Shooting stick, good or bad
 

I picked up a nice Weatherby .70 this pastyear and used it fordeer hunting. I consider myself a decent shot but when recently confronted with a 200 yard standing shot I had a difficult time holding it on my target. At about $2.00 a shot I can't do an extensive amount of shooting and the Weatherby is quite a bit heavier than my previous synthetic rifle.

I would like to know if they work well indifferent terrains especially when I would need one "quickly." Do you find carrying them a big hassle and worth carrying one with you? What are all the pros and cons and if you were to recommend one, which one?

Maybe I should go back and use my lighter synthetic!

Thanks,

DD

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

I would recomend the stoneypoint, tri-pod. I carry mine on the back of my day pack. And it is well worth having. Good luck!

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

My wife uses a mono pod shooting stick. I do not useshooting sticks, I think they are more of a pain to carry around than they are worth.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

I use a bi-pod and am very happy with it. I used to use a Harris bi-pod which attaches to the gun, but could never get comfortable in a prone possition. I keep my bipod extended to the height I will use (kneeling), and keep it there while in the field. The legs can be set narrow or spread to give you some adjustment in height. I don't have any problem carrying it in one hand and the rifle slung on my shoulder or cradleing it. I think the bipod may be a quicker set-up for a shot than the Harris was.
If you can't borrow one to try it out, you can make one by tying two long sticks together(1/2" dowel,1/2 roundmoulding, couple of fishing poles) just to get a feel for shooting off of sticks.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

ive made my own bipod and i use the harris bipod. both have their advantages and disadvantages. the one i made was really handy and pretty quick to set up but didnt give any adjustment, i had to do all the adjusting which isnt always easy depending on the shot.thebiggestproblem i hadwas i would carry it for most of the day and then gettired of carrying it or forget it in the truck and thats exactly when i woundup needing it of course.
thats what is nice about the harris bipod because it attaches to the gunso you dont have to worry about if you have it or not. i dont like that its not tall enough for me to shoot from a kneeling position unless im shooting uphill or downhill. and its heavier than the bipod i made which makes shooting off hand alot harder to be accurate at.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

Nothing beats the good old fundamentals of shooting. Prone, sitting, kneeling, or standing. Ive used sticks a fair bit too but I dont believe they're better than the 4 basic positions, except for standing. I can get more steady sitting with the assist from my sling with out the use ofsticks than sitting behind sticks. Making the most from your sling makes a world of differnce. Bad thing Ive learned from sticks, takes few seconds to get them out and set up, animal might be leaving the area before you shoot....

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

The Versa-pod is another good one...

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

200yds offhand? is far for anyone, heck just shooting offhand is tough for most.

Personally I find making your own shooting sticks better than anything on the market.
You can then adjust them quickly to any height simply by spreading the legs out further, instead of unscrewing and making the legs longer etc...

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

stoney point bi-pod. great sticks.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

Have you thought about a shooters sling? Also, you don't need to use live ammo to practice shooting with your Weatherby. You can practice holding the rifle steady at a distant objectwith an empty chamber. Try holding steady for 5 seconds then a few seconds rest and repeat- keep building up to where you can hold it steady for about a minute. The more you build up the muscles you use to dothis the easier it will become. When you are able to hold it steady for some time try shooting a snap cap after you have beenholding it steady fora while- work on keeping the cross hairs on target when the trigger is pulled.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

I like using shooting sticks and taught my son to use them when he was 11 on his first trip to Africa.He used them this year to take a 197 yard pronghorn 40 miles outside of Casper, Wyoming. I use the sticks from Long Grass http://www.long-grass.com/shootsticks.htm. They are a bit spendy but very well made. It take a while to get used to them but I don't hunt without them now.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

Another way to make you a better shot which will also boost your confidence in your shooting when it comes time to shoot your rifle. Get your 22 rimfire out and start plinking away during the off season.Its fun and great way to becoming a better shot. I shoot 20-50 rounds anight and it does wonders in the long run, shoot at differnt ranges and targets to make things interesting and challenging. Come hunting season, shot a few through your rifle to get use to its trigger and feel of the rifle, your set. It will even make you a good off hand shot with out the use of sticks.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

I use the stoney point rapid bi-pod. Seems to be the best of both worlds.

RE: Shooting stick, good or bad
 

i started carring stonypoint sticks a few years back. i have a place i hunt thats full of powerlines ,a 400yd shot is possible . there is nothing on these powerlines but grass ,no shooting rest. i carry them as a walking stick ,they have saved the day a few times already.