Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gypsum KS USA
Posts: 1,289
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RE: making shooting sticks....
This is really take pride in my sticks, so this is going to be longer than the process really warrants, if you just want a basic set like mine, 10min, if you want a set like mine, all day if not two.
Here's what I do for the one's i make...
Buy four rods of dowel, 1/2" dia. x 3' long...buy some copper pipe fittings, namely four end caps and two pipe junctions that either fit very snuggly or don't quite fit on your rods (my preference is don't quite fit). Buy a bit of leather lace, or a small dia bolt, nut, and 3 small washers to serve as your "hinge". Get some wood finish and some laquer.
The four rods will serve as your legs, two will be bolted or tied together to make your cross, the other two are your extensions.
Fit the end caps over one end of each rod, and fix the pipe junctions to the other end of two rods (you can run a small screw through the junction and through the rod to keep it in place, I use copper rivet shanks, drill the hole, smash them tight, and braze them into place so I can polish everything pretty), and on the un-capped ends of the other rods, sand them and finish them so that they fit snuggly inside the junctions. Finish the wood and laquer it and you've got a set of sticks.
I use a bit of leather lace to hold my cross together, that way I can slide it up and down the length of the rods if I want to, it gives me the ability to use the same set of sticks for all three shooting positions. With a piece of leather, you could also make a Tri-pod set, for extreme stability.
If you use a bolt to hold your cross together, get the smallest O.D. wahers you can find that fit your bolt (or drill out the hole in a smaller washer), the bolt should have things fed onto it in this order: washer, rod, washer, rod, washer, nut, that way everything should stay moving nicely, but still move. You can also try to bushing your rods, but it might be more work that you're really wanting, cut two pieces of tubing (gas lines usually work) that will fit over your bolt and spin nicely, and stick them through your rods, When you tighten the nut, it will come tight on the washers and the tubing, but your rods will spin on the bushings.
You can really make a set like this look professional and make them VERY efficient if you're willing to take the time to do it. If you really care that much about, I could go into mroe detail, but I don't want to run too long.
If you don't feel like the 1/2" dia is stiff enough, just get a thicker dowel, I've got a set made from 3/4", but it's pretty bulky and heavy and not necessary that much stronger to warrant the extra weight, I made mine for steadying my target rifle (28# unloaded!!)
You can do things like taper and smoothe the caps and junction and carve your sticks so that there aren't any bumps or edges along the rods, just smoothe as a pool cue, you can also carve the sticks or wood burn them before laquering or finish them differently. You could also do the same using aluminum tubing, but it's usually weaker, not much lighter, and costs a lot more. One thing that I like to do on mine is get a bit of tubing that fits nicely inside my junction to fit onto the end of the other rod, that way it will always stay tight, instead of the wood getting worn down or shrinking so they fall apart all the time. You can also increase the size of your "feet" so you don't sink into the mud/dirt as much by putting in a necked junction or two and then sweating the end cap onto it, sweating a second one onto the first gives a bigger foot yet. OR you can make a set of spikes for hunting on hard ground by fitting a 4" piece of tubing onto the end instead of a cap, and cutting it at a sharp angle so that it comes to a point.
I made a stacked two pocket "scabbard" (one pocket is on top of the other) that straps around my lower leg, one pocket holds the cross part and the other pocket holds the extensions. All I have to do is undo a flap tie, pull them out and stick them together and I've got a steady rest.
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"When you tell a fellow to go to hell, you had better be sure you can get him there."--LBJ
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