In September I will be going for my first hunting trip to Africa . The advice is to be familiar with using shooting sticks so I have started practicing .
The question I have is where your front hand should be . Do you keep your hand on the forend using the sticks as a rest or should your front hand be at the shooting stick controlling the for end and sticks together .

Mark

Hi Mark, While you are waiting for someone to help you with your specific request. Type in 'shooting sticks' to 'FIND' there are over 1150 items there and maybe your one.
I think Ted Thorn had a good one last spring of 2014,cheers. jc

Mark,
I just returned from my first trip to Africa, and struggled with the same question. I kept my hand in front of the sticks, cradling the forearm with my fingers while pulling back against the top of the sticks with my thumb. The rifle stabilized better that way for me. If you can stabilize your rear elbow against something while shooting, your ability to control your shot placement greatly improves, your PH will know that, and should offer a shoulder on longer shots. I also made a habit of squeezing the trigger quickly as soon as my crosshairs were on target. This kept the inevitable wobbling from being a problem and served me well when it came to actually shooting game, as they don't stand still for long. Don't overthink your shots, and you'll be fine.

Mark watch some of the member and Saeeds video's on here and you'll see how everyone shoots. Before my trip I made some sticks up using two tomato stakes. I took them to the range and practised a fair bit. Two sticks I found to be unstable as I tended to rock back and forth. When I was shooting in Africa we used Dylans sticks (three sticks in a tripod)Have to say they were much better for me and pretty stable. I pulled off my longest shot on game on a wildebeest using them.

My son and I hunt Namibia annually, often shoot out to 230 meters as measured with my Leica rangefinder, standing due to the long grass. I have tried a variety of sticks and techniques Settled on two sticks, left hand as per the photo above, but important is to have the sticks angling towards you, and by leaning into them you reduce body sway. Very solid shooting position. Also very easy to reposition as they are lighter than 3 legged sticks and far less cumbersome - here in RSA often use them in club shooting competitions(SA Hunters)

As the guy just before me said, sticks angling towards you is the key, makes a good triangle with the sticks and your legs, also be sure you don't get to leaning on the sticks, just the rifle's weight.

Find out the type of sticks your PH will use on your hunt then get a set

I practiced for over a month after emailing my African outfitter

He told me to practice using Stoney Point sticks.....I get there and my PH he assigned me uses Primos Trigger Stick tripod

BTW....The tall tripod Primos Trigger stick is a superb binocular rest for long range glassing and IMO the best store bought rest out there bar none!!

I love the Primos Trigger Stick! However, be prepared to use any shooting stick that may be made available and try to be flexible. That might mean practicing or getting used to a number of different ones. And, in Africa, be prepared for the homemade shooting sticks in many cases. Usually they are sturdy, but sometimes not so much!

I hate the Primos trigger stick. Too wiggly above the apex of the three legs.

I much prefer standard wooden sticks. Personally I grab them with my left hand where they join together. I don't put my finger over the barrel like some do.

I think the most important thing is that you practice with sticks a lot at the range, try different grips and find what works best for you.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffNut:
I hate the Primos trigger stick. Too wiggly above the apex of the three legs.

I much prefer standard wooden sticks. Personally I grab them with my left hand where they join together. I don't put my finger over the barrel like some do.

I think the most important thing is that you practice with sticks a lot at the range, try different grips and find what works best for you.

Just pulled my Primos trigger stick tall tripod out to see

Zero wiggle anywhere.....yours must have a problem

I always feel more comfortable using my own sticks. I practice with them and have no problem setting them up and shooting in a timely manner. I do not want to learn a new technique or new kit during a hunt. For the past few years I have taken a bog-pod tripod on every hunt. The wide body rest is definitely been a huge improvement. Find what you like; practice with it and carry it with you.

I guess I'm weird.

I grab the rifle just like shooting off hand and lay the back of my hand in the fork of the shooting sticks.

