A lot of emphasis is placed upon the rifle or
shotgun, as well as the scope and ammunition for the hunting
field, along with premium bullets to do a perfect job upon
impact, but little is written or spoken about help to accurately
deliver that premium bullet on target. A miss with a
three-dollar bullet is still a miss. At the bench, where we
determine just how well a rifle will shoot, we try to eliminate
all human error, but in the field where we put that rifle to the
real test, we usually stand upon our two hind legs and try to
steady the rifle and make the shot. Sometimes using a hasty
sling to help steady the rifle helps a lot, at least for me, but
having a rifle that will shoot into one-half inch from the bench
does no good when I have a four-inch wobble when standing up and
shooting without that bench rest. There are various field
shooting positions such as kneeling and sitting that help, when
applicable. Personally, if I have to shoot other than standing,
I really like a good Harris bipod, if the terrain and ground
cover permit its use. In my deer stands, I have
incorporated a gun rest that pivots, allowing the swinging of
the muzzle to cover the area out in front of the stand. My woods
stands have no such rest, as shots are close, never past sixty
yards, but covering the fields, the line of fire extends out to
four hundred yards or so, and I need some type of rest to
accurately shoot that far.
For hunting areas on foot, again depending
upon the terrain, some type of shooting stick with a rifle rest
on top is a good aid, and adds greatly to the steadiness of the
hold. Most of these monopod or bipod type of shooting sticks
have a V-block atop the stick in which to lay the rifle, and
they work pretty well. A better idea is a new system from Do-All
Outdoors called the Evopod which has a quick-attach block
atop the monopod, bipod, and tripod that allows the rifle to
quickly attach to the unit, effectively making a much more
sturdy rest, unifying the rest with the rifle. Each unit
comes with two mount adaptors, one for a camera or spotting
scope, and another that attaches to a standard sling swivel
stud. For hunting in wide open spaces where glassing with
a spotting scope is the method, after spotting game, the
spotting scope pops off and the rifle is quickly attached, using
the same tripod for both. When using the bipod or monopod as a
walking stick, the rifle can just as quickly be attached to
either, greatly helping to steady the rifle for the shot. The
sticks adjust from 22 to 61 inches, and have rubber covered
swivel feet, to adapt to any terrain. These units really are a
great aid, especially when hunting in vegetation that is too
tall for the use of a traditional bipod. The monopod weighs in
at only nine ounces, the bipod just over one pound, and the
tripod weighs just one and one-half pounds, yet they are very
sturdy.
Another interesting and useful device that I
have recently started using is the Shotgun Rifle Bow rest from
Carlson’s Choke Tubes. These consist of a U-shaped top section
to hold the weapon, a short pole, and a steel socket with a
ground spike. This device works very well for turkey hunters
sitting against a tree or in a ground blind, where the weapon is
laid down while calling. The SRB holds the weapon off the
ground, and can also serve as a rifle or shotgun rest while
waiting for the bird to come to the call. I have used a similar
home made device for years, but the SRB is a much better tool.
There are many shooters who do real well from
the bench when sighting in their rifle before opening day, but
then are disappointed when they miss that big buck, or even
worse, wound the animal to be lost and suffer a slow death. We
owe it to ourselves and the animals that we hunt to do
everything that we can to place our bullets precisely, and
having a field rest handy only makes sense. If the opportunity
presents itself for a quick shot at close range, the bipod or
other rest need not be used, but if that buck of a lifetime
appears on a ridge about two hundred yards out, I want something
with me to help me be sure of that shot. Whether it be one of
these tools shown here, or a home made walking stick that allows
a bit steadier shot, taking something afield as a shooting aid
just makes good sense.
Check out the products shown here at www.choketube.com,
www.doalloutdoors.com
or www.harrisbipods.com.
Jeff
Quinn
A good bipod, like this Harris model, is very
handy and extremely steady where the terrain and ground
cover allow its use.
The SRB from Carlson's Choke Tubes is very
handy to keep the weapon off the ground and secure, and
also serves as a rifle or shotgun rest when needed to
steady the shot.
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