oldrookie

FG...although I dream of the day I can head your way and hunt elk, we hide in trees here in Indiana. Get there quietly (no running required) early and wait for the deer to either come your way to eat or sleep.

I am finding this free hand stuff enough challenge without making myself see double.

HEAD0001

IMO if you have to lean into your shooting stick's then they are too short. I like longer shooting sticks. You can always lower them, but you can never raise them. I set up my sticks close to my right leg(I shoot LH) then I pull them into my right calf. This gives you one more point of steadiness. I also hold my right hand around the leather strap and wrap my thumb over the barrel, then hold down with my thumb. I pull the rifle into my left shoulder with my right hand-which is gripping the leather on the top of the shooting sticks. This is a very steady way to hold and shoot your rifle. I shoot chunk rock out to 500 yards with my Sharp's using this hold. Tom.

frontier gander

Now now! Not all my elk hunts have been like the one i used as an example. Most of the time they are doing the running while i roll around on the ground crying over the fact i was 5 minutes to late. There have been times where ive laid back and relaxed and waiting all day and its paid off twice but i either didnt have a tag or they were just to far into thick timber to make a stalk. I just try to prepare for what i may run into in the field.

oldrookie

Thanks for your tip Tom. I like the idea of the additional anchor point. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to cup the index finger over the barrel. It was a natural thing to do butI left my finger off of it. I thought I read here in another thread that you don't want any influence on the barrel at all.

HEAD0001

It is not my index finger that I wrap over myrifle. I use my thumb. My thumb is not long enough to wrap completely over the rifle, and I am actually pushing the rifle into the leather strap. I am not really holding the rifle down, but I understand how it might appear. IMO not holding the rifle down during bench rest shooting is a good idea. However again IMO that type of shooting is very impractical in the field. Personally the better I hold, the better I shoot.

The point you made about holding the rifle is a very important point. I believe it is the most important reason why a hunter should practice from hunting conditions and stay away from the bench as much as possible. Tom.

oldrookie

Tom, I understand what your saying about the leather. I removed my sling while sighting in on the bench. It was getting in the way of the my clamp rest. I'll put the sling back on it and use as tension against the stix. Thanks again! Its going to take me the rest of the summer getting used to it!