Tip suggestion: seated shots?

[BLJ]

Those seated positions to me look insanely uncomfortable, using muscle to try to lean forward. Righties with right knee up, left down in a low kneeling I find much more stable and allow mainly bone on bone and a position that isn’t being held by muscles.

IMO I would agree with this. I’ve found the range of adjustment to be far greater than sitting and a lot easier to get into.
And if you could manage a pack/jacket/pump pillow between your arm pit and thigh, it becomes a very stable position after some practice.

 

[Flyjunky]

I use an Anvil head and my solution to glassing off of it was to buy the RRS PT-Scout pan head. It clips into the Anvil and is an actual pan-tilt head for glassing. So (for 8 oz extra if that makes a difference to you) I get the best shooting ball head on the market as well as a head more suited to glassing. And when I need to shoot, I just unclip my PT-Scout head using the lever in about 1 second and can clip my rifle's rail directly onto the underlying Anvil that the PT-Scout was clipped into.

This is the exact setup I'm thinking about going with. How do you like the scout? Is it smooth no matter how cold it is outside?

 

[TheGDog]

Well.. Outdoorsman Pistol-Grip Bino head... you can just flop it over to this one side so it's now laying over horizontally... and they machined a slight dip/indentation on what becomes that top side of it, when you lay it over... you then lay the rifle upon that cutout, when using it like a shooting rest. but most of the time, if I need a rest at all I just bust out the cheap little Kwik Stix. They're for sure good for making a shot with decent precision, out to like 200-250 I'd say. I'm sure father with a better shooter too. And they don't weigh anything hardly. Essentially corded tent-poles that rapidly deploy and are attached at a pivot-point "V" that's rubber over-molded with grooves to for better gripping of the stock.

But from seated in like a Helinox or something? Double-knees/Double-elbows w feet on ground I'm sure could do surprisingly well, for in the field stuff. Totally know what the OP's talking about re: a Habitat where the thought of having a prone shot is laughable, such as vast Chapparal.

 

[Fatcamp]

Shot a deer on Saturday at 207 off my spotting scope with my backpack under the stock. Very stable, didn't take long to set up.

I spent a bunch of time practicing setup and shooting like this in years past, but none lately. Whatever you decide practice enough to make it second nature and it won't be an issue.

 

[hiker270]

Steady Stix work for me but I limit my shots to 500 max.

 

[JohnJohnson]

This is the exact setup I'm thinking about going with. How do you like the scout? Is it smooth no matter how cold it is outside?

I love it. I've only used the scout in 80 degree Arizona heat so can't comment on how it does in the cold though. It's pretty new to me.

 

[parshal]

I've used the Scout in the cold. It acts no different at 20 degrees than 80.

 

[Weldor]

Check out viper shooting sticks, The can be used as walking stick, standing shots as well as kneeling or sitting. Front and rear support.

 

[Shortschaf]

Thread revival with season around the corner.
Pictured is my wife set up on her doe last year. Tall Hatch (fully extended) in front, tripod leg rear

Could not shoot prone or even seated. Tall grass and a small rise between us and the animals.

She had never practiced this herself. She said she was solid so I didn't question further. Held this position for over 5 minutes waiting for a clear shot window. Drilled the heart at 330 yards

Big fan of a Hatch and tripod for that versatility. Principle is the same for seated shooting

 

[Jason Snyder]

Of course! But I can use a 2lb tripod (with head) for that.

If there’s a good shooting tripod out there that weighs as little as a good CF glassing tripod, please enlighten me.

I didn’t read the entire thread, but it is super easy to lay my rifle over the top of my spotter on a tripod (perpendicular to each other) and use that as a shooting platform. I’ve killed deer two years in a row using this particular technique.

 

[repins05]

Master senseis of the world, how do you build stable seated positions in the field when hunting? It’s very rare to get a prone shot where I seem to hunt. Just a couple days ago I took two shots at a buck from seated positions that were less than ideal. Missed him the first time (although that was more due to a ranging error) and then found him again 2 days later and killed him. In both cases I was in tall sagebrush on steep hillsides. Prone was out of the question.

I tried everything but of course time was of the essence. It was the rear rest I struggled with most. Hatch bipod fully extended out front, and then I tried my tripod (ultralight CF little guy) a small bag for a rear rest, but it got in the way of my right leg when seated. Tried hugging my backpack in front of me and using that for rear support, but couldn’t get the height right, horizontal too low and vertical too high. In the end, I wound up putting the backpack behind me and leaning hard into it against a big sage bush, and just using my left hand as rear support with my elbow anchored on my leg. The kill shot was only 387 so I made that work, but it was less than ideal and if much longer I wouldn’t have taken it.

I’d love to see a pictorial on seated shooting positions and proper form. Way too much focus is placed on prone shooting and imo, that’s often just unrealistic in the field.

Perhaps you have answered your own question and 400 yards may be max for you based on your setup. I switched to a tripod because I could not come up with a universal solution for a seated stable platform for extended shot ranges (500+). A tripod is versatile and can function in all sorts of terrain. Weight will probably be the sacrifice. A step further …. New gear may be required to accommodate the tripod and this style of hunting.

