By Jerry Springer
The big game season is here. You invest a lot of time, effort and money in order to get an opportunity to take a shot at a buck. You spend time planning, getting the right gear, traveling, scouting, hiking up and down hills, and when you finally see that buck, shooting straight is a very important part of your hunting adventure.
We all know that we need to practice our shooting to improve our chances of taking a buck. No matter how much you practice, though, shooting straight under hunting conditions is a different game than shooting from a benchrest at your local gun range.
Straight shooting under hunting conditions is difficult for many reasons. First, shooting off-hand, the most difficult of shooting positions, can have the end of your barrel making circles. If you can get into a sitting or a prone position, it makes a big difference in your accuracy. Using a tree limb or rock as a rest, aids in making a straight shot even easier.
Just getting into the best shooting position isn’t always the answer under hunting conditions. For example, if you have just run up a hill and are huffing and puffing, those crosshairs are not rock solid if you don’t have a rest. And what about that tall grass blocking your view while you’re in a prone position? Unfortunately, there isn’t always a tree limb or a nice big rock at the right location for you to use as rest.
How about those hunts with junior hunters who are excited or just haven’t had the experience you’ve had shooting a rifle? Watch the end of their rifle barrel as you point out a buck to them, trying to help them get into a steady position for a shot. More than likely an unsteady position will result in disappointment after they pull the trigger or, worse yet, a wounded animal that may get away.
I have found a product we all should be carrying on our belts this season, especially if we have a junior hunter with us. The product is the Shooting Stix from Crooked Horn Outfitters. This product helps you have a steady rest no matter what position you find yourself in when you spot that buck.
We all know that we need to practice our shooting to improve our chances of taking a buck. No matter how much you practice, though, shooting straight under hunting conditions is a different game than shooting from a benchrest at your local gun range.
Straight shooting under hunting conditions is difficult for many reasons. First, shooting off-hand, the most difficult of shooting positions, can have the end of your barrel making circles. If you can get into a sitting or a prone position, it makes a big difference in your accuracy. Using a tree limb or rock as a rest, aids in making a straight shot even easier.
Just getting into the best shooting position isn’t always the answer under hunting conditions. For example, if you have just run up a hill and are huffing and puffing, those crosshairs are not rock solid if you don’t have a rest. And what about that tall grass blocking your view while you’re in a prone position? Unfortunately, there isn’t always a tree limb or a nice big rock at the right location for you to use as rest.
How about those hunts with junior hunters who are excited or just haven’t had the experience you’ve had shooting a rifle? Watch the end of their rifle barrel as you point out a buck to them, trying to help them get into a steady position for a shot. More than likely an unsteady position will result in disappointment after they pull the trigger or, worse yet, a wounded animal that may get away.
I have found a product we all should be carrying on our belts this season, especially if we have a junior hunter with us. The product is the Shooting Stix from Crooked Horn Outfitters. This product helps you have a steady rest no matter what position you find yourself in when you spot that buck.
The Shooting Stix are available in two sizes: 36 inches for sitting and kneeling, or 72 inches for standing. The Shooting Stix is stored folded up in a small pouch you can put on your belt. It has an inner shock cord that helps to instantly assemble the Shooting Stix when it is pulled from the pouch.
The cost for the sitting and kneeling Shooting Stix is $39.95, the standing is $74.99. You can order them on the web at www.crookedhornoutfitters.com or call them toll-free at 877+722-5872.
Remember, you owe it to yourself, your junior hunter and the big game you are hunting, to shoot straight.
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