Getting Stable in the Field

[CodeMonkey]

Excuse the novice question, but this will be my first non-archery season this September (muzzleloader deer in CO).

It seems like walking through any sporting goods store there are a myriad of products to get you more stable behind the gun. Are any of these worth bringing along on a backpack hunt? Do you bring shooting sticks, bipods, tripod adaptors, etc. with you? Are any of these products worth bringing for a muzzleloader hunt where I can't use a scope (iron sights limit me to about 100 yards)? I've been practicing both seated and prone using my pack with OK results (need more time behind the gun for sure).

As always, thanks in advance for the help.

 

[WCB]

A set of foldable shooting sticks can be great for quick set up but you have to know how to use them. If you have a frame pack you can also practice shooting by sitting behind it and resting the gun between the stays (basically where your neck sit on the top of the pack...for me that is more stable than the foldable shooting sticks. Most of them definitely make you more stable but just depends on how much crap you want to carry.

Remember your trigger finger arm is just as important. figure out ways to support that arm also.

 

[Macintosh]

A rest is always helpful. 100 yards is a long-ass way if you are offhand, out of breath and shaking like a leaf…I’m hard-pressed to hit a building from inside it, under those conditions.

There is a great drill you can do with a 22 or hunting rifle that a few folks have been using in this site called the “form drill”. Modify for 1st shot only to replicate your ML, but it’ll quickly show you what you are capable of at your practice distance from various field positions (prone off a pack, sitting ahooting off your pack or sticks, sitting unsupported, offhand unsupported).

To answer your question, if you use hiking poles those make a great set of shooting sticks. My brother carries a set of shooting sticks. If you are glassing and will have a tripod anyway it can be a very solid rest, but at closer range is likely too slow to set up when fully-stowed on your pack, unless you are sitting and waiting at a wallow or something like that.

 

[TaperPin]

Excuse the novice question, but this will be my first non-archery season this September (muzzleloader deer in CO).

It seems like walking through any sporting goods store there are a myriad of products to get you more stable behind the gun. Are any of these worth bringing along on a backpack hunt? Do you bring shooting sticks, bipods, tripod adaptors, etc. with you? Are any of these products worth bringing for a muzzleloader hunt where I can't use a scope (iron sights limit me to about 100 yards)? I've been practicing both seated and prone using my pack with OK results (need more time behind the gun for sure).

As always, thanks in advance for the help.

Everything you need to know can be learned with a 10” metal gong or paper plate. If you can hit it every time from a seated position with no other rest, that is quick and accurate enough. I’ve lost an animal trying to shoot prone at close range and I didn’t notice a slight rise in the terrain until I was down on my stomach - rolled up to a seated position just in time to see the animals butt disappear into the trees. At 100 yards I’d avoid making it more complicated and just sit and shoot.

 

[Bubblehide]

I typically carry a tripod for binoculars and, or a spotting scope. As such, I mounted an arca rail on my rifles. I find it a very accurate method. However, the vast majority of the time I shoot off my pack, either by laying it down flat, or standing it up, depending on the situation. Using the pack is the fastest method, unless I already have the tripod setup.

With that said, whatever you chose requires a lot of practice on differing ground so that it becomes automatized and second nature.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Depends on what you carry, the wiser precision quick sticks are great for kneeling & seated if you use trekking poles. Personally when muzzy or rifle hunting I use a primos quick stick tripod. It doubles as my bino glassing tripod, and works well for standing, seated kneeling shots. Pack and prone are always optimal but, I’ve used it to kill 4/4 of my last deer and used it to kill a bull with a standing shot last year muzzy hunting 75ish yards

 

[Poser]

I use the Wiser Precision QuickStix. I didn't practice with them the first season I used them and that botched things a bit for me. Once I started practicing shooting with them by setting up shots in real world conditions, I got quite efficient with them quickly. I nailed a 513 yard shot off them yesterday. You do have to work out the quicks of setup. Obviously dedicated shooting sticks are more straight forward, but you probably don't tend to walk around with them already in your hands like you do trekking poles.

 

[CodeMonkey]

Appreciate all the help/info! I am definitely learning that the more stable I am, the tighter the groups are.

Next range trip I'll bring my pack and see how I do using it as an improvised rest.

Thinking about this more, I hesitate to bring anything else than I am already carrying since with the muzzleloader it feels like I'm carrying a yard sale's worth of accessories already.