I wrote this a while back and came across it and thought it might help some who haven't tried it and promote a discussion on techniques.

Anyone that has had the good fortune to hunt in Africa has had experience with shooting sticks. This experience is not always pleasant. I have seen them cause clean misses and poor hits. I have only been to Africa five times, but I have been shooting all my life and I build long range rifles. Here is what I have learned.

It’s not the sticks fault as much as the situation. When you are asked by the PH to make a shot using the shooting sticks he has set up for you it maybe the first time you have shot off his sticks. This is a recipe for disaster. A good friend of mine (Larry01) and I were hunting in Tanzania and he wanted a Baboon. We found a large Dog and after a great stalk the PH set up his sticks at about 110 yards. He was shooting a .416 Remington. Larry is a very good shot. Most of his targets at home, with that gun, are within 1 MOA at any distance out to 500 yards. That’s the max length of our range. Using our PH‘s, sticks he squeezed off the shot aiming at the center of the baboon’s chest. Unfortunately the shot went 7 or 8 inches high killing the baboon instantly by removing the top of his scull and ruining the trophy. Had Larry been able to practice with those sticks and learn what he needed to do to make them work for him this would not have happened. My first trip to Africa was to Namibia and I had the same experience on the first Warthog I had ever tried to shoot. It was 325 yards and I thought I was steady and squeezed the trigger, the shot went over his shoulders by a couple of inches. Needless to say, that was the last we saw of him. As any serious target shooter will tell you resting your gun on a hard rest will cause it to shoot high.

One of the bigger reasons for poor shooting off sticks is they are set up wrong. If a 5’6” PH sets the sticks up for a 6’4” client the client is going to have to bend over too far straining the back muscles. (This also happened to Larry) You can never be comfortable in this position so you will rush the shot and most times you won’t be lucky and hit where you are aiming. It’s even worse, as in my case, when the PH is tall and the client is short. I would have to spend too much time adjusting the sticks and the shot would disappear.

“Well if you don’t like sticks that much, why bother with them.” It’s a good question. Quite often the PH wants you to use them because his experience has shown him that most people will shoot better with them than offhand. “If you are hunting in the part of Africa that has brush and trees, and most of it does, why can’t you use a tree or bush as a rest?” One truism in Africa is “If it’s alive it has teeth,claws, horns or thorns”. You most likely aren’t going to be able to use any natural rest. You also need to be high enough to get over the 2 or 3 foot high grass and brush, so prone won’t work. This is why you see shooting sticks in Africa.

“Okay so you need to use them. What can I do, 9000 miles away, to make this work?” As in all endeavors it’s practice, practice, practice. Build yourself some sticks out of bamboo or saplings. I have made them out of ½”EMT tubing. You can also buy some from the large sporting goods stores that are collapsible. They need to be sturdy or they won’t be steady. My favorite is made out of bamboo. They are light and sturdy with a leather sling for the rest.

Once you have a set of sticks you like, practice with them….a lot. Learn to adjust the sticks to your height quickly. Once you have a technique down, when you get to Africa, show the PH how you like the sticks set. They will work with you on setting you up quickly. Use the sticks when sighting in your rifle for Africa and in Africa. The PH or the trackers are not going to carry the shooting bench into the field so there is little reason to use it..

I like the sticks set low with two legs out front and one leg back. I set my hand in the sticks with the gun. My hand is between the sticks and the gun, this eliminates the hard surface and keeps the gun from shooting high. I then move forward with my gun shouldered, this raises the gun up dragging the trailing leg. Once I am at the right height I am solid and ready to make the shot. Most Ph‘s set the sticks up quickly by throwing one leg out forward and setting two behind. This means you must back up to get the proper shooting height, I find it awkward. I don‘t back up with a gun, I lean into it. That is just the way I do it. You will find what works best for you.

As with all sports, there is no substitute for practice. I practice with my sticks and I take them to Africa. I made them out of Bamboo (from Menard’s garden shop) . I made a joint in them similar to a two piece pool cue. They fit in my gun case (Tuffpak) and weigh less than 3#. The tracker that has to carry them likes the light weight. There are good ones on the market. The biggest thing is having them strong enough to be steady.

Keep your head down and follow through……good advice in any sport…..Tom

I like the ones made by African Sporting Creations as they are stiffer(more stable) and have legs that unscrew so you can use them from a sitting position. Get your own sticks and carry them over in your bag. The ASC sticks cost a little more then some, but they will last a lifetime. I used them last week on feral hogs in Texas and if all goes to plan, I will wallop a Derby Eland in April off the same sticks. A very good investment for Africa or at home.

