Bi-pod or Stick Delimma?

[Buck-eye]

I went on a rifle hunt in May, and brought with me a pair of shooting sticks. I never got a chance to try the sticks before my hunt. During the hunt, I had two shots, each at around 250 yds that were fairly easy. I was unable to get comfortable with my sticks and blew both shots. A part of the reason was that my Ruger .308, did not fit snug in the "V". I immediately returned them. Does anyone have a take on whether a bi-pod is any better/sturdy?

 

[Lone Wolf]

I use a bi-pod regularly in competition in prone - and frankly it's steadier than off a bench. I've also used one in sitting and again it's very steady.

 

[Speckmisser]

Buckeye,

Somewhere on here are at least two threads on this topic with lots of good stuff. For my own part, after trying a bipod for several years now, I usually just leave it in the truck.

The bipod, as LoneWolf states, is very steady. If you're going to be hunting somewhere that you can set up, like a ridgetop stand or a good hill, then it's a good tool. But if you're out and about, like at Tejon, it can be more hindrance than help.

If you had trouble getting set with your shooting sticks, you'll have twice as much trouble with a bipod. The ground is seldom as even and flat as a shooting range deck, and finding the balance for the bipod almost always screwed me up in the field. More than once, I've been forced to shoot offhand with the bipod swinging around under the barrel. Talk about instability!

It's always too short, too long, or there's just nowhere to get behind it. Shooting sticks generally offer more flexibility for setup... but as you saw, even the sticks can be a pain to get in place.

If you're going to use sticks, I'd recommend using them every time you go to the range to shoot. You need to be as comfortable setting them up and shooting from them as you are shooting the rifle itself. Same goes for the bipod, if you choose to go that route. Practice with it as part of your rifle... because when it comes down to it, that's really what it is.

By the way, if you get a bipod, consider getting one with detachable mounts so you can remove it while humping through the thick stuff. The danged things hang up on EVERYTHING. For hunting, you'll also want to consider one that's long enough to allow you to shoot from a sitting position. The little short-legged ones are stable as heck, but usually only usable from prone positions which means if there's high grass or rocky ground, you may not be able to see your target.

Good luck!

 

[Buck-eye]

Speck,

Dad'gum, you always tell me exactly what I need to hear. Thanks partner.
And thanks to you as well Lone Wolf. I will heed your advise.

Joe Buck-eye

 

[Speckmisser]

Joe,

I only know because I had to learn it the hard way. I've tried more junk and gadgets over the years I've hunted than I can remember.

Bipods and shooting sticks are great tools, but they have each their drawbacks.

 

[AMMOe]

I recently mounted a Harris bipod on my short barreled 77/22 that I hunt rabbits with. I seldom (never?) shoot from a bipod but it adds a little front end weight for off-hand shooting and it allows me to set my rifle on the ground when I need to; Here in the desert there are few trees worthy of leaning a rifle against. And of course, someday it might come in handy as a bipod as well.~AMMOe

 

[Val]

I use a set of Stoney Point Bipods which extend high enough to use them from a standing position. These do not attach to the rifle, you carry them. I set them at the proper hieght before I go out on the hunt. Last year was my first season hunting big game and I managed a pig and a nice buck using them. They also are handy as a walking stick, when traversing very steep rough terrain. I first tried the mono pods and found them not as steady as the bipods.

 

[larrysogla]

I use Stoney Point shooting sticks & as Speck aptly discussed, you need to practice, practice with it. I squeeze extra practice time at home with the rifle unloaded of course & just trying to burn muscle memory with handlling the shooting sticks/rifle combo. It may not be as steady as a rock but way better than off hand shooting. Like Val mentioned it has to be pre-set at the height you feel comfortable with & locked in that pre-set height to be instantly useable in the field.
Next time you go to the range, shoot from the shootinf sticks most of the time. Like any precision sport, muscle memory has to be engraved in our brain/muscle.
'Nuff said. God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[scr83jp]

I read an article about bipods just before my bison hunt that pointed out you'd better have fired your rifle using thee bipod before trying it in the field as it will adversely effect your accuracy so I didn't use it.Won't happen again!

 

[almtnman]

One point about using the shooting sticks is, they can be spread out at different angles to raise or lower the height. I use a set of homemade shooting sticks and like them best. The secret to getting the rifle to fit in that V is where you add the screw that joins the two sticks together. When I'm hiking to a place to hunt, they double up as a hiking stick. That is needed by me a lot especially when going down a really steep mountain or slippery place and also helps pull me up when climbig a steep place. My homemade ones have one drawback in that they have nails epoxied into the end so they won't move when I spread them out. When using as a hiking stick you have o be sure not to jab one of those in your foot.

 

[Val]

Practice is very important. Everytime I go to the range I practice with my bipods. When out in the field I practice setting up on does and fawns while waiting for that legal buck to show up.

 

[rwmac]

I made some shooting stixs from after market replaceable tent poles... you know, the kind with the shock cords in them. I glued target tips from arrows on the bottoms, and then some leather made adjustable for the X sticks. It brakes down and sets up very fast with practice. A fun project to build.

 

[gonehunting]

Leave the bi pods to the snipers and the gopher shooters

 

[Rattler]

When I coyote hunt I carry 36 ich sticks, a 13-27 inch bi-pod AND a monopod.
2 are always in/on my pack while the other's in action. REASONS:

1. The monopod can be used standing shots shooting over tall grass or brush, or when shooting out of a pop-up blind in inclement weather. The adjustable height (from 18 to 48 inches) is great for these types of situations. I bring a collapsable stool and I can adjust the height of the mono perfectly for the shooting ports of the blind.

2. The bi-pod is for long shot set-up on bluffs or high ground when offset from a remote e-caller.

3. The sticks are flexible and can be used for all contingencies and 'tweener situations.

Ultimately we are talking 2 or 3 lbs of extra weight...I eat my Wheaties. My pop up blind weighs twice that and I only use it when it rains...it comes along most times anyway. It's nice to be prepared. Good Hunting.

 

[patford]

I use a single stick which comes about to my nose in height A hole drilled through the top with a cord threaded through this hangs in a series of loops. I can grasp the stick through the apropriate loop and rest the rifle on my thumb. It's steady and works for me.