When shooting bags won't work

AZHTR said:

"Rear Support" seems to be my issue. 600, 700, 800 yards I can see my heartbeat in the scope. I try to minimize holding on to the rifle. The Arca rail looks nice, but I believe supporting the rear of the rifle would still be my issue.

I'm an old man now and I'm not sure how i would do dragging around a super heavy tripod. I do have a Manfrotto/Bogen I could try!

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Well old man, I am an old lady these days. When I wander from my heated Redneck Blind, which these days ain't often, I carry my rifle, whichever I have decided to take out on this particular day, spare ammo, (Although you. like Barney Fife should only need one cartridge) set of Vortex binoculars and a day pack. There are some natural supports you find out in nature, a tree used as a brace, a rock or log used as a support, with your arm resting on it, or a rock with the day pack as support or anything else I can find. People these days seem to not want to improvise. A pair of sticks laying on the forest floor can be picked up and used as shooting sticks and are just as steady if you know what you are doing as those $100 sticks you carry along weighing you down. Look around, you don't have to carry fancy supports around with you, Mother Nature has provided you with a variety of different natural supports. If all else fails, take your hunting coat off, ball it up and use it as a support. One thing though...if you do this make sure you are wearing a blaze orange, or in my case fluorescent pink shirt under the coat. Use your imagination and what is available. If you do you wont have to carry a lot of stuff with you. Keep in mind, some of us old folk were hunting before you were a twinkle in you Daddy's eye and didn't have all this modern crap to haul around. Use what is available, and if you don't see anything available, IMPROVISE!!!!!!

Exactly Teri Anne. My wife's last bull…..400 yards, up a steep grade, she preferred a heavy limb for her shooting platform rather than her shooting sticks.

I had taken another bull from almost the same exact spot for both the animal and the shooter a couple hours earlier…..I took my shot using my sticks.

I have more practice with the sticks than she does…..she much prefers to shoot from prone if at all possible! I guess that she likes the additional felt recoil! In her defense, her rifle is pretty tame as compared to mine……only 38 ft/lbs! memtb

First of all, I really appreciate the feedback and your examples of your success. Trees are sparse in coues country. The kill zone is pretty dang small on these deer. I've tried jackets, knees, holding my shoulder etc etc.

This is me sitting just trying to see if my two tripods (no rear V on the back tripod) are steady enough for nephew (standing blocking the sun) to shoot this deer. My rifle doesnt like to be held onto much, so it needs to just sit freely in whatever.

We just ordered another fairly light tripod with "V" ( 2 pounds) for a rear rest. We'll go do some range time this winter as well as some rock shooting and just "practice, practice, practice".

Thanks again for all of the input! Have a great Christmas everyone!

Bog Pod Death Grip....or a death grip head on any other sturdy bipod. No need to support the butt of your stock.

skipglo said:

Bog Pod Death Grip....or a death grip head on any other sturdy bipod. No need to support the butt of your stock.

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OH we found the butt of the rifle was "super critical" to holding the crosshairs on the deer.......

Prone is ALWAYS mt first choice, even if you have to build an elevated platform out of multiple packs/jackets/Gatorade bottles, etc.. But doesn't always work out.

A good taller front bipod/tripod with a solid rear rest is great. Logs, rocks, stumps, packs, another bipod/tripod, anything you can build upon.

Thx Lance! We tried stacking all of the packs at first, but it wasn't stable. Your pic #3 is what we're going to do now…….

One thing no one has mentioned is wrapping your sling around the front leg of you tripod 2 or 3 times and using your offhand to twist it tight to steady the gun. And always brace your back if possible.

If the vegetation is low enough to be able to shoot over it while sitting upright, you can sit and use shooting sticks! I've used shooting sticks since I was 14 years old. When I was young and had no money, I cut 2 stout tree branches that had a Y at the end. While sitting, I used 2 of them while leaning the sticks in towards my shoulder with the Y of the sticks on the stock in front of the sling swivels while pushing towards me and against the sling swivel! I put my elbows on my knees and it was almost as steady as from the bench! I now use an older pair of shooting sticks that are segmented into 2 pieces per stick that I can carry on my backpack (I think I got them from Sinclair many years ago).
Two shooting sticks pushing the rifle against your shoulder and putting your elbows on your upraised knees is far more steady then any tripod will ever be!