Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Best "cheat" for stability

There was recently a thread on here about winning a LR comp in Utah, sorry I can't remember where I saw it. The poster showed photos of shooting from sitting w/ sticks and his elbows rested on a daypack on his lap. I thought that a very stable position and gave it a try w/ great results, consistently hitting a 6" paper plate at up to 300 yards. I am currently hunting wolves in Idaho and today had opportunities to not shoot a beautiful Pronghorn at 178 yards, a mousing coyote at 240 yards and the biggest badger I have ever seen at 60 yards. All on private land while traveling to and from my wolf areas. My range finder works and so does my GPS. I just have to find some thing I can shoot on public land. Oh yeah I love my Primos trigger sticks.

mike r

Quick adjust legs w/ a swivel and the locking thingy on the Harris. I like the length that allows sitting and prone for range and coyotes. I found myself using the Primos' trigger stick when I am walking a long way. I use the bipod version in the long size.

mike r

I'm a bipod fan. Either pivoting Harris style or another style (the name evades me) but it pivots on a main spring.

I think the last 7 antelope I shot were all prone and off a bipod. Most of my mule deer and several elk have been shot in a similar fashion.

The high bipods are almost uncomfortably high. The lower ones feel much better to me, but the grass and brush often makes it hard to get a clear shot.

I have shot quite a few and mostly with my left hand supporting the rifles while resting over:

-rocks.
-a jacket bunched up or laid over sage.
-My binoculars
-Wrapped in a tight sling from prone and sitting.
-My hat.

In short just about anything that gives me some stability from as close to prone as I could get under the circumstances.Since I practice most of my shooting at 200-400 yards this way after zeroing at 100 yards, it just sort of comes natural doing it this way.

I am not much for bipods as I don't like the things hanging off a rifle. I have lugged the shock corded shooting sticks around, but it seems that by the time I pull off a stalk and get ready to shoot something, there is a handier natural rest nearby to use.

I think you are correct assuming that Cauldwell Field Pod would be a royal PITA to use while hunting around on foot.

I like bipods too, but I have really taken a liking to this...



Tanner

Any more I almost never have a rifle in the truck or field with out a bipod..

Tanner, Packs are good. I forgot to mention those in running down the list.

If I did a lot of varmint hunting in the west, I would darn sure use a bipod, but for BG hunting I don't want one myself.

Decisions. Decisions. Trying to decide between the 12-25 and 9-13. I'd get them both but have to stop spending somewhere!

Is 12" far too high for prone?

I've tried them all and use the 9-13 more than the others. Unless you're taking a lot of sitting shots or shooting over tall grass I'd get the 9-13.

Eric

I've used just about everything mentioned above as a rest. A full day pack has always been the best option.

What I use depends on the situation. Tripods are much more stable than bipods. at least for me. Prone is almost never done as it tends to be too low but when it is I generally use my backpack as a rest. Don't believe I've ever taken a standing/freehand shot at antelope, much preferring to take a knee instead.

As mentioned, the collapsible shooting sticks work pretty well. YOu unfold them and get them ready prior to the final shooting scenario. I've shot a few antelope from prone. Usually there are terrain features one will use in the stalk which may allow prone shots. Also used sitting, fence posts, the door of the truck and whatever else was handy.

Best thing is to get close enough that you don't need a rest. Contrary to a lot of what is printed, not every antelope is shot at 400+yards. Most of mine have been less than 100....

My favorite cheats:

1- a big rock, provides both cover and support
2- pack for prone
3- internal frame pack in sitting position
4- two 7/16 wooden dowels wrapped with electrical tape and held together with a rubber band. Slide the rubber band up and down to easily change the height.

My biggest cheat is to shoot hundreds of rounds at varmints from field positions.

Sometimes off hand is your only option though......

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For off hand shooting I place my shooting stick against the top of my thigh and grab the other end at the forearm. This is the most stable off hand hold I've got.

Walking and shooting prairie dogs has improved my shooting. No doubt the biggest "cheat" is practice.

^^^^^

This.....

I also take 90% of my shots from sitting, elbows on inside or outside of knees as appropriate for where I am sitting....

Did some more thinking and I'm going to hold off on the bi-pod and try to get more practice time on my Bog-Pod / tripod.

No reason I should be getting the results I am getting on the Bog-Pod and I'm sure I can find a bit more of a stable position than I seem to be getting. Going to mess around with the idea of using a day pack for elbow/elbows and once I get my Rhodesian sling in that might help too with the Bog Pod.

Right now I'm only getting 60% of shots in the vitals of a deer shaped/sized target at 200m with it. 95% with the Caldwell Fieldpod

I'm sure I can improve the 60% to 90+% with some practise, sling, day pack. Worst case I lug the Caldwell Fieldpod with me and take the extra 30 seconds to set it up.

Nothing like practice I guess and I will have three weeks of more practice time before the trip so I'm sure I can get 3-4 range trips in.

I may not practice much prone any more. Figure I should use the time to do really well at one position.

canoetrpr I have not seen it mentioned but what rifle/scope/load combo are you shooting?

Oher. I'm w/you. I do like the Harris but they put a pound plus on your rifle to carry which can really add up on a long hike as well as over balancing the muzzle when carrying or slung.The rifle generally has a sling on it anyway. I've shot small bore and high power for about 50 years now and a shooting sling is the way to go. I have also shot off of sagebrush, left fist on the ground, hat, rocks, barbed wire fence, gloves, fanny pack and any thing else that is handy. Goats are generally not that spooky so inching around a bit for a rest isn't generally a problem. A shooting sling can be set (adjusted) for a good sitting position and also used for prone and kneeling at the same setting so no need to muck around w/it once set and all that needs to be done is to "assume the position" needed. Canoe GOOD LUCK-Muddy

Moody: Like Steve Martin said in "My Blue Heaven", "...I'm wit you"

We (my pal's wife) and I were on or way back to the ranch from town dropping off an elk and a couple of mule deer for processing. We were on what passes for a road in Wyoming,and two antelope bucks crossed in front of us at about 200 yards. One was a pretty 14-ish inch goat with nice mass and that black face. Joanne had a tag.

It was wide open and the goats saw the truck,ambled way out on the flat and there was nothing for us to hide behind or conceal a stalk....I grabbed the only thing for a rest I could...a down jacket in a tight stuff sack and we started walking, in the wide open,obliquely toward them but kind of angling away...if you know what I mean. No sense being coy about it...we were "made".

After awhile of angling on them we had closed the distance to about 400 yards(estimated, guesstimated and interpolated by me while looking through the 4X Leupold on my 270. This was the dreaded pre LRF days when we "guessed". Also pre bipod when we used field rests to kill stuff ).The goats were staring at us,broadside.

We flopped prone,Joanne chambered a cartridge,rested the rifle over the stuff sack; and I told her to hold a thin sliver of daylight over the bucks back and "kill him". She touched off, the buck sagged at the shot,danced a 10 yard circle and collapsed, heart shot.

This was made easy because Joanne often came to the range,could shoot a rifle,and had killed more game than most men I knew.She also knew how to shoot from improvised rests...with her behind the rifle,if it stood still, it was usually "dead".