Sticks v bipod/rucksack

[markojosh]

Hi Folks,

I have recently completed my DSC1 and am about to progress to gaining some practical experiance and work towards gaining my DSC2 with a BASC approves assessor. With this in mind, I am wondering what most folks feel is the best shooting platform for most circumstances? At the moment I mostly shoot off my backpack however know its probobly not optimum for accuracy. Are bipods too cumbersome to have attached on a long day out? Are sticks the only real way to go?

The ground I will be on will be in the Ludlow area if that is at all relevant.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[CBH Australia]

If the backpack works and suits the terrain you are in then use what you are comfortable with.

If the terrain and vegetation (tall grass) prevent this then maybe try sticks.

In South Africa I used a Viper Flex sticks or 4 stable sticks variety, I also used a short home made set sitting on the ground from a vantage point at 235m on an Impala

Limited use with sticks in Australia but we are catching on.

Headshot a Fallow at 120 over my backpack once. Not my usual style but learning and adapting as I go.

A lot of people in Australia try sling supported, sitting bracing against the knees or resting against any available tree.

No 2 hunts are the same and I think back on every hunt and what I learned from it and what I might have done better.

 

[HonestJohn]

Shooting over your day pack is great and better than a bipod, IF you have a daypack or roesack on!!! If you’re not bringing a backpack, AND you are likely gong to have to crawl into shooting position, OR you are in open spaces requiring longer shots, THEN a bipod is worth the pain. BUT, always bring good quad sticks anyway. I find 99% of shots are off my sticks these days, cannot be bothered to crawl around in the dirt as if ensuring the kill was the only thing putting food on the table that week!

I’ve found bipods virtually useless in heather or highland grass that’s often 2ft tall or more - in that case, I prefer to spread the quad stick legs wide and shoot sitting on my arse, or over the day sack with it standing up. Or more these days, watching the deer before purposefully spooking them and going back for a nice warm evening without any dragging needed

 

[markojosh]

If the backpack works and suits the terrain you are in then use what you are comfortable with.

If the terrain and vegetation (tall grass) prevent this then maybe try sticks.

In South Africa I used a Viper Flex sticks or 4 stable sticks variety, I also used a short home made set sitting on the ground from a vantage point at 235m on an Impala

Limited use with sticks in Australia but we are catching on.

Headshot a Fallow at 120 over my backpack once. Not my usual style but learning and adapting as I go.

A lot of people in Australia try sling supported, sitting bracing against the knees or resting against any available tree.

No 2 hunts are the same and I think back on every hunt and what I learned from it and what I might have done better.

Thanks for the feedback. Thats really usefull.

 

[VSS]

The vast majority of my shots are off sticks.
On the occasions I do have to get down low I use my backpack. I gave up on using a bipod some few years ago.
I also use my backpack when shooting from a highseat, if the rail is too low.

 

[Heym SR20]

Very very much depends on the ground you are stalking over.

 

[muddy42]

For woodland roe stalking, i use sticks 95% of the time. Specifically i use viper flex with the 5th leg out front. I even zero with them. They are amazing, the last 10 shots have accounted for 10 deer and probably more before that, but that would have been May 2024 and I cant really remember.

Backpack or bipod are great until you get into higher cover or grass.

 

[Tim.243]

Hi Folks,

I have recently completed my DSC1 and am about to progress to gaining some practical experiance and work towards gaining my DSC2 with a BASC approves assessor. With this in mind, I am wondering what most folks feel is the best shooting platform for most circumstances? At the moment I mostly shoot off my backpack however know its probobly not optimum for accuracy. Are bipods too cumbersome to have attached on a long day out? Are sticks the only real way to go?

