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Was wondering if anyone has some tricks to share.Have gotten use to shooting off of the backpacks but in africa seems like sticks happen most.My son does ok and we will shoot alot before we go but any tips may help.Stuff like what part of the gun to rest on the sticks.thanks Billc
i found it different while shooting off the sticks in africa. i am used to shooting from a lower position than standing and shooting off the sticks. i believe the sticks are elevated to get you a better line of fire and also to keep your trajectory above vegetation e.t.c. the fore-end of the stock should be on the sticks and not the barrel. the front of your stock where your sling attachments are, is where your gun should rest. i found it better to sit on my butt and lay the rifle on the leg of the sticks, or kneeling and resting off the legs of the sticks. i just find this more comfortable as i have shot this way most of my life. i also find myself a lot steadier while in a seated or kneeling position.
I prefer to put my hand on the sticks/hold the sticks and set my rifle in the soft part between my hand thumb and hand.
I put the stock of the gun firmly in the V-notch of the sticks and either put my left hand over the top of the gun or use the sling to hold the gun in place. My right hand has a firm grip behind the trigger guard.
Practice tons with a .22lr or something cheap in a variety of positions and find what works for you best. I have been practicing using the v on my sticks, holding the sticks and resting the stock on my arm, sitting holding the front stick while resting my elbow on the rear stick (very stable), sitting holding just one stick, as well as shooting without the sticks - offhand, offhand with the sling, sitting resting both elbows on my knees, sitting with 1 elbow on a knee and prone. I have also been practicing picking a hole through cover (focusing back and forth between the target and obstructions) All from various angles and various height adjustments on the sticks since they may not fall perfect every time. If you are relatively proficient and confortable from all those positions it wont matter what the circumstance the shot should come naturally.
Kuduman good call on not resting your barrel on anything, any pressure on the barrel will cause some degree of inaccuracy.
From a standing position- Grasp the shooting sticks at the intersection with your supporting hand, so that you can hold both the rifle and the sticks. Get the intersection of the sticks a bit below shoulder height so that you can spread your own legs a little. With your body, lean into the rifle and pull back with your supporting hand.
Better though is to sit flat on your but. This is if the lower half of the shooting sticks can be removed and if vegetation allows it. Place the shortened sticks in front of you with the intersection shoulder height or slightly higher. (depends) Sit with your legs around the sticks and your knees up high. Grab the sticks and rifle at the intersection and rest your elbows on your knees. Hope this helps a little.
Learning to shoot off shooting sticks can be humbling! One needs to practice a lot. My 3 legged shooting sticks are very steady so i can pretty much just rest the gun in them & shoot. On 2 legged sticks I seem to have to grip the sticks harder & pull toward me so they steady up. I never tried the single legged shooting sticks but practice is the key!
My advice is to practice on the sticks a lot, but always look for a way to get a better rest. I'm OK on the sticks out to 200 yards or so if the wind isn't blowing me around. Beyond that, it starts getting too iffy for my taste. I kept a bipod on my rifle in Namibia last year. Folded up it still fit in the sticks OK. I was able to make three or four shots off the bipod from a sitting or prone position. Much, much more steady if the shot is available.
Sitting and using one leg of the sticks to hold onto is always better than standing unless the grass is too high. I missed a jackal at some distance in RSA because I took the shot from the sticks standing and should have sat down or gone prone. Prone works well when possible. With heavy kickers you may actually feel the gun go off from prone!
I read alot and praticed with shooting sticks before i went to S.A. So i was comfortable when I lined up on my first wilderbeast however when I leaned into my gun i went forward and had a hard time lineing up. At home I praticed shooting with one leg beside me and two kegs at the front. The ph set it up with two legs beside me and one leg in front. it was a easy fix. I told my ph how i liked it set up and he changed it. Just a little tip.