Shooting stick tips

Are shooting sticks intended for novice shooters or folks who get 'excited'? I'm not interested much in adding a new wrinkle to my shooting. Of course, I have never used shooting sticks. Where can I get them to try out?
Definitely not intended for just a novice. Most people have little practical experience and even less skill shooting offhand. In fact, most American hunters going to Africa have relatively little experience shooting from anything but a deer stand. That is not a knock on anyone, it is just the case with most of us. Obviously, we have a lot of Western hunters in our forum who are exceptions to that generality.

However, much terrain in Africa doesn’t lend itself to prone or sitting position regardless of our North American shooting experiences. And the perfectly placed tree limb seems a rarity as well. All that said, the sticks are an aid and one should be prepared to quickly take a shot using whatever is the appropriate support for the shot. I have killed a buffalo from my butt in the dirt (termite mound to be precise), a sable using a dead bush, and my best bushpig was free hand. On the other hand, I have taken waterbuck and black wildebeest way out there over sticks, and a buff really close in July with them. In each case, employing the rest is what was key. The sticks are merely the handiest and usually the best option. They just take a little practice.
 
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The common theme here is PRACTICE! (y)
 
Living and hunting in South Africa since 40 years. Never used sticks, never missed them. For some situations they might be useful though.
 
250 yards is a long way as other have said. Even 200 is a long way.

Keep your scope on a minimal power and do not let the rifle surprise you when it goes off - you want to know how much pressure you can put on the trigger, hold that pressure while the sights are moving around, and purposely fire when you get back around at center.

Also some rifles will not shoot on paper ( or will shoot very unpredictable) with sticks unless you hold the forearm in your hand. If you think that is part of the problem, grip it differently. I put my hand inside the yolk to grip the rifle.

Good luck to you
 
Shooting rabbits out to 150 yds off sticks is some of the best practice I have found. after that a standard sized animal seems quite big and holding to an aiming point simplified. Shooting off tricks is the same as any other type of accurate shooting is that you recognise that your sights may wander so it is just a matter of squeezing the last trigger pressure as the sight wander back through the aim point.
 
I put a target on the wall at the end of the hall and set up in the kitchen on sticks. Rifle loaded with dummies and it gives me about 30 feet to acquire, "fire", reload and fire again. Great practice for sticks, reloading and sighting.
 
Everyone has been so awesome with their advise. Thanks so much! I feel much more confident!
 

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