I have been practicing a bunch off the sticks, and tried hand in the sticks (beat my hand up, and I dont like wearing gloves), hand on the forend ahead of the sticks (never felt quite right to me personally), and gripping the sticks (rifle jumped all over the damn place).

What seems to be working pretty good for me is gripping the sticks, and also holding onto the sling to keep the forend under control in recoil. (.416 rigby). Its very comfortable, controls the gun and keeps it in place for rapid reloading. And I am getting decent accuracy (last weekend put 12 shots into 3" right at point of aim at 75 yards).

Seems like largely a matter of what you are used to and personal preference, but that is what is working for me after a fair bit of monkeying around and trying stuff.

With a heavy recoiling rifle use of a sling works very well with the sticks.

Otherwise, I rest the rifle in the sticks and brace them with my off hand for the shot....I've taken oryx out to 400 yards using this method.

Sitting behind the sticks is even steadier.

Shooting off of sticks is all about triangles. Get them right and you'll be absolutely stable and wobble free.

These might be of interest:

http://www.shakariconnection.c...-for-the-unwary.html

http://www.shakariconnection.com/taking-a-rest.html

http://www.shakariconnection.com/shooting-sticks.html

JMO - If you are going to practice with sticks at home prior to a hunting trip, take those sticks with you on your hunt. Practicing on your sticks at home then going on a hunt and using whatever sticks are available there, accomplishes nothing other than "saying" you practiced off sticks. If you don't take your own, there is little to no chance that the sticks in camps will be anything close to yours.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser
Sabatti "trash" Double Shooter

I like the old-fashioned 2-stick set-up. I grab the intersection of the sticks with my thumb and first 2 fingers, and lay the rifle on the back of my hand. I take a step back then lean in against the angle of the sticks. That pressure seems to tighten things up.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
JMO - If you are going to practice with sticks at home prior to a hunting trip, take those sticks with you on your hunt. Practicing on your sticks at home then going on a hunt and using whatever sticks are available there, accomplishes nothing other than "saying" you practiced off sticks. If you don't take your own, there is little to no chance that the sticks in camps will be anything close to yours.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser
Sabatti "trash" Double Shooter

Very true Larry.

Also, may I add that basically one uses the sticks to stabilize the rifle at the front, while using one's shoulders to stabilize the rifle at the rear.

How you do that is up to you, and depends on the position you are in.

2 legged sticks are much easier to setup on uneven ground - which happens quite frequently on safari.

Three legged sticks are more stable, but a bloody pain to set up on certain situations.

Thank you for all the replies and sites to go to . To answer a couple points needing clarification , I will be using a tripod and the rifle will be a bolt rifle in 30.06 .

Steve has given the most detailed description and highlighted two points .

Do you hold the forend normally and rest your hand on the shooting sticks .That is the sticks just support your front hand .

The second issue is does the third leg go back towards the shooter allowing quick height adjustment or does the third leg go out front .

Mark

Everybody works out those answers personally, from input and what yields good groups. I pull the third leg towards me first, then slip sling over the left stick and grab the tripod with rifle "all in one" as shown in photo. Pull the stock butt firmly into your shoulder and push forward without pushing down. Essentially I am holding the tripod to the stock like a fixed bipod.

It is also useful to practice with the person who will be carrying the sticks. Which side does he approach on, how wide the legs of the sticks, etc. As a lefty, I'm more at risk for delays.

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
It is also useful to practice with the person who will be carrying the sticks. Which side does he approach on, how wide the legs of the sticks, etc. As a lefty, I'm more at risk for delays.

Lots of good advice on this thread. I'll just second Brice's recommendation above...practice with the PH ASAP when you arrive (like when sighting in rifles). I am tall enough (6' 2") that PH's often set the sticks up too low for me, and I have found myself adjusting them up so I don't have to lean the too steeply (which I find much less stable and awkward). Having the PH set it up for once or twice before getting in an actual hunting situation can eliminate that kind of fiddling.

I like tripods, with the two sticks in the front.

The opposite doesn't appear to be as stable.