Shooting Sticks vs Bipod

D

DTrain

New member
What is more stable? Shooting sticks like these or a bi-pod that attaches directly to the rifle like this one?

I am looking for something to take on an antelope hunt in Wyoming this fall.
 
The bipod is more stable because it resists to a certain degree fore/aft movement. The shooting sticks only resist left/right movement. Which one is better for WY is a different story and depends on the type hunting you'll be doing.
 
I believe we'll be doing a lot of spot and stalk type of hunting. In which situations would a bi-pod be bad on an antelope hunt in WY?
 
In which situations would a bi-pod be bad on an antelope hunt in WY?
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My last time there was in an area heavy with sage-type grasses. So I would have needed a 12"+ bipod to make it useful. And I personally don't like to carry a rifle in my hands with a bipod attached, especially one longer than the 6-9 Harris. So I carried shooting sticks in my pack even though they were less stable. In the end, I made my shot with my rifle laying on my backpack; I had carried the shooting sticks for a week for no reason. :cool:
 
I'm going out to Wyoming this fall for my fourth antelope trip. While the hunt is a lot of spot and stalk, I think a bi-pod is the best choice. Mine is a Harris and adjusts from the prone position to sitting. That should pretty much cover all of the shots you might get.

I can't think of any reasons that a bi-pod is a bad choice for a Wyoming hunt.
 
I use both, but I feel the sticks are better adapted for field use. I shoot with bipods off the bench,but sticks are easier to adjust to the landscape and for me, are just as stable.
 
An exmarine sniper showed me an excellent method for making an improvised rest. It is cheap and allows you to raise or lower your rest like a shotting stick. but gives you the lateral stability of a bipod.

he lashed two construction stakes together with clothesline. With the pointed ends down. Using palm strikes he drove the stakes into the ground. This resulted in a V to rest the rifle on. By varying the width of the base we were able to compensate for the height of the grass during a coyote hunt.

He left a length of the rope loose which he used as a carry strap.

You might want to experment with this system.
 
he lashed two construction stakes together with clothesline. With the pointed ends down. Using palm strikes he drove the stakes into the ground. This resulted in a V to rest the rifle on. By varying the width of the base we were able to compensate for the height of the grass during a coyote hunt.
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My brothers both make similar sets of shooting sticks, but they use hardwood dowels and a hinge (cord/rope through a drilled hole). Last year, I made the final shot of my now most-favorite antelope stalk, off a set of those sticks.

The beauty of their home made versions, is cost and eco-friendliness. Should a stalk require stashing the sticks somewhere (and forgetting to retrieve them), it's not big deal. At about $2.50 for the set of sticks, it's an easy loss to write off. Being nothing but natural fiber rope and wood, not retrieving them is non-polluting, and won't get animals sick if they chew on it (though some areas still consider it littering or dumping).

I have absolutely no problem with shooting sticks, but wouldn't haul around polymer/plastic/figerglass versions. They make more noise, and the polymer/plastic is bulkier than other options. Even if you're making noise with home made wooden shooting sticks... the sounds are more natural than what man-made materials sound like.


That being said...
I'm taking a light weight Harris Bi-pod this year. Since it's attached to the rifle, it's not something I have to worry about carrying around in my off-hand. (I don't use carrying pouches, "holsters", carry straps, or anything similar. My stalking methods require a "low-drag, no-snag" approach. If my gear isn't in my pockets or hands, it's in the truck.)
 
Too funny! I was taught to use a hasty sling when I was about 9 years old. I tried shooting sticks and bipods over the years, but they are no match for a good sling, IME.
 
I'm with Scorch on this one.

I carry a featherweight for a reason, its light. Time you add all those gismos on the rifle its no longer light.

Unless you are a road hunter (which doesn't work well after the first day) you're gonna be stalking and humping.

Learn to use a sling, its stable, fast and light.
 
