Shooting Sticks?

[WapitiTalk1]

Does anybody pack either a shooting stick or bi-pod with you while big game hunting (I'm talking the expending tall ones, not the shorty bi-pod type that attached to a weapon)?  Just curious as to what you use, and, if you feel it's worth packing it with you when out in the elk/deer woods?  I've never owned/used one and am curious to hear what you cats have to say "pro or con" about them.     

[huntnfmly]

Bought both my daughters primos tripod trigger sticks
They work great especially for uneven ground push the  trigger they automatically level them self and are rock solid and best thing out there

[Bob33]

I use a BogPod tripod in certain instances. I've found that free-standing monopods and bipods don't really steady my rifle and in some instances make it worse. Shooting offhand, gravity provides some downward stability that is lost with supports. You might want to borrow someone's monopod or bipod and try it for yourself before buying one. The three-legged ones definitely help.

[Alchase]

I have a couple Primos Pole Cat 25 to 62-Inch Tall Bipods. They work great. They also make walking sticks in a pinch.

[huntnfmly]

Where are you located?
I'm in Bonney lake if you have a hunt  coming up I have no problem letting you use a pair so you can get a feel for them and could meet you somewhere to give them to you

[WapitiTalk1]

Thanks for the offer huntnfmly, very kind of you sir.  I'm way down just outside of the big town of Rainier.  Really just poking around for opinions right now and for the rest of this rifle season (upcoming modern elk), I'll continue to just shoot off hand for closer shots, or, find a handy stump if available as a rest for longer shots.  Thanks to all for chiming in so far.... 

[Okanagan]

I've shot a lot of critters off of sticks and like to have the option with me.  At my age, a stick is nice for walking steep places also.

My grandson shot a black bear from a telescoping stand up monopod I got for Christmas and I've carried a pair of hiking poles at times.

However, my preference, from experience, is a wooden stick.  Most of those I pick up after leaving my vehicle though I have two ready to go, one of those in my 4x4.  The main thing is that wood is quieter than any aluminum, glass or carbon fiber poles I've tried and have no moving parts to rattle.  Bumping the stick against things is inevitable, with me anyway, and the wood is much quieter.  Also, if you forget it and leave it behind somewhere, which I am also prone to do, just pick up another one.  Hard to do in desert but easy outside of monochrome sage country, 

If you decide to make one or a few, wild hazelnut makes excellent straight sticks of the right size and length.  (White oak from the south is good but heavy.) 

There are a lot of ways to brace a steady hold with the stick in various body positions and with various rocks, ledges, trees, brush, slopes etc.  A zillion years ago Sam Fadala wrote a good article on using what he called a Moses stick.  He put a strap on his. 

[Doublelunger]

I've had a lot of success with shooting sticks for both deer and coyotes. I made my own for super cheap out of two fiberglass electric fence posts and castration rubber bands.

[Switchback]

I take them every time I'm going to a place where I might shoot more than 100 yds. The Cabela's Shooting Sticks are a good choice, as are the Bogpod ones. Primos has the Trigger Stick, which is the best (quickest/easiest to adjust), but it's super expensive.

I have probably killed 10 deer (and a number of coyotes) that I wouldn't have been able to ethically shoot without sticks. It's amazing how steady you can get with them. Shooting prone with my bipod is always choice #1 (always also have a short bipod attached to my rifle), but sometimes with hills or tall grass it's not an option, and in those cases the shooting sticks are crucial. I always set them to standing height when I'm walking, and then if I decide to sit in an area for a while, I can shorten them to sitting height.

I use the bipod ones. You should try leaning the sticks toward you, putting your free hand on the sticks and your gun to hold them together, and leaning into the gun. Many people keep the sticks vertical, in which case the sticks do pretty much nothing. Leaning into the sticks/gun essentially makes a tripod, and the increase in stability is remarkable.

[carpsniperg2]

If I’m sitting or spot and stalking not going way back in some place I carry the trigger sticks. They are great and I grabbed the tri pod one this year and wow it’s solid but it’s like packing a 2x4 all day long lol. I have a lightweight huskima for big hikes and if I’m staying in some place that is my normal go to.

[jdb]

I have a stony point monopod that I Carry in open country and have shot a fari amount of game off it, I also have a stony point bipod that attaches to my predator rifle. I’ve killed a lot of coyotes with it and wouldn’t ever go back to hunting without it.i also have a bogpod tripod that is pretty heavy and cumbersome but I occasionally use it but usually just at the range.

[brokentrail]

I have two pairs of the Primos bi trigger sticks and all 3 of my boys have used them to harvest their first blacktail and in some cases, numerous blacktails.  Without them, I doubt they could have shot well enough free hand to make the shot, so it did help them.

My blacktail time is either stalking where I don't want them as it's one more thing to carry and try to be quiet or glassing a cut where I am usually sitting and can rest on my knees or lay prone to take a long shot.  Keep in mind, long for me is 300 yards.

I think they have benefits in certain situations and they really do work.

