|
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1 |
Bipods and their ilk are for shooting varmints�especially the kind that stand around their mounds contemplating their navels while you get ready to shoot�.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 19,078
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 19,078 |
It continues to amaze me how gadgetry has given younger generations of Americans the ill-conceived perception that they're proficient enough when utilizing the very gadgetry which has stolen their ability to be accomplished by way of inherent instinct, or lack thereof. Every day it seems, I'm reminded again of how young Americans have almost completely lost the ability to become instinctual woodsmen. I blame the ease and convenience and total comfort of living within the United States and the subsequent entitlement attitude that's ensued thereof, for the loss younger Americans' instinctual abilities. Anyway ..... About the only thing humans do "instictively" is suckle. Most eveything else is learned. From controlling our bowels, on up. I always get a chuckle when folks talk about "instinctive shooting".
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335 |
I almost always have a bipod attached.I prefer to take my shots prone with the bipod when I can. If not then ill use my pack,tree,rock..or just offhand like I did my last buck that was on the run at 175 yards.
Somehow I still made the shot with that Damn gadget attached.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,977
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,977 |
For a good rest hard to beat a good Trekking poles just run your hand thru the strap and support rifle against pole. You have them with you anyway when mountain hunting. And donthave to pack xtra gear.
Best stroy I remember was I took my old Pastor after a Black bear told him I would get him a bear
first but if I saw a bear of my dreams that would be my call. Had worked on buddys boat for 4 weeks to set hunt up. Put pastor on 6 or 7 different bears and it did not work out. Finally saw
a great bear and he wanted it so I relented and told him ok if he would listen I would put him on that bear. Put him in postiion about 130 yards and told him to take a rest! Started to get ready for a back up shot and bam he shot offhand. I was upset asked him why he did not take a rest, his
reply was I was not tired! He got the bear big PWS Black Bear.
Last edited by kk alaska; 12/25/13.
kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 13,860
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 13,860 |
For a good rest hard to beat a good Trekking poles just run your hand thru the strap and support rifle against pole. You have them with you anyway when mountain hunting. And donthave to pack xtra gear. SSHHHHH! Also, don't say nothin' about a shootin' sling neither....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,686
Campfire Regular
|
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,686 |
Woods, MCT3, exactly what I'm going to do !!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,164
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,164 |
It's a good set up for the longer 300-500yd shots and type of blind hunting that you originally inquired about. But, as others have ranted about, not for spot and stalk or needed for reasonable distances which I bet you already knew.
Last edited by MCT3; 12/26/13.
"Good judgment comes from experience but unfortunately, experience is often derived from a series of bad judgments"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 28,867
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 28,867 |
not needed for reasonable distances which I bet you already knew. What is a reasonable distance?
"Only Christ is the fullness of God's revelation."
Everyday Hunter
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 713
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 713 |
Woods, MCT3, exactly what I'm going to do !! A little Moleskin (archery product) on the forearm can be useful too to keep noise down ![[Linked Image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v663/bwestfall/GUNS/20131226_093232_zpsdd0e7e80.jpg)
"The beauty of the 2nd amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it" - Thomas Jefferson
Criminals prefer unarmed victims and dictators prefer unarmed citizens
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,900 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,900 Likes: 1 |
The funniest one I saw was a guy who wanted to shoot a mule deer buck 175 yards away across a draw. The buck was bedded, and all the guy had to do was sit down and shoot it. Instead he deployed his bipod (CLICK! CLICK!) then lay down on the hill three of us were standing on.
About the time the guy was finally on his belly, the buck got tired of looking at us and stood up. He still wasn't exactly spooked, but didn't want to hang around anymore, so started walking up the opposite hillside, stopping once in a while to pose broadside.
The rounded hill we were on leveled out behind is, and as the buck gained in elevation, the "shooter" kept sliding backward up the slope to keep his bipod on the ground. Eventually, though the buck neared to top of its hill--which was higher than ours--and the guy had to raise his rifle higher than the bipod's legs could reach. To counter-balance the rifle/bipod, he had to raise his legs, so was eventually supported only by his belly.
The buck kept trying to get killed, and stopped one last time just below the top of the ridge. The guy knew it was now or never, so pulled the trigger, and the bullet didn't even kick up dust anywhere we could see. At that point the buck finally decided to vamoose. Somehow I don't think a tripod or other multi-legged rest would have helped. Ha! He was using the highly advanced "basking seal" shooting position.  ![[Linked Image]](http://www.uk-photos-web.co.uk/sco10d/wild/etive_seals/etive_seals_019.JPG)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 12,895
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 12,895 |
However, I prefer that my clients leave such items at home when coming on a hunt (with me) because those items are just too cumbersome and too problematic to use in the field when there's merely two persons (guide and client) doing the hunting.
