I may get a chance to hunt plains game only in South Africa a few times starting next year. I'd like to get some good shooting sticks that I can carry there in my luggage. What are the best ones and where in the U.S. can I order a set? Is there anywhere in South Africa I could order a set and pick up when I get there?

Brazos_Jack

Every hunting camp in SA will have several pairs about the place.

Your PH's shooting sticks!

On my first trip the PH used the wood tripod sticks, and on my second trip the PH used a pair of the Stoney point polecat bipod sticks [URL=http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=150456&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=655]at Midway USA. I ordered a pair when I came back and they work well. My last trip was back to wood sticks that the PH had.
The polecat sticks are not as steady as a 3 stick set-up, but very poratble and will fit in average luggave no problem. The bogpod also looks portable, but I haven't tried them. Check with your PH for what they use and make a set or buy a set for practice at the range, then fly and use what they've got. Have a good hunt!

bogpod

I purchased a set from Long Grass and I have been very pleased with them. They "break down" so that they fit inside my gun case without any problems. I was able to practice with them a lot prior to the trip and when I was hunting I felt extremely comfortable with my sticks.

Cabela's - Stoney Point Polecat Tripod

These are what I use. I bought them primarily to practice off of but have used them on one safari and all my Colorado trips. They pack easily in either a duffle or gun case. I used my PH's Long Grass sticks on my last two safaris but I prefer the Stoney Point. Interesting though, of the 6 or 8 animals I shot off them, only one that I can think of was set up as a tripod. All the others I/we never swung the third leg out and used as a bipod.

The best ones are the ones your PH will provide.

quote:

The best ones are the ones your PH will provide.

Yes, and the best ones ever provided me were the Long Grass sticks, in Cameroon no less.

Long Grass Sticks

Of all the things I might take along, sticks would be last on the list - or more exactly not on the list at all.

Never have I found any fault with the PH's sticks.

Still, the Long Grass sticks are great for practicing. I have a set and like them very much.

I have noticed that African PHs are using them more and more - probably because their American clients are bringing them, and then leaving them behind!

I have never had a problem with the sticks that the PH provides, either, although early on in my safaris I took differing styles of shooting sticks and left them with the various PH's. I would rely on their sticks as their reputations for bagging game with decent sticks depends upon it, unless they brain dead.

Long Grass, they are easy to pack with your luggage.

Bog pod - took my set with me to Moz in September. Used the PH sticks for standing shots most of the time, but really glad I had the bog pod for the croc and hippo hunt as all shots were from a sitting position. Ever try to shoot while sitting with a 6ft., wooden set of sticks?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
Bog pod - took my set with me to Moz in September. Used the PH sticks for standing shots most of the time, but really glad I had the bog pod for the croc and hippo hunt as all shots were from a sitting position. Ever try to shoot while sitting with a 6ft., wooden set of sticks?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Yes. Did just that on my first Cape buffalo bull at 96 yards (ran out of cover and needed lion bait).

Took the legs and just spread 'em out.

Worked like a charm!

Not to say that shorter legs wouldn't have been better, but just to say that the longer ones worked!

Plus, on the sitting shots, one can always use the knees, just as the army and marines have been teaching forever. But always remember - bone on bone.

Even if I never take them to Africa, I would think having a set to practice with at the range would be a really good thing.

"Long Grass" brand seems to be the obvious favorite here. That surprised me because, knowing nothing and just looking at pictures on the net, I would have opted for the more expensive "Sporting Wood" sticks. But obviously the "Long Grass" sticks are the ones passing the acid test of actual African use.

I traveled with my pair of African Sporting Creation sticks on a whitetail hunt last week, they breakdown and fit into my duffle easily and work on NA species as well as they do for me in Africa. I do a lot of shooting in the sitting position and I like the ability to screw the legs off and shoot that way as I did on a couple of Texas coyotes on that trip. I like the stiffness of these sticks, as the more flex the sticks have , the more movement I feel as a shooter. I have shot off a lot of PH sticks, most of which work fine, but I have also seen some pretty bad stuff. For me, I say carry your own.

Have any of you guys seen the German/Austrian style of 4 legged shooting sticks?

