Shooting off the stick

Blizzards and lion have led our fish and game to cut back on deer tags in the Black Hills. This will force me to hunt out on the prairie, if i want to put enough meat in the freezer. So, i figured it was time i tried shooting with a stick to help me hold the sights on the target, beins how there are no trees to brace the rifle on out on the prairie. We can use scopes on our rifles during rifle season, but not during muzzle loader season. This morning, these rifles and stick went with, up into the hills.









We have had quite a bit or rain this spring and summer, so the brush is thigh high on me. Couldn't put the target where i normally do, because of the brush bein' so high, so i put in in the road where there was a big curve, and a good back stop. It is 97 yard, and one can barely see it in the first picture.















It sure is hard for me to shoot standing on my hind legs. The rifle won't stop moving, and i tend to miss too much. The stick helps some, and practice seemed to help some too. Forcing myself to relax was hard to do, but it was helpful. Here is what happened with the Accura.










It seemed like i was getting some better with more and more shots, but i fought with jerking the trigger, and i don't think i actually squeezed the trigger very many times. What it seems like is happening, is i am pulling the trigger quick, when on target. Breathing and squeezing is hard for me, when the rifle sights are a wobbling all over the target.

After a dozen shots with the Accura i switched to the Triumph, and seemed to do better. It seems, being able to 'see' the target and the sights makes for better shooting. It is hard for me to see the front sight, when not using a scope, and it is hard to see what looks like a tiny tiny aim point.

good shooting.
I am with you , the sticks sure help.
I envy the stooters that can hold a rifle, free hand, still enough to do a proper trigger squeeze.

Why not try the X7 with the peep sight?

SteveH said:

Why not try the X7 with the peep sight?

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Reason(s)

Am still playin' around with the Accura breech plug.

Plan to use the Accura out on the prairie, during the muzzle loader season.

Plan to use the X7(s) in the hills during our rifle season and during our muzzle loader season. Plan to use the scoped X7 in Montana for 3 weeks or so, in pursuit of filling my white tail doe tag up there.

To me it seems the Accura would shoot better off the stick, because it is more muzzle heavy than the X7........................OK, i will give it a try. The X7 gets a chance off the stick soon.

sticks

A 3 legged one helps some but I still struggle shootin on the sticks. Bipod on the rifle helps a lot more if you can set down or lay down. I do better with the peep than the open sights. Felt of some of primoes tripod trigger sticks a while back and I think they might do better and be quicker to use than a regular tripod.
Wayles

I have that same walking stick rifle rest and it has done us well. I wouldn't suggest using it for sighting in, but if your rifles are already "on" with a certain load, I would trust shooting off the walking stick for 200-250yd and being able to make a kill shot.

The cross-style shooting sticks that are made for sitting, (Steady-Stix is what I have of that style) are excellent and even more stable...if you have the time to get into position and make the shot. The nice thing about the walking stick is you don't have to get down to pop an animal.

The "Bog Pod" looks to me as the nicest available rest on the market. You can watch hunting video upon hunting video on tv where the guides or whomever sets up the tripod bogpod for the hunter and it looks as if they're as steady as shooting off of the rifle bench at the range. Probably worth the money, but i've already sunk enough into the steady stix and the walking stick...and they have both done well.


Great shooting! To me, those were kill shots.

Went shooting off the stick some more today, at 102 yard. Used the scoped Triumph for all the shooting. Fired 14 shots; here is the target.










Here is what the bottom of the scope looked like, after maybe...........30 shot or so, the last three day.









Stopped along side the road on the way home, and snapped this picture of Spring Creek.









Here is a box of spent primer. From the Accura on the left and bottom. From the Triumph on the right.









Here are a few fired in the Triumph the last 3 day.









Here are primer fired in the Accura when the o-ring was in service.









After i redid the primer seat in the Accura, and left about 0.013" less head space than factory, the primers look like this.

Well, i managed to make it out yesterday to shoot off the stick at 103yd, and experienced a surprise in more ways than one. This trip i took the Omega X7 with a peep sight, and the Triumph with a 4X scope. The trigger on the X7 turned out to be the best trigger i have tried off the stick. A couple three time, it came near to jumping out of my hands when the primer went off. After i became some used to it, i began to enjoy the 'surprise' when the trigger let go. It seems this is going to be a big help in my quest to learn how to shoot a deer off the stick. Here is the target with 16 shot from the X7.









After shooting the X7, the Triumph trigger felt heavy, and it was very difficult for me to get it to 'surprise' me. What i experienced is pulling on the trigger, pulling on the trigger, pulling on the trigger, and most of the time kinda giving up, and jerking it, because i wanted to start normal breathing. Here is a target with 10 shots from the Triumph.









It surprised me how good the trigger on my old X7 is. I never noticed this, compared to the other rifles off a good rest. The quality of this trigger may change what rifles i carry this next season. The 'surprise' i experienced when the hammer dropped, whilst trying to hold on the target, was a wonderful feeling. The trigger on the Triumph is a bit to hard to suit me. The minor creep in the trigger of the Accura, keeps me from being totally 'surprised' when the hammer falls.

Here is a link to a video of an officer doing his job, in what used to be a 'sleepy' little town in Western Montana---Hamilton..

Curious on your last post,with both the X7 and Triumph. Did you keep track of the order of your shots, and if so, did you see improvement (getting closer to the bulls) or was the spread all over?

I like my X7's trigger too. I hate to admit, it is nicer than my .308 Sako.

