Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Educate me on shooting sticks

My daughter missed her moose this year, I'm thinking to get some shooting sticks for her to practice with this summer. I've never used them, so no experience. She's only 5' tall, so don't need to be too high. Thinking I could use them for coyote hunting too. It would be nice to have them fold up nice and tight for packing around. Anything to watch for or pros and cons? Was trying to find something at Cabelas, as I have some points to dispose of before that place goes completely to pot.

I bought mine @ Cabela's, don't know the brand it's unmarked. It's a monopod and it colapses down short enough to fit in my hunting pack, believe I paid about $20.00 for it 4-5 yrs. ago.

I use them occasionally. Mono-pod is lightest, least bulky and the least stable but a damn sight better than nothing in the middle of a treeless field. Bi-pod type is more stable a little heavier and more stable than the mono-pod. Of course the tri-pod type is the most bulk and weight, but also the most stable. Generally the more legs the devise has, the longer it takes to set up for a shot. I don't own the tri-pod type, but usually grab the bi-pod stix when I think I will need one on a hunt. RJ

I have used the adjustable tripod sticks with great success. The Primos brand is what I use and I like them for their trigger adjustment lever which allows me to raise and lower to meet the required height without removing my rifle from the saddle.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018527333

I have carried the Primos Pole Cat tall bipod for years. I won't hunt without them.

The comments above about stability, weight and setup time are spot on. I used a Bog Pod CLD for the first time on a Wy pronghorn hunt this fall and was very pleased with it. They have what they call a Switcheroo system that enables you to change out accessories from gun rest, to bino rest, to camera/ spotting scope mount etc. I didn't need to use it as a rest when I shot my buck, but for glassing it was extremely stable.

The Brits seem to favor ones that are really two sets joined at the bottom. They support the rifle front and back. Someday I'm gonna cobble a set together with some carbon arrow shafts. These are mainly for shooting from standing when stalking, not from the sit.

I have a set of these I use when woodchuck hunting and the kids and I have used them deer hunting several times. Fold up plenty small to go in your pack and definitely help when no other rest is available. Not fancy or expensive but they work. Of course it looks like they have discontinued them.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015323945

^^^^^^^^^^^ THESE

Mine are OLD and called Stoney Points > pre Primos.

They TELESCOPE in/out. NO fold, NO noise. Mine weigh 17-18 OZ.

Come to think of it, I just ordered a set of Primos for a good friend.


Jerry

I consider sticks of some sort about as important as my binoculars when hunting.

My boys used sticks and more recently my nephews are using sticks and the benefit is huge. This fall alone, my nephews ages 11, shot 4 deer at ranges from 15 to 307 yards all with the Snipepod and all one shot kills.

You are spot on when saying your daughter could practice with them next summer. Learning to use them is key.

I happen to use the Snipepod, but any sticks are better than none. The SP folds up to about 6" and weighs 6 to 8 ounces. Folding up is nice so they can be stowed away when not needed.

Get some sort of sticks that are appropriate for her height and practice with them using a 22 rimfire and later the hunting rifle. You will be amazed at how much better she will shoot. This will add confidence and will greatly lessen the chances of a bad hit.

I have some Primos Trigger Sticks. No complaints.

Tried monopods with my daughters and neither of them liked 'em, and found them more distraction than help. We moved to the Primos trigger-stick bi pods and they work pretty well. They are a little heavy and can flex where the legs meet the yolk near the head, but they've performed well.

I like the African wooden variety or a Primos Joe Stockly II tripod. I also keep a collapsible set in my pack the carbon fiber collapsing type I think they were stony point brand. These work but are slow to deploy especially in the pack.

Might try a set of home made alder ones to see how she likes them first. The mono pods are good as a walking stick and fairly solid if you can jam them into the ground. The tripod types extend my range quite a bit, it seems like a linear progression, mono 1-200, bipod 2-300, tripod 3-400 yds. or thereabout.

Other than the mono pods don't get a set of bargain sticks you will regret it most likely. If you hunt together you might have your daughter carry a mono pod and you could pack a more substantial tripod for longer shots and when you have more time to set up. The most use I get out of any of these is as a walking stick and when glassing they are a huge help.

Thanks guys. I'm thinking bi pods, as a good compromise between mono and tri. Fairly portable and should be steady enough with practice. Practice being key. Much of my moose hunting country is brushy stuff that is hard to see above, esp for her, and often a seated or kneeling position is too low. I'll check out some of these options and see what I come up with.

Bamboo lashed together with paracord. Read another fella used a vacuum drive belt, which sounds even better.

+1

I have a hiking stick that I lashed about a 5/8" hardware store dowel to the side in a way that allows the dowel to pivot. The dowel is held parallel to the hiking stick shaft with simple rubber bands. The hiking stick is tremendously useful when covering steep or slick country, but the dowel can be deployed to make a bipod in an instant. After I went to Africa and saw that their tripods were wrapped in innertube to make them quieter I did the same with mine. Still rock simple and cheap. If I was ever in a situation where I needed to jettison my sticks for some reason, I could easily make another set and certainly would. One of the very most useful pieces of my hunting kit.

I have been using the Primos tall tripod and tall bipod since 2014

I gave my bogpod away

Not packable enough for my use.

They convert to a walking stick really easily.