Rest while hunting

[jsbowhunt]

What is everyone using for a rest while hunting, I'm good out to 400 but beyond that I can't seem to find something I'm really comfortable with. Is the Primos trigger stick worth it, then mono, bipod or tripod ??? I really can't imagine hauling a full tri pod setup around. Or does everyone just go prone and shoot off their pack ?

 

[Vids]

I don't shoot long distances, but I usually use my pack or whatever rock/tree/log I can find. My longest shot at an animal so far is 325 yards. I did bring a tripod with me on an antelope hunt once and it worked well since it was flat open country, but the shot only ended up being 100 yards.

 

[Formidilosus]

Pack. Sitting, kneeling, prone, MPAJ... etc.


For standing- usually crossed hiking sticks, trees, etc.

 

[kcm2]

My best rest is my pack. But I'm also liking quad sticks, longest shot so far is 400 yards.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

i really like the double crossed sticks made by high and heavy outfitters. They support both ends of the gun so its dang stable, and they really light weight. i've killed few critters using them at > 400 yds. check them out.

 

[PathFinder]

Are you not carrying a tripod for optics already? It's quick and easy to add a rail or clamp and swap between optics and the rifle. If you take some time to learn how to use it, you can push it out to 1k and beyond.

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[BigDog00]

Check out the sergeant sniper rest (google it)....I wouldn't say I shoot long range but it works really well and is pretty cheap too.

 

[blackpowderhunter]

the primos trigger sticks tripod are great and surprisingly stable.
watched a buddy drop an elk at 960 yards off of them this year, one shot.
i shot my elk sitting with them at 450.
the tripod version is unbelievably more stable than bipod version.

all of those tripod attachments are quite appealing though, and if you already carry a tripod for your spotter your halfway there..

 

[Beastmode]

Bipod and prone with a rear bag. Yes I pack a rear bag with me hunting. While shooting long range at a seated position can be done with great success in a target situation I don’t feel it is the best in a hunting situation. Read the bipod review here on Rokslide and find one that fits your needs the best. I use a red tac rear bag and clip it to either my pack or rifle sling while I’m hunting. It’s the same setup I use while practicing.


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[blackpowderhunter]

Bipod and prone with a rear bag. Yes I pack a rear bag with me hunting. While shooting long range at a seated position can be done with great success in a target situation I don’t feel it is the best in a hunting situation. Read the bipod review here on Rokslide and find one that fits your needs the best. I use a red tac rear bag and clip it to either my pack or rifle sling while I’m hunting. It’s the same setup I use while practicing.


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what's your go to for shooting from steeper terrain, where prone isn't really an option?
I ask because this is more what I find myself in for these types of situations, so sitting and shooting off the tripod seems to work the best, one leg directly under the rifle and the two rear out to the side to, in theory, control the recoil straight back. I'm thinking of trying out a monopod of sorts for under the stock to get that much more stable..If there is a better option I am all ears.

 

[zeroforhire]

Snipe pod


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[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I run a 9-12 bipod most of the time because it is what I am comfortable rapidly deploying for a shot and also its what I do all my target work with as well so there isn't any dope shift from bench to bipod like some folks discuss. I had to make a steep uphill shot last week and just placed my bipod on a log (could have been a rock, etc) to give me the added height. I can shoot prone across or down somewhat steep slopes by lying perpendicular to the gun if needed and get stable. I did have a shot consideration this weekend that was cross canyon and too steep for that 9-12 bipod. I was playing around with configurations resting my rifle on my optics tripod up front and having my pack against my chest to help brace the rear, etc. mostly out of curiosity as I didn't really want to shoot that specific buck. More practice/thought needed there on a good setup that feels stable further out.

 

[muddydogs]

I tried the Primo's trigger mono pod and its not really all that stable. For my antelope hunt I purchased the Bog Pod folding bi pod but found it slow to deploy and kind of a pain if I needed to go from standing to setting quick. A buddy had the Primo's trigger tripod which looked good and he said worked great, I didn't get a chance to try it.

Once I looked over the AZ deer unit I'm hunting in a few days I decided I needed something as the shoots look like they could be long kind of like the WY antelope country is. I looked at the trigger stick again from Primo's and found that there new Gen 3 models have changeable shoes for use with spotters or camera's so I decided to give it a try. The stick comes with the rifle yoke as well as one shoe, I called Primo's and ordered another shoe so I had one on my spotter and another on the bino mount.

