shooting platform for hunting (deer/elk)

[Jay Christopherson]

I've been using a pair of shooting sticks for quite a long time. They're effective enough if I'm seated, but I find them unusable standing (beyond very short range). I also have a bipod, but frankly - I've never been in terrain that would let me use them.

I'm looking for something that will provide a fairly stable shooting platform. I don't know if that's a tripod with some sort of attachment or some other system. I expect some level of setup time. I don't like snapshot situations, so I try to put myself in position to have time to get myself situated, though that's not always possible I guess.

Any thoughts?

 

[Kurz]

REALLY RIGHT STUFF SOAR TVC-33​

LEGS
MSRP: $975
Min/Max Height: 4.1/58.6 inches
Packable Length: 25.6 inches
Weight: 4.3 pounds
Material: Carbon fiber
MSRP: $975
Min/Max Height: 4.1/58.6 inches
Packable Length: 25.6 inches
Weight: 4.3 pounds

ACCESSORIES

Ballhead BH-55
MSRP: $489
Weight: 1.96 pounds

Chassis Specific Mounting Plates
MSRP: $80
Weight: 2.79 ounces

Vyce Mount
MSRP: $295 – $344
Weight: 17 ounces

AS CONFIGURED
Max Load: 50 pounds (ballhead), 50 pounds (tripod)
MSRP: $1,544 to $1,808
Weight:7.3 pounds
URL: soar.reallyrightstuff.com

https://www.recoilweb.com/rifle-ready-tripod-buyers-guide-133249.html

I've used this system for the last couple of years and it is the best in my opinion. You inlet the adapter into the stock and off you go. Super comfortable to shoot. Expensive? You bet! but far more useful than other solutions.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

REALLY RIGHT STUFF SOAR TVC-33​

LEGS
MSRP: $975
Min/Max Height: 4.1/58.6 inches
Packable Length: 25.6 inches
Weight: 4.3 pounds
Material: Carbon fiber
MSRP: $975
Min/Max Height: 4.1/58.6 inches
Packable Length: 25.6 inches
Weight: 4.3 pounds

ACCESSORIES

Ballhead BH-55
MSRP: $489
Weight: 1.96 pounds

Chassis Specific Mounting Plates
MSRP: $80
Weight: 2.79 ounces

Vyce Mount
MSRP: $295 – $344
Weight: 17 ounces

AS CONFIGURED
Max Load: 50 pounds (ballhead), 50 pounds (tripod)
MSRP: $1,544 to $1,808
Weight:7.3 pounds
URL: soar.reallyrightstuff.com

https://www.recoilweb.com/rifle-ready-tripod-buyers-guide-133249.html

I've used this system for the last couple of years and it is the best in my opinion. You inlet the adapter into the stock and off you go. Super comfortable to shoot. Expensive? You bet! but far more useful than other other solutions.

Yeah, this is top of my list. I was hoping someone would mention it with personal experience, thanks!

 

[johnnyi]

I've been using a pair of shooting sticks for quite a long time. They're effective enough if I'm seated, but I find them unusable standing (beyond very short range). I also have a bipod, but frankly - I've never been in terrain that would let me use them.

I'm looking for something that will provide a fairly stable shooting platform. I don't know if that's a tripod with some sort of attachment or some other system. I expect some level of setup time. I don't like snapshot situations, so I try to put myself in position to have time to get myself situated, though that's not always possible I guess.

Any thoughts?

I saw the new Vortex bipod with ball mount that was given out to some of the shooters making the elite eight at the V2 match. They appear to be extremely solid. The ball head mount locks down solid and includes the arca rail clamp.

Radian Carbon Tripod + Ball Head

Carbon fiber legs, Arca-Swiss compatibility, and ball or leveling head options ensure stability and precision for long-range accuracy—whether in the field, at the range, or during a match.

vortexoptics.com

 

[Jay Christopherson]

I saw the new Vortex bipod with ball mount that was given out to some of the shooters making the elite eight at the V2 match. They appear to be extremely solid. The ball head mount locks down solid and includes the arca rail clamp.

