Author Topic: Handgun rests?? (Read 4275 times)

JSLHandgunner · « **on:** January 21, 2010, 06:50:14 AM »

Hello Everyone. I'm new to this site, but a long time handgunner. I mainly handgun hunt for whitetails in IN. I own a XP100 .35cal, S&W Model 29 .44mag, S&W M657 .41mag, Colt Trooper MKIII .357mag, and a Savage Striker .243cal. I'm always looking for good ideas for handgun rests for hunting applications other than using a treestand rail. I have modified my shooting stick. Can anyone show me their setups? Thanks, John

Mikey · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2010, 12:54:33 PM »

John: Welcome Aboard. Always good to have another handgun hunter here. We have a whole bunch of great guys here and I'm sure you will get some good responses. Mikey.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:30:54 AM »

Welcome to Graybeard Outdoors John!

I hunt from a ground blind and dont use any sticks but looked at a friends Primo's adjustable monopole rest with some intrest recently. He uses a T/C encore rifle but it would seem to be able to support a handgun as well. Looked like a good system for playing out or retracting the rod but goes for around $60

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:48:21 AM »

When I hunt from the ground, I use Stony Creek bi-pod shooting sticks, and that is if I am using a scoped or red-dot. When I shoot Iron sights I just shoot off hand. For what ever reason, if I try to shoot a handgun of shooting sticks or any kind of rest, and the gun is open sights, my shots or should I say my accuracy is not as good as if I shot them off hand. Now I do also shot my scoped and red-dot sights off hand. But if a rest is available I use them with my scoped and red-dots. All of my tree stands have a shooting rail.

mbopp · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2010, 06:10:36 AM »

For the 14" 357 Herrett Contender I have an Uncle Mikes nylon sling. It's mounted to the barrel with a barrel band stud and to the grip with a grip bolt w/ stud. By wrapping it around my left arm sort of like a handi-sling rifle I find the gun locks onto my forearm and acts like an extension of my arm.
I've also tried using a pair of hiking poles I have as crossed shooting sticks but I'm still experimenting with that setup.

Ole Man Dan · « **Reply #5 on:** January 24, 2010, 08:21:25 AM »

I've shot a number of deer using the side of my 'Staff' as a rest. I like it...
I've also used handy trees, and other things to steady my aim.
A 1'' to 1.5'' Oak or Hickory staff 55 to 60'' long works well in a pinch.
I make a practice to carry a staff into the woods. If I know I'm gonna hunt out of a tree, I leave it by the tree. My observation is that you don't sound like a man walking in the woods when you use a staff.

Almost any rest is more stable than shooting w/o one. I tried shooting sticks, but unless you were on stand and had them handy, they were slow to get onto and on target.

Autorim · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2010, 03:31:59 PM »

Like Ole Man Dan, I carry my walking stick. I am new to centerfire handgun hunting, but have taken lots of small game with the K22. I plan to practice all year with my 6 inch Model 617 this year to see what works best for me. I am interested in further input here. I will be hunting on the ground and if a tree is available, I always use it. I have practiced with the walking stick as a rest and don't quite have the technique down yet. I may modify it with a foam covered projection to cradle the frame.

tc scout · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2010, 04:46:03 PM »

In my blind and sometimes even coyote hunting, I use an old camera/ spotting scope tri-pod I picked up at a garage sale.
I can screw the top of my shooting stick right on to it and it adjusts up to 48 ". The legs telescope and fold for easy carry.
Works well with my contender and the price was right.

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2010, 05:07:59 AM »

hey thats a good idea my son can use that set up in our turkey blind thanks

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2010, 07:59:44 AM »

The old camera tripod is what I use picked it up for a fiver, I mounted a 2 inch piece of pvc pipe cut in half for the rest and padded with some pipe insulation foam adjust from about 18 inches to about 5 feet is very light and works great from a ground blind.

Deaconllb

DirtyDan · « **Reply #10 on:** January 29, 2010, 01:03:36 PM »

Hunting from a ground blind, I just cut two straight pieces of yaupon, the right length and tie 'em together with hay twine. I just make a pair for each blind and leave 'em there so I don't have to remember to carry 'em. It ain't rocket science. I ain't spending $20, much less $60 on store bought. A good 7 pt fell to my 10" 357 mag Contender using this po'boy setup this season.

blhof · « **Reply #11 on:** January 29, 2010, 05:29:19 PM »

I saw the tripod setup on another website, it was as described above with detailed assembly and even camo paintjob. so far I haven't found a cheap tripod that's sturdy enough. I use a monopod currently and it's worked so far to keep my freezer full of venison.

shot1 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2010, 04:14:11 AM »

You can find a a good sturdy camera pripod at Wal-mart. That is where I got mine. I took a Caldwell front rest bag and sewed longer pieces of web belt to the attachment belts and sewed Velcro to the longer ends so I could wrap the belts around the top of the tripod and fasten the bag. You can get the web belt and Velcro in the sewing/craft dept of Wal-mart also. I also use this tripod to mount my Chronograph on.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #13 on:** February 01, 2010, 04:39:24 AM »

