As an avid varmint hunter, I have used bi-pods with varying degrees of success. If you know exactly where the animal is going to come from, they work well. I have come to really like the shooting sticks, to be perfectly honest. I made my own, but you'd probably be better of buying a decent pair. In my opinion, you'd be best off getting a pair that has adjustable legs so you can go from prone to sitting to standing positions and that way you can adjust to the situation. I'm a huge fan of bi-pods and still have one on my primary varmint rifle, but I was just trying to give you another option besides bi-pods or sand bags. I would counsel to stay away from sand bags though. With predator hunting and the constant moving, sometimes walking for miles, those bags will end up getting REAL heavy as the day goes on.