SteveH said:

..............................did you see improvement (getting closer to the bulls) or was the spread all over?........................... Sako.

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Yes, i saw, and 'felt' improvement. The more i shot the X7, the better i felt about hitting the target. After i kinda figured out the 'surprise', i never missed the white. The trigger on the X7, has made me quite hopeful, that i will be able to learn how to shoot effectively off the stick. The key to me is the 'surprise'. Breechplug suggested this before i experienced it.

How hot is it out there?
________
Brunette Porn

flounder said:

How hot is it out there?

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Up in the hills; yesterday it was about 85, the day before was about 80; today it is 84 right now, here in town. Sometime the barrel is uncomfortably hot to touch, but not so very very hot. Usually one can grab the barrel, and hold it tight, but every now and again right after a shot, one wouldn't want to grab and hold.

SIr: How are you placing the rifle on your pod? I found with my 8bore that the best spot was just on the front of the forearm, I lean the pod away from me and placing the bottom at the front of the foot for steadiness, when I can I prefer to use the African style 3 legged ones

Dave James said:

SIr: How are you placing the rifle on your pod? I found with my 8bore that the best spot was just on the front of the forearm, I lean the pod away from me and placing the bottom at the front of the foot for steadiness, when I can I prefer to use the African style 3 legged ones

Click to expand...

What i have been doing is place the rifle on the pod with the sling swivel stud just ahead, and i have made an effort to have the pod be plumb. If i get a chance, i will try putting the toe of the pod next to my toe, tomorrow.

i did some shooting off my sling slix today and to hell with that! I did good at 150 yards off them but the walk back in 94* heat almost made me pass out. Next time i do that i am going to do it during the last half an hour of light. Not worth being found shriveled up outside in the sun

ronlaughlin said:

Dave James said:

SIr: How are you placing the rifle on your pod? I found with my 8bore that the best spot was just on the front of the forearm, I lean the pod away from me and placing the bottom at the front of the foot for steadiness, when I can I prefer to use the African style 3 legged ones

Click to expand...

What i have been doing is place the rifle on the pod with the sling swivel stud just ahead, and i have made an effort to have the pod be plumb. If i get a chance, i will try putting the toe of the pod next to my toe, tomorrow.

Click to expand...

The most accurate way I've found to use sticks is to place the V of the stick where my hand would be if I were shooting freehand. I also have the sticks tilting back toward me to a degree. (not a whole lot though)

Went up and shot off the stick again today right at 102 yard. After i made the first three shots on this target, i quit shooing at it. Did it with the Accura which has a peep sight, and the load was 105g BH209 lit by a W209 primer, pushing a 300g Gold Dot in a smooth Harvester sabot. Put the rifle in the yoke pretty close to the end of the forearm, and put the toe of the stick up against my toe, which puts the stick way out of plumb. The rifle waves back and forth across the target, and forcing me to 'squweeeze' isn't very easy. The hammer dropped with a 'surprise' twice, but the other time i could just so barely feel 'creep' of the trigger.

We get to use a scope out on the prairie from October 2 through 17, and from January 1 through 9. This rifle is set up nice the way it is, but i do have a scope on the shelf in the shop. That stainless model on sale has me looking. When she saw a picture of it in the catalog, wife said it was pretty. Was wanting to save dinero for a mill, but the price on the stainless rifle is pretty good, and it has a breech plug which requires a wrench, which i think i like just fine. I wrap my breech plugs with teflon tape, and this requires a wrench to remove, and install. Using teflon tape sure has worked out good for me, so it seems i should purchase the 'old' model while it is available. A mill in the shop would be helpful, and be very interesting to make friends with, and fun to learn.

Some feel this officer used excessive force, but most don't it seems.

DIdn't think about it being out of plum for you, I for get some times with the 8 bore I laying 14lbs of rifle in the yoke

Went up into the hills and did some shooting today. Took some new and some old. The load was 105g BH209 ignited by W209 primer pushing 300g 45 caliber XTP in a Harvester short black sabot. Same old Accura with a peep sight mounted, but inserted was a brand new home made breech plug. Instead of shooting off the stick, i took 50calty suggestion and shot off a Vanguard B62 bi-pod. The target was near 102 yard; looking back to the truck was this view.







The bi-pod really allowed me to learn good trigger control, and worked much better than the mono-pod did. It won't be hardly any different to carry hunting than the mono-pod. After 5 shots, the target looked like this.







When the second shot went off the rifle was pointed high right, and i didn't really intend for that to be the shot, but the trigger squeeze made it go bang right then. Once, i forgot to INSERT IGNORE the new primer, and was pleased that the trigger released with a smooth pull, and was a great surprise with zero flinch. The bi-pod was much easier for me to use than the mono-pod. I was tempted to see if i could do good with the mono-pod, but didn't want to test my newly learned handling of the trigger. Here is the target after 10 shots.







Here is the breech area of the Accura after 10 shots.







After returning home here is what the breech plug looked like.















The mono-pod would be some easier to carry hunting than the bi-pod, but i felt so much more calm and relaxed shooting off the bi-pod. It felt like i could almost shoot as good standing up using the bi-pod, as i can shoot off a bench, sitting down, with a perfect rest. This is only true when using a peep sight, because i can't see the front sight so very good anyway.

For later on you may want to look at a "Bog-Pod" its 3 legged adjustable and has a strap that wraps around it basicly making it a mono while hiking