The one that I picked up has brown tube aluminum legs with no plastic and I would guess made in the fifties

Deaconllb

Tommyt · « **Reply #14 on:** February 01, 2010, 05:08:43 AM »

I use this hook JB welded to a Paint roller handle screwed onto a adjustable paint roller stick
I would show mine but its up North

Tommyt

sscoyote · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2010, 12:17:18 PM »

I have shot accurately to 1000 yds. using a soft-sided stadium seat and Harris bipod from the sitting position, and in fact killed this dog from this setup--

<a href="http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/?action=view&current=906-ydcoyote.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/906-ydcoyote.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">[/url]

<a href="http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/?action=view&current=IMG_0874.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/IMG_0874.jpg" border="0" alt="sitting system">[/url]

Oh well--looks like photobucket's screwed up again.

Back up--

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2010, 04:09:21 AM »

thats a nice setup what caliber is that

erickrschaefer · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2010, 10:28:01 AM »

When I hunt from my ground blinds I shoot supported off of my knees and when still hunting I use whatever tree is handy.

sscoyote · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2010, 04:27:59 PM »

Quote from: luckydawg13 on February 12, 2010, 04:09:21 AM

thats a nice setup what caliber is that

The top XP is a 6.5-284, and the lower one is a 17 Fireball (with an old Harris bipod)

skiforce · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2010, 03:47:37 AM »

I hunt from a ground blind. This last season I just used my monopod. That worked fine but for the long shots it was too unsteady. Since I am in IL I am limited in what caliber I can use so I shoot a 357 Maximum Contender. I have a 7-30 barrel as well but it does not meet the cartridge dimention requiremtents. Regardless, I have coyote on the land I hunt and will be able to take the long shots required this year by using my home made tripod.

Tommyt · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2010, 06:37:20 AM »

Sounds Like a Plan skiforce

Nice H M job too

skiforce · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2010, 09:46:18 AM »

Thanks. I got the idea from varmintal.com. I am going to remove the tape and paint it. Additionally, I changed it a little. It now has a V on the top that does not change when I change the height of the tripod. It works alot better now.

Tommyt · « **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2010, 05:50:57 PM »

Gosh I have not been over to Al's in years that page has been around since Day one I think

Are you using Hardwoods or just pine ?

skiforce · « **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2010, 07:15:16 PM »

I think they were fur 1x1s. It is extremely steady. The ropes between the legs determine the height of the tripod. You can see a knot on the back rope. That is a rolling hitch that allows the rope to slide through it until pressure is placed on it. Then it locks down. It works really well. Now to try it in the field.

nodlenor · « **Reply #24 on:** February 14, 2010, 05:05:59 AM »

skiforce, I have made some like yours and got the idea from the same source. The one I use the most is made from oak. It isn't as good looking as yours but it works great. I like it better than the extenable type because it is eaiser & quicker to adjust the height.

Lives2hunt · « **Reply #25 on:** March 20, 2010, 12:43:16 PM »

When I hunt out of a ground blind I carry and use an old adjustable crutch which I modified. I also put camo tape on it along with some string so I can sling it over my back when I stillhunt.

woodsie57 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 21, 2010, 10:08:26 AM »

While a tripod/bipob sounds great for ultra-long range, I've found that a fairly straight stick, 5 or 6 feet long, to brace your wrist against, will do great for "normal" handgun hunting, as in 50 yd. shots from an open sighted revolver. The walking staff idea.

S.B. · « **Reply #27 on:** April 04, 2010, 05:46:25 PM »

Quote from: sscoyote on February 11, 2010, 12:17:18 PM

I have shot accurately to 1000 yds. using a soft-sided stadium seat and Harris bipod from the sitting position, and in fact killed this dog from this setup--

<a href="http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/?action=view&current=906-ydcoyote.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/906-ydcoyote.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">[/url]

<a href="http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/?action=view&current=IMG_0874.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/IMG_0874.jpg" border="0" alt="sitting system">[/url]

Oh well--looks like photobucket's screwed up again.

Back up--

Maybe you should tell us what power your scope is on that handgun? I doubt I could even see a coyote at 906 yards? By the way was that distance measured or estimated?
Steve

S.B. · « **Reply #28 on:** May 18, 2010, 07:45:13 PM »

sscoyote, that's some kind of shot on that coyote. Doubt I could even see one at that range?
Steve

xphunter · « **Reply #29 on:** May 19, 2010, 08:26:19 AM »

Range was lasered (Leica).
Steve is the real deal.
Steve and I have hunted and shot together for almost 25 years.

I shoot primarily from the prone position using the BR Harris bi-pod, notched legs, with pod-lok.
Shot about 35 rounds from 2 different SP's a couple of weeks ago at steel targets from 400 to just over 800 yards.
Neither pistol missed at those distances.
One was a XP-100 chambered in 7mm SAUM and the other was a MOA Maximum chambered in 7mm Rem Mag Imp.
Both SP's had Leupold rifle scopes on them and both barrels have Holland's Radial Quick Discharge Muzzle Brake.
FWIW all shots were witnessed by 7-12 people.