They're a bit weird looking and take a bit of practice to use properly but once you get used to 'em, they're incredibly stable and quick to get into action.......

I'd use the ph's sticks. But if I were to take my own, it would be bog pod.

Mad Dog

The less crap you have to haul over with you the better. I'd save the space for something the PH or camp won't have available.

mrlexma: +1 I too, have "spread" the sticks on more than one occasion when shooting required a lower stance or position. In each of those instances I didn't have a lot of time, so adjusting sticks like Bog Pods or Stoney Points would have been useless.

another vote for the sporting wood creation sticks , they unscrew and so are easy to travel with and even if you elect not to travel with them i certainly advise strongly that you get a set of sticks and practice its a very common comment that people are not comfortable on the sticks and many wished they would have practiced more with a set ...

i used these sticks this season through many clients and they worked well and dont ever come apart when you are crawling.

quote:

another vote for the sporting wood creation sticks, they unscrew and so are easy to travel with

Nice looking sticks, but boy they get salty!

African Sporting Creations Shooting Sticks

Ivan, Santa has already ordered me a pair of the $125 Long Grass sticks, have you had any problems with these? Thanks.

UEG - I carry the Bog Pod, you could do the same with Stoney Points in the "short" sitting to shoot position. Makes for easier carrying to start with and no adjustment needed. Just plant your bum and you are ready to go. As I said, used the PH sticks mostly for upright shots, but used the Pods a time or two when time permited to make the adjustment.

In addition I used mine for a camera, video camera and bino platform as well as for the shooting. Can't imagine trying to tape a camera to wooden shooting sticks for those quality photo shots??

So overall it's worth the tiny bit of space, fits in the Tuff Pak just fine, to have them along on the trip. One more plus is the Pod is what I practiced on prior, so no change when the precise Hippo, Croc shooting started.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
mrlexma: +1 I too, have "spread" the sticks on more than one occasion when shooting required a lower stance or position. In each of those instances I didn't have a lot of time, so adjusting sticks like Bog Pods or Stoney Points would have been useless.

I have used both the Long Grass and the Sporting Creation sticks quite a lot. Like them both, but my nod goes to the latter because the lower legs unscrew--which means a leg can't fall off in the heat of the moment. The PHs sticks are fine, but if you practice a lot off of sticks then you are better off with the sticks you practice with. The height is right, and you become accustomed to their fit to your supporting hand. My guncase has room for the sticks (broken down), and I tend to take them almost everywhere, not just Africa but the other continents--most recently to Spain and Turkey. For mountain hunting I don't actually use them much for shooting--I prefer to throw a backpack over a rock when possible--but I use them as a walking stick! Very important part of my gear.

Best pair: the ones your PH supplies; next best-Long Grass. They are the only pair of commercial sticks I have used.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Every hunting camp in SA will have several pairs about the place.

Problem solved!

I took along a few pieces of bicycle inner tube and three 5-inch lengths of garden hose, slit lengthwise (to pad the ends of the sticks a bit}. This would allow me to make a set using three appropriate saplings that would be pretty much identical to the set that I made and practiced with at home...and which I preferred to the Stoney Point and BogPod versions that I purchased. As it turned out, both of my PH's had homemade versions that worked perfectly, and just looked and felt "right".

quote:

Originally posted by Settlers Safaris:
Your PH's shooting sticks!

That worked well on my safari in 2007, but the next year the only 'shooting sticks' available in camp were a flimsy pair of bamboo poles (bi-pod) that would both flex and rock back-and-forth. If you're comfortable with a two-leg setup, then maybe that's not a problem. However, if you like the stability of three-legged (tri-pod) shooting sticks, then either ask your PH before you leave if they have them, or bring your own.

Naturally, if you 'practice like you hunt and hunt like you practice' you're more likely to see success. That goes for shooting sticks, too.

I like the Long Grass sticks as I practiced a lot with them and felt they were more solid than the 2 sticks the PH had. I like that they come apart and fit in a gun case. I think it really depends on what you are used to shooting off of when you are practicing at the range.