Messing around with the system around the house I find that it makes a very steady rifle rest that's quick to adjust for height and as the legs are self leveling they adjust for ruff ground. The tripod is fairly fast when going from standing to setting position and lightening fast if one needs to move from setting to standing. The tripod pans left to right very smooth but there is no lock so the spotter could be bumped off target. There is no up or down movement in the head so the only way to adjust elevation is by adjusting the legs, at the house I don't have a problem pulling the trigger and tilting the spotter a little to get the right elevation but I'll see next week how it works out in the field. The tripod does weigh 4.4 pounds so its not the lightest thing out there and even in its most compressed state its a little long if one wanted to strap it to a pack, its not to bad to use it as a walking stick although there not made to support a bunch of weight (think the tag stated 30 pounds).

I will have a better idea after next week just how well the trigger tripod works as a spotter tripod and maybe even a shooting rest, I'll report back if your interested.

 

[Beastmode]

what's your go to for shooting from steeper terrain, where prone isn't really an option?
I ask because this is more what I find myself in for these types of situations, so sitting and shooting off the tripod seems to work the best, one leg directly under the rifle and the two rear out to the side to, in theory, control the recoil straight back. I'm thinking of trying out a monopod of sorts for under the stock to get that much more stable..If there is a better option I am all ears.

Do you use trekking poles? I usually have a spotter setup on my tripod so I don’t use a tripod for shooting. If I can’t lay down prone I limit my shots to closer ranges. Again it takes a ton of practice to make clean long range hits from a seated position. While the definition of long range is subjective I doubt there are too many guys on here shooting sub MOA groups at 800+ yards from shooting sticks. After 500 yards a lot of form issues really start to shine. If I feel rock solid I will shoot 400 yards off sticks. That is what I am comfortable with for me and it will very from person to person.

That being said if I have a long range rig on me I set up like a tree stand hunter at a spot with many shooting lanes overlooking a bowl, canyon or ridge. I get set up to lay prone and get all my gear out (rangefinder, ballistic app, spotter, wind meter...) and sit for as long as I can. I will range multiple spots and know where I can take shots and where I can not take shots.

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[wapitibob]

Always prone with a 9-12 bipod and usually my bino pouch under the rear stock.

 

[jsbowhunt]

Yes I'd be interested in how well it works for you, for shooting and glassing.

 

[FURMAN]

I go prone with a bipod and rear rest on long range shots. As mentioned above, if I can't do that my shots will be much more limited. I have found the quad sticks from Rudolph Optics to be the most stable shooting sticks available. I would look around for the short ones. I believe they are currently working on making an adjustable one so they no longer have the shorts on the site but can be found on Google.

 

[bradb]

Leveling Base & Direct Rifle Mount from Really Right Stuff - YouTube

can put acra plates on any gun. and on your spotter binos ect. can......

 

[mfllood3800]

It is either my bipod, pack, or spotting scope that is set up on a tripod. I wont carry another piece of equipment, simply because what I have already, works great.

 

[muddydogs]

So I spent a week running around AZ using the trigger tripod as a tripod for my spotter and bino's. I didn't shoot off the tripod but numerous times I put the rifle on it just to see how it felt and see how steady it was in different situations, as a rifle rest it works great.

As a spotter tripod the trigger stick works just fine. There is a little wobble in the legs when full extended to stand up mode but the legs are very stable when lowered for setting. The handle has a little flex in it with my 4 pound spotter hooked to it, the flex is at the top of the rear grip insert as this area is fairly thin on plastic due to the locking mechanism and cut out for the trigger. I don't think the flex is a big deal but I don't think I would throw the tripod over my shoulder with the spotter attached and hike around like the cool guys do as I would be afraid that the handle would give it up and send the spotter crashing to the ground.

The left to right pan of the trigger stick is very smooth and works well for spotting. It took a little time to get the vertical adjustment figured out but once I did I didn't have a problem raising or lowering the spotter. What I found works best was have two of the tripod legs in the back and the third leg out front, basically the point of the triangle that the legs make pointed out front. If I wanted to adjust the vertical down I lifter the back legs and pushed down on the front leg to lower the vertical. To raise the vertical lift the front leg while pushing down on the rear legs. It does work fairly slick and easy.

My buddy happened to have a pistol grip pan head which I borrowed one day as he had all the parts and pieces to get it to work on the trigger stick. The pan head got the spotter up enough that I didn't have to bend my tall rear over to look through the spotter when standing and the pan head made vertical adjustments a breeze. I ordered a pistol grip when I got home.

All in all for what I do with a spotter the trigger tripod worked great and I plan on using it for all my spotter and shooting rest needs.