Since my first cancer, my hands and arms aren't exactly steady when holding a rifle (not TOO unsteady, but my pattern
at 50 yards is, while a kill shot pattern, not very impressive (within the two inner rings on a target, but not close together).

That was using an improvised tripod that I made from an old camera tripod, and an old large prescription jar (cut to form a
U to rest the rifle in, then shaped and padded with duck tape and thinsulate).  That didn't survive too many shots, as the
clamps that hold the leg in the back (taking the recoil) in their present position (height)  kept breaking (one broke, then
another, etc.).  But it helped while it lasted.

I'm looking for better.  I'll be shooting from a seated position (camp-type bench chair), so whatever I use needs to be
adjustable to that height.  I'm looking for maximum stability, given the nerve damage causing my not-so-steady grip.

So here are the questions:

1) Should I use a bipod or tripod?

2) Should it be the type that mounts to the rifle, or the type that has a rest that you sit the rifle on?

3) If the best is the type with a U-shaped rest, should I rest the barrel or the stock on it?

4) Any specific recommendations (products and vendor)?  Remember, I'm on a VERY tight budget....anything over $20 is
    starting to get expensive; anything over $50 IS expensive (but I have two months to get it, so....).

Btw, the rifle is a Remington 700 ADL .270, and I'll be shooting Remington Core Lokt 150 grain rounds.

Oh, and while I'm here, I've seen several products referred to as "hearing enhancement" that claim to boost your hearing
except when you fire, at which point it clamps down and becomes hearing protection.  Now, I know how to build the
circuit to do that (simple switch triggered by rapid rise in the audio-level), but are they really effective at boosting
your hearing and/or protecting your ears?  Put another way, are they worth buying?

Thanks,
   --jim

$20 is a tall order, but take a look at these;

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Vang...l+Products

Posted By SDOWLING on 12 Sep 2012 12:05 PM
$20 is a tall order, but take a look at these;

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Vang...l+Products

I didn't mean to limit it to $20 ... just indicating that I can't just go out and buy a $100 bi/tri-pod....  In fact, my initial
selection was the Vanguard Scout B62 Aluminum Alloy Bipod ($35 non-member price at Sportsman's Guide, and I'm
currently working out the pricing to find out if I can justify paying the $30 membership price and the shipping, and save
money vs other options).   :-)

But the questions remain:  bipod or tripod?  Mount rifle on it, or use the U-shape type (whatever it's called) ?   I'm not
sure which combination of these options is likely to give me the most stability, so I need to start there.

Thanks,
   --jim

Posted By GTbrewer on 12 Sep 2012 12:16 PM

Posted By SDOWLING on 12 Sep 2012 12:05 PM
$20 is a tall order, but take a look at these;

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Vang...No%3D40%26 Ntk%3DAll Products%26 Ntt%3d Shooting%2b Sticks%26 Ntx%3Dmode%252b Matchallpartial%26WTz_l%3D Header%253B Search-All%2FProducts%26WTz_st%3D%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26recordsPerPage%3D20%26search%3d Shooting%2b Sticks%26search TypeFilter%3D Products%26x%3D13%26y%3D12&Ntt=shooting+sticks&WTz_l=Header%3B Search-All+Products

I didn't mean to limit it to $20 ... just indicating that I can't just go out and buy a $100 bi/tripod....  In fact, my initial
selection was the Vanguard Scout B62 Aluminum Alloy Bipod ($35 non-member price at Sportsman's Guide, and I'm
currently working out the pricing to find out if I can justify paying the $30 membership price and the shipping, and save
money vs other options).   :-)

But the questions remain:  bipod or tripod?  Mount rifle on it, or use the U-shape type (whatever it's called) ?   I'm not
sure which combination of these options is likely to give me the most stability, so I need to start there.

Thanks,
   --jim

I use a Primos Trigger Stick and it works just fine for me, they come in Two Sizes and can be adjusted to what ever size you need it to be, just squeeze the Trigger to make it the Size you need!  I have had mine for several years but I think they run about $40.00 dollars!  I have several friends that saw mine and went and got one for themselves, they work great!

Posted By RHenshaw on 12 Sep 2012 06:17 PM

I use a Primos Trigger Stick and it works just fine for me, they come in Two Sizes and can be adjusted to what ever size you need it to be, just squeeze the Trigger to make it the Size you need!  I have had mine for several years but I think they run about $40.00 dollars!  I have several friends that saw mine and went and got one for themselves, they work great!

