Bipods, Tripods, Sticks, A UTE roof or a good old fence post??

[Aquazone]

I much prefer being in a comfortable standing position. I can quickly set up a tripod once I've spotted a target animal. They work great on flat or hilly terrain.
I run two types of tripod...A tripod with a simple 'V' head which I use for rabbits and my rimfires...And a tripod and clamp for my centrefires...
What is your choice of shooting platform when your out hunting??

[Tom Kat]

I am am old school daylight hunter. I sit on the ground and use a pair of shooting sticks I made.

[Bill K]

Thanks for the photos and story. I also like the tripod style, for walking about and set up. I use the Primos/Shockey style with V-swivel. adjusts for sitting to standing.

[Tom Kat]

Thanks for the photos and story. I also like the tripod style, for walking about and set up. I use the Primos/Shockey style with V-swivel. adjusts for sitting to standing.

How does it work sitting on the ground? Any negatives?

[Bill K]

I have not found any. Sometimes it is a tad to high, even when slide to lowest adjustment, but a slight forward angle can cure that. Overall I have like it and have used it now for at least four years.

[Tom Kat]

I like the idea of shooting OVER vegatation. In Kansas, we have lots of stuff growing up and I worry about deflections

[Bill K]

I try also, to not shoot through vegetation. Clear path for bullets to travel to target/critter, for sure.

[Rick in Oregon]

Here on the high desert of central Orygun, vegetation is not much of a worry, only on irrigated land unless dealing with sagebrush. So cross sticks or bipods work well out to extended ranges.

Here I'm working on a head-sized rock on that distant ridge and not a chuck at 770 yards using my M240 in 7.62 x 51 and Federal Premium 168gr Match ammo off cross-sticks:



That rifle and scope is deadly on chucks out to as far as the caliber is capable, as long as I do my part behind the rifle. (BIG wink)

When we go bunny-bustin', it's usually with our custom 10-22's jumping them in the sage while walking, no night stuff for us, as we much prefer the running shots these jackwabbits entertain us with on a nice day:



But as always, any time behind the rifle is a good time!
And Aqua-guy, are there any bunnies left in OZ now?

[Bill K]

Very nice Rick. Good photo's.

[Bill K]

Rick: You might post a photo of that other shooting rest that you came up with and I have seen in some of your photos. Maybe this would be something
for this/these guys to make and use also.

[Rick in Oregon]

Rick: You might post a photo of that other shooting rest that you came up with and I have seen in some of your photos. Maybe this would be something
for this/these guys to make and use also.

Gotcha Bill.....
That would most likely be my "Varmint Stake". Whipped up in the shop one day after a rock chuck foray in the lava rocks and junipers while using one of my Harris bipods. Much more adjustable, can be used for prone and sitting, and less hassle (for me) than cross-sticks, which I also occasionally use.

Simple, basic design, took about 45 minutes in the shop to make out of random material laying about:



Shown with my Cooper M21 Montana Varminter in 204 Ruger, Leupold VX3 6.5-20X LR 40mm w/VH Reticle and M1 Elevation turret:



Field tested, proven worth (Shown with my Cooper M38 in 20 VarTarg, also Leupy 6.5-20X LR 40mm with same reticle:



It works quite well for the intended task, didn't cost squat, and adds one more tool for the varmint quest with a rifle. I'm guessing this is the rig you are referring to, right?

[Bill K]

That's the one Rick. Tom Kat may want to forge something like this up for his sitting, etc. rather than the tripod style. Thanks for posting the up.

[Tom Kat]

That tool some good planning and fabrication

[Rick in Oregon]

That tool some good planning and fabrication

Well TK, thanks for the accolades, but in truth, it was thought up on the fly while out sneaking about in the junipers and sage looking for chucks in the lava rock piles as "another tool" for doing so. As for fabrication, my shop is long gone and the torch was passed to my No.1 Son some time ago, so I drew it up for him for a quickie job to whip out in his very well equipped fabrication shop...took him all of just over 40 minutes....chip off the old block, right? lol (He's a former US Navy submarine welder, First Gulf War Vet and now builds custom Baja rigs, trucks, cars, bikes and any other stuff for old adrenaline junkies.) I'll gladly supply a link to his website if anyone here has ideas they want turned into reality, but I'll not post it public as he's already buried with work. The kid has turned out to be a true Master Fabricator.

Here's one of his builds you may remember posted here a while back done for Leupold:



One of his Baja trucks trophied at the recent Mint 400 in Vegas.....off-road animals! But if you want to copy the Varmint Stake for your own use, go for it, as it's really nothing special, and this time I didn't take out a patent on it! Have fun.

[Tom Kat]

Thats a beautiful bike