OK, So I do mostly Archery hutning from my tree stand. the other day, I went to the swamp for my gun quota and brought the stand.
I have an older stand so there is no Bar that you can move to provide a gun rest. I was wondering what do others do for steadying the gun when shooting out of one of these older stands?
I wrapped the sling around my arm and tried to support the guns as best I could and while I feel I could make a shot out to 60-80 yrds and still hit the vitals, shots over 100 would be difficult at best.
Do you use a mono-pod or bi-pod if there is no other way to rest the gun to make a long shot from a tree stand???
Thanks
G
steady, rest ???????????????? Like i tell my friends you have practice off hand shooting.
Nothing if in a ladder or my archery climber or when I am standing up. If you need to prop your knee up.
my old stands never had shooting rests (but rarely had shots over 40 yds) so one thing I'd do was keep the safety harness tether real snug so you could lean into it, a military wrap with the sling and support from the tree if shooting behind it or a knee or elbow tucked into my belly for support. freehand was always a last resort. and keep the scope magnification resonably low to reduce wobble.
Big Game® Treestands Universal Shooting Rail
Padded shooting rail flips up and out of the way. Features include a 14'' x 8'' x 2'' back rest and a 1'' ratchet strap. Universal shooting rail works with any fixed position treestand or any ladder stand without a built-in shooting rail. Weight: 7 lbs.
Maximum weight capacity: 300 lbs.
Manufacturer model #: CR0090.
$44.99 - Bass Pro Shop
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product__10151_-1_10051_10202861
I got one of these on my wish list for Christmas :>)
Big Game® Treestands Universal Shooting Rail
Padded shooting rail flips up and out of the way. Features include a 14'' x 8'' x 2'' back rest and a 1'' ratchet strap. Universal shooting rail works with any fixed position treestand or any ladder stand without a built-in shooting rail. Weight: 7 lbs.
Maximum weight capacity: 300 lbs.
Manufacturer model #: CR0090.$44.99 - Bass Pro Shop
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product__10151_-1_10051_10202861
I got one of these on my wish list for Christmas :>)
I got one of these this year for my tree stand that my ol' lady sits in from time to time. Here's my take on it...It's certainly not as sturdy as a shooting rail that's part of the tree stand. It IS adequate for supporting a rifle for a shot but you certainly can't lean into it or prop your arms on it to get steady. It is absolutely not something that you would want to lean on while standing in your tree stand either...it won't hold you at all. That said...I do like it and did use it to shoot a buck from that stand earlier this season. It's a bit of a PITA to install. It has two long "spikes" that get forced into the tree by the ratchet strap. You have to REALLY lean into that ratchet strap to sink the spikes into the tree. At least that was my experience on a pine tree. I was actually afraid of breaking the ratchet so I drug a larger ratchet strap up into the tree with me just to sink the teeth and then put the smaller (1") strap that came with it back on. I would also recommend having another 1" ratchet strap on hand as well. Adding it seems to make it a bit more secure on the tree. The rail is plenty sturdy enough in construction, it's just the fact it's only held onto the tree by a single strap which makes it rather wobbly and I was afraid it was going to fail at the wrong time. The second strap helps a bunch. No real complaints, just realize what you're getting into. If you're like me and you already have a stand that does not have a rail, this is a decent option. If you're buying a new tree stand, get one with the rail attached as this is not comparable. I am happy enough with it that I added another one to my Christmas list this year. I have one more stand without a rail!
