Gettin' a steady rest in the stand???

[Frog123]

I'm having trouble getting a steady rest in some of my deer stands. Some of the stands I hunt out of have shooting rails around them and this works well for a shooting rest. The problem however lies with the stands that do not. I'm huntin' with a T/C Contender in 35 rem with a 14" barrel and a 4x Leupold scope. If a deer comes in behind the stand I can use the edge of the tree for a rest but the ones out in front of the stand leave me to shoot unsupported. A difficult task with a 14" contender. I've thought about a set of shooting sticks or something similar. If anyone has had a similar problem or any suggestions, I would appreciate 'em all....

Frog

[Daveinthebush]

Seriously unless your bow hunting I try to use a group, two or more trees.  I then use several bow hooks on trees as rests for the forearm. I hang something on about everything so it is handy: binoculars, call, pee bottle...    I also use a sling around my neck.

A shooting stick might work as long as you have someway to hang it when not in use.

:-)

[DesertRam]

You might try one of those monopods.  Cabela's has a "house" version that only runs $20.  It telescopes to about 16" for easy carrying/storage and has a wrist strap you could use to hang it off a short limb.  It's perfectly serviceable and seems to work pretty well for me considering it's only one-legged.  It's certainly better than a totally unsupported shot.

[skarke]

I've been hunting out of box stands in Texas for years.  For me, the best rest is a small sandbag over the rail.  I'm not talking about a V bag,  but something like the Caldwell universal elbow pad.  It is about $15, and using the other hand, can be used to get a very steady shot.  I can hit a coke can at 100 yards virtually every time.  I have hit a milk bottle lid at 80, right in the middle.