[Bofire]

I ,like and carry monopod or shooting sticks all the time, I use em as a walking stick, and shoot from them. I do not like attached bipods. I find they increased accuracy in hunting situations.
Carl

[Shoofly09]

I finally started using a bipod trigger stick about 5 years ago.   Wished I would have started using them sooner.   Handy as a walking stick, and helps me steady binoculars when walking and glassing.   

[TommyH]

I’ve had one of the cheap 20$ Telescoping ones for years, the top Y broke off and I taped a broken telescoping fishing pole holder onto it.. it’s considerably lighter (and waaaayyyy cheaper) than the trigger sticks I was checking out yesterday. I had borrowed one that has 3 fold out feet and my son was practicing with it, they helped him get steady and make some good shots. I  Highly recommend having one kind or another if any youngsters are trying to make a shot count. Maybe at some point I’ll have to spend the $$$ and get a quality one for the kids.

[syoungs]

I have one if the uber expensive tripod trigger sticks, it's always in the truck, and one time I carried it into the field.

To me its awkward and cumbersome to carry unless your headed to a spot to sit, if I did more coyote hunting it would get used more I suppose.

I purchased it thinking it would be nice to have in Wyoming chasing speed goats, I've found that correctly sized bippd that will work when sitting were a better investment for how I hunt 90% of the time.

[Okanagan]

My reading of mountain men indicates that they carried a walking stick and used it in most of their shooting, including combat.  With slow loading rifles they wanted every shot to count.

[follow maggie]

I use an extending bipod fairly frequently. It doubles as a walking stick to help my balance.

[ghosthunter]

I have one if the uber expensive tripod trigger sticks, it's always in the truck, and one time I carried it into the field.

To me its awkward and cumbersome to carry unless your headed to a spot to sit, if I did more coyote hunting it would get used more I suppose.

I purchased it thinking it would be nice to have in Wyoming chasing speed goats, I've found that correctly sized bippd that will work when sitting were a better investment for how I hunt 90% of the time.

I have trigger stick and used it a bit, but found it too big and noisey. I use shooting sticks from time to time. I went to a Gunrunner pack so when I don’t need them I put them in the scabbard.

[go4steelhd]

I use the Stoney Point shooting sticks. They have assisted in getting many big game animals for me. From 75-400 yard range  while sitting and 50-250 standing when laying down was not an option. I carry them extend while walking and expecting a quick shot.
They will take some practice over 200 yards

[724wd]

I carry stoney point sticks 72". I think they're owned by Primos now - Polecat.

But I'd REALLY like to give Stealth Pod X a try! I just gotta get over the sticker shock. https://stealthpodx.com/

[C-Money]

I use something like the Primos Steady Stix. I have used them for a long time. Cant remember the brand.

[Stein]

I've tried a few brands of shooting sticks and don't use them.  Either they are not stable enough (mono and some bi-pods), or they are cheaply made and break quickly - even those that cost north of $100.

I have settled on a Harris bipod sling swivel mounted.  I can get great prone or seated shots, just not anything standing.  For standing shots, I either use a tree or find a place to get a seated shot unless it's real close.

[splitshot]

Bogpod bipod all the way.mine is 5 years old. Had a phony trigger deal and it came apart, worthless. Am old and the boggy doubles as a cane. Also glass off it. Mike w

[KFhunter]

I'm using a trigger stick monopod,  it's not working well for my setup (snowmobile, calling cats, snowshoeing) and it's heavier than a shooting stick needs to be. 


I might just do something like this

[Tracker0721]

Hey KFHunter, I’m in the same area doing the same things, those breakdown shooting sticks primos make are great. Had to glue my bases in as they were sticking to frozen ground. But they fit in my water bottle pouch or there’s plenty of room in my spotting scope pouch.

[fire*guy]

I've found that shoot stixs are really helpful if your using your binoculars for an extended time for spoting animals. It will give you a much steadier view.

[KFhunter]

Hey KFHunter, I’m in the same area doing the same things, those breakdown shooting sticks primos make are great. Had to glue my bases in as they were sticking to frozen ground. But they fit in my water bottle pouch or there’s plenty of room in my spotting scope pouch.

These?

[bearpaw]

I use three different items depending on the situation.

When guiding I usually carry the tall trigger sticks for my hunter to use, but I'm not packing a gun when guiding so it's easy for me to carry them and I like to use them as a walking stick too. When I am hunting for myself I only use the trigger sticks for hunts where I'm sitting or not going very far, it's a hassle packing a rifle and trigger sticks unless you carry one or the other on a backpack and then it's really not that handy. When hiking very far hunting for myself I usually either have my fold up sticks in a pouch on my side (they look similar to what KF posted) or a tall Harris bipod on my rifle, which one I take depends on the type of vegetation in the country I'm hunting.

[Tracker0721]

Those look like them. A little less beat up and those collars look upgraded.

[KFhunter]

I ended up getting primos pole cat, they were small enough to fit in the pack well.   

I was worried the steady stix would sink too far in the snow, there was no feet for them in the packaging. 
The pole cat had rubber feet I could attach a strap across if I needed more floatation.

[Alchase]

I have been using them for years. I keep a set in each pack. They have worked great.