Wanted- Shooting Tripod

[Uncle Nicky]

WTB: Tripod for shooting, NOT the type that attaches directly to your gun, but 3-legged shooting sticks. I'll pay shipping if the price is right, I'm in Valley Forge, PA. Thanks, Nick.

[fasteddie]

The shooting Tri-pods I have seen are overpriced . Why not buy an inexpensive camera tri-pod at Wal-Mart , etc and set it up to suit your needs .

[Uncle Nicky]

Sounds like a great idea, never gave it a thought. Have you tried this/know anybody that has?

Thanks

[Dinsdale]

Do a quick search for "homemade African shooting sticks" and it'll give more ideas.

Some folks use bicycle innertube to wrap the joint and up the sticks for padding (the type most seen in the field) or a vacuum cleaner belt doubled around the poles(they're like a big o-ring)

You can find bamboo poles in some garden shops that work good.........I used some mahogany edgings made into dowels from my shop for my set and the inner tube.

[josephmrtn]

if i were you i would buy a camera tripod and then go to walmart and buy the cheap aluminum extendable monopod/walking stick (total trash) w the removeable shooting rest top and unscrew it and screw it on the tripod (along w the carry strap if you want) i think it would work GREAT.....

[Doc]

When you think about it, the longer bipods that attach to the rifle pretty much do the same thing as the shooting sticks don't they?

[Uncle Nicky]

Thanks for the suggestions, after I read Eddie's idea, I Googled "Homemede shooting tripod", found a few sites that have tutorials on exactly how to convert a camera tripod to a shooting tripod. It looks as if Midway USA also sells a device to convert a camera tripod for about $25.

Also, I DO have a monopod with a gun rest that unscrews from the walking stick, as josephmrtn suggested, this may work also.

I want a tripod for my son to shoot from, we might hunt from a tent blind, & I was thinking it might help him shoot a little more accurately if he had some sort of rest to shoot off of.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Uncle Nicky

[jusputtn]

Check out www.varmintal.com for his bi-fur pod. It's sized for sitting. I made one and find it to be plenty stable and it doubles as a walking stick in the slippery spots.

[fasteddie]

I made a Bi-Fur pod also and have been using it for several years . Made it with a couple of 1" square 4' tomato stakes . Cost about $4 to make .

However , Uncle Nicky is looking for a "tri-pod" !

Bi-Fur-Pod (Shooting Sticks) Page

Make your own Bi-Fur-Pod.

It is easy and should take about an hour.

sticks.gif

good.gifRIFLE SUPPORT.... I think I would almost rather be without ammo than without my homemade "Bi-Fur-Pod" shooting sticks. When I sight on a target while resting the rifle on my Bi-Fur-Pod, I have steady confidence that I am going to hit the target. I first put sheepskin, with the fur side out, on the area where the rifle rests and that is how it got its name. Have you ever noticed how often "fur" is mentioned around hunting camps? The sheepskin wore out and I replaced it with leather, but the name remains. My Bi-Fur-Pod is a very simple tool. It fulfills a number of functions.

1. Rifle support while taking sitting shots (main function).

2. Open it up into one long stick and it is a unipod (formerly it had a furry middle) for standing shots. In 1995, I got a nice 2x4 Mule Deer in Northern California's X3B Zone using the unipod. I used it again in 1997 for a small 2x2 Mule Deer and put one shot through the boiler room. These stories are on my Hunting Stories page.

3. As the old age creeps up on me, it makes a wonderful walking stick on the steep hillsides.

4. The top of the Bi-Fur-Pod makes a great rest for my binoculars while I am sitting and spotting for distant coyotes or that trophy buck.

5. More than once, I have pushed a rattlesnake out of the way with it.

6. It's a rifle holder in the field for keeping your rifle out of the mud . Hook your rifle sling over one fork and prop up your rifle in a "3 leg tripod" where your rifle is one leg. This is better than laying your rifle down on the dirt or wet ground.

7. Warding off Black Attack Dogs.

;-)

See Below.

