Single or double sticks

ny hunter

ny hunter

Member
I’m looking to pick up a shooting stick for squirrel hunting. I have a bog pod triple leg stick but it’s kinda cumbersome to set up in a flash. I’d like to hear a little input on the single or double leg sticks. Pros and cons.
 
When speed and adjustability are main concerns (as compared to rigidity), I think the Primos Trigger Sticks are hard to beat. I use the heck out of long tripod for just about all the hunting I do, from predators to big game. The bipod version is less costly and works well enough for relatively close shots, but the tripod version isn't much heavier and provides a much more stable shooting platform.
 
For squirrels I just plop down against a tree and shoot off my knee.

If I were to use anything My first choice would be my Swagger QD42 which requires a picatinny adapter that mounts to the front sling swivel stud.

My second choice would be the Primos trigger bipod that I have which isn’t a standing unit. I forget the height but basically sitting to kneeling height.

Neither of these would be effective in a standing position. If I’m standing and targeting a squirrel, I just find the closest tree and steady myself with that.
 
i used to carry a trigger stick bipod but i never shot great off it, good enough some times but usually just found it a waste. Now i just sneak up to the next tree if stalking, or sit so i have a good back rest on a tree/log for stability and use a knee for rest. If im hunting open areas and sniping (100yd shots) i take the tripod set to a kneeling level and set the gun on it (not locked in unless sitting), its quick enough to adjust one leg if really uneven ground.
 
trigger stick mono for sitting in the stand or off the ATV but for squirrels I'd just do off hand. If you use a HEAVY rifle, get a 22LR or 17 WMR.
 
After using a friend's adjustable sticks, one leg of which collapsed just as my shot broke on what should have been a gimme shot on a Gemsbok, I prefer solid sticks. The Gemsbok died but we didn't find it before the coyotes did.

I don't squirrel hunt and can see where adjustable sticks would be advantageous, but for my style of hunting, I have two different lengths of sticks and prefer to pick either standing or sitting sticks when I leave the jeep, depending upon terrain. I have a pretty good idea whether I'll need to shoot standing or sitting and assume proper shooting position to fit the sticks, if that makes sense. Tall grass dictates standing sticks, for instance.
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Standard double shooting sticks are very quickly deployed and can be moved quickly by grasping rifle sling and sticks w/weak hand and moving as a unit.
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Large coated garden stakes (5/8 or 3/4" diameter) are inexpensive at Lowes, a hank of para chord, some JB Weld, couple of nails or small bolts ground to a point and a piece of dowel can be inserted and glued in the bottom of sticks to prevent slippage. A drop or two of super glue on lashing prevents any slippage of knot.
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A bit of ghillie material can even provide a bit of cover and easy mobility when making stands.
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If I was a serious tree squirrel hunter and needed a portable rest, I might consider an African safari style tripod, they are pretty tall and easy to shoot off of. Just a thought. Mostly though I’ve just sat down and shot or lean up against a tree for the most part.
 
When I hunted squirrels most of my shots were up in trees and I was standing so just using another tree trunk to steady the rifle. Sticks would have had to be too long to carry around.

For predator hunting and even some PD shooting I make my own two leg shooting sticks from tempered aluminum tubing used for making replacement tent poles, the kind you bend into a bow to take hold the tent up. They are strong and light. I make them long enough to use sitting on a stool.
 
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