As one who believes you should only shoot off hand at things like flying birds, it's fine for those that punch paper. As a NRA small arms instructor and hunter safety instructor in Montana, we spend quite a bit of time trying to teach the kids that when shooting at deer, anything was better than shooting off hand, though a case can be made for shooting at running targets like deer or antelope, though I've killed a good amount when setting on the ground and shooting over my knees. I surly wasn't blessed with the ability to shoot standing targets well while off hand, but then I never spent any time practicing. I did discover in my attempts at this at muzzleloader contests, that the percussion was much easier to do than the Flintlock but I don't shine with either one.
Squint
Exactly!!!
Which is why I find it hard to understand why the traditional m-l clubs almost always have their shoots set up for 100% offhand shots.
American LongRifles Forum has an ongoing informal poll regarding the age of its active members. The mean age is 65 point something odd years old.
I am 66, and I KNOW FOR SURE that I cannot hold a 9-10 pound longrifle with a 40" plus long swamped barrel steady enough to shoot wild animals ETHICALLY any longer from a offhand position. A rest of some sort is MANDATORY.
Since I have advancing osteoarthritis in both shoulders, I have chosen to aquire a CVA Optima V2 pistol, which DOC White is restocking in black laminate using his Javelina pattern forearm.
This forearm has a short, stubby pistol grip to aid in holding the pistol steady using 2 hands in a push-pull motion. A single point sling with paraclip attached to a "D" loop, push button sling swivel will be connected to the bottom of the pistol grip/trigger. The sling passes around the shooters body, thus forming a single long support system between the shooter's back muscles, and the weak hand pushing against the stubby pistol grip on the forearm.
There will also be a Spartan Precision Equipment, brass, Classic Gunsmith Adapter embedded behind the stubby pistol grip in the bottom of the forearm.
The adapter has a rare earth magnet in the bottom of its cavity. Which allows for the quick detachment of bipods, tripods, and trekking poles.
A 148 gram/5.22 ounce, Javelin bipod with standard length legs, along with the brass adapter; is already on its way to DOC White. The bipod will be used primarily on the bench for range work.
Sometime next year, when I am confident that my rusty skills are back up to ethical hunting standards; then I plan to purchase the Woodland length version of the Spartan Sentinel tripod.
This is an expensive, but EXTREMELY versatile tool. It weighs in at 1550 grams/54.63 ounces/3.414 pounds. It can be configured in many different ways, just as purchased.
With additional leg purchases, it can be configured as a sitting bipod to mimic cross sticks; or as a quad/penta leg setup for long distance rifle shoting.