Suggestion on a tripod for quick shots while stalking

[randello88]

I was a Primus Trigger sticks fan for couple of years but I now never leave the mouse without Viper Quads. In answer to your question quads offer mor flexibility, only two less to deploy, in woodland for close fast shots you just use them as bipod sticks and don’t deploy the rear hinge set. Also if you have to be on the sticks for a while waiting for the right shot or an animal to turn then quads take the full weight of the rifle unlike Trigger sticks. For long stuff over 250 you just can’t beat quality quads almost as good as prone with a bipod. Also if you are crossing streams or coming up/down steep terrain then clip them together and they make a strong and sturdy support stick. Mine have been to SA, Namibia and Scotland and never let me down they are used every week in the Fallow season

Very interesting. I have never seen them used here in Italy and almost never heard about them until now. Of they give you even comparable stability to prone shooting it's literally mindblowing considering how lightweight they are. I wonder why they are not so popolare outside the UK.

 

[randello88]

I am using the bod adrenaline, I am very pleased with it. Looks like it ticks all the boxes.

I have looked into it and i was going to buy it but then i saw many negative reviews on bog website, with i think 1.5 of overall rating, due to breakage of leg serrations!

 

[randello88]

I referred to Vanguard scout 62s which are a very light bipod shooting stick - great for up close, but way too much movement for longer ranges.

Trigger tripod sticks are ok, but nothing like the stability of quads as it eliminates the shoulder movement by taking the weight of the stock of the rifle - bit like prone. Most quads can be used as a bipod for a quick shot anyway.

May just be me, but I am far more comfortable 100-250m than 10-30 meters.

How can't you be comfortable in taking a shot at 10 meters?
Btw this thread was eyeopening for me, I never thought there was a featherweight system able to give prone-like accuracy from standing. I have to look into this system because at this point shooting from sitting or even from prone would be useless. Damn

 

[Tazz]

Very interesting. I have never seen them used here in Italy and almost never heard about them until now. Of they give you even comparable stability to prone shooting it's literally mindblowing considering how lightweight they are. I wonder why they are not so popolare outside the UK.

I took mine to Namibia a few years back the PH’s were very sceptical till I started using them and let them have a go. A year later when I went back they had imported a set

 

[bumpy22]

You know, what i don't like about these is that you can't use them for sitting (or can you?) and that setting that up doesn't look so easy since it opens pretty widely on the ground. If there are bushes or threes close to you it looks like it could be an issue.

I made a stubby rest half way up one of the right legs. When legs are up ots perfect for shooting of sitting or kneeling

 

[randello88]

I made a stubby rest half way up one of the right legs. When legs are up ots perfect for shooting of sitting or kneeling

Actually it seems like it would not even be that useful to shoot sitting reading what was said in this discussion. If you get prone like stability shooting from standing, sitting could be used very rarely. I still don't understand how it is possible, i mean, now leaning with the backpack or using a bipod from prone i put the bullets basically in the same hole with both my rifles, achieving that from standing seems impossible to me but again, i never used this system

 

[FISH BOY]

Actually it seems like it would not even be that useful to shoot sitting reading what was said in this discussion. If you get prone like stability shooting from standing, sitting could be used very rarely. I still don't understand how it is possible, i mean, now leaning with the backpack or using a bipod from prone i put the bullets basically in the same hole with both my rifles, achieving that from standing seems impossible to me but again, i never used this system

With the weather recently, sod kneeling, sitting or prone - try some Vipers or quads.

Will never beat a bench, but not far off.

 

[malmick]

Thanks! Why would you choose it over the quest t62? Only because of the quick deploy trigger or there is any other reason?

Haven't used the quest t62 but I can recommend the Gen 3 Trigger Sticks for ease of use and adaptability with the camera fitting, which I use with a spotting scope at the range. They are great for use on the hill due to adaptability for sitting and kneeling shots. If I'm out on arable land and more than likely to take standing shots then I take a set of quad sticks with (recently added) fifth leg. Have to say that I've found the latter to be on a par with shooting prone off a bipod or rucksack, rock solid.

 

[randello88]

Haven't used the quest t62 but I can recommend the Gen 3 Trigger Sticks for ease of use and adaptability with the camera fitting, which I use with a spotting scope at the range. They are great for use on the hill due to adaptability for sitting and kneeling shots. If I'm out on arable land and more than likely to take standing shots then I take a set of quad sticks with (recently added) fifth leg. Have to say that I've found the latter to be on a par with shooting prone off a bipod or rucksack, rock solid.

So why don't you just shoot off of quad sticks all the time? And why do you even care about shooting prone or sitting anymore?

 

[malmick]

So why don't you just shoot off of quad sticks all the time? And why do you even care about shooting prone or sitting anymore?

Because it's stalking and you can find yourself in a lot of unusual positions and have to be prepared to take shots from those positions. The trigger sticks adapt almost immediately to very uneven (hill) terrain in sitting, kneeling and standing positions, quads lees so. Quads +fifth leg provide a rock solid platform for standing shots on more even ground, which in my experience has been arable fields etc. I tend to choose the shooting support according to the land I'm shooting over.

