Personal limits shooting off sticks standing

[GonzoK34]

longest elk shot with 300 WM, 200gr LRX off of Tripod 870 yards standing. OSOK
Practice, Practice and shoot with a buddy as a shooter/spotter team. Dry Fire at a one inch spotter, breath, pause, squeeze, follow through. Your reticle should NOT MOVE if you've done everything correctly. Quarter the target.
Good Luck
74 years old and still humping a pack, shooting and dumping coyotes in the desert. Smoking hogs, dogs, squirrels, eating vension, pronghorns, deer and bunnies. Better then hearing the old lady complain that I'm too old to be doings this!
SEMPER FIDELIS

 

[dan1953]

220 is my longest shot on a whitetail, what helped me was moving the cross hairs from right to left across the body of the deer and then squeezing the shot as the crosshairs reached the target with out really stopping completely, If that makes sense. Stick/monopods really help me stabilized up and down but i still feel shaky left and right unless I add the slow controlled sweeping movement into the shot.

 

[Rilow]

220 is my longest shot on a whitetail, what helped me was moving the cross hairs from right to left across the body of the deer and then squeezing the shot as the crosshairs reached the target with out really stopping completely, If that makes sense. Stick/monopods really help me stabilized up and down but i still feel shaky left and right unless I add the slow controlled sweeping movement into the shot.

That's what I find as well side to side movements

 

[Rilow]

Just to add I'm use bi pod which i know is probably not as steady as tripod

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

Just a thought, practice with a 22LR. Whatever positions you can think of. You may not always get a nice sitting shot off sticks. We all can learn from the PRS shooters

 

[dan1953]

I have moved to a tripod shooting stick as well and that helps much more that a single leg shooting stick.

 

[Rilow]

I tried mono pod but way to shakey for my liking

 

[Allen Kitts]

We practice on a fairly regular basis with the sticks as they are a staple for shooting in Africa and we are heading back there in another 62 days, but who is counting...... Most of it depends on the sticks you use. I feel really comfortable out to two hundred with the Primos Trigger Sticks that I have but for the long distance stuff I have been using a Bog Pod Death Grip and I hit the 12 x 12 steel consistently at 500 off of those. They are heavy and you certainly wouldn't want to carry them in the mountains but if your flat landing it they are sweet.

 

[waskow54]

I've noticed that

220 is my longest shot on a whitetail, what helped me was moving the cross hairs from right to left across the body of the deer and then squeezing the shot as the crosshairs reached the target with out really stopping completely, If that makes sense. Stick/monopods really help me stabilized up and down but i still feel shaky left and right unless I add the slow controlled sweeping movement into the shot.

I practice using them while leaning against a tree, or resting the stick and my hand against something. By doing this at the gun club I can hold a group of about three inches at 100 yards. You can't always find that in the woods while walking, but it can work in your favor if you hunt from a stand.

 

[Yeager]

I shot an Elk at 500 yds off the sticks and a mule deer at 475. Neither time is that the shot I was hoping for, I'm much more a 100-150 yd. kind of guy by choice, but that's all that presented itself so I made it work. My PH in Africa actually gave me a tip that really helped....get a solid rest on the sticks, not wobbly or uneven and pull down firmly on the fore end as you aim and line up the shot. As you start to pull down, take a deep breath then let it out slowly until you have about 1/2-2/3 of your air remaining in your lungs. That little pressure seems to really steady things up for about 10 seconds, then you have to start over. Obviously the sticks have to be pretty solid to handle the downward pressure and weight of the rifle.

I have a friend who can shoot, un-aided(no sticks), and hit a 9" gong at 500 yards with his 223AI. I have watched and learned that off-hand shooting is a skill sensitive art and that there are those who practice it and will surprise you with their ability: least he did me! lessons to be learned. P.S. I believe that there are others on this forum that can do the same.

 

[Rilow]

We practice on a fairly regular basis with the sticks as they are a staple for shooting in Africa and we are heading back there in another 62 days, but who is counting...... Most of it depends on the sticks you use. I feel really comfortable out to two hundred with the Primos Trigger Sticks that I have but for the long distance stuff I have been using a Bog Pod Death Grip and I hit the 12 x 12 steel consistently at 500 off of those. They are heavy and you certainly wouldn't want to carry them in the mountains but if your flat landing it they are sweet.

I'm using bog pod sticks

 

[soundwaves]

just killed a running wild boar at 250+ meters off hand standing up. no sticks nothing. shot him dead with the first shot

 

[brettman]

220 is my longest shot on a whitetail, what helped me was moving the cross hairs from right to left across the body of the deer and then squeezing the shot as the crosshairs reached the target with out really stopping completely, If that makes sense. Stick/monopods really help me stabilized up and down but i still feel shaky left and right unless I add the slow controlled sweeping movement into the shot.

About 20 some odd years ago I used to shoot with some old timers fairly regular. Two of them could go 5 for 5 on 8 inch steel at 350 yards standing with nothing but a tight sling. A tip they gave me, besides how to actually use a sling to shoot, was to make small controlled figure 8s with the reticle. Concentrating more on correct trigger control than where the crosshairs were on the target, settle into the slow rythtm and just let the shot brake natural. Works pretty well for me on steel but I've never tried it on big game, I can usually find some kind of support.

 

[jjmp]

great topic,great answers,i'm frugal so ive built my own one 7 foot just using two square 5/8 thick pices riped on a table saw, then sanded the edges with 60/80 grain sandpaper, then used a quarter inch bolt1.5 inch long with a washer in between the 2 wood pices, drill hole 4.5 inchs from the ends insert bolt tighten it up then ducktape the ends that hold the stock of your rifle . lite and handy ,built 2nd cross stick rest same way but much shorter for shooting out of a blind window, use a tape measure to get your height rite for sitting on a chair or pale , cost nill , save money for components . distance 200/225 yrds, better yet is a 3 legger tripod that will stop left & right movement yet still be light enough to take along , like the home made ones you see them using in Africa , cheers