How do you guys go about stabilizing your shots? Do you use shooting stick or a bipod? What about for an off hand shot? What do you do when in the field, do you just use the first rest available at the time? I was at the range the other day, and without a rest, my shooting goes down hill (more like all over the hill). I'm just concerned about missing, or worse wounding the animal. I want to make the first shot count. Thanks.
Sevens

This is one area where getting away from the bench and practicing from field positions can improve your skills. Depending on what type of terrain you hunt will determine what you mostly need to concentrate on.
If you hunt wide open spaces, a bipod is a good investment. If you hunt mostly wooded areas where shots will vary, practicing in different positions- sitting, kneeling, prone, and using your pack or a close by log is your best bet. For close shots, nothing beats getting more proficient at shooting off hand.
All this can be accomplished with practice and maybe a little instruction from somebody who has mastered these skills. I shot .22 silhouette for awhile and it improved my shooting immensely, but I noticed that when I stopped competing my skills quickly dropped off when I didn't practice enough.
Another good skill enhancer is to just get out and plink with a .22 or small rifle at whatever strikes your fancy. I personally like shooting ground squirrels. After several days of active shooting, I notice my offhand skills are quite a bit sharper, and for the longer shots I use a rest of some type or a bipod.
Any practice is good practice as long as you have a bit of discipline to use it to improve your skills.- Sheister

That's a darn good question.I agree with the above.Coming from Idaho I never really have had a problem finding a rest.Theres always a limg or stump close by.But when I run into a situation where there not,I am a kneeler.I always after the bench or pick-up hood do a couple on my knee.It's the quickest and steadiest for me and faster then you think.

Just mt opinion.Jayco.

Personaly, I like to use a bi-pod. I prctice some shooting offhand at 100 yards on a 8" target. You will find if you practice off hand even a little, when the moment of truth arrives, most hunters and shooters dont think about how to hit their target. Instinct takes over. Its like how many times do you remember feeling recoil during the moment of truth? Just practice some off hand and alot with a rest.

I shoot 90% of the time flat on the ground with a bi-pod and a day pack as a rear stabilizer. This will help almost any shooter triple their accurate range, if not more. You can hold rock solid using this method. There are times in the field this method will not work due to brush or land contours. But most of the game I have ever taken was by this method. I do have a handfull of off hand harvests to my credit. No sucsessfull off hand shot has been taken over 200 yards. I have harvests from 25-763 yards. Most were taken by the bi-pod. Even several 100-150 yard shots. Always use a rest if available. My buddie who has never shot long range in his life used my rifle this last dall sheep season to take his ram at 600 yards. He hit him square in the lungs on his first try because I had a bi-pod and knew my bullet drop and where it fell in the mil-dot. But because he was able to hold perfectly steady, he connected. Yes I carry a bi-pod even on a high country back packing, rocky, steep hunt.

I don't see the point in trying to make a rifle lt. wt. & then sticking a bipod on it. Practice field shooting positions, w/ & w/o a sling. If you have time, always look for a rest of some kind, your fanny pack or ruck works well. I have been able to consistantly make hits out to 400yds from prone w/ a sling, that's about as far as I will shoot @ big game.

The least expensive method to improve shooting skills is the 22 rimfire round. Practice will improve results when you switch to your centerfire rifle. Good off hand shooting requires good shooting posture for best results. The average shooter does not know proper off hand shooting form. Help from a qualified rifle expert in off hand shooting will help you immensely.

Take your 22 rimfire rifle to the field and parctice at any position you may encounter while hunting. Shooting sticks work fine but in many cases they are to short or to high for the shot at hand. Many natural rifle rests are in the field you can use. Place yourself in hunting mode, pick a target, then find a natural rest to steady the rifle to place your shot. With practice, you can become very proficiant at finding a natural rest and placing your shots in the kill zone.

Should you be hunting from a natural blind, make a good rifle rest to use before the shot presents itself. Shooting sticks come in many different lengths and having more than one length is a must. My shooting sticks or bipod are used most often for varmint hunting. I prefer natural rifle rests while in the field under actaul hunting conditions.

Practice, practice and practice!

The week before the last deer season, I bought an adjustable unipod and took it up to the camp. Lucky enough I tried it out the day before the hunt - I could hit a pie plate at 50 yards in a standing position. The pod was moving so badly that I missed three in three. It is not as easy as one thinks without practice. Naturally I didn't use it for the hunt.

Plinking with a rimfire is the best approach. Like others have said, try all positions. In the field, you only have a window of a few second to place your shot. You may not have time to take your backpack off and get comfortable. If you are not ready at that moment, you may just have pissed your only shot of the season away.

Once you have enough practice at fixed targets go and try it out on small moving targets like squirrels.

Good luck and have fun!

Danny Boy

I do most of my shooting from informal positions. I shoot at jack-rabbits a bit. From offhand to prone and everthing in between. I've found in the field it's most common for me to shoot from a sitting position when a "rest" isn't available. I'd prefer a rock or log first. Often I have a bi-pod on my rifle when hunting wide open area's but for big game hunting I haven't been able to use it as much as I thought I would.

I have a pair of shooting sticks I made from a camera bipod. They work nice and thats what matters. I like the idea about shooting rabbits, but there aren't too many wide open spaces for it. The only place I could think of is my uncle's land. The only problem is he's anti-hunting. Sadly I don't have a 22lr. I have a 12 gauge, 30-06, and soon a 375H&H. Looks like I need another rifle.
Sevens

All the information presented here is good advice. I find shooting sticks hard to use without a lot of practice and I find them ackward to pack around. I do think Harris bipods are extremely useful and they will help you make more accurate shots. But they are ackward too in their own way, but I like them. But, as has been stated above, there are many ways to steady your rifle and improve your shooting. Lots of practice is essential. And learning to plop down on your butt and put elbows to knees, or shooting from a kneeling stance, and other methods, all will improve your shot accurancy.

Shots taken without a rest should only be taken in desparation. And desparate shots should be avoided!

Some really good comments. As far as shooting sticks go, I don't like those individual "sticks" made commercially. However, where I hunt antelope the sage is taller than your regular bipod, but not stable enough to shoot off. I also hate having all that extra weight stuck to my rifle.
What I use for shooting sticks, is pretty basic. I went and bought two 1/4" wood dowels. Set them side by side and drill a hole straight through. Take a cotter pin and shove it through the first stick, put a small washer between the sticks, through the other stick and bend the pin. This way you have a steady rest when you need it at your "custom" height, they make pretty good walking sticks if you keep them long, and if you lose your stick or break them you're not out a bunch of $$$. I've had mine for 3 years, and they still work great. A little linseed oil on them and they'll last a long time.

MG

Whenever I can I lay down and shoot just useing my elbow as a rest. I have a harris Bi-pod and one of those telescoping Polcats. If i can't use the above methods then I shoot from the sitting position. If its close range then off hand works ok. I usually shoot the 22 a lot in the summer and fall off hand.