Shooting stick tips

[Rare Breed]

just joined and so appreciate everyone’s help! I just shot off shooting sticks for first time. I bought the tripod boogie system with both front and rear prong support. At 250 yards I still struggle to keep steady. Any tips on shooting from sticks standing up please? I looked into search but could not find tips to keep steady. Thanks!!!!

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

It becomes easier when shooting at 500 yards.

 

[Royal27]

There are several good threads about shooting from sticks. Here are a couple, but you can also use the search function to find more.

Practice helps, good form helps even more.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/shooting-from-sticks.28912/

http://www.africahunting.com/threads/getting-ready-for-the-big-hunt.26235/

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/help-shooting-off-sticks.45359/#post-479879

 

[Red Leg]

It becomes easier when shooting at 500 yards.

OMG that is so funny. Tell me that didn't come to you all by yourself!?!

Royal beat me to it Rare Breed, but there's been a lot of discussion about this. If you are only struggling at 250 yards your first time on the range with them, then you are miles ahead of 99.9% of most everyone else's first experience off the sticks.

 

[Royal27]

I'm also not certain what sticks you're talking about, but you may also want to consider how easy they are to both carry in the field and how quickly you can get set up or adjust.

They may be better for a specific application (think croc on a river bank) than for general hunting .

Just a thought.

 

[Royal27]

I looked into search but could not find tips to keep steady. Thanks!!!!

It would also help if you define what you mean by not being steady? If that is 4 inch groups are 250 then that's pretty dang good! If it's not even on paper then I'd say come back in closer and get more comfortable first.

Read, some of those threads though. You'll see people, myself included, talk about foot, body, and rifle placement for stability .

 

[wesheltonj]

I use African Shooting sticks, not the best for long distance. What the SAAM/FTW school suggested was using a mounted bipod on your rifle , and holding one bi-pod leg and one shoot stick leg together for added stability.

 

[Ridgewalker]

A little over 200 yards is my current limit. Every time I go to the range I will add time for shooting off of sticks. Usually a 22LR or cheap 223 ammo. Closer to my Africa trips I bring out the 375 H&H for 5-10 rounds each trip. Occasionally shooting a full box.
Best of luck! Just practice practice practice.

 

[Paul schlaphoff]

Before I went to Africa, I dry fired my rifle off sticks 20-25 times a day for I suppose about a month. It's surprising how steady you can become. Ten days before we left, I shot ten rounds of full powered ammo at ranges from 100-200 yards every day. I shot my red hartebeest at 300 yards with no problem. That's about my limit with a 375. I had 300 grain Barnes bullets. Rifle was sighted in two inches high at 100 yards.
Paul

 

[meigsbucks]

Check with your PH to see what “sticks” he uses / recommends. On my first safari, he recommended the three wood sticks tripod. I bought a set from African Sporting Creations. I practiced with them and took them to Zim. Worked great.
Safari two, the PH used Primos Trigger sticks. I already had a set and practiced off those. Although I took them with me to Namibia, I used the PH’s.
There is a big difference in their use. I could have taken my wood sticks to Namibia, but was concerned that there might be issues with the PH setting them up if he wasn’t familiar with them. Just practice with what you’ll be using.

 

[CAustin]

Where are you hunting that your thinking 250 yards is what you will be shooting. Simple wood sticks as mentioned above is likely what you will see in Africa.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Are shooting sticks intended for novice shooters or folks who get 'excited'? I'm not interested much in adding a new wrinkle to my shooting. Of course, I have never used shooting sticks. Where can I get them to try out?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Are shooting sticks intended for novice shooters or folks who get 'excited'? I'm not interested much in adding a new wrinkle to my shooting. Of course, I have never used shooting sticks. Where can I get them to try out?

It's just typical standard practice in Africa that the PH will carry a set on the hunt for whoever the hunter and their experience may be. But it's your hunt and if you don't want to shoot off sticks you don't have to. Personally I like the added stability.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

just joined and so appreciate everyone’s help! I just shot off shooting sticks for first time. I bought the tripod boogie system with both front and rear prong support. At 250 yards I still struggle to keep steady. Any tips on shooting from sticks standing up please? I looked into search but could not find tips to keep steady. Thanks!!!!

You've received a lot of good advice to which I really can't add, though I question that 500 yard comment a bit. I would add that if you need, have someone provide a place to put your shooting elbow. With the sticks this will be what tends to move the most. I would also encourage you to reduce your distance to 100 yards for the time being. Give yourself a chance to be successful first. As you improve with that, then start adding distance. A 250 yard shot off the sticks while standing is going to be a pretty good challenge. Sitting down, totally different.

 

[Shootist43]

Nevada Mike, shooting sticks are an anomaly. Some people swear by them, others like me swear at them. But regardless which side of the fence you camp on, most PH(s) in Africa will expect you to use them. This topic was rather "spiritedly" debated about a month ago. The thread was something about Shooting Sticks and a Buffalo at 25 yds.

 

[Adrian]

Are shooting sticks intended for novice shooters or folks who get 'excited'? I'm not interested much in adding a new wrinkle to my shooting. Of course, I have never used shooting sticks. Where can I get them to try out?

Shooting sticks are intended for anyone making a shot and offers a sturdy rest for you to make that shot as accurately as possible and to reduce the risk of wounding an animal.

You can make them yourself very easily with two or three equal length pieces of suitable material and binding them together a few inches from the top, with inner tube for example.

If you intend going to Africa and hunting I would urge you not to dismiss them and make use of every opportunity to practice.

You don't want to be in the situation where your dream trophy is 200m in front of you and you have no way of steadying your rifle to make the shot.

It's also worth reiterating that you owe it to the animal to do all that is possible to make a humane shot and a steady shot and shooting from sticks will do just that.

 

[Ryan]

@Rare Breed, if the set up you referred to is like the Caldwell Deadshot tripod system you may want to reconsider things. That is not the usual set of sticks and my last PH cringed when someone showed up with that type of set up a few months back. Too complex. The usual set it a single V or yoke on a tripod or bipod of legs to rest the fore end of the rifle. The Bog Pod and Primos sticks, both tri- and bi pod versions are common in the States and similar to what you'll use in southern Africa. I've tied dried alder limbs together with a piece of old bike tube and it's worked well too. Others have used bamboo or stout dowels from the hardware store.
Honestly they aren't difficult to use, but like anything familiarity is the key. Get or make a set and start out with a .22 plinking. Before long you'll realize it's just a comfortable rest for the front of your rifle like a tree limb or backpack frame and things will fall into place.
Good shooting.

 

[Philip Glass]

Before I went to Africa, I dry fired my rifle off sticks 20-25 times a day for I suppose about a month. It's surprising how steady you can become. Ten days before we left, I shot ten rounds of full powered ammo at ranges from 100-200 yards every day. I shot my red hartebeest at 300 yards with no problem. That's about my limit with a 375. I had 300 grain Barnes bullets. Rifle was sighted in two inches high at 100 yards.
Paul

Dry fire practice is THE best thing you can do. Good advice!

 

[thriller]

Buy a pair and use them is the best thing you can do over time it will become more natural.

 

[Hogpatrol]

The problem I see shooting off of sticks is trigger pull weight. If the rifle has a heavy trigger, it will compound inaccuracy. I like a light trigger with sticks. YMMV.