Is that a monopod?  I'm fairly certain I need a bipod or tripod.  I think I've decided on one, too---the Vanguard Scout B62
Aluminum Alloy Bipod, $31 (member price) at Sportsman's Guide (I'll be paying the member price and ordering other
stuff at the same time).  After your first suggestion was a Vanguard bipod, the one I'd already tentatively selected (pending
the suggestions in this thread) looked pretty good.  Of course, I won't be able to buy it or anything else until 3 October, when
I get my next disability deposit, so there's plenty of time for other suggestions.  :-)

This one has the gun rest (or something like that), so it's not the mounted type.  I particularly like the weight of this one
over the other---much lighter.  The less weight I have to carry (or pile onto the deer cart and haul or push), the better.

Thanks,
   --jim

I use a Remington brand adjustable mono-pod if I'm hunting from one of those pop-up ground blinds. I believe I bought it from Walmart several years ago for $9. It works great.

As for your hearing enhancement, I use a pair of the electronic ear muffs when I'm conducting NRA training classes, it's amazing what you can hear even from the other end of the range. I hadn't thought about using them while hunting.

Posted By grandpops on 13 Sep 2012 06:30 AM
I use a Remington brand adjustable mono-pod if I'm hunting from one of those pop-up ground blinds. I believe I bought it from Walmart several years ago for $9. It works great.

As for your hearing enhancement, I use a pair of the electronic ear muffs when I'm conducting NRA training classes, it's amazing what you can hear even from the other end of the range. I hadn't thought about using them while hunting.

I definitely need more stability than a monopod offers (I've used one in photography before).

As for the hearing enhancement, I was looking at some online, and what I saw at Wally World suddenly doesn't make
much sense.  The ones online were $200 and up ... and the ones I saw were around $12 to $20.  The electronics part
is simple enough to make that cheaply with no problem...but now I wonder about the hearing protection.  I definitely
can't afford the ones I saw online, at least, not for a few months (probably more like next year's hunting season).

Now I don't know whether to even consider the cheap ones (based solely on the "you get what you pay for" concept.
Suggestions?

Thanks,
   --jim

Caldwell® Deadshot™ Fieldpod Shooting Rest
Buyer's Club
$89.99
Non-Member $99.99
[
Customers rating - 4.9] (4.9) on reviews

hey guys this was sportsmans guide...can't get image or the link up..help....this is what you see them us on growing deer TV...home page of this site...if you want to see it in action just go to growing deer and review past hunting videos...especially the spring turkey ones

How bout a low tech $2 range. I know you've probably got a small table about that height if not go out on trash night and find one. Then find you an old feed bag and load it with sand for a rest. Just put two shovelfulls of sand in it and tie it off.

Posted By Badger1 on 13 Sep 2012 07:06 AM

Caldwell® Deadshot™ Fieldpod Shooting Rest
Buyer's Club
$89.99
Non-Member $99.99
[
Customers rating - 4.9] (4.9) on reviews

Looks nice, probably more stable than any bipod.  But for now, two problems:  weight 5 lbs (I need to minimize that),
and the price.

Here's the one I'm (so far) continuing to look at:
http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net...x?a=504621

It's $31.49 (member price), and weighs in at 18 oz.  5 stars.  Unlike the one you mention, this one does not
have a strap to carry it with, but that's ok---I'll just use one of the straps on my backpack to secure it.

Wow...this thread has gotten popular this morning...while trying to get this one response out, two more came in.  :-)

I'll probably look at the one above next year, though.  It does look like a really good one, just slightly off from my
physical (cancer #1 again) and financial (cancer #1 and cancer #2) limits.

Thanks,
   --jim

Posted By gutpile on 13 Sep 2012 07:24 AM
How bout a low tech $2 range. I know you've probably got a small table about that height if not go out on trash night and find one. Then find you an old feed bag and load it with sand for a rest. Just put two shovelfulls of sand in it and tie it off.

