Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Shooting off sticks.

I got around to practicing a bit on the weekend at 200 yards with jury-rigged shooting sticks.

I just bought 3 6ft dowels and tied them together. The lacing kept sliding down, but none the less some practice was accomplished.

I found my vertical hold was steady, but I tended to find the crosshairs wandering side to side. Is this normal? I usually placed my hand in the sticks and gripped my rifle. I did not let the rifle rest on the wood dowels.

I'm thinking I should have padded the sticks and placed the rifle on them resting about the front action screw and then gripped the rifle in front? My grip was normal with my hand resting on sticks - too far forward?

I'll bet that your feet were staggered (left foot forward if you're a righty). Stand with your feet in a line perpendicular (or nearly so) to the line of the shot. Have your left hand in the crook of the sticks and your left arm almost completely extended. Hold the rifle butt tightly against your shoulder. All of this should greatly solidify your hold.

Personally, I strongly prefer two sticks instead of three so that I can lean them back towards me.

RS

More African hunters miss shot opportunities because of unfamiliarity with shooting off sticks than any other reason. We don't often use shooting sticks here stateside, so we're not used to them. For Africa, that's the only kind of practice that matters.

I too prefer 2 sticks, taking a step backwards and then leaning into the sticks to tighten things up.

Hey Biebs (and anyone else for that matter), quick question on this subject again if you don't mind. I'm what I consider very average off of sticks while standing, and "money" while sitting. Is it possible to get kneeling/sitting shots in Central Namibia (Kowas)? Many of the techniques described here and in another similar thread have helped greatly BTW.

my sticks almost every day and never leave the house. I set up a short shooting range in the basement (only 7 yards) and use air rifles with pellets. The targets are 1/4" dots on paper, about the size of a house fly. I can practice kneeling, sitting and standing regardless of what the weather is doing outside.

It has been my experience over several African hunts that you will probably not get any shots from sitting or kneeling positions. All of my shots were off sticks or off hand or over PHs shoulder. Most guys practice on three legged sticks, but my experience on actual hunts is two legged sticks. So you should also practice using two legged sticks.

What He Said in spades. 80% of my shots were from 2 legged sticks and the balance were out of a blind, off hand or whatever.

Same as I do, though I have a longer lane. I'll spend an hour a night shooting off sticks with my pellet rifle before going on safari. I can't describe how much it helps, and best thing is the ammo is cheap!



Mike

Yes, and if I can lean my left shoulder back against a tree or big rock the more steady stick shooting is for me.

Gunner

JG, I've hunted Kowas...say Hi to Dani and Ansie for me! You'll have a great time. Kowas is one of the few places where you might actually be able to get sitting shots on most game. It is not very brushy, so you may be OK. Practice anyway, though, as it'll be a requirement for most of Africa, for sure.

Ditto... Get some Bog Pods and practice. I like tripods myself because of my essential tremor. I doubt that you will be shooting at much over 100 yards. When you can keep your shots all on a paper plate, you are good to go. Good luck...

+1. I have used my PH to lean against and get a dead solid hold. On my last trip to Africa a couple of years ago I shot from sitting more than once.

Concur, that goes for standing, sitting or knee shooting.

Gunner

One thing I learned from reading J.Oconnor was to use any kind of rest you can find, any time you can find it. That said Ive never shot off sticks, but can definitely see the advantages to early practice off sticks.
Ive done pretty much everything else in Africa, offhand,with a rest, sitting,off the PHs shoulder etc�but sticks were just coming into vogue about the time I was tapering off the African hunting.

I've noticed over the past decade that sticks are becoming more common just about everywhere there's enough ground cover to prevent sitting/kneeling shots. Have encountered outfitters and local hunters using sticks not just in Africa but Ireland and New Zealand, plus Texas and several other states. They're not just used for shooting but as hiking staffs when hunting rougher country.