May your clients and particularly yourself need to practice with these shooting aids before righting them off? Myself (and the majority of British stalkers) manage to carry and shoot off bipod sticks just fine..The sticks are not just for shooting either, but are also used for glassing as well..
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
The funniest one I saw was a guy who wanted to shoot a mule deer buck 175 yards away across a draw. The buck was bedded, and all the guy had to do was sit down and shoot it. Instead he deployed his bipod (CLICK! CLICK!) then lay down on the hill three of us were standing on.
About the time the guy was finally on his belly, the buck got tired of looking at us and stood up. He still wasn't exactly spooked, but didn't want to hang around anymore, so started walking up the opposite hillside, stopping once in a while to pose broadside.
The rounded hill we were on leveled out behind is, and as the buck gained in elevation, the "shooter" kept sliding backward up the slope to keep his bipod on the ground. Eventually, though the buck neared to top of its hill--which was higher than ours--and the guy had to raise his rifle higher than the bipod's legs could reach. To counter-balance the rifle/bipod, he had to raise his legs, so was eventually supported only by his belly.
The buck kept trying to get killed, and stopped one last time just below the top of the ridge. The guy knew it was now or never, so pulled the trigger, and the bullet didn't even kick up dust anywhere we could see. At that point the buck finally decided to vamoose. Somehow I don't think a tripod or other multi-legged rest would have helped. This happened because the perp was uneducated in the ways of live game, carrying with him the preconceived notion that game behaves like gongs or paper targets. I can see this with beginners, but.... The fact that he had to resort to the bipod for a relative chip shot than could have easily been made by dropping into the sit tells me he was ill prepared,had not practiced sufficiently for most contingencies and lacked confidence in his shooting skills without his mechanical aid...in short he was not a skilled game shot. When I started to travel to hunt, I noticed a curious phenomenon....many people could not shoot a rifle with any degree of urgency.They were slow, they fumbled,they played with variables, fumbled for rests,deployed bipods (which seem to NEVER be the right height in rocky or uneven terrain)were inflexible....god help us if the animals moved at all,and they could not make minor adjustments to changing circumstances. Many guys got opportunities at reasonable distances, but could not capitalize. They went home skunked, wondering why.It was because they avoided, in their training,learning to shoot from less than perfect positions...because they were lazy...or afraid they would not get "good groups".They will never be decent game shots. I understand the need for rests in shooting BG animals...and the longer the shot the more steady and locked in the shooter should be. Usually on very long shots at unaware game animals there is some time for all this fooling around. But if you can't plant a bullet into the breadbasket of a big mule deer or elk out to 300-400 yards from an impromptu and hastily assumed field rest,under stress,you don't need a bipod....you need more practice. Depending on time killing mechanical devises in the presence of game WILL cost you...even if it hasn't so far...eventually it will. I would rather take a beating than lug some of the paraphernalia that I see here up a mountain.
Last edited by BobinNH; 12/26/13.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 457
Campfire Member
|
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 457 |
I was in my deer blind on Tuesday and had a nice heard of Axis 511 yards away. There was one real nice hard horned buck. I put my Z-5 on 18X and put the Sako 85, 7mm-08 out the window on the ledge. I had a great sight picture but without a rear support, I could not hold it steady enough to make an ethical shot.
So, I have seen these Caldwell deadshot tripods, Bog Pod makes a rig which fits on their tri pod which supports the front and rear of the rifle. I was thinking about one of these or using a bog pod, bipod, as a rear rest.
Anybody using a similar set-up for the longer range shots? i dont know where 60yd shots and 300-400yd shots came in? Hardly long range compared to 511yds? 300 is Just over PBR and may be 6-9"drop with a 200yd xero as compared to 3 ft at 511yds? guessing of course due to not knowing the bullet or velocity ,wind etc? your hand or knee under the stock for a 500 plus shot is NOT enough. But if you can't plant a bullet into the breadbasket of a big mule deer or elk out to 300-400 yards from an impromptu and hastily assumed field rest,under stress,you don't need a bipod....you need more practice.
or elk? griz etc??? i'm reading axis at 511 and not being able to keep the rear of the stock steady? Also, Isn't a "guides" job to put the client on game,then move aside, not teach them how to shoot? sounds like the OP is asking for legitimate advice then getting lots of stories? so let me apolagize for not hunting like you do
Last edited by rem06; 12/26/13.
is that extra 25fps worth detonation?
NRA life member
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,162 Likes: 13
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,162 Likes: 13 |
Bob,
Actually, the guy hunted a lot world-wide every year, but had apparently been a lousy shot for decades, the reason he depended on the bipod at only 175 yards. You might even recognize his name, though I'm not going to mention it here.
