So I've played a lot with my hand position when shooting off sticks and have recently started this. Anyone else shoot off sticks like this? It seems crazy accurate!
Yes, I find it to be very steady. Found it through trial and error when practicing off sticks at the range.
This is very fine on a mild recoiling rifle, but I would caution you on a large caliber rifle with significant recoil. A .416 will have the front swivel stud dig into your left hand and hurt, a .458 Lott will likely cut and draw blood. Been there What is most important is to place the rifle and the feet properly when shooting off the sticks. A rifle positioned on the sticks toward the middle of the stock will amplify the effect of the body movements on the barrel movements. A rifle positioned on the sticks toward the end of the stock will minimize the effect of the body movements on the barrel movements. Feet positioned to form a triangle with the tripod will reduce the body sway. Feet positioned in line with the tripod will not...
Good advice on where to place the rifle and forming a triangle with the body for sure. I've used this hand hold on rifles up to 375 H&H with no issues but you sure could be right on the bigger stuff. I see this new hold I'm using especially useful for longer range shooting on plains game. I can bang the gong all day long at 300 yards with it. For up close stuff I likely wouldn't use it.
The biggest problem I have, when shooting off sticks, is bearing down on the sticks too much. If I relax, I shoot fine. Sometimes, I tense up and then I tend to push down on the fore-end to steady myself. This causes the rifle to bounce up from the recoil and shoot high. I will give your technique a try! Thanks for sharing.
Happened to me this weekend shooting Winchester 416 RM. was holding to far forward on forend. Barrel band swivel cut left index finger open. Wont do that again!!
Ouch Mark Biggerstaff, that hurts A trick that really works well is to place the sling and swivel forward of the sticks "V" and to hold the rifle forehand rearward of the sticks "V". This way: 1) you have the sticks between the swivel stud and your hand, and 2) you do not bear down as much on the sticks as Powdermaker indicates, although you do want to bear down on the sticks (this is what give you forward/backward stability), but not too much of course My personal experience is that at least 75% of proper positioning on the sticks is linked to the feet position. If you are too high and bear down too much, spread the feet a little more to lower your stance; it works really well Just back from ringing the 6" plate at 150 yd with a .22 lr; my Sunday afternoon "personal time off" ... and practice. The passing score is 5 consecutive series of 5 shots hitting the plate at 150 yd. Every miss resets the score. You will be surprised how challenging it can be When you "pass" consistently at 150 yd with the .22 lr, it is good practice to finish the session with 3 shots of your centerfire, just to remember that recoil exits Range Shooting by One Day... posted Apr 24, 2019 at 3:46 AM
We are shooting gongs off our new Viper Flex sticks. We are shooting my 300 yd gongs getting ready for Namibia in 3 weeks. Philip
Great to hear the Viper Flex sticks are selling in the U.S. they are a real game changer. Incredibly stable to shoot off.
I usually place the sticks towards the end of the forearm, and I shoot big kickers using the following technique. It is used to reduce felt recoil in shotguns (slugs, buckshot), but I find it works for anything. A 2oz load of buckshot is no slouch in the recoil department!