Even if you find a seated non tripod solution is it going to work in steep terrain shooting uphill or down hill? Rocky uneven ground? Etc. It is also difficult to recreate the different scenarios you may be shooting in to practice seated. A tripod solves many of these issues. Not all but most.

 

[hereinaz]

Anything to provide stability you have or can find.

Rear tripod support is a technique that get use in competitions. It is very effective.

Given gear limitations in the field for me, I prefer locking into the tripod for front support and then using a trekking pole, pack, or some other object.

I don’t take a bipod with me, and traded that weight for a more sturdy tripod. My total optics/rifle package is less than many, even though I probably have a heavy that average tripod.

Inside 300 yards, with my tripod no rear support is needed. Minimal support is needed out to 450ish. I use rear support out to 1000 yards.

With a good position I am practically as stable as prone. My neck doesn’t do prone well, so I practice seated.

 

[SDHNTR]

Anything to provide stability you have or can find.

Rear tripod support is a technique that get use in competitions. It is very effective.

Given gear limitations in the field for me, I prefer locking into the tripod for front support and then using a trekking pole, pack, or some other object.

I don’t take a bipod with me, and traded that weight for a more sturdy tripod. My total optics/rifle package is less than many, even though I probably have a heavy that average tripod.

Inside 300 yards, with my tripod no rear support is needed. Minimal support is needed out to 450ish. I use rear support out to 1000 yards.

With a good position I am practically as stable as prone. My neck doesn’t do prone well, so I practice seated.

What tripod and attachment are we talking about?

 

[hereinaz]

What tripod and attachment are we talking about?

This is what I have found to be the lightest yet extremely stable for shooting and usable for glassing (and friendly to my budget). I have used RRS Anvil 30 and tripods. The RRS tripods are amazing, and eventually I will upgrade my tripod to one.

I have tried lots of other types of heads and tripods as well, switching almost every year. I have run this and won’t change. It is long, but that is workable to strap on my pack. Having only two sections is what gives it better strength to weight ratio.

I run a 10” ARCA rail on my rifle forend.

Leofoto SO-282CX Inverted Outdoors Series Carbon Fiber Tripod with FIXED Apex/Platform

2024 NEW PRODUCT The Leofoto SO-282CMX/CX "X Version" 2-Section Inverted Carbon Fiber Tripod (FIXED Apex/Platform) is an excellent choice for full-sized firearm combos that need rock-solid support for a full-length rifle chassis with a spotting scope. Available in two sizes for your convenience...

leofotooutdoors.com

Amazon.com

 

[SDHNTR]

This is what I have found to be the lightest yet extremely stable for shooting and usable for glassing (and friendly to my budget). I have used RRS Anvil 30 and tripods. The RRS tripods are amazing, and eventually I will upgrade my tripod to one.

I have tried lots of other types of heads and tripods as well, switching almost every year. I have run this and won’t change. It is long, but that is workable to strap on my pack. Having only two sections is what gives it better strength to weight ratio.

I run a 10” ARCA rail on my rifle forend.

Leofoto SO-282CX Inverted Outdoors Series Carbon Fiber Tripod with FIXED Apex/Platform

2024 NEW PRODUCT The Leofoto SO-282CMX/CX "X Version" 2-Section Inverted Carbon Fiber Tripod (FIXED Apex/Platform) is an excellent choice for full-sized firearm combos that need rock-solid support for a full-length rifle chassis with a spotting scope. Available in two sizes for your convenience...

leofotooutdoors.com

Amazon.com

Roger. I’ve used RRS tripods before, very nice to shoot off, but just too much to pack. Non starter. I was also afraid you’d say AS rail. I just can’t do it with a hunting gun. Don’t like the feel of em.

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

Tried the tripod as a rear support this weekend zeroing my 22 using the pinch to the tripod leg method. I would have never believed it would be as rock solid as it was. This was with a bipod on front. Gonna try locking into the tripod on front and trekking poles on the rear next session.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I don’t take a bipod with me, and traded that weight for a more sturdy tripod. My total optics/rifle package is less than many, even though I probably have a heavy that average tripod.

I'm not yet brave enough to do this but it's on my radar after the pronghorn hunt I just finished. Other than serving as something to prop my rifle up with there's zero chance my bipod would have gotten any use.

 

[SDHNTR]

Once again, more support of how someone needs to make a bipod that is actually decent to sit behind.

 

[JohnJohnson]

Once again, more support of how someone needs to make a bipod that is actually decent to sit behind.

For one small payment of $1,000 you can own a MDT Ckye Pod Triple Pull!

 

[Lawnboi]

I'm not yet brave enough to do this but it's on my radar after the pronghorn hunt I just finished. Other than serving as something to prop my rifle up with there's zero chance my bipod would have gotten any use.

In one hand tripod setup with 3.5 feet of leg out, small tac table and a bag wedged in the legs folded up, in the other your rifle. Will cover anything. Even better if your hunting buddy can carry the deployed tripod on the stalk.

I carried around my 9lb sand schmedium on my pronghorn hunt and would again. I am near prone stable off a tac table kneeling with that sand bag.