Help with home made shooting sticks

mj246 · December 12, 2012, 04:18 PM

In an effort to save a little money, I have made my own shooting tripod out of an old tent pole for use when no bench or table is around while shooting. However, while it seems very steady standing on the carpeted floor of my house, when I took it to the desert and tried to do some shooting, the legs would loose purchase on the hard and rocky ground and slip while I tried to line up my shots.

Right now I don't have anything attached to the bottoms of the poles to keep them on/in the ground and I see that most home-made shooters sticks from others online seem to have some sort of spike on the bottom of each leg. The problem is that I am not really sure that a pointy end will actually be able to dig into the hard ground where I go shooting enough to keep the legs steady.

Does anybody have any suggestions on what I can attach to the bottoms of the legs for more stability in the field? I've included a couple of photos to show what I'm working with so far.

Full tripod

The bottom ends of the legs

Thanks in advance for any help/advice

mj246 · December 12, 2012, 04:26 PM

ok the photos didn't link properly. Here's me trying again because it doesn't seem to change anything when I edit my original post.

Full Tripod

just the bottoms of the legs

wogpotter · December 12, 2012, 05:35 PM

How about some target-type arrow tips?

LOw cost, nice & pointy available just about everywhere & they even make pre-made glue-in types.

mj246 · December 13, 2012, 12:15 AM

Thanks for the advice wogpotter. i went to Sportsman's tonight and while looking in the archery section, I found some rubber blunt heads that look like they have good surface area and traction. They fit like a glove, so I'll see next time I go out shooting to see if they keep the legs from sliding on the hard gravel.

December 12, 2012, 04:18 PM	#1
mj246 Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 231	Help with home made shooting sticks In an effort to save a little money, I have made my own shooting tripod out of an old tent pole for use when no bench or table is around while shooting. However, while it seems very steady standing on the carpeted floor of my house, when I took it to the desert and tried to do some shooting, the legs would loose purchase on the hard and rocky ground and slip while I tried to line up my shots. Right now I don't have anything attached to the bottoms of the poles to keep them on/in the ground and I see that most home-made shooters sticks from others online seem to have some sort of spike on the bottom of each leg. The problem is that I am not really sure that a pointy end will actually be able to dig into the hard ground where I go shooting enough to keep the legs steady. Does anybody have any suggestions on what I can attach to the bottoms of the legs for more stability in the field? I've included a couple of photos to show what I'm working with so far. Full tripod The bottom ends of the legs Thanks in advance for any help/advice

December 12, 2012, 05:35 PM	#3
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 2,058	How about some target-type arrow tips? LOw cost, nice & pointy available just about everywhere & they even make pre-made glue-in types. __________________ Allan Quartermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.” Last edited by wogpotter; December 12, 2012 at 05:40 PM.

December 12, 2012, 04:26 PM	#2
mj246 Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 231	ok the photos didn't link properly. Here's me trying again because it doesn't seem to change anything when I edit my original post. Full Tripod just the bottoms of the legs

December 13, 2012, 12:15 AM	#4
mj246 Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 231	Thanks for the advice wogpotter. i went to Sportsman's tonight and while looking in the archery section, I found some rubber blunt heads that look like they have good surface area and traction. They fit like a glove, so I'll see next time I go out shooting to see if they keep the legs from sliding on the hard gravel.