African shooting sticks

[professor]

I know everybody has an opinion. Are the African Sporting Creations basic hickory 2 section sticks worth the cost for practice. I have a heavy Pig Saddle tripod made for modern sporting rifles and I do not like its bulk and slow set up. Im thinking of the wood sticks because they look neat even when just leaned in the corner. I broke a primos quick adjust tall bipod. Just thinking about it. Always something I just have to buy.

 

[WAB]

I love mine and they are what my PH uses, so for me, yes.

I am not a fan of the newfangled sticks that try to create a standing bench in the field. For tracking hunts, which is really all that interests me in Africa, simple is better.

 

[JimP]

I know everybody has an opinion. Are the African Sporting Creations basic hickory 2 section sticks worth the cost for practice. I have a heavy Pig Saddle tripod made for modern sporting rifles and I do not like its bulk and slow set up. Im thinking of the wood sticks because they look neat even when just leaned in the corner. I broke a primos quick adjust tall bipod. Just thinking about it. Always something I just have to buy.

I'm a seasoned two trip hunter to South Africa so take this for what it's worth.

My first trip my PH was packing a Bog Pod just like the one that I had purchased to practice with. I bought it sight unseen having no idea what they would have on my hunt. I actually expected a set if sticks tied together with some rawhide.

On my second trip I also went in blind. My PH picked me up at the lodge and said "lets go to the shooting range." When we got there he said that he had two sets of sticks. Both were Bog Pods and since I am fairly tall I picked the highest ones to use.

So in two trips I have yet to see the traditional shooting sticks that everyone talks about.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I have used the African Sporting Creation 3 section compacts for the last 4 safaris and love them. I carry and use them at range for practice also. Wouldn't go on a safari without them.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I have probably owned and used every type of sticks on the market. My 3 piece Africa Sporting Creations sticks are the finest ones I own. I wish I would have bought them first. Jim even added an extra shorter section so they would be the right height for Mama. My second most favorite are BogPods with the wide V rest.

Safe hunting.

 

[matt vejar]

For tracking hunts where shots are close any tripod or bipod sticks will work most shots are under 100 yds. Their sticks ( typical wood tripod) are faster.
But for most safaris where you spot the game from the truck and make a short stalk ( say less than 200 yds) the new quad sticks enhance accuracy so much it’s foolish not to use them. A 200 yd shot is a chip shot- not so easy with a tripod!

 

[WAB]

For tracking hunts where shots are close any tripod or bipod sticks will work most shots are under 100 yds. Their sticks ( typical wood tripod) are faster.
But for most safaris where you spot the game from the truck and make a short stalk ( say less than 200 yds) the new quad sticks enhance accuracy so much it’s foolish not to use them. A 200 yd shot is a chip shot- not so easy with a tripod!

Very fair point. I have no interest in the ‘typical’ hunt you describe, but in a situation where 200+ yard shots from a standing position are expected, your point is absolutely correct.

 

[xbr897]

Just speaking from 2 hunts with two different PHs, they both very much preferred the quad leg shooting sticks to give clients more stability. When I was taking a 320 yard shot on a black springbuck, I was very thankful to have that extra stability of front and rear rifle support vs a single point of support. (yes, I did get the springbuck on that shot)

I've purchased a set of gunstix quad sticks for practice.

 

[BeeMaa]

I currently have two sets of BOG-POD sticks, the original RLD-3 and the Adrenaline. Of the two, the Adrenaline are by far more feature packed, lighter, pack smaller and are easier to use. The RDL-3's are now a backup set for when we both need to be up on sticks at the same time.

I've also owned a set of quad sticks from 4-Lite that drove me up a wall trying to shoo them from anything other than perfectly even terrain. For the hunting I do, they were not a good fit. However I will admit that the shooting platform is very stable. If you go this route, spend the extra money and get the carbon fiber. Much lighter and more rigid than the aluminum...and no one wants a wobbly stick.

Several times I've looked into the ASC sticks but the weight of them has kept me from buying. Ounces add up to pounds and I much prefer fast and light. I will say that these sticks are of the highest quality and if they did fit my hunting needs, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. Jim is a wonderful man who stands behind his product.

Other sticks I've seen used are the Jim Shockey Trigger Sticks. I've seen four sets of these, three of them failed and the other was a gift to me that I sold immediately. I know some people absolutely love these, but it's not something I would trust for hard use hunting. BTW - Two set of these sticks my PH had and they were locked up. We used the RLD-3 we brought with us for the entire trip. As we were leaving our last camp he was trying to assemble one good set of Trigger Sticks from the parts he had. What a mess.

In the end it comes down to what kind of hunting you envision yourself doing and then you can tailor your kit to your needs.

 

[Pondoro]

I used these on a recent buffalo hunt..very fast to use/adjust...have ordered one..

Buy Trigger Stick Gen3 Tall Tripod Shooting Stick - Primos Hunting

Trigger Stick Gen3 Tall Tripod Shooting Stick | Primos Hunting

www.primos.com

 

[jbirdwell]

I just came back from a hunt and it took about 2 stalks for me and the PH to get in sync with my Viper-Flex quad sticks. After that, he was having them set up faster than I could get on them and they are steady

 

[BeeMaa]

I just came back from a hunt and it took about 2 stalks for me and the PH to get in sync with my Viper-Flex quad sticks. After that, he was having them set up faster than I could get on them and they are steady

When we were sighting in our rifles, we took the time to go over how this would be done with both the tracker and the PH. Made things go much more smoothly and I'd highly recommend doing so. It would not be good to miss out on the trophy of a lifetime for lack of preparation.