Bipod or shooting sticks? Do you use a rest?

[Epfd217]

I'm not a very stead off-hand shot yet and I'm trying to think of the best way to have a rest available for the shot if a good tree branch or something isn't available.

What do you use for a rest for your rifle when hunting?

 

[MTpubliclander]

PoleCat shooing sticks, ive tried the bipod but they are just not as versatile as they good old shooting sticks

 

[GearJunky]

polecat tripod. Very compact and lightweight. I also discovered that the 3rd leg screws out and can become a monopod with a threaded mount. I use it while glassing to connect to my vortex bino tripod adapter.

 

[Speeddmn]

I use sticks for a few reasons. If I have my pack on and have time to set up prone, I can. If I'm glassing from a hill side and cant lay prone, I will sit down and use the sticks. They also extend tall enough to give me a decent standing shot. Overall I think the weight diffrence is to close to call. Plus they are half the cost of a good bipod.

 

[Redwood]

Harris bipod. Instant accuracy boost and with creativity and practice you can shoot over almost any vegetation.

 

[MKotur325]

I use a 9-13" bipod. But let me preface that over 90% of my shots in the field are taken from the prone.

I tried a pair of Stoney point shooting sticks, bipod style sitting-standing height. I will not consider a bipod type shooting stick again. They sucked. I shot a Moose off them in the Fall of '09 at 132 yds and it took me 10 minutes to get stable enough to be comfortable taking that shot. I ended up wedging the sticks up against a tree and trapping the rifle between the sticks and the tree. Tripod shooting sticks intrigue me, and I want to try them, but when 90%+ of my shooting is from the prone... It's hard to argue with a bipod.

 

[pondweed]

Never tried a bipod, and sticks are noisy, awkward, and almost never at hand when you really need them......but I never leave the truck without them. You need to practice and have a system if they are going to be useful in the field. They won't suit everyone. Mine are cheap, homemade, and lightweight: scrap wood and parachute cord. I used some oak 1/4-round for my first set.

The disadvantage is that they are a fixed length, mine are the right length for a kneeling shot. You can tweak the height to the situation a fair bit by how far you spread them. The advantage is that when you break/mislay them, just make another pair.

My "stick system" has absolutely allowed me to score on chances that I might not have been able to otherwise, but I love the kneeling position and I developed a way to carry/deploy them effectively in hunting situations.....your mileage may vary. I'd fool around with something homemade before I invested.

 

[TheShootist.41]

I use Primos trigger stick. Available almost anywhere. I like them for the adjustable length and they are quiet and quick. Mine will adjust from a kneeling to standing shot and anywhere in between. I also use them as a walking stick.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I prefer prone shooting, but have a the Primo's bipod & tripod w/ the trigger thing on it. They're steady, heavy to carry around all day and not good for shooting from a sitting position.

Seriously thinking of a bipod if I can ever get the 300 shooting well.

 

[sbhooper]

I have tried the bipods and to me, they just make a gun awkward. I like using my pack or a Bog Pod tripod.

 

[Wally Dog]

I never leave home without my trigger stick bipod! They double as a walking staff too. There have been reliable and positive.

 

[MT_elk]

Harris bipod.

 

[JohnCushman]

I've tried shooting sticks and a bi pod and I like the bi pod better

 

[belly-deep]

Depends on the situation, but if I had to choose one, it would be sticks

 

[Sytes]

I have a safari sling so the weight of a tripod plays little into the equation for comparison. Excluding weight, I prefer the bipod... hands down.
I tried sticks... though in the heat of the moment, my sticks seem to never part from the straps on my hip pack or side of my light backpack... unless I happen to be sitting in one spot. I move too much... Meh, learning.

 

[Coyotes-R-Us]

Sticks for big game and bipod for P dogs and coyotes.

 

[orion23]

Harris bipod myself. heavy but worth it when you take the shot.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I like sticks because they are a lot more adaptable to different situations. I even carry mine when hunting in the big woods of Maine. You never know when you may need a rest, but if you are like me you can't stand the extra weight when shooting in a standing position. I also use mine to prop my binoculars on when glassing. I wouldn't want to argue with someone shooting varmints that a bipod is better. As far as deploying, I can flick them and have them set up in less than 10 seconds. Anything that is far enough away to need sticks wont be able to hear them. I probably like them because I have a tendency to walk more than most.

 

[track1]

I use a harris bipod or the primos trigger sticks bipod depending on where I am hunting. When I hunt whitetails in the northwest I don't use either unless I know i'm going to be sitting on a clear cut. Whenever I go to the range I almost always take my last shot or 2 offhand at 100 yards. Also, SAFELY dry firing offhand at home helps.

 

[mtmuley]

Sticks for me. Bipods get in the way. I find it interesting some can't get steady on sticks. My 12 year old set them up and smacked an antelope buck fairly easily. mtmuley