Typical Field Rest

[nksmfamjp]

So, I had a hard shot last year. I was using a fence post with my pack on top and I was just holding the butt....and I was kneeling.....380 yards, if I remember right. Hard shot. Missed before I connecte. Still, I just wasn't stable enough. Would have been a fine rest at 250 yards.

So, I'm wondering what folks really shoot off in the field for clean kills over let's say 600 yard.

I have a tripod setup, but have yet to work out the kinks. If I go that way, how can I stabilize the rear?

What is your setup to shoot long?

 

[ShtrRdy]

I don't think there is any magic for this. You need to practice with various approaches. I got to try a tripod this season and while I didn't get to actually make a shot I thought the tripod seemed very stable. The one i got to try was a BOG tripod.

 

[bigngreen]

Front bipod and a rear bag, I hunt in a way to stay in a strong shooting position, when I'm moving through the terrain I stay in positions that let me have the best set up for a shot, takes more thinking and work but I'm always considering the shot while moving on game to be successful.

 

[JohnWess]

I agree that practicing and finding the best one that works for you is the way to go. However, as a guy who has tried prone, kneeling, sitting, and standing positions, here is what works best for me in hunting situations.

Sitting with a Tripod and a Triclawps double cam on a pan head so I am able to get the rifle on target quickly. I then support the butt of the rifle with a set of twist lock shooting sticks (mine are an old set of stoney point which I am not sure are even made any more). This gets me rock steady for the longer shots. I do carry this set up with me on my pack and it is a lot of stuff but it works so well I decided it was worth it. I also like it because the shooting sticks are a great rest out to around 300 yards. Then the full set up is nice past that. Hope this helps.

As a side note. I really like bipod and rear bag as well, however I am often in vegetation too tall to make this work.

 

[Hand Skills]

It's a tricky question. Without knowing the terrain, you are going to get a bunch of answers. A good rule of thumb is getting as low to the ground as possible, but that's not always ideal if it exposes the shooting position. I've been hunting around fence posts for a while and for me the 3 ingredients are;

-Backpack
-bivy sack
-shooting sticks (or walking sticks in the steep)

Backpack/bivvy sac makes a great front/rear rest combo when prone is possible.

Shooting sticks out front with pack in the rear really opens up the options around vegetation, especially when a guy wants to stay down lower in the terrain and avoid exposing a silhouette above the horizon.

Bivvy sac travels in the top of the pack to bulk it up. Pack fills the gap between my right leg and right armpit in such a way that the rifles buttstock can rest on the pack.

 

[Bucklowery]

I have found when I am sitting I use a single y'all monopod under the butt to steady things up. It works great with the tripod also

Thanks

Buck

 

[Sdogab]

front bipod and use my pack for rear rest

 

[dgheriani]

I'm in the mountains of BC and a tripod is the key. The terrain makes it very unlikely that you can prone out. I've used tripods for years in long range rifle matches and it's just a no-brainer to bring one along when I hunt. The one I use for matches I can confidently make hits (with the correct wind call) on 12" targets from the standing position out to just about 1000 yards. The tripod I carry for hunting is a lot lighter and doesn't have as nice a head on it but I pretty much always try and setup for a seated shot and it's dead stable like that. You don't necessarily need rear support when using a tripod if your rifle is sitting on it's balance point. I'll generally try and pull my pack up on my lap to stabilize my firing elbow but it's not always necessary

 

[Kodiak Special]

Like he said above, tripod just works great. I realized this last month when my usual backpack/tree stump combo wasn't available.

 

[T3ninja]

With your tripod, do you hike using trekking poles ? If you do, I use a pole on the rear/butt and just pinch the butt of the gun up against the pole. Seems to work well. And quick with practice

 

[sedancowboy]

Like bigngreen said always looking and planning for the shot. I have found a tripod and trekking pole for rear support works well. Easy to adjust the height just grip the pole higher or lower for standing or sitting. New carbon tripods are getting light.

 

[memtb]

To 600 yards.....my shooting sticks! Beyond 600 yards.....I don't take the shot! I guess that I'm not a true "Long Range" hunter/shooter! memtb

 

[johnnyk]

For me, regardless of my front rest, I HAVE to stabilize the butt of the rifle or my right elbow. With those two points of contact I'm real good.

 

[bmnkbrandon]

600 yards is no easy feat in the field. It's the type of shot where you need to take your time to prevent wounding or missing an animal. I'd recommend a quality kneeling bipod attached to the gun. More forgiving in uneven terrain since you don't have to go prone and if you're like me, sitting or kneeling is a lot more stable than standing. But try out different things and see what works best for you