Bipod or shooting sticks for spot & stalk Elk Hunting?

[powermax]

Hello Veteran elk hunters,
what do you guys prefer to steady your gun when the moment of truth is about to happen? bipod, shooting sticks, guides shoulder or backpack for that rock solid shot on a dream of a lifetime bull?

thanks in advanced!

 

[338 dude]

Hello Veteran elk hunters,
what do you guys prefer to steady your gun when the moment of truth is about to happen? bipod, shooting sticks, guides shoulder or backpack for that rock solid shot on a dream of a lifetime bull?

thanks in advanced!

Never hunted elk although I do have dreams of accomplishing that one day.generally any kind of hunt if its spot in stalk it is Jim Shockey Trigger sticks.I like the tripod version but if you can get lower on a rock or backpack you would be more steady be ready to do either.

 

[Rick Richard]

Bipod for me if at all possible. If not, anything other than off hand. Oh, forgot the Wiser Precision trekking pole attachment, which makes the trekking poles into shooting stick configuration.

 

[memtb]

Sticks!!!! Especially if hunting in mixed cover and potentially a steep downhill shot! The many benefits of shooting sticks from use as walking assist, balance assist in deadfall, do not add weight or imbalance to the rifle, and their height is a huge benefit when shooting down a steep grade!

We've even used them when traversing a rock covered ridge face covered when with snow……they can help with foot placement, to avoid sticking your foot between rocks and twisting an ankle or busting a lower leg!

There are several more good reasons …..but you get the point! memtb

 

[JRS3]

I have used both but prefer bipod sticks for spot and stalk elk. I have used them from 20-400 yards on elk. Tripod sticks can be good but I prefer the quicker bipod sticks when chasing elk.

Besides shooting, they also come in handy as walking aides, especially when traversing steep sides in the dark.

 

[RED MIST]

Trigger sticks. Quick to set up, can be used as a walking stick and great for glassing to rest your binoculars on to steady you up. Bipods are useful also but many time grass or brush is to tall.

 

[BrentM]

Seen and done all those. I've guided over the past 30 years and all sorts of things can happen.

Bipod. Really this only works in situations where you can lay prone and vegetation is relatively low. Very valuable tool in the right country.

Sticks. Work well for higher veg and shooters who struggle to get into prone awkward positions on the mountain side. Good sticks with a practiced rear support is very stabile.

Tripod. Light weight tripods designed right, fiesol 3342 for example, can do it all. Best option but they do weigh more than a bipod or sticks but you can leave both home. Just not as fast to deploy. So, you need to practice.

Buddy system and back pack. Yep, can and does work with practice and a partner who knows what to do. The issue is mainly that if you partner isn't spotting for you because they are being used as a barricade is kind of bad. Buddy is my last resort but it works. Killed elk and deer this way, just not preferred.

 

[WV338]

I have been using sticks for years. Unfortunately the ones I have are no longer being made. They the thin collapsible ones made by Stoney Point. I've killed many mule deer and elk with them.

 

[Longrangers]

Depends on what you are comfortable with and your limitations. We prefer atlas bipods although there is some other good ones. I like to be rock solid for a ethical shot. We won't take a shot unless we are solid. I feel in my personal opinion I owe it to the game. We will pass them up if not solid and think that we will reposition that same day or wait to see what tomorrow brings.

 

[swampbug]

Sticks. Also double as walking/ climbing aid. Generally an elk is a close shot so bipods don't really make sense. Off hand, tree, log, pack, guide shoulder work. Longer use packs or sticks. Remember, shooting an elk is like shooting a piece of plywood. It's a big target.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I am not good at shooting off a bipod. If it is not loaded properly on varying hardness of ground, they effect the rifle differently under recoil. I am a backpack shooter. I carry a short set of sticks to use in conjunction with my pack to get front and rear support on long shots. The sticks not being attached to the rifle let's it free recoil without influencing it.

 

[Jbumblebee]

Where we hunt bipods are a pain to deal with, mostly forested timber. Shooting sticks are nice, but most times it's dropping to your knee or leaning up against a tree. Usually, the elk spot me before I spot them, so being quick is the key.

 

[Wyo37]

Wouldn't consider myself a veteran elk hunter however, trekking poles, pack, or tripod.

 

[CoachChris]

I keep a 9-13" Harris bipod on my rifle and carry a carbon fiber shooting tripod on my pack that I use for glassing, ranging, etc...