8. Nothing is permanently attached to your rifle.

coyote20.jpg

A SOLID RIFLE STAND IN THE FIELD.... Here I have my rifle supported off the ground for picture taking. This coyote was fooled with a series of fawn bleats using the diaphragm call shown. This coyote was making nightly raids on the rancher's chickens right near his house. About half a mile from his house, I used the diaphragm call, shown in the picture, to make the fawn bleats. After about 10 minutes, I saw the coyote coming downhill through the tall grass at the edge of the trees. I still had the call in my mouth and made a few soft whimpers when the coyote stopped in the trees. The coyote continued my way and when she went out of sight behind some bushes, I moved my Bi-Fur-Pod setup inline with the approach. One shot at 120 yards with the old Sako in 243 Win and right through the boiler room and it was all over. I stopped and told the farmer and he sure was happy to hear about my results! The farmer told me that he had seen the coyote stalking his grandkids in his yard and was afraid to let the kids play in the yard.

ABOVE THE TALL GRASS.... With the height of the sitting position and using the Bi-Fur-Pod one gets above the tall grass in most cases. Years ago, I used to take a small tripod rifle rest that would allow me to shoot prone off the rest. It was quite steady, but now days, I can't crank my neck up that much to shoot prone. Also, the short tripod often wouldn't allow shots when the grass had grown a bit. The height of the Bi-Fur-Pod solves the tall grass problem. When in really tall brush, I use the standing position with the Bi-Fur-Pod fully extended. See the standing position below.

HOW ACCURATELY CAN I SHOOT.... The Bi-Fur-Pod rest is not as steady as shooting off a benchrest with a front and rear rest. With a rifle that shoots 1/2" groups off a benchrest at 100 yards, I can shoot 1" groups from the Bi-Fur-Pod from the same distance. I have shot ground squirrels at distances over 300 yards off the Bi-Fur-Pod on numerous occasions. Making 200 yard shots on ground squirrels is easy and the 100 yard shots are a cinch. If it is possible to setup so I can lean back against a tree or fence post I can make an even steadier hold. The freedom of not having the Bi-Fur-Pod attached to the rifle also makes it possible to take running shots. Once one gets used to using the Bi-Fur-Pod, it is quite easy to track a running target.

HOW TO MAKE A Bi-Fur-Pod.... The sticks are 5/8" or 3/4" square fir or other solid and strong wood, see the Table for the correct length. Round sticks do not work well at the hinge point. My height is 5' 9'' and 36" long sticks are the correct height for me. The table shows the scaled total length depending on your height. Regardless of the correct over all length, the 1/4" pivot bolt is 5-1/4" from the top end. Tighten the nut so that there is a reasonable amount of friction between the sticks and they will hold their open or closed position. You can slightly squash the nut in a vise so that the threads run tight and that will prevent it from becoming loose when you open and close the sticks. Two large nails with the heads hack sawed off are epoxied into the ends with 2" of nail exposed. If you use shorter nails, they won't stick in the ground very well and have a tendency to slide out at the worst possible time. I took an old stainless steel spoon and flattened it out, trimmed it to shape, and screwed it to one stick to make a carrying clip. When I am walking, I can carry it by sliding the clip on my belt. For a finishing touch and so you won't scratch the forearm of your rifle, epoxy leather strips on the inside of the top "V". The Bi-Fur-Pod is a lot handier for me than the Harris Bipod. I don't like the extra weight attached to my rifle for off-hand shots. Also, you can't use the Harris Bipod for functions 2, 3, 4, 5, 7.

[josephmrtn]

Thanks for the suggestions, after I read Eddie's idea, I Googled "Homemede shooting tripod", found a few sites that have tutorials on exactly how to convert a camera tripod to a shooting tripod. It looks as if Midway USA also sells a device to convert a camera tripod for about $25.

Also, I DO have a monopod with a gun rest that unscrews from the walking stick, as josephmrtn suggested, this may work also.

I want a tripod for my son to shoot from, we might hunt from a tent blind, & I was thinking it might help him shoot a little more accurately if he had some sort of rest to shoot off of.

yes my idea was to take the part that screws off and screw it onto a camera tripod...