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Shooting Stick Round-up

Here’s a sentence you’re unlikely to read in a shooting magazine: ‘The most expensive kit that produces the best results isn’t always the one you should buy’. This is particularly true when it comes to shooting supports. There’s a direct trade-off between two key factors, accuracy and flexibility. If you gain in one area, you generally lose in the other. You first need to think about the kind of shooting you do and the environment you do it in.


Let’s say you take some standing shots and manage a 2-inch group at 50m using split sticks. Repeat the process with a tripod and you’ll probably get down 1-inch. Swap the tripod for a saddle and you could get it down to ¾- or maybe even using ½-inch using quads.


Not much point in reading any further then, just buy some quads, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, accuracy isn’t everything. If you’re lucky enough to shoot ‘out on the hill’, prone bipod shots may be an everyday event but for me and I suspect many others standing, kneeling or sitting is the norm. I regularly need to create or enhance my backstops — it’s often the only safe way to shoot or even see the target.


In my opinion, we all need some kind of support. The problem is, you often don’t know what kind of shot you’ll be looking at until you’re in the field. That’s when flexibility often outweighs pinpoint accuracy.

 

  • Tripod sticks

    The Primos Trigger sticks have become pretty much the goldstandard in terms of an instantly adjustable shooting platform over the last few years. In terms of flexibility, nothing else even comes close. You can transition from standing to kneeling to sitting in seconds and back again in almost complete silence. The only thing I don’t like is the price but having said that I’ve had my current set for at least 3-years and if/when they do give up the ghost I’d replace them without a moment’s hesitation. I quite literally won’t leave home without them.

  • Quad sticks

    Often associated with deer stalking, modern quad sticks are without doubt the most accurate free-standing shooting platform out there. With practise, you can almost zero a rifle with them. However, all that accuracy comes at a cost. Covering large, flat, well-kept fields or in an ambush scenario they’re great. Perfect for anyone looking to take on long bunnies, foxes or deer with the reassurance that a standing shot will always be heading earthward.

    The problem is on rough, and especially sloping ground, they can be a nightmare if not impossible to deploy and manoeuvre. Using tripod sticks with a panning head it’s not a problem, you just swivel the gun around and Bob’s your mother’s brother! No noise, no adjustments; it’s just like panning a camera. The same can’t be said for quads. You have to do the quad dance! The steps include grabbing hold of the rifle and sticks simultaneously, leaning the lot onto one leg and then shuffling around without making a sound. The final step is to plonk the quads back down and hope the critter is within the fairly limited arc of fire on offer.

    Quads are Ideal for centrefire and long range shooting, where adjustments are likely to be less pronounce or less likely to spook the target. At air rifle and low velocity rimfire range, all this faffing about deploying and adjusting can get you noticed.

  • Saddle supports

    Shooting saddles and their accompanying heavy tripods are the hot ticket item with many serious shooters at the moment.

    They’re cool, apparently. Snipers use them! I must admit they don’t feel that cool when you’re slogging across a muddy field in Macclesfield with all that extra weight over your shoulder. If you spend your time bouncing between permissions all that extra weight, the extending, the collapsing and adjusting of ball heads does get a bit tedious. Where they do score very highly, is when you’re on a mission for a particularly tricky fox or skittish dear and you’re likely to be in situ for quite some time.

    As a static ambushing tool, they’re probably the best allround. You’ve got accuracy close to that of quads, plus a potential 360-degree field of fire courtesy of a panning head. What you lose is flexibility in terms of easy deployment and manoeuvrability. A key factor that adds to the saddle’s appeal is less obvious. Their USP is the ability to clamp the rifle in position on the tripod. How does that help? In short, less fatigue and potentially fewer opportunities missed, as you’re now free to do more spotting, or sitting or whatever else it is that helps you relax and produce better shots.

  • Bisley Extended Bipod 13-23-inch

    Bisley Extended Bipod 13-23-inch

    A clone of the classic Harris design, the Bisleys offer a potential solution for those who need a little elevation but don’t want to carry sticks. Admittedly, they are fairly limited, offering either a prone or sitting shooting position but for anyone who can live with a soggy bottom, they’re an option! In terms of bang for your buck, they’re pretty good, compared with some others in the line-up but limited shooting positions and the general lack of elevation may prove too restricting for some.

    Technical specification

    Accuracy: 10

    Versatility: 3

    Deployment: 9

    Weight: 9

    Portability: 9

    Cost: 5 (£69.99)

    Overall score: 45/60

    Contact: www.bisley-uk.com

  • Primos Trigger Sticks Gen3

    Primos Trigger Sticks Gen3

    Products from across the pond aren’t usually associated with innovation. Strong, sturdy and reliable perhaps but not exactly ground-breaking; Primos have put the traditional US design stereotype to the sword. In terms of innovation, Primos broke the mould and continue to do so with their latest Gen 3 design. Below the head section they’re pretty much identical to the Gen 2 but from the legs up it’s all new. One of the biggest improvements is the new locking collar that controls how far the legs can spread.