He worked for over a decade for one of the major optics companies, and for several years a camerman followed him around on various hunts, to make videos for company publicity. The cameraman told me there were dozens of times when the guy would shoot at some big game animal, whether in North America or Africa, and immediately ask, "Did I hit it?"
On one hunt toward the end of the video period, he couldn't shoot ANYTHING on an African hunt solidly enough for it to drop anywhere in camera range, so one of the other hunters on the trip ended up being the "designated shooter."
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
Bob,
Actually, the guy hunted a lot world-wide every year, but had apparently been a lousy shot for decades, the reason he depended on the bipod at only 175 yards. You might even recognize his name, though I'm not going to mention it here.
He worked for over a decade for one of the major optics companies, and for several years a camerman followed him around on various hunts, to make videos for company publicity. The cameraman told me there were dozens of times when the guy would shoot at some big game animal, whether in North America or Africa, and immediately ask, "Did I hit it?"
On one hunt toward the end of the video period, he couldn't shoot ANYTHING on an African hunt solidly enough for it to drop anywhere in camera range, so one of the other hunters on the trip ended up being the "designated shooter." John.....Geezus! If a guy gets used to "calling shots" in practice, he knows if he has hit...barring deflection or something like that. I will never "get" that some folks never practice this stuff or at least take a stab at it. Don't get me wrong,and I have missed myself but I do my best to avoid it.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
I was in my deer blind on Tuesday and had a nice heard of Axis 511 yards away. There was one real nice hard horned buck. I put my Z-5 on 18X and put the Sako 85, 7mm-08 out the window on the ledge. I had a great sight picture but without a rear support, I could not hold it steady enough to make an ethical shot.
So, I have seen these Caldwell deadshot tripods, Bog Pod makes a rig which fits on their tri pod which supports the front and rear of the rifle. I was thinking about one of these or using a bog pod, bipod, as a rear rest.
Anybody using a similar set-up for the longer range shots? i dont know where 60yd shots and 300-400yd shots came in? Hardly long range compared to 511yds? 300 is Just over PBR and may be 6-9"drop with a 200yd xero as compared to 3 ft at 511yds? guessing of course due to not knowing the bullet or velocity ,wind etc? your hand or knee under the stock for a 500 plus shot is NOT enough. But if you can't plant a bullet into the breadbasket of a big mule deer or elk out to 300-400 yards from an impromptu and hastily assumed field rest,under stress,you don't need a bipod....you need more practice.
or elk? griz etc??? i'm reading axis at 511 and not being able to keep the rear of the stock steady? Also, Isn't a "guides" job to put the client on game,then move aside, not teach them how to shoot? sounds like the OP is asking for legitimate advice then getting lots of stories? so let me apolagize for not hunting like you do rem/06: I was responding to Mule Deer ,and his anectdote; not you. So, with all due respect....GFY.  
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,914 Likes: 11
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,914 Likes: 11 |
I like bipods for certain types of terrain.
Quite handy actually.
Should add I'm not a long range hunter.
Last edited by SamOlson; 12/26/13.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,091 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,091 Likes: 1 |
I put these things in the same class as the "cough silencer". Not for me.
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,914 Likes: 11
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,914 Likes: 11 |
They(bipods) do look like hell hanging on a rifle but I don't really care what my hunting rifles look like.
This past Fall I crawled up a fairly steep little dobe hill to get a vantage point on some bedded deer. Way too much of an angle on the hill to use both legs of the bipod so I just used one. Probably could have made the shot easily without it but it didn't hurt, only 190 yards.
2011 I used a bipod again on a fairly large buck. Jumped him up close, a few seconds later I killed him. By the time he was going to crest the skyline and disappear I was setup on a rock and shot him in the back of the head at about 200 yards. Still had my backpack on. Not sure if I would have even tried the shot without the bipod.
2010 I belly crawled and got within 430 yards of a herd of deer before I figured that was close enough. It was getting dark and they were grazing away about as fast as I could crawl. Shot the buck 3 times prone from the bipod.
Obviously you can't dick around and take too much time. Especially when hunting mature public land mule deer.
The tripod deal is way overboard for actual hunting IMHO though.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,611
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,611 |
A bipod or walking stick works just fine. There are some good tripods out there is the tactical world but are overkill for the any hunting situation that I have encountered.
Practice helps anyone become proficient with whatever gear he has.
|
|
|
|
|
560 members (1800topsoil, 160user, 17CalFan, 1936M71, 10gaugeman, 2500HD, 64 invisible),
2,533
guests, and
1,293
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,687
Posts18,494,053
Members73,977
| |
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
![[Linked Image]](http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr288/Bwnci/welsh-flag-large-anim.gif)
