Shooting sticks to use or not to use that is the ?

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sycosean

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My wife is going hunting for the first time with me this weekend. She's a little worried about getting her shot on Target and just wounding a whitetail. So she's wondering about using a shooting stick. She's shooting a Ruger m77 scout gun in 300wsm. So any opinions/thoughts would be helpful. Any recommendation of shooting sticks would be great to. Thanks in advance.

SycoSean:rockOn:
 
What's the terrain like? If there are lots of trees to grab a steady rest on/against, I wouldn't bother. If the terrain is really open, sticks can be handy.

I don't like the bulky extendable units; the Safari Stix that fold out like tent poles are popular. The best medicine really is practicing shooting from field positions, especially standing, kneeling and sitting. It's an odd situation a hunter(ess) can't cover from those three positions.
 
I usually cut myself a walking stick. Makes a swell spot to lean on when I want to just stand and watch the world move. I gravitate towards a birch stick, usually with a fork in the top. And about the right height to use as a rest.

Get a shooting stick of one sort or another, if it drives the confidence up a notch or two. Confidence is good!

Cheers
Trev
 
Depending on where you hunt, shooting sticks can be a big help. I made a shot off some last year, having never used them before and found them suprizingly stable. If you are going to be sitting on the edge of fields and clearings, a Harris 25 bipod will allow her to shoot from a sitting position.
 
Get her to start practicing offhand with a .22. Pick up some nice swinger targets (Champion, Caldwell) to make it fun. This past year I resolved to improve my offhand skills by joining a club and shooting silhouette. Now when I pick up my .308 all I do is practice offhand with it. I've found that a lot of the skill I've developed in silhouette translates directly.
 
Hi,
I had the same concern, so I bought one from Walmart $20.00.
Was a great investment! It's adjustable & makes me feel really confident about my shot!
It's easy to tansport since it folds right up to about 1.5 feet!
Good luck for the upcoming season!!
 
I use a bog pod,the grass is usually so darned tall that kneeling shots are out,the pod works great for standing shots.I had a whitetail in my scope for ten minutes before I decided to take it,would have been hard doing that offhand!They work ok to lean your rifle on when you have to take a leak and the ground is not where you would like to put it down as well.they can help when navigating steeper terrain with unstable footing.
 
Seems everyone on WildTV uses one.
My sister used to work in WSS in Saskatoon and said they sold like crazy.
I had a look at one once and my first thought was "this thing is heavy":rolleyes:


20 years ago I would have bought one but I'm way past the gadget stage now.

But if it instills confidence in your shooting that's a good thing.:)
 
I've used shooting sticks (tripod style) in Africa. They're great for steadying a standing shot, but they're a PITA to carry around. I think that one should always have a tracker to carry the sticks for you, but it might be a little chilly for a Zulu in Northern AB during deer season!

Otherwise, a packframe works well - simply shrug it off and sit/kneel behind it and voila - steady rest! And it's alway sa better idea to be sitting than standing unles terrain precludes it.
 
I love my Bog Pod tripod. Gets used by my wife and me for several hunts! Its rock solid and I can shoot on it from several positions and adjust it very quickly by opening it up a bit or closing it up a bit (widening or tightening the stance of the legs).
 
Here's one more vote for the folding Safari Stix. I've taken dozens of animals with mine, and consider them one of my three essential pieces of gear (the rifle and binoculars being only marginally more important). Sitting and kneeling positions are so much steadier with them, and they generally take so little time to deploy, that it seems silly to be without them. If I'm sitting with the rifle on the stix, I know that a deer sized target inside 350 yards is DOA. It's a nice position to be in (assuming, of course, that you're not the deer ;)).
 
sycosean said:
My wife is going hunting for the first time with me this weekend. She's a little worried about getting her shot on Target and just wounding a whitetail. So she's wondering about using a shooting stick. She's shooting a Ruger m77 scout gun in 300wsm. So any opinions/thoughts would be helpful. Any recommendation of shooting sticks would be great to. Thanks in advance.

SycoSean:rockOn:
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Shooting sticks

Never leave home with out them, and if I do there is a set in the truck. i use the shock corded ones, I think they are in the $40.00 range. FS
 
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