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Old December 22, 2010, 02:26 PM   #1
DTrain
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Shooting Sticks?

What would you recommend for a Wyoming antelope hunt to give my .270 a solid rest for the shot?

Thanks!
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Old December 22, 2010, 02:28 PM   #2
Brian Pfleuger
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Harris Bi-Pod
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Old December 22, 2010, 02:31 PM   #3
Scorch
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A good shooting sling.
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Old December 22, 2010, 02:39 PM   #4
nathaniel
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Quote:
Harris Bi-Pod
Quote:
A good shooting sling
A combination of the two. I have a bipod on along with a good leather sling. If I have time to put the bipod down I will, but if I dont I wrap up the sling and take the shot.
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Old December 22, 2010, 02:48 PM   #5
oneounceload
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If you are in tall grass, the sticks would work better. If you are in sage flats, use a sage brush; for wind-swept grass stubble, the bi-pod would be the best
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Old December 22, 2010, 02:59 PM   #6
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Quote:
use a sage brush
If its right now that would be fine but if your planing for next year I wouldnt recomend this method. im not sure but I think Wyoming has snakes, snakes seek shade sage provides great shade during the heat of the day.
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Old December 22, 2010, 03:06 PM   #7
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I use both a good military shooting sling and shooting sticks most of the time. I use as well a bi-pod to from time to time. The shooting sticks easier to use than the sling or bi-pod for getting into shooting position faster. I do like shooting with my sling as well it has really improved my unsupported shooting, and it doesn't add any extra weight to your rifle unless you like to hunt without one.

Make your own sticks it is pretty easy to do. Just a couple of sticks with a bolt through them and some innertube work well. I have as well a set of Stony Point shooting sticks that were given to me as a gift. They were on sale at Cabela's for $20 for the grey set, I like mine they are light and deply rapidly.
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Old December 22, 2010, 03:20 PM   #8
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Quote:
I use both a good military shooting sling and shooting sticks most of the time.
+1

I use a pair of Stoney Point's sticks when I have time. It's also handy to set the gun on them if I'm setting on the ground for awhile....
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Old December 22, 2010, 03:34 PM   #9
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No experience with Antelope but for fox and coyote hunting.......

For Spot and Stalk I prefer an Harris Bipod. Usually have plenty of time to get set up for a shot and they're rock solid.

For calling and still hunting I'll take a pair of homemade sticks (2 golf club shafts tied together, add camo tape or paint) or a mono stick that adjust from sitting/kneling to standing height.

LK
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Old December 22, 2010, 03:38 PM   #10
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A Harris Bi-pod is my choice. I've been on several antelope hunts and the bi-pod allows you to shoot from the prone position to the sitting position. Antelope have great eye sight and I don't think that you can always count on getting a standing shot that will allow you to use those sticks. The bi-pod offers you a better range of options and it's always handy since it's attached to the front of your rifle.

Quote:
im not sure but I think Wyoming has snakes, snakes seek shade sage provides great shade during the heat of the day.
Wyoming does indeed have snakes. I almost stepped on a rattler one day. Scared the hell out of me.
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Old December 22, 2010, 03:43 PM   #11
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Practice.
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Old December 22, 2010, 07:52 PM   #12
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I crawled the last 25 yards of each stalk (Wy. this past season) and believe that the medium length Harris would be best. I had the longer version and found it to be a little too high for the crawling and shooting prone position.
Another observation is to plan what you will carry because too much stuff is a terrific nuisance when crawling and working up a sweat.
Get yourself a good pair of gloves because the thorns and cactus pass through light weight stuff.
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Old December 22, 2010, 10:01 PM   #13
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A good sling is good all the time, shooting sticks and bi pods are great, but years of hunting Wyoming, Utah and Idaho in the sage brush have taught me you usually can't shoot prone, grass and brush is too tall most times. I have found the sticks and bipods for a sitting position to work the best. There are snakes, but not under every bush.....I still look though



Shooting prone also doesn't work very well when there is scrubby little catus patches that are only 3 or 4 inches tall, they blend into the short grass too well
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Old December 23, 2010, 01:31 AM   #14
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LITE TRIPOD works for me
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Old December 28, 2010, 04:36 PM   #15
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Fold-up sticks if you are hunting in terrain and have limited time to get into position on uneven ground.



Harris Bipod is great if you are sitting in one spot with lots of time to adjust them.
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Old December 28, 2010, 06:20 PM   #16
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I made a great set of shooting sticks out of 2 inch pine (it's light), bolted them together about five inches down with one shorter when they are spread so that the shorter one has a flat platform to rest the rifle. I used a boot lace to restrict how much they open that also doubles as a lanyard. It makes a surprisingly stable platform from a sitting position. I find it really easy to drop to sitting anyway and have done that for deer if there isn't anything to use as a rest. I also have a real nice monopod telescoping stick that is better than having nothing but the double one is way steadier.
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Old December 29, 2010, 01:02 AM   #17
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One of my all-time favorite stalks ended with a shot through sage brush, off a set of home-made shooting sticks, and into a Doe Pronghorn's brain.

Shooting sticks can be amazingly helpful, but they need to have a portability factor you are willing to work with. Fixed-length, rigid, ~36" sticks seem to fit my style pretty well (with the hinge point at about 30").

The best part of the ones mentioned above was the cost. One of my brothers made them for less than $3. A couple 3/8" dowels, and a 3/16" machine-thread screw made for a set of sticks that could be left behind if they became too much of a bother.


Next year, one of my rifles will have a Harris Bi-pod attached. We'll see how that works out...
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Old December 29, 2010, 01:36 PM   #18
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I just made a set of shooting sticks for coyote hunting from a broken popup blind pole. The 2 sections on each end were intact so I stretched, tied, and cut the little bungee cord and secured the ends with heatshrink tubing. One end of each stick has the little rubber tip still attached. I tied them together about 3" from the upper ends with a broken boot lace. Total expense=2" of 1/4" heatshrink tubing and 15 minutes finding it. This is untested except in my basement but no reason it won't be as functional as any of the corded sliptogether commercial units. I use Harris bipods quite often but there are times when they don't work all that well and they add weight unbalancing the gun.
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Old January 4, 2011, 04:40 PM   #19
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i have used bipods, shooting sticks that I have made and then the ones that fold up and store in your sling and I then discovered the primos trigger sticks

http://www.amazon.com/Primos-Trigger.../dp/B0016SKF4G

(amazon is the cheapest when you figure in the cost of shipping, otherwise go to basspro and they sometimes have these on sale)

they are great and really solid plus they instantly extend and even though they dont suggest to use as a walking stick I have used it as such.

The are camo (the pic shows them as black) and they also come in a bipod and tripod version. I have the single monopod version and love it and I handled the bipod version at cabelas and it is on my to buy list for 2011.

I liked them so much I have sold off all my bipods and only use the primos...
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Old January 4, 2011, 08:53 PM   #20
Cowboy_mo
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Primos Trigger stick

I really like my Primos Trigger stick. It is the monopod version but is still very stable.

While in Africa in August 2010, I fell in love with my guides homemade bipod sticks. They were made out of some African hardwood and wrapped with innertube strips to make the hinge. I've been going to make some out of dowel rods & inner tube since I got back but haven't got aroundtuit

On another note, I have one of the famous sling sticks which I would part with on the cheap
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Old January 4, 2011, 10:28 PM   #21
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Ditto Cowboy mo on the Primos Trigger Stick.

Rock solid and very easy to adjust height.

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