My homemade sticks, with which I practiced for my trip, were wooden dowels held together with rubber strips, and padded at the top of each stick with a short length of garden hose split lengthwise and duct-taped in place. When I went to Africa, I brought the rubber strips, pieces of hose and tape along so that I could manufacture similar sticks on site if necessary. It wasn't necessary...the PH's sticks worked fine.

I guess I don't understand the scenario. when the PH sets up the sticks that doesn't mean you have to accept them the way they are. I adjusted mine for the right height.
Go to Lowes or Home depot, buy thick bamboo sticks
6-7 feet long. fasten them by a vacuum cleaner belt, then adjust the height to your satisfaction, determined by practice!
Peter.

Tapper 2

Excellent.

Once had a guy say " I do not need sticks ..I will stand on my own two hind legs and shoot like a real man" He missed.

Yes, when set, the sticks become the hunters to adjust. And with a little practice before hand they soon become a natural part of the experience.

I like the way the ASC sitcks are joined and the stability.

When shooting off sticks, do you guys rest the rifle's forend directly in contact with the stick/s or your hand? Does POI change? I used sticks to shoot an impala with a BP gun and the bullet hit way low on the front leg which resulted in a 3 legged antelope which took a long time to find. I now carry a single length of bamboo, 6" long and practice and practice and practice. It works for me...

Been on a few safaris and never used a stick and lots of one shot kills. Don't know how it happened.

Had a father / son come out for plains game. The Father used a 300h&h, the son a .270 with muzzle brake. The Father put in about 300 rounds of practice over sticks in the States, but the son claimed he knew how to shoot, and decided not to practice. End result, Father 9 one shot kills, one (Eland) took 2 rounds. Son, almost 2 packets of shells for 9 animals, including 2 long follow ups on bad shots, and about the same amount of excuses. Same shooting sticks, same PH, same concession. The more you practice, the luckier you are.

When you're preparing for a DG hunt with a rifle that recoils seriously, do all your practice over the sticks. Sometimes this will require some ingenuity to keep the sticks from bouncing away but once that big boomer is sighted in, get off the bench! Sticks are very useful but it does help a lot to have a tracker holding them. Unfortunately, I can't afford a tracker when hunting in N. America.

quote:

I like the ones made by African Sporting Creations as they are stiffer(more stable) and have legs that unscrew so you can use them from a sitting position. Get your own sticks and carry them over in your bag. The ASC sticks cost a little more then some, but they will last a lifetime.

+1 gents a ph always likes a well prepared client and if a guy arrives with a set of sticks he is used to and likes - and shoots well off thats what i like ! the SWC ones are good because they unscrew and can be carried over in your bag

A good set of sticks is an important part of a PH's kit and using them is an art. If there is no natural rest I find the best method for my clients is to set the sticks up high and the shooter grips one of the legs and then rests the rifle either on top if this hand (can use the thumb as a grip) or forearm thus setting his or hers own shooting height. Sitting or kneeling using this method is very effective.

Have you noticed that when sighting in a rifle at the start of the safari the sticks are usually tucked away in the back of the car somewhere? The first time you see them is normally in front of a Buffalo's nose. Practice with them first and get familiar with them.

One of my trackers has caught on that if he makes a set of custom sticks for the bwana then not only is it a nice memento for the hunter to take home, but more importantly gets the client involved in the design and handling of sticks. I have noticed my tracker profits handsomely from this practice.

Fairgame, how does bwana get them home?!!! Sounds like a good idea though.
Peter

Same as you would a fishing rod. Alternatively cut the legs in half and have someone put in a join or ferrule at a later date. Nice and practical addition to your trophy room. Use mine as a hat stand outside of the season.

since I have never used sticks, nor been taught to use a sling properly, how do they compare one to another? if you have a military type sling, and actually know how to use it, is that sufficient?

How does one learn to use a sling properly?

Red

quote:

Originally posted by lal:
When shooting off sticks, do you guys rest the rifle's forend directly in contact with the stick/s or your hand? Does POI change? I used sticks to shoot an impala with a BP gun and the bullet hit way low on the front leg which resulted in a 3 legged antelope which took a long time to find. I now carry a single length of bamboo, 6" long and practice and practice and practice. It works for me...

What worked for me at Blaauwkrantz was to hold the fore-end and one of the tops "all together", push from the shoulder but not the hip, and KEEP MY HEAD ON THE STOCK (until the rifle was through recoiling). I went from shooting badly in 2005 despite reams of practice off sticks to 250+ yard hits in 2007.

The cheek-weld thing is most important to me, which means good stock fit first, then the above. Adjust the sticks so you are shooting at your own offhand shooting height. You do NOT want to have downward bearing pressure on the shooting sticks.

Geniet dit!

Dago, sticks are far superior to a military sling. You rest your rifle on the sticks which have three legs, hence, very stable. Accurate 200 yard shots are very possible with sticks.
Peter.

Agreed. +1