Shooting Sticks - Accuracy Expectations

[Denvir Tire]

With a bipod this statement is accurate because you’re supporting the rifle at two spots. Bipod in the front and your shoulder or sand bag in the rear. Further forward you can mount your bipod the better. However when shooting off a tripod where your only support is the actual tripod you want to place your rifle on the tripod at the balance point of the rifle so the tripod is doing the support. If you place the rifle on the tripod as far forward as the stock allows then you have to support the rear and that will never be as steady as if you place the rifle on the tripod at its balance point. View attachment 637212

 

[khesser]

@khesser

Most are talking about lightweight sticks that can be carried all day and set up instantly. Shots often taken from standing within a few seconds. Different gear than a hog saddle or other locking type of tripod used for PRS. Nice gear in you pic, btw. My Atlas is the same model.

He said tripod so I figured it was possible he was talking about an actual tripod and not the tripod sticks.

 

[sureshot375]

Being able to shoot small groups off sticks isn’t really a skill you need. If you can keep them in a 6” circle you are golden.

It depends on where you are hunting and the terrain, but I’ve not seen the need to shoot much past 100 on sticks.

The longer shots I have seen have been from hills and rocks where you can get down into some better position than off the sticks.

You are right to practice off the sticks, but you shouldn’t be discouraged by your group size.

Work on getting on the sticks and acquiring your target quickly and efficiently. This is the most important skill for your success. If you can do that you won’t feel as rushed when the time comes. The key is to be fast without rushing.

I also advocate for practicing with all kinds of improvised rest: trees, packs, jackets, sitting, kneeling, or whatever. The ability to quickly get into some kind of stabilish position with whatever you have available will pay off in the field.

 

[coreydb]

I'm an average shooter who shoots off sticks. The more points on the ground, the more stable the rifle. Practice breathing techniques and trigger pull at the distances you are comfortable with, or expect to shoot your trophy. Keep in mind the kill zone is the size of a 10 in. dinner plate

 

[Green Chile]

You are right to practice off the sticks, but you shouldn’t be discouraged by your group size.

Work on getting on the sticks and acquiring your target quickly and efficiently. This is the most important skill for your success. If you can do that you won’t feel as rushed when the time comes. The key is to be fast without rushing.

Well said. I don't worry much about group accuracy when practicing from field positions. Can I hit close to the aiming point and do it smoothly without delay? I keep practicing that, so I do get a group of sorts but my intention is repeating that activity and getting more comfortable with it as opposed to getting a group on paper. I might do that 10 or 20 times on the same aiming point. The group itself is not my goal.

 

[375er]

Quad Sticks, Quad Sticks, Quad Sticks what more can I say, they are the best thing to happen to safari hunting since the introduction of the 375 H&H.

Viper Flex, Viper Flex, Viper Flex, Viper Flex! A match made in heaven with the .375 H&H.

 

[sgt_zim]

He said tripod so I figured it was possible he was talking about an actual tripod and not the tripod sticks.

What @shootist~ said.

We only need minute-of-zebra. If there is only going to be a single balance point for a rifle, that balance point should be as far forward on the rifle as you can make it.

Whether the shooting sticks have 2 legs or 3, there will always be a little muzzle wobble, and that's minimized when most of the rifle is behind the fulcrum.

The other thing that helps greatly when shooting off of sticks, at least for me, is to make sure the sticks are extended and configured so that I'm standing nearly perfectly erect. If the shooter is bent forward very far, he's relying on muscles from his thighs to his chest (especially lower back and abdominals, notoriously weak muscle groups even for people who are in good shape; but also glutes and hip flexors) to hold up his weight and to hold steady aim. Standing erect, all of the weight of the body is being supported by bone, making it a great deal easier to be relaxed. It takes a quite a bit less effort to hold a rifle steady in the vertical plane when the shooter is so positioned.