I carry shooting sticks w/ me when I go on any kind of spot and stalk type hunt but, Sometimes there is just not enough time to get the sticks out and sit or kneel down for the shot.

Say your walking along and see a glimpse of a trophy only 80-100 yards away but, there's only going to be a brief second for a shot, not enough time to get down on the sticks . I personally would shoot free handed and feel quite good about it but, There's got to be a better way, a more reliable way.

I was thinking that a Mono-Pod, the kind that are similar to a hiking stick, would be a good tool for this type of shot opportunity.

Have any of you tried these type of sticks?

Thanks,

Reloader

You've already mentioned the biggest factor: sometimes there's just not enough time.

That is why I practice to 150 yards free handed.

Any rest is better than that but when you feel comfortable free handing the shot, go for it.

I was given a collapsable mono-pod for my birthday last month by my son and daughter-in-law but have not had a chance to try shooting off of it. If I have to shoot very far off-hand I wrap the sling around my foreward arm to help steady the rifle and this makes a big difference. I have shot out to five hundred yards with this method but the older I get the more I need something to use for a rest.

In 2002 my PH carried a shooting staff made from a long tree branch. It had a "Y" at the top, presumably intended to rest the forearm of the rifle in. I used it differently, grabbing the "Y" with three fingers of my support hand, making an "L" with the index finger and thumb as a rifle rest, straightening my arm and spreading my feet, tilting the staff toward me, and leaning forward on it. I found it very stable and less awkward and faster than the traditional crossed shooting sticks.

If at all possible, I always bring along a walking/stalking stick when I go hunting. Dried (hazelnut) wood, hardly weighs anything and helps you in countless situations in the field - sidehilling, crossing obstacles, you name it. I cut the stick long enough to be a couple of inches longer than I'm tall.

Other than helping me keep my footing in the field, the stick comes in incredibly handy when I need to either glass while standing up (glass on top of stick), or as a shooting aid. A single stick is no where as stable as a bipod or a tripod for shooting, but it beats shooting offhand any day, and they are a lot faster to set up.

I personally don't put much stock in the commercial mono-pods. They are usually too weak to act as any sort of help in the terrain. They are expensive, and you won't have them at hand, if you can't use them all the time. Putting a rifle on top of a stick (in a V or whatever) provides you with no more stability than just holding the rifle against the stick.

So there it is, go look for some nice, straight sticks, cut a few and let them dry, and you are ready to go.
- mike

I have used one. It is great for a walking stick, or to support my binoculars when I am glassing, but, as far as shooting support, it is not much different than off handed shooting.

I agree with Lhook7. I do well off shooting sticks, but a mono-pod is no better for me than shooting off hand.

BOWHUNR

I can't imagine any portable shooting aid that would be as quick as getting to at least a kneeling position. And to be honest by going prone chanses are the game won't spot you and give you a few more seconds to make a good shot.

I tend to take a knee in most shooting situations in the field.....but this year I picked up a monopod and can't wait to give it a try as a combination hiking staff and shooting rest.

I have always liked a walking stick for moving in the mountains and if it works as a portable rest in high foliage it is hard to not like it. So far all I've shot off of it is an air rifle and it was better than freehand and faster than other sticks but not as steady as a bipod.

I bought a collapsible mono-pod last christmas, mainly to use with my video camera in the field. It came with a Y for shooting as well, so I tried it out while preparing for Africa this spring. I found it worked almost as well as bipod for me. A lot better than off hand anyway. I like it, and can see using it in a lot of hunting in the future.

Cheers,
Canuck

To steal the old American Express slogan, I don't leave home without it. I have both a monopod and shooting sticks and use the one most appropriate for the terrain or the hunt itself. And while I agree with those who say you can drop to a knee just as fast, it won't help you one bit when you're hunting in areas where the cover can be 2 to 3 feet high. Wrapping a sling around my arm has been a method I've used for years and still do on occasion, but the collapsible shooting sticks and the monopod have a permanent place in all of my hunting.