One of the easiest things seemed to be building shooting sticks to practice (as this has been probably the most common advice to work on before going).
And while the African Sporting Creations sticks look great and I'm sure are very high quality, one of the reasons I'm not going for a while is getting financially set. So I built a practice set for cheap. I can't take credit for this design. This design came from a video on YouTube by HuntersVermin.
Supplies:
Bamboo plant support poles at least 6' long (could also use the plastic ones, I think). (last I looked, $2 a piece)
1" of PEX water line 1/2" dia. (Talk to a plumber about scraps).
4-5 inches of wooden dowel (dowel is cheap, or finds a scrap)
1 bungee canopy strap (an 8- pack can be picked up at a big box for $4 or $5)
One 2" wood screw
Wood glue
Gorilla tape ore duct tape (optional)
Para cord (optional)
Instructions
1. Cut one of the 3 legs 4-5 inches shorter than the other 2.
2. Drill out the top of the shorter leg if there is a joint in the top 5 inches. Drill to the size of your dowel, probably a 1/2" will be about right, depending on your bamboo.
3. Glue the dowel into the top of the short leg. If the bamboo cracks or splits, use tape wrapped as a clamp to hold it in place.
4. After the glue dries, pilot drill a hole for the wood screw.
5. Drill a hole in the PEX line large enough for the head of the screw to go through. Drill a hole tube same size as your pilot hole opposite the larger hole.
6. Screw the PEX to the top of the short leg. If you really feel like it, you can file a rounded groove in the bamboo and dowel for a better seating.
7. Double over the bungee and feed the doubled side through the PEX.
8. Slide the double loop over one leg and the ball and other end of the bungee over the other. You may need to stretch tube bungee a little and loop over again.
9. Slide the bungee down so all 3 bottoms are even.
10. Optionals: para cord the longer legs for a softer rest for the rifle. Wrap the ends of the bamboo with a 1" wide strip of gorilla tape to prevent splits. Wrap 1" wide strips of gorilla tape above and below the bungee to prevent sliding.
To set up, I kick the short leg forward, and cross the lower portions of the longer legs.
I haven't been to the range with them yet, but they feel really stable, without a lot of weight.
I did try making these with a para cord tripod wrap, but didn't like the results.