Just last week in Texas I killed a cow nilgai about the size of a big mule deer offhand with sticks. The outfitter thought it was 220-250 yards, and I put the bullet right where I wanted to on an almost facing shot. (Dunno what the real range was since the opportunity was very quick, and we for to laser it afterward! But his guess was probably pretty good.) Have made a number of shots like that over the years using sticks, and would never feel confident enough to take the same shot offhand, or even with the rifle resting on somebody's shoulder. (Oh, and while I brought my own sticks, the outfitter had several sets already. But he also guides in Africa.)

Sitting down with sticks and your back against something is almost as steady as shooting off a bench.

Hope you didn't ruin any steaks on that nilgai�.


We will have to have a Tejas BBQ in June,Nilgai, Axis and pig!

Nope! I very carefully placed the 286-grain Hornady Interlock from the 9.3x62 jut inside the near (right) shoulder, and it exited the rear of the ribs on the left side. Lost a little meat from the inside of the shoulder, but not much, one of the reasons the 9.3 is highly regarded among meat hunters!

Even without sticks........a VERY overlooked stable shooting position.

Sounds like you shot her on or about the 'front' shoulder. Kudos.

I seem to remember you doing quite well with a set of sticks and an old British double 303.

Not bad for a newby. lol

Gunner

wouldnt go any where without my shooting sticks, and use them about 95% of the shots i take, i carry them in a short canvas bag attached to my small backpac, just reach over my left shoulder and pull them out,i use the bipod trigger sticks pull the trigger and they extend to what ever hieight you need and they are fast.rio7

I didn't use the sticks�.dont need them with such a skookum rifle.

I do it all the time, strap on a shell belt, grab a double rifle and a set of sticks and go out walking the farm shooting stumps, rocks and the occasional armadillo. lol

Gunner

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Gunner

I shoot off sticks a lot, here in whitetail country as well as Africa. I think if the sticks are leaned a little towards you, it helps you triangulate and steadies them. In other words the feet of the sticks farther forward, the rest pulled towards you. Also I let the forend rest on the sticks but hold the rifle just as if I was shooting offhand. Someone else said to keep your feet square, which I do when shooting offhand too, I don't stand sideways with the butt on the arm bone, shooting heavy calibers has taught me to square up to a rifle and pull it into my shoulder. I shoot probably 75% of my practice offhand, and use sticks exactly the same as offhand, but with support. Get your offhand stance perfected, then add the sticks if that makes sense.

ab2506: I've used my homemade wood dowel sticks just like you made for years: however I bought some of the black hot water foam insulation for the outside for padding and also put some screws into the bottom of the legs, then ground them sharp so they somewhat stick into the ground to prevent slipping. Never go hunting without them: coyote calling, deer hunting, and even took them along to Alaska: couldn't have been steady enough to take my bear without them: 213 yards downhill front end shot. Can't image store bought ones being any better. Like mule deer said, with legs tilted slightly back, with your back against a tree, ROCK solid rest. Also, super light weight.

My wife and I have been shooting our 22LR at 80 yards at a 4" gong with the scope turned all the way down to 2.5

I have received many great tips from AR on form and have even tweeked my stance and left arm hold since this picture was taken.

4 more weeks and lots more practice

Don't shoot a heavy rifle (.458 etc.) with your back against a tree or rock unless thou want to break a shoulder.

Here's an update on shooting off sticks, and a pic of me and my PH from a few weeks ago in the Eastern Cape, Africa, about to take a shot at a Black Wildebeest, 275 yards distant. As you can see, high brush precludes any position but the sticks.

Spent the summer shooting off sticks, with .257 Roberts and .223, for hundreds of rounds, most at 200 yd. gongs. Technique is far more important than caliber, although I also did shooting with my .375 Ruger, which I took to Africa.

A tip I picked up here (I believe from JorgeI) was to rest the rifle forend on your hand, not directly on the sticks. I have found this method to be the steadiest hold on the sticks, for me at least, and it greatly improved my hit percentage on the gongs.

Practice, practice, practice, shooting off the sticks, if you intend to use them. For me, the practice really paid off on this trip.