Radian Carbon Tripod + Ball Head

Carbon fiber legs, Arca-Swiss compatibility, and ball or leveling head options ensure stability and precision for long-range accuracy—whether in the field, at the range, or during a match.

vortexoptics.com

I asked Ian about that. That tripod and head was REALLY nice, but a little heavier than I want to pack around hunting. He did mention that there was a somewhat lighter version with a slightly different head that I plan to check out.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

The Spartan Davros/Sentinel tripod system looks interesting:

Ascent Tripod™ Gen 2 W/ Davros Pro Head

Designed for backcountry hunters who need to travel light without compromising on the kit they need to be successful the feature-rich, multi-functional Ascent tripod provides a rock-steady platform for a broad range of rifles and optics and can be carried on a pack.

javelinbipod.com

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I made mine. 2 pieces of stainless tubing, pointed on the ends, drilled through both, used a 8-32 bolt and some washers. Like a scissor affair. Shrink tube on the business end. These can be adjusted for heighth easily. And you can rotate your rifle with out moving them.

 

[thestoicmarcusaurelius]

RRS if you care about the best weight/stability combination/compromise

Just pick the one that has the weight you want

if you don’t mind buying Chinese then there are plenty of leofoto options that are basically Blatant knockoffs of rrs Products

I’m more of a leveling base guy and the RRS TA-3 is what I have and I like it a lot

the leofoto yb-75 is the Chinese knockoff leveling base

 

[MikeT49]

Bog ultralight Death Grip head mounted to your existing tripod or Bog Fieldpod. The death grip is easier to pack. Not quite bench rest steady, but great for hunting shots to 300 yards or so.

 

[Olspark]

I’ve used this for a number of years now. It holds my 300RUM steady but it’s not a clamp on type just a cradle. It has a 1/4 x20 thread to fit most tripod so you can use whatever you have. It also folds up for storage and weighs only a few ounces.

 

[tvaught]

Benro TMA48CXL + RRS Anvil 30 + (ARCA rail or Ingenuity Rail on your rifle... you pick your preference) is what you want Jay. You can spend more, but it'd be tough to get more solid for the packing weight.

 

[K22]

I've been using shooting cross sticks quite successfully for over 20 years now for varmint, predator and deer hunting.

None of the sticks on the market met my needs so I designed and built my own for less than $20. Since I stalk a lot I needed something light weigh, quickly adjustable, and stable enough to make precision shots on varmints.

I took two pieces of 1/2 inch diameter, solid aluminum rod and cut them to 44 inches each which fits me for a sitting position. I placed 12" of heater hose on one end of each rod to provide a non slip surface to rest the rifle on. I sharpened the other ends to a point to provide solid non slip contact with the ground. I bound the sticks to together with three wraps of 1" wide velcro so it slides up and down the heater hose for extra adjustment if needed.

I carry a light weight sportsman's chair on a sling so I can assume a sitting position to shoot off the sticks. This give me four points of contact, elbows resting on the knees, feet flat on the ground. I can get on target and complete a shot within a minute or so if necessary.

To adjust for height, I simply move the sticks wider or narrower. When I need more adjustment, which is rare, I simply move the velcro wrap up or down the heater hose.

It takes some practice, but when I'm in the zone I can hold a minute of angle out to about 250 yards. This system provides me with a mobile, stable, and easily adjustable shooting platform. Also, since I'm sitting on the chair, I have a much better field of view giving me more shot opportunities. I've even used this in the 'big woods' of north central PA hunting deer. I've shot my two largest life time bucks using this system.

All my range practice is off the sticks. I don't get some weird stares at the club until they see me shoot. The only time I use a bench is for load development or initial scope sight in. Final scope sight in is always off the sticks.

 

[David Milisock]

I've been using a pair of shooting sticks for quite a long time. They're effective enough if I'm seated, but I find them unusable standing (beyond very short range). I also have a bipod, but frankly - I've never been in terrain that would let me use them.

I'm looking for something that will provide a fairly stable shooting platform. I don't know if that's a tripod with some sort of attachment or some other system. I expect some level of setup time. I don't like snapshot situations, so I try to put myself in position to have time to get myself situated, though that's not always possible I guess.

