Thread: Who uses a tripod to hunt / shoot from?

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

You might be surprised how many guides are carrying them here too.
Primos made a five leg version which is like shooting off a bench. But they have stopped making them.
Owl Optics (FSSPrecision?) had a similar one at the Fieldays. About $400 but worth the money.

I tried a set of owl optics viper Styx and ended up buying them.
I ended up with the model with the extra leg that clips on or of.
When set up to your height and do a few practice set ups it's incredibly steady with a pretty simple system to adjust for your shot.
Because you set up at full height it negates the belly crawl and trying to smooth down the grass infront of the barrel.
Can be used as a bit of a hill stick as well.
I really rate them. Not cheap but quality.



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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

I tried a set of owl optics viper Styx and ended up buying them.
I ended up with the model with the extra leg that clips on or of.
When set up to your height and do a few practice set ups it's incredibly steady with a pretty simple system to adjust for your shot.
Because you set up at full height it negates the belly crawl and trying to smooth down the grass infront of the barrel.
Can be used as a bit of a hill stick as well.
I really rate them. Not cheap but quality.

@andyanimal31 Damn, they are spendy, aren't they! I see there's quite a few options there - which ones did you get? (and why, if you don't mind me asking)

My son and I have been using a set of Viperflex quad sticks (Journey) for the last 10 years. I bought them off a Finnish guy who was out here trying to find a local company to market them here for them.

My thoughts are that if you are hunting on flat, or reasonably flat ground they are fantastic, but they are not good on the side of a steep hill - particularly if you are shooting across the hill as they are too difficult to adjust the length of the legs on one side quickly.

Having said that, we have shot dozens and dozens of deer off them in and around river clearings and flats as they are very good at keeping you above long grass/reeds etc.

Haven’t tried it yet but for shooting on a hillside I have recently bought an Artcise tripod as suggested by dannyb. To me it looks as though it will be much easier to adjust the leg length individually on the side of a steep hill.

Practice.
They are easy to adjust the height for contour by simply lifting one side and moving it closer or away from the other. And the fact that the rifle isn't fixed to it like some tripod clamps means you can shoot with the sticks at any angle.
They may appear expensive but the look of disappointment from someone who has just missed a shot due to a unsuitable rest (which I've seen dozens of times) is horrible too.

Sorry but you are not correct, but what would I know - I’ve only had them for 10+ years.

I don't actually care.
But will add that I have had numerous clients bring their flash tripods then use my quad sticks to shoot their deer.
But if Danny has convinced you you might be on to a winner.

I guess a lot depends on the individuals ability to adapt and discipline themselves. I have a set of Vipersticks but haven't used them much - my bad. But for hunting they are light years ahead of any of the tripods I've tried. A big thing when hunting is hand movement, it gives you away instantly to game, and the tripod requires more hand movements to get it set than sticks.

One of the professional night shooters on here is consistently donging rabbits too 200 yards and beyond with his vipersticks. Nuff said.

Originally Posted by Speill

@andyanimal31 Damn, they are spendy, aren't they! I see there's quite a few options there - which ones did you get? (and why, if you don't mind me asking)

Mine are the Elite with the 5th extra stick for a really wobbly shooter like myself!

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Tentman, the issue has nothing to do with ability to adapt or discipline, it is the method used to adjust the length of the legs. Mine are an older set and have metal spring loaded pins that locate into a series of holes on each leg. You need to adjust both legs on the same side at the same time which is cumbersome and noisey, and once you have done it the quad sticks are no longer at the correct height for you to use as intended - instead you are half crouched behind them when on the side of a steep hill, and this is not an ideal stance for shooting accurately.

I’m sure one of the professional night shooters is donging rabbits to 200 yards, but I’m also sure he is not having to adjust the leg length for each shot because he is shooting on a steep hillside - which is what I said they are not ideal for.

If you need to adjust the leg length for each shot I suspect you aren't understanding how simple it is to adjust the height without changing the leg length.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

These are awesome. Great for inexperienced shooters. Turns newbies in to not bad shots.
I've even converted a few experienced hunters.
Trigger sticks are OK but tripods (Bogpds etc) awkward and slow to set up.

The way I hunt, the tripod is by far the quickest setup. Rifle is solidly connected to the tripod, and the tripod is kept at the ready to shoot length.
When it comes time to take a shot, I open the tripod legs, and I'm ready to go. Pan and tilt adjustments do not require leg adjustment, as the ball head looks after that.
This only works when shooting in paddocks, as it's quite ungainly. It is however easy to carry set up this way, and actually allows me both hands free to get thermal out of bino pack.
Would I use this in the bush - absolutely not. But for shooting rabbits at night it's hard to beat for speed and stability.

It isn’t possible to adjust the height of the Viperflex sticks I have without altering the leg length. The design only allows the legs to be opened to a fixed angle- they cannot be opened any further.

If you cannot alter the angle between the legs, and you do not alter the length of the legs, then how can you alter the height? Pretty simple trigonometry.

I use a set of “4 Stable Stix” from France. They’re great to shoot off . It’s mostly fallow here and have shot them out to 290yards off sticks. It’s a sandpit around here so getting in the ground you fill the rifle up with sand. $350 but don’t have the ease of leg adjustment of the Viperflex. I love them for sneaking around d shooting gates in the winter without doing the velvet flop on the wet ground.


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Originally Posted by Sauer

Tentman, the issue has nothing to do with ability to adapt or discipline, it is the method used to adjust the length of the legs. Mine are an older set and have metal spring loaded pins that locate into a series of holes on each leg. You need to adjust both legs on the same side at the same time which is cumbersome and noisey, and once you have done it the quad sticks are no longer at the correct height for you to use as intended - instead you are half crouched behind them when on the side of a steep hill, and this is not an ideal stance for shooting accurately.

I’m sure one of the professional night shooters is donging rabbits to 200 yards, but I’m also sure he is not having to adjust the leg length for each shot because he is shooting on a steep hillside - which is what I said they are not ideal for.

Sorry I wasnt trying to "get at you" but just pointing out how any gear needs a lot of adaption and consideration as to how to best use it.

I use trigger sticks when hunting varmints at night using thermal bino's and IR scope. Works a treat.