The ground I will be on will be in the Ludlow area if that is at all relevant.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Shoot to what your ground dictates, as we (me) walk and stalk then staying up right for "my" reasons using sticks is you have a much better field of view of a back stop as things change. The movement from standing to laying down takes time also the shot is much flatter, example for a fallow at 200 off sticks the rounds is going at a angle, try that laying down and it is going up!
Get one run laying down then you could have to stand up "or you will be getting up" pull the shot a bit and it is trying to get up you have a very limited view to shoot again. If it gets up and is ready to go then you will want to see where it goes.
Sticks for me, don't take a back pack.

 

[Twodogs]

Picking up on Tim.243, who beat me to posting, something to consider when contemplating any shot.
Shooting from sticks will often gain you a height advantage over your quarry, especially if shooting the smaller species, so the shot will potentially be travelling in a downwards direction whereas with a bipod/backpack you will more likely than not at least be shooting parallel to the ground if not in a slight upward direction.
Think backstop.

 

[mike243]

I only ever shoot off quad sticks, my ground is pancake flat and I much prefer to send a bullet with a slight downward trajectory

 

[markojosh]

Shoot to what your ground dictates, as we (me) walk and stalk then staying up right for "my" reasons using sticks is you have a much better field of view of a back stop as things change. The movement from standing to laying down takes time also the shot is much flatter, example for a fallow at 200 off sticks the rounds is going at a angle, try that laying down and it is going up!
Get one run laying down then you could have to stand up "or you will be getting up" pull the shot a bit and it is trying to get up you have a very limited view to shoot again. If it gets up and is ready to go then you will want to see where it goes.
Sticks for me, don't take a back pack.

Great point. Thanks Tim.

 

[pob]

I think sticks will give you a safer backstop more often, given higher elevation than when laying down. I'd also think that there is less visible movement involved in setting up quad sticks than taking off a backpack and laying down with it. Sticks are handy too for steadying your binos when scanning on a stalk.

But as everyone has said, it's going to depend on your ground. I haven't seen may people using sticks in the highlands.

 

[FISH BOY]

Sticks for on foot, bipod for the bonnet and backpack to carry your lunch.

Bar hilly terrain like Scotland.

 

[Tim.243]

Great point. Thanks Tim.

An example, on my dsc1 I was the only one shooting off the 100 with sticks. The others were prone on a transit body in a wheat field. people started to head for the shooting area...(walkers) the prone shooters never saw them only stopping when I started shouting STOP as being heads up I saw them. So much for the FC safety chap looking after me lol
Pick the merit out of that

 

[farrieral]

Sticks and bipod.

Viperflex and Spartan.

Tried and tested, all bases covered.

Can shoot standing, kneeling and sitting off the Viperflex, Spartan bipod for prone, click on when needed, so when the rifles slung it isn't digging in your shoulder or snagging undergrowth.

Never suffered the Spartan magnetic "click" spooking deer or foxes and haven't lost it yet! *touching wood*

 

[Pete6.5]

If you are planning on progressing to dsc2 I would say you need to become equally comfortable with all positions and equipment needed to take a shot and learn which best suits each situation. They are all good options.

 

[big ears]

Just in case you want to try and increase game dealer rates here is something you might want to sign

Petition: Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.

petition.parliament.uk

 

[Foxyboy43]

If you are planning on progressing to dsc2 I would say you need to become equally comfortable with all positions and equipment needed to take a shot and learn which best suits each situation. They are all good options.

As per this post - practice on all three until you are comfortable and capable with each.

 

[Pete6.5]

Just in case you want to try and increase game dealer rates here is something you might want to sign

Petition: Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.

petition.parliament.uk

Ive been involved with selling reasonable amounts of venison (tons) for the last 23 years and my extended family for 50 years and the relative price was dropping much longer than when we left the EU.
The only correlation I can see is as deer numbers increased the price dropped (so simple supply and demand).
People saying I'm not going to shoot them because I'm not being paid enough are compounding the situation.
The quicker we can get the deer population to a number where the recruitment number is near or under the demand level the shorter the period will be where we can't move are venison on.
It would be great if we could all see it as a short term pain for long term gain and all try and pull together in reducing the deer population rapidly.

 

[Marty78]

Spot on