You also mentioned "Not trying to brag but i just want to say that 50 yards is a distance where you don't even need a monopod. You can easily shoot a roe literally offhand without support at that distance". Some (many?) people wouldn't be comfortable trying to to take a humane shot offhand at that range. I shoot a lot of competitions, some at 50m offhand and achieve groups that would be within the kill zone for Roe. I would still think quite seriously about taking an offhand shot on a Roe at 50m.

 

[randello88]

Because it's stalking and you can find yourself in a lot of unusual positions and have to be prepared to take shots from those positions. The trigger sticks adapt almost immediately to very uneven (hill) terrain in sitting, kneeling and standing positions, quads lees so. Quads +fifth leg provide a rock solid platform for standing shots on more even ground, which in my experience has been arable fields etc. I tend to choose the shooting support according to the land I'm shooting over.

You also mentioned "Not trying to brag but i just want to say that 50 yards is a distance where you don't even need a monopod. You can easily shoot a roe literally offhand without support at that distance". Some (many?) people wouldn't be comfortable trying to to take a humane shot offhand at that range. I shoot a lot of competitions, some at 50m offhand and achieve groups that would be within the kill zone for Roe. I would still think quite seriously about taking an offhand shot on a Roe at 50m.

I see, thanks for the clarification. So why quad sticks are not ideal in uneven terrain? I never hunted in flat, arable fields in my life cause i hunt in the mountains and, of there is a field, most likely it is not on flat ground.

I think i took at least 20 shots between 30 and 60 meters standing offhand at roes, I wouldn't do it if i wasn't sure about the outcome. I never take a shot if i am not sure, never. It happens i renounce to shots many others would take, at least here in my country. I killed many deer (not as many as some people here but still a lot), never missed one, never wounded one. 50 m on a adult roe offhand is pretty easy if you have a well balanced rifle, just go to the range and try to shoot a target at 50 meters standing, i can't believe you can't hit a 10 cm target like that. Probably it's a matter of confidence and not a matter of skills.
I would never deploy a tripod or anything else if the shot was a clear one at 50 meters on a roe. The chances of scaring off a roe at 50 meters moving around are very high, especially if you don't have much cover.

 

[malmick]

i can't believe you can't hit a 10 cm target like that. Probably it's a matter of confidence and not a matter of skills.

I didn't say that I couldn't do it. I said that some people would not be confident with that type of shot, hence the use of sticks.

Quad sticks don't suit uneven ground as well as Trigger Sticks would, although some may see it differently.

People choose what works for them and they are correct to do that.

 

[randello88]

I didn't say that I couldn't do it. I said that some people would not be confident with that type of shot, hence the use of sticks.

Quad sticks don't suit uneven ground as well as Trigger Sticks would, although some may see it differently.

People choose what works for them and they are correct to do that.

I see, i didn't mean to sound harsh. I understand what you mean. I am just asking myself why not every hunter in the world uses quad sticks since they seem to be extremely lightweight and basically the perfect standing shooting platform! For example i have never heard about them in american or italian hunting forums. Maybe because in the UK you tend to hunt in flatter grounds with a lot of arable fields?

 

[malmick]

They might be more of a Northern European thing?

 

[randello88]

They might be more of a Northern European thing?

Probably but usually in this interconnected and globalized world, if something works so well, it get adopted everywhere pretty fast! Maybe it's a matter of different hunting grounds. Even if i can imagine some scenarios where they would have been useful, in most cases i shoot an animal without going prone i don't need prone-like stability at all. That said, when i read that some people here even removed bipods from their rifles because they just don't shoot prone anymore after adopting the quad sticks, this put everything in another perspective. I didn't think it was possible without a tripod with arca rail weighting several lbs

 

[malmick]

I've taken out two chaps who used these, literally just put rifle on the top, pulled the trigger on the sticks, when they hit the ground and locked they took their shot. No fuss or messing about, both got their deer.

I took mine to Namibia a few years back the PH’s were very sceptical till I started using them and let them have a go. A year later when I went back they had imported a set

These two posts show the way to go.

 

[randello88]

These two posts show the way to go.

I think it's a bit of a oversimplified view, if it was like this without pros and cons every hunter on the planet would use some version of quad sticks. I mean, i hope you are right, it would become a useful piece of kit, it would make things a bit too easy though.. a bit like thermal vision. But i could give it a try, maybe for some very specific applications like keeping it in the car and taking it with me if i know i will be hunting in open grounds..

 

[malmick]

Yes, you are right, quad sticks are better on open ground.

In my truck I have a thumbstick, the trigger sticks and the quads plus fifth leg. I take what I think suits the terrain, weather and time of day, and sometimes none if I think I'll be prone.

 

[randello88]

Yes, you are right, quad sticks are better on open ground.

In my truck I have a thumbstick, the trigger sticks and the quads plus fifth leg. I take what I think suits the terrain, weather and time of day, and sometimes none if I think I'll be prone.

That's what i could do as well. Is a lot of practice needed to get proficient with these quad sticks?

 

[malmick]

If you can shoot offhand confidently then quad sticks will just extend your range. I would guess that you would be confident with a 200m plus shot with them according to what you've said.