Who will be using bipods and who will be using shooting sticks this season??

Me...Harris Ultra light bipod!!...sakofan..

Shooting sticks...Just sneaking around still hunting...

Mike

Snipe pod bipod.
Weighs 8oz., carry in a belt pouch and attach in a few seconds if you need it.
Adjustable in any direction.

rukidnme,

Have you used a bipod or shooting sticks before you bought the snipod? I am very interested in the snipepod. Have you ever been in a situation that a bipod would have been better? I use a harris bipod now but I don't like the weight of it. But I don't want to give up the steadiness of it.. I have used shooting sticks and they work but the bipod works better for longer shots.. Any info will be appreciated. Thanks

Shooting sticks. I find bi-pods to be too heavy and awkward, and only are effective in short ground cover, like a recently cut field or up in the alpine. I do like the bi-pod for shooting at the range off the bench.

My PH's shooting sticks was three legged......I far prefer two legged sticks

I carry Stoney Point sticks. Just don't like the feel of a bi-pod attached to my rifle while I tote it around.

boman,
I have two Harris bipods, the shortest one and the tallest one. They are a little steadier than the snipe pod because they are heavier and not as flexible as far as being able to adjust to the terrain and being able to move your rifle if necessary.
But the disadvantages of they have to be carried attached to the rifle and are heavy and the difficulty of adjusting them to rough terrain and the difficulty of adjusting to a moving target rule them out for hunting except for antelope.
I use the harris for antelope hunting and at the range and for coyote hunting only.

I tried shooting sticks and found them to be very awkward and in hunting situations a pain in the ass compared to bipods.

The snipe pod weighs 8oz. and is carried in a pouch on your belt folded into about 6". When needed you take them out and shake them and they click together like aluminum tent poles. There is a clip that remains attached to your rifle stud (doesn't interfere with your rifle sling) which the snipe pod clips onto in a couple seconds and you are ready to go.
They are adjustable for height by folding the leg sections or spreading the legs wider or putting them closer, your rifle can pivot to either side up and down and follow a moving target.
In mountain terrain the snipe pod is hard to beat as an option for a portable rifle rest.

Well, I guess I have to hedge my bet here. I will be using BOTH this fall, just depends on where I am hunting.

I own a number of Harris bipods and use them a lot, but in some places you just cannot utilize them.

If the country is open and I think I will be able to lie down, you can be sure I will be using a Harris bipod. If the country is straight up and down like some of the places I hunt, I will be using shooting sticks.

Interestingly, I shot a wild hog the other day off of the shooting sticks, worked great. But just a few days later I had the Harris bipod on and wound up shooting a running hog at less than 50 yards, the bipod did not hurt a thing.

Actually, I am convinced the Harris bipod provides a MUCH more stable platform than the shooting sticks, but you just cannot always utilize them. (I own every length they make)

Also, on harder recoiling rifles the darned bipods sometimes take a chunk out of my finger.
I shot four times at an antelope once in Wyoming that was running like a bat out of hell. I had the bipod folded up on my 7mm Wby Mag and when I quit shooting the only one bleeding was me!

So, I will play it by ear.

R F

I think everyone here agrees that, WHERE you hunt makes the choice for you...sakofan..Thanks for all the replies...Iam staying with my Harris!!

Both, B-square bipod on my daughter's rifle (isn't that what Dad's call it when your daughter takes over your 6.5-284?) and Stoney Point sticks for the rest.

[ 08-07-2003, 00:12: Message edited by: larrys ]

sakofan,

As others have mentioned, a lot depends on where you are hunting and how far you're hiking.

I use Harris bipods and SnipePods. Because of weight concerns, I brought only a sitting-style SnipePod to Africa last month and used it on at least 8 of the 12 animals I killed. On the others I used a tree limb, a fence post and a truck hood (drive-by shooting of young springbok for a flat hide at the end of my hunt). The last one was a blue wildebeest off the PH's shooting sticks because the brush was too high and there was no other rest available nearby. -TONY

[ 08-09-2003, 16:59: Message edited by: Outdoor Writer ]

rukidinme (sp?),

Thanks for your response. I love and hunt in colorado so weight is a concern.. I am very tempted to give the snipepod a try. I wanted to hear from someone who has used both. I have used shooting sticks as well and while they are fine for shots out to 200ys. I need something more stable for the longer shots. I think I'll have to pick up a snipepod for sitting shots. Thanks for your help

I use an adjustable monopod which helps me in all situations except prone. It doubles as a walking stick and is very light to carry.

Danny Boy

Shooting sticks and a roe (ie ruck) sack for the prone stuff.

I see the art of using a REAL shooting sling seems to be lost.

Give me a US M1907 sling for sitting and prone and I'll match what you can do from sticks or bipods any day.

For standing, practice offhand, seek a tree to lean against, or pass on the shot.

I use a telescopic shooting stick, made from a camera monopod in 5 sections. Never sen anything in a hunting store that comes close to it in usability and size (and price - about USD10).

When pushed together, it is somewhat more than a foot long but can become a fully usable stick also for shooting in a standing position (and I'm 1,9+ meters tall).

If it's small and lightweight, so it has a chance of being brought along to the hunt

Regards,
/HerrBerg

Just my way of adding fuel to the fire.... I carry a set of 4 sticks, they are plastic coated garden canes from a local DIY store and are called metposts. They are about 6 feet long and adequately stiff and easy to carry. First of all I made 2 bipods using a stout rubber band to join the sticks together, then I joined the feet of both bipods together. This allows me to rest the forend on the forward bipod and the groove behind the pistolgrip on the other. I have shot many MOA groups at 100yds off the sticks. Deployment of the sticks is reasonably quick, I spread the feet of both bipods wide, digging them into the ground if needed. Then hook the pistolgrip onto the rear bipod before lowering the forend onto the front bipod as I hold onto it with my left hand. Try it with some lightweight sticks and some old bike innertube at home. it really is very steady. So far I have had complete success on 50lb roe deer at between 60 and 170 yards. If anyone is interested I will try to get some photos to explain better. I now no longer take my harris bipods unless long prone shots are expected.
SR