Not a bad idea....  I do have an aluminum (shiny) folding table that I use for the mash/lauter tun when I'm brewing.
It's not that heavy, so weight for that wouldn't be an issue.  And, we certainly have enough sand here (NW Florida,
Fort Walton Beach, on the Gulf coast)---lots of pure white beach sand, going inland about half-way to the FL/AL line.
But none readily available (all has grass growing in it) except on the beaches, and if you take that and get caught,
I'm fairly certain you'd be in a world of trouble.  I could probably find some, somewhere, though, scoop it up with a
5 gallon bucket (no shovel),  and put it in bags.  I'd have to check on the weight, but that sounds like a good option.

And as for the shiny part, I could just use a cheap sheet, or something like that, and cover it.  Hmmmm.....

Thanks,
   --jim

My hearing loss, differential of course to fugg up where the noise is coming from is so bad a turkle burd would haff to be within 50 yds of me afore I could here it! Been using "enhancers for at least 15 years....they work but differential hearing loss still makes it hard to determine where the gobble is coming from. Unfortunately, you are right in getting what you pay for! But I cud not effectively turkey hunt without muffs!
I have "cheap" mono and bi-pod for rifle but tri-pod works better for me...not attached.

Posted By TOM IN TENNESSEE on 13 Sep 2012 03:25 PM
My hearing loss, differential of course to fugg up where the noise is coming from is so bad a turkle burd would haff to be within 50 yds of me afore I could here it! Been using "enhancers for at least 15 years....they work but differential hearing loss still makes it hard to determine where the gobble is coming from. Unfortunately, you are right in getting what you pay for! But I cud not effectively turkey hunt without muffs!
I have "cheap" mono and bi-pod for rifle but tri-pod works better for me...not attached.

I might buy the $20 hearing enhancers and try them out...with wally world, at least I can take them back (I'd
forgotten about that little detail!).  If they do an effective job of blocking the shock wave/sound when I shoot,
I'm guessing that even a little bit of gain would help.

As for the tripod, I don't think I've even seen a tripod for shooting on any vendor web pages (or maybe they were
there, but my brain told me they weren't there (yeah, cancer #1 again, as usual).  Or, I might be looking in the
wrong place....

And the last two words there bring me back to part of my first post....

1) Which, if any, type of mono/bi/tripod works better, the kind that is physically attached to either the barrel
(the ones I've seen have a round clamp that clampsdown on the barrel) or the U shaped rest?

2) For the type with the U-shaped rest,  should the rifle's barrel or stock rest on that?

Thanks,
   --jim

I have the Vanguard model you referred to and am very happy with it for the money, half the price and twice the stability as the trigger stick monopod, I have both but the mono stays home more often than not. I also prefer the non-attached idea. I have a D-ring, on my backpack handle that I clip to the strap on the bi-pod legs and it rides just fine while making it easier to carry the rifle since it ways less, without it being attached, and is less cumbersome in heavy cover.

Posted By jlowe69 on 13 Sep 2012 03:48 PM
I have the Vanguard model you referred to and am very happy with it for the money, half the price and twice the stability as the trigger stick monopod, I have both but the mono stays home more often than not. I also prefer the non-attached idea. I have a D-ring, on my backpack handle that I clip to the strap on the bi-pod legs and it rides just fine while making it easier to carry the rifle since it ways less, without it being attached, and is less cumbersome in heavy cover.

Does the Vanguard model have a strap, then?   I guess they just left that out (I see that a lot in "Features" lists;
it makes it very tough to compare products without having to go to Google and plow through a lot of useless sites
before finding the one that gives the info you need...drives me nuts).

As for your comments about it, many thanks.  That makes me a lot more comfortable that it's a good choice, and not a
cheap POS.....   A few 5-star reviews (and none lower) are PROBABLY valid, but I have seen cases of where a manufacturer
will comment on their own product, claiming to be users of said product.  Hearing from someone here gives me a lot more
confidence in the ratings on the Sportsman's Guide page for the product.  :-)

Thanks,
   --jim

PS:  My backpack is DoD issue from my USAFSOC intel days...so I'll be able to attach it the same way.  :-)

Non attached is what I have.
Even in Africa, when using tri-pod, I put the fore end on the sticks and grasp both the sticks and the firearm for steadiness...

Posted By TOM IN TENNESSEE on 13 Sep 2012 04:42 PM
Non attached is what I have.
Even in Africa, when using tri-pod, I put the fore end on the sticks and grasp both the sticks and the firearm for steadiness...

Thanks.  Let me see if I got this right.  You grasp both the barrel and the tripod with your left hand?  Ok, I
can see that.