Any thoughts?

How far are you looking to shoot?

 

[RegionRat]

@Jay Christopherson , what I always tell the new hunters who ask this question, is to go borrow or buy both kinds of set-ups, tripod and sticks. Get to the range and shoot with both. Be honest with yourself about carrying and setting them up. Decide for yourself which ones are right for you and your goals.

If you can shoot with something like TriggerSticks, you are going to be much faster if you must move or adjust position. If you know for certain you will not have to move around, then tripods are much more steady.

We always have both kinds at hand and decide when we start the hike if we are carrying one or both based on the day.

The weight you can pack is also a big consideration when we are talking elk or deer in high country and snow. The good news is there are many of both kinds made in lightweight options if you can afford them.

Where I hunt in NW Colorado, if a hunter can scoot and shoot quickly, their odds of filling their tags are much higher than the ones that can't adjust position to adapt to opportunities.

Some tough seasons can be a very quick time window with few seconds to get a single shot on a single day, and other seasons can look like the stampede scenes in Dances With Wolves where you are overrun with herds and you can take your time on several different days. In those tough years, the whole season can boil down to a few seconds to pull off a shot that you were not set up for.

If we climb up high and set an ambush, there is time to set up a tripod. But, if the path the animals take means we have to move very quickly to clear cover or obstacles, then something like sticks or TriggerSticks are the option. The hunter has to be able to place the shot into something the size of a basketball, so the farther and faster you can do that with each kind, the better the odds that you will fill your tag in tough years.

If you know for certain you will plant your butt and not move, then you can probably get away with just the tripod. If you want to cover your bases, get both kinds.

 

[Cody Richardson]

Yeah, this is top of my list. I was hoping someone would mention it with personal experience, thanks!

Jay, I have a RRS TFC-24L with a Leofotto LH-40 ball head (ball head is lighter and higher weight rating than the RRS) that I hunt with out west with and use for work. I went with the long version and glad I did. The extra height has really came in handy in steep terrain. I have a 2.5” arca plate on my hunting rifle right at the balance point on the stock. Either using my pack as rear support or using the sling wrapped around one of the legs, I feel very confident out to 600+. Hunting rifle is 9# 11oz and my work rifle is 14# + and they are both very steady locked onto a ball head. I’ve got a few thousand rounds on that tripod now and can not sing enough praises for it.

As for glassing, once you get the friction knob set with enough tension, glassing with bino’s or a spotter is just as smooth as using a pan head. And for weight, definitely go with the Series 2, with the 24L and the LH-40 head is 4# 6oz, it’s about half a pound lighter that the Series 3 long version.

Also, we have an Anvil 30 setup on some work tripods, they are phenomenal to shoot from, but glassing from them is an absolute pain. I tried and tried to like it to glass from and just couldn’t get it smooth to glass with.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I've been on 4 elk hunts, 3 prone with bipod 1 sitting with bipod. Are you hunting steep heavy vegetation coastal range? That would be where I would shoot off standing sticks.

 

[CharlieNC]

Midway has a light weight Caldwell bipod, which attaches to the rifle in a conventional manner, that extends the legs quickly for shooting while sitting. Along the Harris notched leg design, these offer rapid deployment when setting up. Since it is attached to the rifle, the position is more stable and hands free than sticks are for me.

 

[SVT_Tactical]

I use a bog death grip tripod. I sprung for the carbon fiber model and it's a prefect setup for hunting. I've made some distant kills on coyotes with it.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

How far are you looking to shoot?

eh. 600 yards, MAX. I can shoot LR well enough, but I prefer not to do so hunting. My preference is to glass & stalk, working with enough time to setup properly. Sometimes I'll pass on a shot if it feels too hurried (usually shots inside of 150 yards or so, where I didn't spot the animal in time to setup well).

Most of the hunting I do is high/cold desert-ish, lots of knee high sage brush, tall grass, pockets of trees here and there.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

That would be bipod shooting for me. All my elk were inside 200 yards, last year's in sage @143 yards prone in the snow.