Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Making Long-Grass style take-down oak shooting sticks (pics)

per request from the other thread: when I saw the Long Grass sticks, I thought "I bet I can make those for under $50". turned out to be pretty easy: one trip to Home Depot + two hours = done! (that was 5 years ago and they're going strong)







materials list:

six 3-foot x 5/8" pieces of Oak dowel
one 3-foot x 5/8" inner diameter copper pipe section, cut into three 10" peices
six 5/8" copper piping end-caps
one 3.5" inner diameter vacuum cleaner belt
electrical tape

I'm 6'0" tall and prefer sticks right at my height, so these will be 6' sticks. Adjust accordingly.

Lower legs:

-Glue 3 end-caps onto the 3 36" lower leg sections (I used JB)

-dry fit the other ends 5" into the 10" copper pipe.

Upper legs:

-glue 3 end-caps onto the 3 36" upper leg sections

-cut one of the three upper legs 6.5" shorter than the other two (29.5")

-dry fit the other ends 5" into the 10" copper pipe.

Sand/stain the Oak as preferred after dry-fitting.

Assembly:

make sure the non-capped ends of the upper & lower section seat home and run tape around the copper to prevent movement/loss.

tape the upper ends for a shooting platform.

add the vacuum belt (should be able to get 3 throws) and position 9" from the upper ends (2" below the short end will give a perfect hand rest). Orient the short stick for RH or LH (long two sticks perpendicular to you, short stick pointing away, either on the L or R --pictured = LH orientation)

for takedown:

remove the lower sections and slide the copper pipe up the upper sections until flush and re-tape.









[img]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x134/utahlefty/Guns%20etc/DSC03794.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x134/utahlefty/Guns%20etc/DSC03795.jpg[/img]

the bamboo ones are 3 of the straightest pieces of garden bamboo stakes in the bin + vacuum belt + tape = done in 5 minutes. (these live in the truck)

You be a talented man,Matt.

or...I refuse to pay $200 + shipping for $25 in supplies available at the Home Depot!

cool

Excellent and very well done. A couple of suggestions from the field:

1. Add a thick o ring to each of the legs so the sticks do not clatter together.

2. Bind a leather loop across the top of the two main sticks and this often makes for a better rifle rest - not essential.

Now let us see you make a simple but stout carrying case from your local DIY store.

Sorry if there is a obvious answer. What is the reason for the copper pipe? Is it only for take down? Why not just have solid oak dowels?


ddj

Yes, the pipe serves only as a convenient connector for take-down without adding appreciable weight.

You can get 6' oak dowels, but usually only on order and usually only in 3/4"-1" dia. Sure, you could turn them down to size but that's a lot of hassle. (If you're lucky, one or two of them might even be straight!)

Also, try checking a 6' stick with your luggage next time you're at the airport...

Thanks, That makes sense!


ddj

Thanks for sharing this I'm going to give it a try

Excellent post there,UtahLefty.
Very nicely done.

When you break them down you remove the tape on one end of the pipe and then re-tape them when you put them back together?

yes. (I almost always have a roll of electrical tape in my pack, if needed)

I'll slide the pipe up the upper end so it's past flush (so the pipe end is supported and doesn't get dinged up when the sticks are broken down) and re-wrap the tape.

This is really cool and I'm going to give this a shot, but might make the tops a little shorter. Is there any need to have them sticking up so high? Not criticizing, just wondering.

Great job,but they need to be rubbed down with Kudu dung for the right smell and good luck!

Good work! They look great.
I was thinking you could probably get buy with only one break down point in the sticks if you are taking a gun with you to Africa. Most gun cases are at least 40 inches and 40 x 2 would get you to 6 ft plus.I dont know how hard it would be to put a wood screw with large threads on the end of one of the sticks and drill out the other stick a bit to keep it from splitting. Then as Zambiam said you could put a big o ring on the junction to help keep it from working loose and keep it quiet. My plan if probably flawed but I may have to give it a try and see if it works. Thanks for the winter project idea. Dean

Tag for this

to add to that, cut the first and ring fingers off an old leather glove and fit them over the ends for a decent rifle rest!

Use a length of PVC pipe to make a case!

Matt: My Home depot only has 1/2' and 3/4" copper pipe. What is the size of the 5/8" inside diameter copper pipe you used and where did you get it? Thanks for all the help.

OD measures .70

ID measures .63


I'm pretty sure it was Home Depot, but it might have been Lowes.

I remember taking 2 diameters of oak dowel over to the plumbing section and slip-fitting them in the copper pipe they had until I'd found the right combo.

Matt: Thanks for checking the measurements. I will keep looking. The 1/2" copper caps fit but the 1/2" copper pipe is too small for the 5/8" dowels and the 3/4" pipe is too sloppy a fit. 1/2" dowels look too flimsy so you picked the right diameter for the dowels.