Help Shooting Off Sticks

Breath control. Breathe in, let it all the way out. As soon as you stop exhaling, press the trigger. That way there is no heart beat movement like there is when you hold part of a breath. Everything is still.

One thing that I do is shoot a ton of sticks with lower recoiling rifles, I use a 223 and a 270 to get warmed up and concentrate on my breathing, then I would switch over and shoot the larger rifles. That helped me a substantial amount.

I agree with Red Leg. Get a scoped, bolt action .22 and practice at 50 yards. As you improve, work till you are working the bolt as quickly as possible after the shot so you are ready for a follow up shot.

I really achieved a breakthrough when I realized that shooting from sticks, while standing, is an improved version of shooting offhand. All the rules of shooting offhand apply. Tuck in the elbow on the off side. Control your breathing. Squeeze the trigger, timing the shot to allow for the wobble.

With a little practice, you should be able to get your shots within a reasonably tight group. Of course, it's not going to be anything like what you can get prone or sitting, but still small enough to take any target at reasonable distances.

Check YouTube for instructional videos: "Africa hunt prep - shooting sticks", "Shooting Sticks" (Craig Boddington), "Shooting from Sticks", "Accuracy shooting off single, twin and quad sticks. RoeStalker's tutorial", etc.

I bet that there isn't one person here that with a 22 and a set of sticks here who isn't beer can accurate at 100 yards.

It is a great way to start.

So what does it tell you when the same guy who shot so we'll at beer cans now can't hit a 55 gallon drum up on horses at 100 yards with a 458 anything? Or a 300 anything?

I was referred to a fella by a gun shop for some advice and shooting lessons because he was going to Africa with his friends and they told him to get a big Weatherby Magnum and he had never shot before.

I started him out small and found out quickly that his point of pain was a 6.5 x 55 and he became deadly accurate with it....without a scope and he liked the 96 carbine just the way it was.

He went to Africa and shot PG and was rightfully proud of his accomplishments.

For some years after that he would contact me for lessons and by some new iron and eventually knew that he should either jump in with both feet on a DG destroyer or just live with the fact that maybe it just wasn't for him.

He eventually settled for a 458 Win Mag. And after much practice he eventually did get his DG animals.

The beauty of it all is that every thing he killed was with one shot.

For me, I like a light trigger pull and believe it helps reduce group size. If was going to practice with a different rifle would have to have both triggers the same.
Yes a 25# Steenbok is small at 200yds but so is a 4# prairie dog at 400yd. Answer : you must practice and get a support that gives you the confidence to make the shot.
On those types of shots, if vegetation allows, I sit or kneel and use one of the legs of the sticks as my steady and ask the PH to push against my elbow with his knee. It helps at least for me.

Try not to "over aim", if the cross hair is on target squeeze the trigger. If you start wobbling and keep aiming it just gets worse.

On longer shots have the PH give you a supportive shoulder under your trigger arm elbow, things steadies things up quite a bit.

The safest place is to aim on the front leg and halfway up the depth of the body.

I also use a set of shooting sticks with 4 legs and two v's on top this makes for a steady rest but is not so easy to adjust shot left or right. Used when somebody is having trouble with the normal shooting sticks.

Biggest thing I found before my trip was repetition. I picked up a cheap set of bipod sticks on ebay (made by Easton I believe), figuring a tripod would be a luxury after shooting off a bipod. I also shot off an old monopod I have. A lot of work with a scoped bolt action .22 at smaller targets at 50 yards. Working on multiple shots, making the first shot really count, etc. Shot without as well to tune up for prone or sitting shots (and some offhand as well). Then I moved back to 100 yards and did the same with a .17 HMR , again using smaller targets to keep the appearance of further shots in my mind. My wife and I both did this as often as possible. Even though we did not bring our own rifles, with the high amount of practice, it was not hard to switch to using the PH's .300 win mag Howa 1500 and shoot well. Next time, I may even get an air rifle for backyard practice, and then do a bit of shooting with my .270 out to 200 or 300 yards.

Bsto270 said:

Biggest thing I found before my trip was repetition. I picked up a cheap set of bipod sticks on ebay (made by Easton I believe), figuring a tripod would be a luxury after shooting off a bipod. I also shot off an old monopod I have. A lot of work with a scoped bolt action .22 at smaller targets at 50 yards. Working on multiple shots, making the first shot really count, etc. Shot without as well to tune up for prone or sitting shots (and some offhand as well). Then I moved back to 100 yards and did the same with a .17 HMR , again using smaller targets to keep the appearance of further shots in my mind. My wife and I both did this as often as possible. Even though we did not bring our own rifles, with the high amount of practice, it was not hard to switch to using the PH's .300 win mag Howa 1500 and shoot well. Next time, I may even get an air rifle for backyard practice, and then do a bit of shooting with my .270 out to 200 or 300 yards.