    By default, the legs spread and lock to form the perfect tripod platform for a kneeling or standing shot. However, if you need to go lower you simply twist the locking collar and legs become free to splay out independently to whatever angle you need. It doesn’t sound like a major upgrade but in the field, it makes them even easier to deploy than their predecessors and the hard stop provided by the collar makes them a little stiffer and more secure.

    The pistol grip section has also been upgraded but to be honest I never had any issues with the original. Above the grip things start to get interesting. The trigger itself is pretty much identical to the Gen 2 but the trigger lock has been replaced with a locking switch for the new quick release system. The quick release allows you to switch in seconds between the shooting yoke or a quick release plate, which you can preattached to anything you like. Obvious choices being spotting scopes, cameras, ball/tripod heads.

    A button on the pistol grip releases the yoke and the new plate lock clamps it in position. If you only ever plan to shoot, this feature probably won’t blow your socks off but it does make the sticks ideal for photography, videography of long range spotting.

    In terms of weight, there’s really nothing to choose between the Gen 2 or 3 variants and the maximum extension remains the same. I’m 6’4” and they’re just about perfect for me fully extended.

    Technical specification

    Accuracy: 8

    Versatility: 10

    Deployment: 10

    Weight: 8

    Portability: 9

    Cost: 6 (£139.99)

    Overall score: 51/60

    Contact: www.bisley-uk.com

  • Primos Trigger Sticks Gen2

    Primos Trigger Sticks Gen2

    With an upgraded model on the market, you’d think the Gen2s would be kicked to the curb but there’s definitely a place for them with dedicated shooters. The twist lock collar is a definite improvement but if you don’t need the quick release why not save yourself £40 and stick with the Gen2s. You can still unscrew the yoke, revealing a clever 3/8- and ¼-inch adaptable thread. It’s a little more effort to add third party kit but you could simple screw a ball head straight on. The improvements seen on the Gen3s are exactly that, improvements but on an already superb design.

    The Primos sticks, regardless of the generation, offer the fastest, quietest and most flexible shooting support on the market.

    Technical specification

    Accuracy: 8

    Versatility: 8

    Deployment: 9

    Weight: 8

    Portability: 9

    Cost: 6 (£99.99)

    Overall score: 48/60

    Contact: www.bisley-uk.com

  • Shadow Tech Hog & Pig Saddle

    Shadow Tech Hog & Pig Saddle

    Admittedly, we’re moving into a fairly niche market and, indeed, big bucks when it comes to shooting saddles. Especially considering you still need a suitable tripod and head to mount them on. Essentially, they’re tripod mounted gun clamps. The Hog Saddle is CNCd aircraft grade aluminium, while its cheaper counterpart is pressed steal. What’s the difference? Essential weight and superior finish. The Hog Saddle is just under a pound, while the Pig Saddle weighs in at 1.4lbs. In terms of functionality, they’re pretty much identical. The rubberised mountings are the same, and in terms of cradling the gun and overall stability, there’s nothing to choose between them.

    Add the saddle of your choice, a video tripod, and a quality video/ ball head and you’re looking at a significant investment. Not for everyone perhaps but for a solo hunter who needs to do his own spotting, while retaining the ability to get back on the gun at a moment’s notice, they’re unique.

    In terms of accuracy, they’re not far short of quads with the right kit under them. Arguably their most appealing feature is the reduction in fatigue, if you’re likely to be in situ for quite some time.

    Technical specification

    Accuracy: 9

    Versatility: 9

    Deployment: 6

    Weight: 6

    Portability: 6

    Cost: 4 (Hog Saddle £323.00 - Pig Saddle £141.00)

    Overall score: 40/60

    Contact: www.lodockgear.co.uk

  • Seeland 4-Legged Shooting Sticks (Quad sticks)

    Seeland 4-Legged Shooting Sticks (Quad sticks)

    At £100 a pair, most people’s first reaction would be to look for a cheaper alternative. After a spot of Googling you’ll come across a whole range of quads that at first glance appear to fit the bill.

    Beware false economy! Most don’t feature some subtle additions to the basic design that make the Seeland sticks stand out. The same is true for the classic wooden deer stalking quads. They look the part but again they don’t offer the same features. In addition, wooden quads are also potentially noisy and heavy in comparison. The Seeland sticks are tube aluminium, combined with plastic/polymer fittings. I must admit they look a bit flimsy and I wasn’t overly keen on the plastic, but I’ve had a pair for a couple of years and they’re still continuing to do the job.

    The Seelands are height-adjustable and feature flexible gun rests up top. The yokes both front and rear have a pivoting design to minimise cant on rough terrain, whilst the forend support has a bench style design giving you a much wider field of fire than the standard cross stick approach.

    Foam padding in key points makes them quiet to carry, while the tube aluminium keeps the weight down to a minimum. A great shooting platform in the right terrain.

    Technical specification

    Accuracy: 10

    Versatility: 5

    Deployment: 6

    Weight: 8

    Portability: 8

    Cost: 6 (£99.99)

    Overall score: 43/60

    Contact: www.bestfoxcall.co.uk www.uttings.co.uk

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