Crl

I purchased the camo version Bog-Pod for my trip to SA in Sept. While the other posters have made good points my decision to go with the Bog pod boils down to down to these points:

1. I wanted to have the exact sticks with me that I had practiced with.

2. With the Bog Pod, you can switch the head out to use it as a camera tripod (or for a spotting scope)

3. The swiveling head allowed me to track walking animals without adjusting the sticks at all.

4. The adjustable legs with inch markers made it easy to set up the sticks the same way every time.

My Bog Pod fit easily in my duffel and I was really happy to have it. My PH's sticks were crappy fiberglass poles lashed together.

I felt that I would rather invest in a quality set of sticks and practice with THOSE sticks rather than leave it to chance.

I would prefer to carry ones that I have practiced with instead of getting comfortable with the PH's when the shot counts.

Bog-pod is more stable than the other collapsible sticks I have tried.

Bog-Pod length collapsed and with rest removed??

The Bog Pod may be my best choice for now. For the next few years (until I retire) I will be traveling to South Africa from Saudi instead of the US and will have to borrow a rifle there. The sticks need to fit in std. luggage - max diagnal dimension barely over 31". So the Bog Pod is the only one that even "might" fit.

Bod-Pod lists the length as "31 inches including rest when legs are collapsed and together for carrying". Can I remove the rest for travel to get the length under 31"?

Once I retire and am traveling from Texas with a pair of Blaser R93's (only have one so far), I'll be able to get a pair of African Sporting Creations shooting sticks.

For now I plan to take as much of my own gear as posible (sticks, binoculars, rangefinder, etc) EXCEPT rifle and ammo. That way I avoid as many unpleasant surprises as posible.

My pre-retirement hunts for the next few years will be short 2-5 day plains game only hunts on a few game concessions a few hours drive from a camera safari only preserve that my friend has part interest in.

Brazos_Jack

This is Jim from African Sporting Creations (formerly Sporting Wood Creations). Please note we just introduced an entry level Afrian Shooting Stick that has a metal to metal friction fit connector (like a take down fishing pole) that is more affordable than our Premium offerring. Key advantage over aluminum ones is they are quieter and weigh about a 3 pounds (versus 4 for Premium aluminum models) If you only want to use the tops they weigh about 2.5lbs less. The metal to metal fit of the connector controls swelling in humid/wet environments and prevents shrinking in dry climates so you do not have to worry about dropping a leg and then backtracking.

Jim

Dont lug uneccessary crap along.Any half decent P.H will have a good set of sticks.Failing that get 3 good sturdy saplings and tyre innertube.
Close to a town get the useless P.H to get himself 3 25mm(1") dowels about 2m (6ft) and lash together.
I have never seen a p.h (a good one) that does not have a set of shooting sticks.Its like a P.H with no boots and no bino`s?

Did Long-Grass discontinue carrying their line of shooting sticks? I searched their website, but came up empty.. Did I miss something?

As has been mentioned above, each hunting camp will have shooting sticks. There is really no need to take your own.

Not taking them to Africa (my current set or the new set I'm trying to buy)... just need another pair to give as a gift to a friend here.

I'm the OP. I ended up with a camo bog pod. I like it and it fits in my Filson duffle for travel.

I hunted in RSA last March. Next time I'll bring my bog pod. I go straight from my job in Saudi and all my guns are home in Texas. So I have to borrow a rifle. So the weight of the bog pod, a hydration day pack, and a good pair of binoculars in my luggage is no problem.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by craig boddington:
The PHs sticks are fine, but if you practice a lot off of sticks then you are better off with the sticks you practice with. The height is right, and you become accustomed to their fit to your supporting hand.

If you can find out what type sticks your PH will use try to duplicate them as close as possible (the ones I've seen were homemade). Shooting off sticks that you haven't practiced on will necessitate a learning curve on their use. Do you have time to learn the new sticks while on safari? Not a big thing but you can minimize the impact of shooting off different sticks.

I would NEVER count on or trust the shooting sticks that might be in camp!! On my 14 safaris I have seen a multitude of so called shooting sticks. Some were OK, but most were crude and hard to use. Some had two legs some were tripod, some weak and wobbly. As some have said, why try to learn the "sticks" when you arrive, just bring your own? I practice beforehand with my Bog Pod, it folds up nicely, fits in my Tuff Pak and I know it works. So why would I take a chance on depending on the camps' sticks, I don't.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member