Best Offhand Shooting Posistion.

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944

What position to shoot do you prefer the most other then you sitting at a bench ?? Confused

Dimitri

Blaine · Member Joined: Feb 24, 2005 Posts: 260 Location: Maine

Almost any sort of rest will do. It depends on the game being hunted. For squirrels, I like to lean up against a tree and use it for steadying the gun. For deer hunting, I prefer one of my tree stands that all have a shooting rail. I can sit comfortably and rest the gun using my hand on the rail for rock steady shots. If I have neither rest available, I like to kneel on one knee and use my other knee as a brace for my hand supporting the forend. I am not a good standing off hand shooter...not steady enough. I use any rest I can make do with whenever I can.

Blaine

Bushmaster

Standing or crouching free syle...Not often do I get the privilage of resting my rifle when hunting. At the range sitting at the bench and resting on sand bags...

PaulS

I am comfortable with a standing posture to about 300 yards and an eight inch target but for tight work or at longer ranges I will use either a sitting or prone position in that order of preference.

moose2

Out here on the prairies, shooting off hand can be a real challenge. Alot of the time the winds are just to strong to adequately steady a rifle off hand. A rest of some sort is a must. Most of my shooting is done with the aid of a bipod or shooting stix.-tr

glockman55

Sitting works for me, if the terrain allows, I some times us a bi-pod, or a mono pod. if I have time to set up.

Glock

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

I do not hunt without a pair of SteadyStix. I rarely am in a place where I need a fast shot without a moment to get ready... usually I've spotted my target and am sneaking up to get in range. This gives me alot of time to ready the sticks (I have the old kind and the newer "spring" ones made like tent poles that auto set up). Good stuff.

If I have to shoot purely offhand I tuck my non-trigger arm's elbow inward to rest on my chest, it makes for a very steady hold and i then use back muscles to alter altitude adjustments.

Optimally I like to set up on a rock or grab onto a tree to steady myself. My dad always said when you see something your first inclination should be to find a rest, THEN start thinking about jacking in a shell.

EDIT: HEres steadystix in action. I like to squeeze the sticks near the pivot grasping the forarm of the stock much like a pair of plyers though. Great expecially if you have to pick up and move.

-DallanC

popgun

Being an ole goat I like the sitting position if I have time to get into it. Very Happy

I do most of my varmint and turkey hunting from the sitting position. The knees won't take the kneeling position anymore Mad

and it sounds like a whale doing a belly flop when I hit a prone position. Shocked

So it would be standing or sitting for me. Very Happy

longwalker

The wind and typicaly long shots on the open prairie means this guy uses a rest of some sort. If I can get into the prone position and the grass isn't to high, I'll use my day bag as a rest. If I can't, I'll use my pack frame as a "blind" and sit behind it and rest my gun in the pack frame. A large bipod to be sure but it is invaluable when packing out the game.

longwalker

Vince

popgun wrote:

Being an ole goat I like the sitting position if I have time to get into it. Very Happy

I do most of my varmint and turkey hunting from the sitting position. The knees won't take the kneeling position anymore Mad

and it sounds like a whale doing a belly flop when I hit a prone position. Shocked

So it would be standing or sitting for me. Very Happy

I'm like you Chris.....can't kneel due to a bad case of "infantry knee"....they are both stuffed. I find the sitting position difficult for the same reason and also a bad back. If I can, I go prone, but then recoil rocks me like an old rocking chair courtesy of my rather large-ish beer belly Laughing

. I always used to shoot standing unsupported but with age and a general lack of fitness I now look for something, anything, that I can use for a rest. The older I get, the better I used to be.

Have looked at an advert for the SteadyStix.....they look like they would make life easy; either them or a Shooting Stix pole.

At the range its usually a rest and sandbags.

Cheers, Vince

SwampFox

Real men use a rest.....especially real old men Very Happy

While in Africa I was introduced to the tripod with a canvas trangle top, sort of a mini bench and a folding stool or just the sticks with legs extended for tall grass. Works pretty good.

Here in the US I use anything I can get a rest on. If I have short grass, a truck hood or a hill, I use a bypod standing or sitting. I pretty much know where I am going, before I leave the house. We stopped the wander all over the country business many years ago. My shooting houses are built like a shooting bench with a roof and walls. If god wanted us to climb trees he would have made us 100 lbs lighter and given us tails. Smile

Ed

ripper007 · Member Joined: Mar 05, 2006 Posts: 199 Location: Colorado

just for plinking with the 30-30 or 223, I like standing shooting with no rest.

I think I shoot alot better if I just pulll up aim lock on with in a second and pull the trigger. those shots seem to allways be spot on, accurat quick and reliable most of the time. but when it comes to actualy wanting something and not missing, I will tend to squat down putting one knee on the ground and resting my left elbo on my left knee. I do the same for shooting a pistal.