So where's your pix? (Ted's were great!) :-)

I have taken a lot of guys hunting in my career. By far the majority never shot off sticks in their lives until hunting with me.

By far the majority nailed what they shot at without any struggle, and shot with great success. There seems to be a fair amount of paranoia or concern that shooting of of sticks is complicated or difficult.

It's always a good idea to practice the same way you will shoot. So by all means shoot off sticks if you can. However the reason for the sticks is that it's easier then shooting freehand. So it makes your shooting easier and better, not more difficult or complicated.

Shooting off of sticks is easy and makes shooting accurately over greater distances much better. Don't worry or panic or have paranoia that it's some type of circus trick. Shooting off of sticks is very good and will make the shots easier for you.

As I said probably 90% of my hunters have never shot off sticks and they drill bullseyes with great regularity! Don't sweat this part of the experience it's a piece of cake!

Here's a couple of pics- both shot off of stix-

Nothing is more striking than a Sable.

Nice bull!

Very wow, Bighorn!

Bighorn you stuck 'em good, beautiful animals. I bought the Primo's Trigger stick doubles about 2 months ago and find them to be really useful. The biggest side benefit is that my wife loves them and wants to shoot all the time now and is really doing well. I got her a RAR Compact in .223 w/ a Redfield scope and she is shooting 6" targets out to 300 yds off the sticks. The good news is that she carries them and will be doing so when we hit Idaho 1 week from today!

mike r

yessir! and good shooting!

Is that a great trophy or what?

BogPod tripod was the most stable for me. The tall version. I collected 9 head of plains game off a bipod or tripod with the exception of a handy tree for my blesbock. now that I think of it, I also used my PH's shoulder once or twice. The great thing about the bogpod is that you can practice shooting at home with it; my accuracy greatly improved over those months of practice.

After two weeks using the Primos Trigger Sticks Tall Tripod the Bog pod had to go by by

Primos hit a home run with this one

Looks like those Primos sticks are worth a sniff. Could you be more specific as to why the Trigger Sticks rule? Thanks...

They adjust from full up nearly 66" to full down 20" with one thing....the trigger and fast fast fast

No pop knuckles to open and close pluse the Trigger stick doubles as a walking cane and binocular rest with the same speed

Far faster than the bogpod and no less solid

like I said.....after using both the bogpod had to go

Any rest, any way you can get it! I have used my spotting scope tripod sans scope and padded on top with gloves or a hat, out on the tundra. Across the handlebars (with padding) of the ATV, across the snow machine windshield or across the seats works too.

The last time i used "sticks" it was on a Colorado elk hunt where I was forced to take a standing shot. I used two birch trees about a foot apart, between which I jammed my left forearm, over which I rested the rifle. 150 yards DRT with a .260.

I don't think I could have tipped them slightly toward me, however, as they were about 10 inches in diameter where I wedged my arm..

Foot-hunting, I often carry a 6' walking staff made from local birch, trimmed to about 1.25 inches in diameter top to bottom, with a padded fork on top. A monopod isn't as good as a bipod, but again I have found the steadiest position to be with the foot kicked out a bit away from me. Better yet if I can brace it, or me in some safe way against another tree etc.

Any rest, any way you can get it! I have used my spotting scope tripod sans scope and padded on top with gloves or a hat. Across the handlebars (with padding) of the ATV, across the snow machine windshield or across the seats works too.

The last time i used "sticks" it was on a Colorado elk hunt where I was forced to take a standing shot. It was two 10" birch trees about a foot apart, between which I jammed my left forearm, over which I rested the rifle. 150 yards DRT with a .260.

I don't think I could have tipped them slightly toward me, however...

Foot-hunting, I often carry a 6' walking staff made from local birch, trimmed to about 1.25 inches in diameter top to bottom, with a padded fork on top. A monopod isn't as good as a bipod, but again I have found the steadiest position to be with the foot kicked out a bit away from me,mand me leaning into it slightly. Better yet is if I can brace it or me in some safe way against another object