A different shape to shooting sticks

[ivarhusa]

I shoot from a sitting position, often looking forward to significant elevation change. I also want to remain as still as possible, so as not to alert my prey of choice, the coyote. I've built several variations of Varmint Al's "Bi-fur-pod", and this is my latest.

Its distinguishing feature may be the abandonment of the "crossed stick" notch for resting the rifle.  I found that it tended to be to narrow in most of the shooting positions I adopted. With this design, the rifle will rest in a pocket of constant radius, tailored to my rifle, no matter how I spread the legs.  I also put secondary perches on the sides to increase my flexibility with elevation angle.

That last, perhaps silly, flourish is the cheap wrist watch.  I was not sitting quietly for long enough periods of time between sequences. Putting the watch in front of my face made it easy to tell time without the movement of a wrist up towards my face. (Besides, I don't actually wear a watch!)

I thinned the legs fore and aft, giving me a light and effective set of sticks. I hope others might take inspiration from the design for their own creations.

Ivar

[Alan K]

Very cool, I've thought about shooting sticks but never found any I like.  Maybe I'll just some the way I like them!

[Machias]

Whenever I talk to new folks about calling bears and lions I always tell them, put a watch where you can see it because calling passionantly is hard work and I'm always amazed at how short of a time I've been calling when I check the watch.  Not silly at all.

[guardian]

Good tip......

[stumprat]

Great ideas.

[ICEMAN]

 

[old school]

 Excellent looking sticks those yotes are in trouble now.

[tlbradford]

Great build Ivar.  I love to see folks using their imagination and ingenuity to be better hunters.  The watch is a great idea, and not silly in the slightest.  I use sticks as well after a brief stint with a bipod.  The mobility of the sticks is a huge advantage when hunting coyotes.  That is one thing I see missing on your design.  A flexible attachment at the point where your sticks join, will allow you to move the rifle side-to-side without lifting your sticks and repositioning, but still give you a stable rest to shoot off of.  You may want to give it a try and se if you like it.  Either way, you have gone a long way to improving your kill rate by giving yourself a nice solid rest.  Great work.

[Intruder]

Those are quite cool and ingenious.  What did you make em out of?

[ivarhusa]

I like to use hardwoods.  I do a fair amount of woodwork and have "scraps" around. This set was made from black locust and walnut. (The only reason they are two different woods is that they were made from scraps readily available.)

You want to keep it stiff and strong, so fir or other construction woods are "out". Likewise cedar.  It is light, but splinters too easily and is soft. Oak, beech, or really lots of other woods would do fine.

I attached the auxilliary perches to the main struts using size FF biscuits, for strength.  They might not be needed if you added a screw, perhaps.

I went hog-wild on the camo paint, didn't I?  Be sure to cover any shiny bolt heads (hinge point).  They will catch the light and throw a glint that Wiley Coyote will spot a long way out.

I didn't mention this earlier, but I fitted a long metal "spike" in the end, projecting 3 or 4" out of the wood. I used some 1/8" diameter steel rod that was pretty strong (cold drawn). I ground the tip to a dull point and it enters the ground pretty easily, securing the legs to the ground well, in all but the rockiest situations (when nothing works well).

T.L., I am not sure what you are suggesting for a "flexible attachment" that would permit side-to-side movement. Draw me a sketch (if only in words).  I am curious.

One approach I considered was to make essentially a "shooting platform", with the two legs supporting a piece that would extend horizontally  some distance.  A foot maybe. One could then position the rifle anywhere along that broad perch.  But my ideas came out too bulky and perhaps hard to set up.  I didn't try very hard to think throuh the problem.  What do you think might work? (I love to work in my shop, and might tinker with the idea.)

Ivar

[tlbradford]

Here are the sticks I am using. 

http://www.predatorsniperstyx.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2

The picture isn't real clear on the web site, but it will give you an idea.  The top of the sticks are attached with a rubber material.  Since this attachment is flexible it allows the sticks to "twist" so you can move your rifle side to side in about a 90 degree arc until it pinches the barrel to much and prevents further movement.  This way you can move the barrel without moving the feet of the sticks.  If you want, look at an archery store for the "feet" of your shooting sticks.  You can get inserts that will accept field points for sticking in soft ground, or unscrew them and get some judo points or blunts for snow and rocks.  Let me know if you want some better photos of the snyper styx and I will take a picture of mine.  These guys also have a couple of other uniqe designs, like a "gun snubber" that they use to keep the barrel tight to the joint of the sticks.  I would not like this in case you have to lift off for runners.  They also attach a coaxer to the sticks, much like you did with the watch.  I don't use a coaxer either since a lip squeek does the same thing.

[Bofire]

Castration bands work real well for holding sticks together

[ivarhusa]

I prefer mine "with nuts", thank you.    (Oh, and a bolt.)

[scroder]

nice idea Ivar. I think I will copy your design this weekend.  If you dont mind.

[saylean]

they are cool ivar. I would patent that if I were you.