt makes a nice light bi-pod. The accident ended our X-country ski phase 

[bilmac]

Stumpy  Were you trying to make a funny talking about ski poles and then crutches or did it just come out that way? Maybe I should take up skiing too so I can get in on all this good shooting stick potential.

[AtlLaw]

I'm going to be setting up a couple of basic ladder stands next weekend and was thinking of getting one of those monopod's with a clamp on the bottom to secure it to the stand/ladder step.  Anybody tried one of those?     Maybe I'll check the whatever mart for one!   

[stumpy55]

bilmac..........A fella will do just about anything when he's courting the ladies. My X-country ski career ended 30 years ago when I discovered my soon to be wife, wrecked at the bottom of a hill.

The ski poles are handy for walking on uneven ground and I just adapted one for woods hunting. The wood sides to the crutches are made of some type of plywood and are real strong and light. I have the first generation Stoney Point bipods that are fiberglass and require assembly. My homemade version is faster to use, stronger, lighter and much cheaper (she had a pretty good medical plan back in the 70's). Sometimes ya got to look up in the basement floor joist when scrounging  parts for an idea. You ought to try the deer blind seat I made out of a handicap shower chair. It's strong, light and adjustable for leveling. 

[Snareman]

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[Snareman]

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