I was just looking at an article here in the NWFL Daily News about hogs causing problems in this area.  Nice
photo of a herd of hogs.  I looked at it, and the first thing that hit my mind was, "FREE PORK!"  and right after
that, "I wonder how quickly I can reload...."   :-)    (My rifle is a Remington 700 ADL .270 bolt action)

Later,
   --jim

.270 will eat some hawgs butt!
Yes, I grasp the end of forearm/barrel and the tripod with left hand and whack Cape
Buffalo at 40 yds or less!

Posted By TOM IN TENNESSEE on 13 Sep 2012 05:01 PM
.270 will eat some hawgs butt!

Actually, I was thinking about a shot slightly behind and below the ear.  I'm betting that the shock wave from the
bullet will sever the spinal cord.  If nothing else, I can't see it being any less than a kill shot.  :-)

So, I'd change that to, "A .270 will be a major pain in the neck for a hog...for about a 1/2 second...."
(But my version is intentionally more literal....I tend to be that way sometimes.)    I finished coming up with
a rough average (assuming equal amounts of each cut of pork, which we all know is not true), based on Winn Dixie
sale prices in effect right now.  It was roughly $5.40 per lb.  But with the highest prices being $6.99 for bone-in rib
eye steaks, and loin baby back ribs (which I don't know how much meat that'd be with wild hogs, but then, we're
also talking about bone, too), I'm guessing it's a bit higher.

Later,
   --jim

The vanguard has a strap between the legs to adjust how wide they spread, thats the strap I was talking about. As for what part tp put on the yoke, I always put the fore-arm on it to, but for longer shots I try not to touch the barrel as it could counter the effects of free floating it.

Posted By jlowe69 on 13 Sep 2012 06:29 PM
The vanguard has a strap between the legs to adjust how wide they spread, thats the strap I was talking about. As for what part tp put on the yoke, I always put the fore-arm on it to, but for longer shots I try not to touch the barrel as it could counter the effects of free floating it.

Ah, that's why I didn't see a strap mentioned.  I did see the one you're talking about, though.  And, since I've been away from
hunting since I was about 17 (that would be in the mid-80s), I'm out of touch on some terminology (especially some I was
never taught).  Which part is the yoke?

I'm not sure if the barrel on mine is considered free-floating or not.  I don't think it is, though.

Thanks,
   --jim

The u shaped part that you rest your firearm in I have always heard referred to as the yoke. If you would like to know if your barrel is free floated just take a dollar bill and see if it will slide between the barrel and the fore-arm, back to the receiver, if it will its free floated. If it's not, it's not necessarily bad since some barrels like to float free, and some are better either bedded or even with slight upward pressure. It depends not only on the manufactures process but also on the particular set up within the same brand and model. Its all about oscillations (vibrations) that travel down the bore during the controlled explosion that happens when you send a round down range. Many folks think its an over rated concern as well. As with most things it all depends on if that 1/8 ' of group shrinkage at 100 yds means enough to you to even bother. In most hunting situations its very hard to tell any difference. IMO  I tend to be over concerned about the details, so I air on the side of cation and don't touch the barrel. Thats just me though.

Posted By jlowe69 on 13 Sep 2012 08:17 PM
The u shaped part that you rest your firearm in I have always heard referred to as the yoke. If you would like to know if your barrel is free floated just take a dollar bill and see if it will slide between the barrel and the fore-arm, back to the receiver, if it will its free floated. If it's not, it's not necessarily bad since some barrels like to float free, and some are better either bedded or even with slight upward pressure. It depends not only on the manufactures process but also on the particular set up within the same brand and model. Its all about oscillations (vibrations) that travel down the bore during the controlled explosion that happens when you send a round down range. Many folks think its an over rated concern as well. As with most things it all depends on if that 1/8 ' of group shrinkage at 100 yds means enough to you to even bother. In most hunting situations its very hard to tell any difference. IMO  I tend to be over concerned about the details, so I air on the side of cation and don't touch the barrel. Thats just me though.

Ok. thanks.  I understand now.

Later,
   --jim

I took a camera tripod and added a wooden block with a U groove then screwed it on lil camo paint and was good to go for blind hunting. I ALWAYS put my stock and not the barrel on my rest. It is a lil too awkward tor a walking hunt but works very well out of a blind. Being old I need all the help I can get for long shots. Also you can take the 2 screws out and still use it for your camera.