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That is exactly what I did to get ready for my trip, I would guess I shot at least 500 rounds of 270 at 300 yards on steel.

Yup Just do it? that's the Nike motto? My wife and I shoot off the sticks with a BOG POD at 100 yards to 300 yards each and every week with full 375 Ruger Loads 25 rounds each on 6inch steel plates until we can hit 5 for five...I reload all winter. 200 rounds a month can get expensive and yet cheep if your planning the "Hunt of a Life Time"?

wesheltonj said:

Little trick from FTW/SAAM Shooting School, use a bi-pod and hold one leg of the bi-pod and one leg of the shooting sticks together for added stability.

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or get the Viper Flex shooting sticks. Check them out!

I suggest you pull the rifle very tightly to your shoulder using your outreached hand, to get
the crosshairs where you want them to "stay still".

Looking at the target I say you are right handed shooter and you are snatching the trigger with anticipation of recoil.

Shoot with a 22 and get your fundamentals straight then move up in caliber.

This is just my opinion after watching many men making the same mistake.

Inline6 said:

Looking at the target I say you are right handed shooter and you are snatching the trigger with anticipation of recoil.

Shoot with a 22 and get your fundamentals straight then move up in caliber.

This is just my opinion after watching many men making the same mistake.

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I agree with your diagnosis, I have that same problem shooting handguns. My instructor advised me to attempt to squeeze the trigger very slowly, he said try to make it last 4 seconds - it really helps. I’m snatching it even on my non recoiling 22lr pistol but his method helps and he recons with CORRECT PRACTICE it’ll be fixed.

Opposite Pole said:

I agree with your diagnosis, I have that same problem shooting handguns. My instructor advised me to attempt to squeeze the trigger very slowly, he said try to make it last 4 seconds - it really helps. I’m snatching it even on my non recoiling 22lr pistol but his method helps and he recons with CORRECT PRACTICE it’ll be fixed.

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Pistols are a little different due to the short barrel shows a lot of error real fast. Make sure the trigger is in the middle of your finger pad and that you are pulling the trigger straight back. The heavier the trigger pull weight the more difficult to keep things straight.

200 is a long way on sticks buddy...

Scrumbag said:

200 is a long way on sticks buddy...

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http://soar.reallyrightstuff.com/?_ga=2.107653314.136512004.1555814040-604026417.1555814040

With this set up, making hits at 800 yards is no big deal. If it was a plans game scenario this is awesome. DG I would not necessarily want to have my rifle locked in.

Inline6 said:

http://soar.reallyrightstuff.com/?_ga=2.107653314.136512004.1555814040-604026417.1555814040

With this set up, making hits at 800 yards is no big deal. If it was a plans game scenario this is awesome. DG I would not necessarily want to have my rifle locked in.

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Come out to my country and show me how that works. I would never shoot an animal at that distance from a bench rest. Just not hunting!

Graham Hunter said:

Come out to my country and show me how that works. I would never shoot an animal at that distance from a bench rest. Just not hunting!

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It's far from a bench rest.

I have no problem showing you how it works.

I'm not sure how to take your comment. I did not recommend taking an animal that far. Just that I can easily hit targets at that distance. The amount of time, effort, and funds I have spent to get to my level. Most will not due, I get it this is a hunting forum and not a shooting forum. I'm try to show people what is out there. Maybe it will help someone with that once in a lifetime animal.

Funny thing is I have read all kinds of stories on this site about less the perfect shots being made. People guessing how far the animal might be and hold over accordingly. I have all the equipment if I make a shot on an animal I know the distance, wind, and bullet trajectory. I dial my elevation and hold my wind. If it is a shot I'm not comfortable with I will not take it.

Inline6 said:

It's far from a bench rest.

I have no problem showing you how it works.

I'm not sure how to take your comment. I did not recommend taking an animal that far. Just that I can easily hit targets at that distance. The amount of time, effort, and funds I have spent to get to my level. Most will not due, I get it this is a hunting forum and not a shooting forum. I'm try to show people what is out there. Maybe it will help someone with that once in a lifetime animal.

Funny thing is I have read all kinds of stories on this site about less the perfect shots being made. People guessing how far the animal might be and hold over accordingly. I have all the equipment if I make a shot on an animal I know the distance, wind, and bullet trajectory. I dial my elevation and hold my wind. If it is a shot I'm not comfortable with I will not take it.

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I'm happy for your ability. Where I live the wind might change 4 times in 800 yds. Regardless 800 yds ain't hunting it's shooting. Best done on paper where a miss doesn't matter and a bad shot the target doesn't run away wounded.

Graham Hunter said:

I'm happy for your ability. Where I live the wind might change 4 times in 800 yds. Regardless 800 yds ain't hunting it's shooting. Best done on paper where a miss doesn't matter and a bad shot the target doesn't run away wounded.

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Thanks for the confirmation.