I wish I had heard that before I spent $50 on a shooting stick - trying it on the range I too found that I shot better standing free with the sling than trying to balance on the shooting stick. I haven't tried the "sitting with two sticks" method yet, I might try that at some point.
 
he lashed two construction stakes together with clothesline. With the pointed ends down. Using palm strikes he drove the stakes into the ground. This resulted in a V to rest the rifle on. By varying the width of the base we were able to compensate for the height of the grass during a coyote hunt.
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Palm strikes to drive stakes into the ground? I can't see there being anything other than bloody hands and toppled stakes here in the land of high clay soil.:eek:

I like the idea. May try it. Will use some sort of hammer.
 
I have a perfectly good Harris Bipod and while good it gathers dust on the top shelf of my gun locker. Sling up for those quick stand up shots at moderate distances or a walking stick if I need to get above the vegetation for over 100 yard shots and I have time to get set and take aim. Takes practice and not as good as shooting sticks but it's easier to walk with and practice helps.

I admit I haven't practiced with shooting sticks but I have a lot with my walking stick over the last 40+ years. Just a skill set I found useful everywhere from the desert to the North Woods of Wisconsin.
 
I use a sling for practice, and have taken several animals that way. However... I'm not a fan of hasty shots - especially for Wyoming Antelope.

Because Wyoming uses ambiguous definitions, and allows "field interpretations" by wardens, these definitions can cause trouble with hasty shots:
Wyoming Fish and Game 2010 Antelope Hunting Regulations said:
"Buck Antelope" means male antelope with visible horns and a dark cheek patch at the base of the ear.
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Wyoming Fish and Game 2010 Antelope Hunting Regulations said:
"Doe" means an adult female antelope or adult female deer.
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The keywords are "male" and "cheek patch".

Even if you know it's a doe... If it has a cheek patch you didn't see before your hasty shot; you just shot what Wyoming considers a buck. Shot a doe with no cheek patch, but discovered it to have horns, later? ...Still a buck, according to many wardens. Shot something that didn't have horns, or a cheek patch? ... If it has male reproductive organs, and is older than a yearling, it's still a buck.

Between the positive ID required when hunting Doe Antelope, and my personal preference of hunting methods... I tend to sneak in, sit down, and scope out the herd, before choosing my target. Having a bi-pod or set of shooting sticks is a nice bonus.

In my case, a stable support is almost required, as well. I suffer from familial/essential tremors, which cause me to shake constantly (think "parkinson's"-like shaking). Standing shots are a poor choice, as I can't be 100% sure of shot placement, and won't take a shot I'm not sure I'll make.

Utah/Idaho Deer, Elk, Antelope, Moose; or Wyoming Elk, Deer, and Moose... I'll take a hasty shot all day long.
Wyoming Antelope? Hell no. Allowing wardens to interpret the definitions is a necessary evil, but it makes hunting Doe Antelope a bit more complicated. I've seen more tickets written for Does with cheek patches, or bucks with no horns and no cheek patches, than anything else. (And these are the honest people, that kept the animals - not the guys that see a cheek patch or male organ, and stuff the body in a badger hole!)
 
I shot muzzle loading buffalo matches off of the X sticks for many years. They do provide a good support. But pounding into the ground with yer hands? Not here in the Ozarks. Pounding wood through rock just doesn't work. Methinks the combo shooting/hiking sticks would be a good choice. Rifle on sling on back and use stick(s) for hiking aids.
 
Both I and my hunting partner use those Cabela's sticks. I have personally watched him place 5 shots from a factory stock .300Wby mag Vanguard using factory ammo into a group that you can cover with your fist at a measured 490 yds. He did this sitting on a folding chair and using the Cabela's sticks as a rest. Yea, they are accurate enough if you do your part.

Having said that, if I ever need to replace mine I'm going to get the kind that you can control using one button on the grip. Mine has to be adjusted by a cam lock on each leg segment and it is slow to set up.
 
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