Prepping for Africa - Shooting from sticks

[375Fox]

A lot of talk about the quad sticks, they work great but for me took more practice than a tripod. The reason being in a fluid situation they don’t want to swivel as your target moves in the bush or in a herd. At least this has been my experience.

Only If you get quad sticks with a front V instead of a flat front is this the case. The flat front gives you a lot of left right movements. I shot a springbuck out of a large herd maybe 50+ earlier this year. I was able to track the ram walking in long line with herd until there was a clear shot. I wouldn’t use the quad sticks with a front V because they don’t give this flexibility.

 

[Hunt anything]

Honestly I can’t remember what type they had. I was able to stay on a gemsbok bull in a big herd.

 

[375er]

I highly recommend Viper-Flex sticks. I have had good success with them.

 

[festuscat]

I made a set out of two pieces of cane using inner tube like i used in Africa. Very easy and when i broke a leg, I just changed the cane out.

I like a bi pod as it sets up quicker and I push against the two legs to steady the rifle. I try stay on the sticks for 3 sec max. The 3 leg shooting stick setup feels to me like I'm shooting off a table.

Anyway, my 2 cents.
Good shooting and hunting.
Ciao
Jack

 

[cwpayton]

MY PH used a quad set up it was generally rocky ground, and II found a simple way to lower the aim by pressing forward and down a couple times on the set up to get on target, no resetting the whole thing ,and all my shots were 400 yds average except the wart hog was 50. proudly the baboon was 610 which helped the average. youll do fine IM sure.

 

[Hunt anything]

MY PH used a quad set up it was generally rocky ground, and II found a simple way to lower the aim by pressing forward and down a couple times on the set up to get on target, no resetting the whole thing ,and all my shots were 400 yds average except the wart hog was 50. proudly the baboon was 610 which helped the average. youll do fine IM sure.

Where were you hunting that average shots were 400yds? Was that as close as you could get or was it by design to set up longer shots?

 

[Sika98k]

Bipod, tripod, quad sticks ? The argument will rage for years. Personally I have dispensed with my Harris bipod. Some years ago having heard all the good reports about quad sticks I visited a shop interested in buying a set.
I was offered two brands, one of them being Viperflex. The price difference was substantial.
So what’s the difference I enquired ? If you buy the cheaper ones I’ll be seeing you again. If you buy the Viperflex I won’t. I mulled it over and set up on both sticks with my rifle in his back lot. The Viperflex did appear to be more stable.
Since then my Viperflex sticks have accompanied me on every hunt I’ve been on. I have upgraded to the Journey sticks which disassemble to pack into a case for travel. They also have carbon centres that don’t freeze your hands in cold weather.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Bipod, tripod, quad sticks ? The argument will rage for years. Personally I have dispensed with my Harris bipod. Some years ago having heard all the good reports about quad sticks I visited a shop interested in buying a set.
I was offered two brands, one of them being Viperflex. The price difference was substantial.
So what’s the difference I enquired ? If you buy the cheaper ones I’ll be seeing you again. If you buy the Viperflex I won’t. I mulled it over and set up on both sticks with my rifle in his back lot. The Viperflex did appear to be more stable.
Since then my Viperflex sticks have accompanied me on every hunt I’ve been on. I have upgraded to the Journey sticks which disassemble to pack into a case for travel. They also have carbon centres that don’t freeze your hands in cold weather.View attachment 619604

They are very nice shooting sticks. My Harris bipod remains on the rifle though.

 

[cwpayton]

Where were you hunting that average shots were 400yds? Was that as close as you could get or was it by design to set up longer shots?

I hunted in free state south of jo berg with BIG WATER SAFARIS , with PH Hien Funk. I simply took the shots where he set up, I lost a couple opportunitys on a kudu and a black wildebeast because he wanted to close the distance more. my closest shot was 250 on water buck, I threw out the wart hog at 50. I shoot off my front deck so I knew my abilities or limitations .not that Im that good , I have macular degen in my dominant eye but I know how to control my breathing and sgueeze.

Where were you hunting that average shots were 400yds? Was that as close as you could get or was it by design to set up longer shots?

 

[JG26Irish_2]

In the days and weeks leading up to my trip to Africa, I have been going out every morning and shooting 10-20 shots with the 22lr off of sticks before the heat of the day sets in. This is back yard hunting practice and my distance is limited to only about 25y for this simple daily exercise. Since the ranges are short, I make the tgts very small. 1/2" diameter Dum Dum suckers. Looking at them, they thru the 6x scope, they are very small and appear about the same as a 8" plate would at 300y. I usually set up 5-10 of the dum dums to have something to aim at. These are safely planted into a large dirt pile in my back yard. The rifle is a suppressed Sako Quad and is about the same size and weight as my 375HH. This morning, I am proud to say that I hit the first five in a row, each with the first shot. The last sucker was tougher. I missed it by millimeters for two shots, finally connecting on the 3rd. I am not rock steady on the sticks but shoot better from them than I thought I would. I know this is not the same as firing the big guns but they have been cleaned and oiled and packed up for the trip. I will shoot them again when we get to RSA.