Posted By mowgle on 14 Sep 2012 09:10 AM
I took a camera tripod and added a wooden block with a U groove then screwed it on lil camo paint and was good to go for blind hunting. I ALWAYS put my stock and not the barrel on my rest. It is a lil too awkward tor a walking hunt but works very well out of a blind. Being old I need all the help I can get for long shots. Also you can take the 2 screws out and still use it for your camera.

I tried that with one of my tripods...the recoil snapped one of the clamps (for extending/closing the legs) after a few
shots.  Now it has two legs with the lower clamp broken (and taped up with black duck tape).  Still good for photography
as long as I don't need to close up the lower third of the legs....  But it's just not sturdy enough to use for a rifle.

Thanks,
   --jim

PS:  After what my first cancer did to my nerves, I need all the help I can get, too.  At 50 yards, on my first day out to
a friend's house to do some target practice on his makeshift range (he owns 80 acres...must be nice), I stayed within
the two inner circles on the big target in the middle for each three-shot pattern, but that's the best I can claim.  I'm
betting that a proper tripod will make that a lot better.  (Either way, aiming at a deer's heart/lung area, it'd be a kill
shot, but I'd like to see that pattern or better at more like 200 yards, not  50 [I'm not sure what kind of distance I'll
be seeing at the areas on the Eglin AFB range I'll be on]).

Check out YouTube. There is a video on how to build a set of safari shooting sticks for less than 10 bucks. Might be an option? I do have the Vanguard bipod and like them, they are light and have held up to recoil of a 7mm without any prob so far.

Posted By nathanj on 19 Sep 2012 03:56 AM
Check out YouTube. There is a video on how to build a set of safari shooting sticks for less than 10 bucks. Might be an option? I do have the Vanguard bipod and like them, they are light and have held up to recoil of a 7mm without any prob so far.

Thanks, but I'll pass.  Ask me to design a data (and voice, if you want) network that can survive disaster(s) --- how many
depends on the budget for the network --- and even after my cancer, I could do it (it would just take me a LOT longer).
Ask me to cut a straight line with a table saw and that guide thing that makes it cut a straight line, and I'd end up with
wavy output.  I have a battery-powered variable-speed reversable drill that powers my grain mill (for cracking grain to
use for brewing) and that's about my level with stuff like that.  :-)     I've built (back in the 80s) lots of stuff for Amateur
Radio---a noise filter, a transmatch (matches the impedance of an antenna to that of the transmitter, with loss of power
in the transmatch ... within reasonable limits, that is), my own transmitter and my own receiver, power supplies, and I
made my own printed circuit boards for all of those....but ask me to make a square box with wood (even if it has all of
the cuts marked on the wood), you'll get a disaster.....  Don't ask me why, as I have no idea, except that it just seems
to work out that way.

Thanks, though,
   --jim

If anyone has a chance go to your local schools and see if they have any old desk or short tables with the adjustable legs and then you have a pretty good shooting table for out in the field or at your own raange.

Posted By papa58 on 14 Oct 2012 08:16 PM
If anyone has a chance go to your local schools and see if they have any old desk or short tables with the adjustable legs and then you have a pretty good shooting table for out in the field or at your own raange.

Please keep in mind that, since my first cancer, I am partially disabled, and a very light bipod is much, MUCH easier to carry
in and out than a table or desk.  When cancer has nuked your energy levels AND your lungs (1st metastasis) were reduced
to near zero capacity, and have, after six years, only healed up to around 60--65% of normal, AND has left me perpetually
anemic, AND destroyed my body's ability to process B-12 on its own (lack of B-12 == fatigue, depression, weakness, and
so on, so I have to give myself injections every other Saturday), every ounce you have to carry can end up feeling like a
ton.....  Nice suggestion, but I'll stick with the "sticks" to lighten the weight (the ones I'm buying (Vanguard Scout B62
Aluminum Alloy Bipod) weigh in only 18 oz......

As for the range, I can't shoot where I live.  But, a fellow brewer friend of mine lives out in the country (you know the
directions, turn off the paved road, then turn off the dirt road onto the trail, and turn right at the third tree).  He's
already got his own shooting range setup, with a table for shooting.  :-)      (Btw, the directions to his place aren't
quite that bad...but another mutual fellow brewer friend's really are...those were basically the last part of the
directions to his place).

Thanks,
   --jim