Buffalo and shooting sticks

[Neil Molendyk]

Almost every animal that I have shot in Africa except two warthogs and a Blue Wildebeest, the initial shot was taken off of sticks, from tripod wooden bush made sticks to the factory built aluminum adjustable style. All the PH's I have had the pleasure to hunt with strongly recommended that I practice shooting off sticks to where it became second nature. A thousand rounds through my 22LR bolt action rifle and I was starting to become comfortable with them and then going to my hunting rifle was fundamentally the same.
Cape buffalo at 75 yards, the rest from 125 yards to 240 yards.

 

[JLF]

I do the opposite ... I practice with natural supports and also without support ... I'm not saying that this type of support is bad ... I just don't like having to depend on an artifact to be able to shoot precisely. And on the other hand, I try to get as close as possible, I do not shoot more than 70 meters, despite taking the risk, as I often do when my prey leaves ... but they are the rules of the game.

 

[Foxi]

I’m living and hunting in Africa since almost 40 years, never used sticks. Just curious what you guys do regarding buffalo and sticks.

Im hunting since 40 years at home ,in Europe and many countries all over the world, exeptional Down Under,I always use sticks during my stalks.
Sure, you dont need that for big animals on shotgun distance,but I've met PHs, they dont let clients shoot without a stick.
The will know why.And for Plains Game its a must (for me).
I have often experienced how we stalked a buffalo at 20 m, it got wind, changed sides and secured at 80 m to us over, in the dark, burned miombo wood.
Without stick ( and without a scope ) no chance.
Wounded and not found full price and an animal with pain in the bush................
It seems, I just don't shoot as well as you do.

with a stick I felt always better

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Opening the sticks is the signal it is nearly time to shoot.

I'll take any rest any time I can get it. Shot my buffalo at fairly close range from prone. That was about concealment, not steadiness, but I use what I can get and I'm not above slinging up like I was on the line at Camp Perry if that's what gives me the best shot.

As far as the original post, please tell me that the reason it was awkward is that the sticks were somehow deployed poorly. Shooting from sticks a basic skill for hunting Africa. There is no reason anyone should go on any hunt in Africa, let alone a dangerous-game hunt, and not be well-practiced from sticks. Choose not to if you want, but know how.

 

[JLF]

Once upon a time an old hunter from my town told me: "get as close as possible to the prey, with the risk of losing it, and then shoot if you are sure of getting the shot right, but let it go." And that's what I do, you don't need support sticks.

 

[Tanks]

Once upon a time an old hunter from my town told me: "get as close as possible to the prey, with the risk of losing it, and then shoot if you are sure of getting the shot right, but let it go." And that's what I do, you don't need support sticks.

I gather you don't hunt in open country much then like some parts of Masailand, Tanzania? Sticks are a tool just like using a firearm with rifling instead of a smoothbore. While I have confidence in shooting off-hand with a hasty sling, if I have sticks available then I will use them for longer shots. There is no penalty at the range if I miss my target by a few inches, in the field it can make the difference between a kill and a long trek with a chance of losing an animal (and still paying a trophy fee in the thousands) especially if it is close to a National Park and the animal makes it there.

 

[JLF]

In the two places where I hunt, they are fields with high brush and very closed in some places, so closed that only the boar passes, they are fachinal, therefore said vegetation does not allow me to make shots of more than 30 yards and that distance is already too much far, apart I do not use an optical viewfinder, only the metal sights of the rifle, for that reason I try to get as close as possible to the animal, and if it goes it is because I failed as a hunter and it was able to vent me. And the few times I marry in fields of open or low vegetation, in the hunting of antelopes, I always try to get as close as possible, approximately 75 yards, I failed as a hunter, they vented me or saw me and left, it is a pending matter for approve hunting antelopes at 70 yards or less ... someday I'm going to make it.