adirondack46r

I am thinking seriously of adding a shooting tripod to my hunting setup. I hunt from natural ground blinds, sitting on a double bull chair and I thought this tripod may be a nice way to be a little more confident in the 75 yard plus shots. Anyone have experience with these tripods? http://www.boggear.com/ There is a camo version available from LL Bean. They are pricey but have the best reviews overall.

Thanks for the input.

46r

muzzleloader1

Really nice stuff, thanks for posting.

cayugad

No experience with that tripod. But I also hunt from ground and tree blinds. But I use a set of shooting sticks I made at home for under $5.00. Once you learn to use them, you will find them very steady, easy to carry, and really give you a good rest that can be used on uneven ground.



Take a treated 2x4 about 4' long. Rip that in half. I then screwed the two halves together for the next step. I then drilled my set holes. Then be sure to put a string on the bottom of the legs. This will help them from spreading out on you when they are standing.

I use this as a walking stick. Have shot off it just folded. And wen in the blind, I have set that up, rested the rifle in it, then set the stock in my shoulder and it will keep the rifle there just fine, as long as you sit still. Best of all, its easy to make, effective, and you can make various sizes if you like to shoot from a sitting position for instance, I have a short set.

If the ground is uneven, just raise one leg, one notch up more then the other. Just an alternative. Its held together with an easy to move and handle large bolt with a wing nut.

Blackpowdersmoke

Hey Dave...

Is that your "Poor Man's Smoker" in the right background of your photo, or just a burn barrel with a lid? Don't mean to hijack...just curious. Also, I like your idea for shooting sticks. My Mrs. likes to hunt from a ground blind most of the time, so I've been looking to come up with something of that nature for her.

BPS

cayugad

That is a Burning barrel and the top of an old weber grill fits right over that barrel to keep rain out, protect smoldering embers from getting away, and to put the fire out should it ever get out of hand. Burning barrels don't last long here. Because of use of course, but usually a black bear will come in and knock a huge hole into them or drag them off into the woods. So I now stake them down.



My smoker.. seen here, is actually home made. Last winter I forgot to take the snow off the roof and the weight crushed the roof. I guess I need to make some repairs. The smoker was made by taking the stainless steel case that held a mobile home oil furnace. I removed the old furnace and threw that away. But the shell intrigued me. It was basically a stainless steel box with a very large hole on the bottom of it already there. That was the vent that blew the hot air out into the duct work. And the top had a hole that the chimney ran out of. So I took box car siding and some 2x4's and built the box, insulated it, and then build the door out of some poplar I ripped into boards. The heat source is an old charcoal Brinkman Smoker that the top is drilled full of holes (by me). You fill the smoker with charcoal or wood, light it, and then wet sawdust is placed in a pan over the coals. That's your smoke and heat. With all the holes in the top of the Brinkman, that releases a very cold smoke almost. And you control the amount of smoke kept in the box with an old pizza pan that you adjust over the stack hole to allow as much or little smokr you want. The smoker sits on cement blocks to level it and keep the door free in the winter. And the Brinkman smoker fits through the hole in the bottom so it gets plenty of air and burns nice and long. The inside racks came out of an old gas oven. I built shelving brackets and they slide right in. Then you can hang salami or jerky off them and smoke all sides at the same time. the drippings simply fall onto the top of the Brinkman cause more flavored smoke.

I am a pack rat. I throw nothing away until I can think of something to do with it.



That is a 3/4 inch PVC target holder. Easy to make, and stands up to winds real well. And depending on the how deep the snow it, that will still stand in snow and hold the target over the snow level. Its cheap to make, easy to move, comes apart for transport, and when a ricohet does brake the PVC you can add a replacement piece or in my case.. duct tape and a stick work just fine.

adirondack46r

Dave, the reason I am not going with something more basic - like wooden sticks - is that I want the flexibility of the 30 - 60+ inch extensions in case I happen to be standing. But those are cool sticks you made.

Blackpowdersmoke

Dave,

You're a "salt of the earth" type like me...not many of us left nowadays, although I see there are a few of us here and there where "country is still country".

BPS

cayugad

I seen a set of something like that at Cabela's or Gander Mountain, I forget. But they could be extended from like 22 inch all the way up to 60 inches or something like that. And the top had a saddle like design for use as a walking stick, but it really I think was to cradle the rifle. BUT I think they were two sticks and they had a one stick variety also, that you'd just extend and use. I think a tri pod would be a better shooting platform. I saw them on a show where they were hunting in Africa. They had one person who's job it was to carry the tri pod for the shooter. That site you posted.. they look really nice.

HuntAway

I like shooting sticks too. I'm cheap so I don't buy them. Each year on my first visit to a watch I cut two saplings to length and tie them with a piece of twine. Last the hunt and biodegrade over the year.

I do have a pair at home but I never use them as I can't be bothered to carry them to my watches.

HA

hubby11

A while back, Semisane let the board know about a good deal on a bi-pod from Vanguard. Basically shooting sticks that can telescope to about 5 feet. (edit - 50calty first recommended them, Semisane found the good deal.) Sort of like these:





I've missed too many opportunities being too chicken to make an off-hand shot beyond my comfort range such that I've decided not to go in the woods without them.