Got my Night Goggles Night Stalker tripod last week. I had been using a Caldwell Field Pod Magnum at standing height. The Field Pod is solid. The only down side is weight and noise. My issue is with the new Night Stalker I have a lot of movement left and right with the rhythm of my heart beat. At 100 yard I always get a few big time fliers when practicing. What can I do to help steady my shooting off this tripod. Shooting at night with a rxq30v if that matters on top of a 6x6.8 ar15. My Gun with a regular scope and a lead sled is a solid 3/4 MOA gun
Getting Steady On a Tripod while Standing
- Thread starter dozer_xj
- Start date
varminter .223
Well-known member
I find ballheads to work best when they are just tight enough to hold the gun horizontal but loose enough so that when you move to a target things dont spring back.
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I don't like tripods and do not use them, but assume what works with a bipod will work with a tripod.
I like to lean into the bipod, drop the sling down the front of the bipod and grasp sling and bipod with left hand and pull toward shoulder (right hand shooter). This holds rifle down and makes a unit of the bipod/rifle. Feet are spread shoulder width at slight angle to the direction of fire. This helps hold side to side movement to a minimum. For rock solid position if I can get my right shoulder against something solid its almost as good as a bench rest.
Regards,
hm
I like to lean into the bipod, drop the sling down the front of the bipod and grasp sling and bipod with left hand and pull toward shoulder (right hand shooter). This holds rifle down and makes a unit of the bipod/rifle. Feet are spread shoulder width at slight angle to the direction of fire. This helps hold side to side movement to a minimum. For rock solid position if I can get my right shoulder against something solid its almost as good as a bench rest.
Regards,
hm
varminter .223
Well-known member
The OP is refering to night when one must be hands free to scan and most likley standing.
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Kirsch
Active member
Originally Posted By: dozer_xj My issue is with the new Night Stalker I have a lot of movement left and right with the rhythm of my heart beat. At 100 yard I always get a few big time fliers when practicing. What can I do to help steady my shooting off this tripod.
Make sure you are not extending the center tube/post for height adjustments. There is a video under the Night Calling Section/Night Stalker on how to remove the center post which can help as well. I leave mine in but do not extend it more than 1 inch. If you are extending more than 1-2 inches, then use the legs for the adjustments. This is the part of the tripod that will make you the most wobbly. Give Tom at Night Goggles a call and he can help with any adjustments you may need to make. I use mine sitting vs standing which will also help since the legs aren't extended hardly at all.
Make sure you are not extending the center tube/post for height adjustments. There is a video under the Night Calling Section/Night Stalker on how to remove the center post which can help as well. I leave mine in but do not extend it more than 1 inch. If you are extending more than 1-2 inches, then use the legs for the adjustments. This is the part of the tripod that will make you the most wobbly. Give Tom at Night Goggles a call and he can help with any adjustments you may need to make. I use mine sitting vs standing which will also help since the legs aren't extended hardly at all.
Dozer, I had the same problems with a tripod. Trigger pull made a huge difference for me. Every time I lightened it up my groups tightened. Also started shooting with the stock just touching my shoulder, not hard into it, that took away most of the heartbeat motion. That will work OK with 223 but maybe not such a good idea with anything bigger.
Originally Posted By: Ahab49Dozer, I had the same problems with a tripod. Trigger pull made a huge difference for me. Every time I lightened it up my groups tightened. Also started shooting with the stock just touching my shoulder, not hard into it, that took away most of the heartbeat motion. That will work OK with 223 but maybe not such a good idea with anything bigger.
I have a 3.5 pound trigger on my gun right now. How light did you go? Also, I pull the gun in tight to me. On the lead sled, the tighter we hold the gun, the better the groups get. I will try to ease up on the hold and see what happens!
I have a 3.5 pound trigger on my gun right now. How light did you go? Also, I pull the gun in tight to me. On the lead sled, the tighter we hold the gun, the better the groups get. I will try to ease up on the hold and see what happens!
Originally Posted By: hm1996I don't like tripods and do not use them, but assume what works with a bipod will work with a tripod.
I like to lean into the bipod, drop the sling down the front of the bipod and grasp sling and bipod with left hand and pull toward shoulder (right hand shooter). This holds rifle down and makes a unit of the bipod/rifle. Feet are spread shoulder width at slight angle to the direction of fire. This helps hold side to side movement to a minimum. For rock solid position if I can get my right shoulder against something solid its almost as good as a bench rest.
Regards,
hm
I now hunt with a Trigger Stick tripod, and use much the same techniques as hm does. The one thing that is very important to me is the positioning of the three legs. Thinking of the rifle muzzle as being at 12 o'clock, I position the legs at 12, 4 and 8. That allows me, just as hm does, to lean into the tripod as the front tripod leg anchors me. Simultaneously pulling the sling back into my shoulder while leaning forward into the tripod results in a very steady platform for me.
Jim
I like to lean into the bipod, drop the sling down the front of the bipod and grasp sling and bipod with left hand and pull toward shoulder (right hand shooter). This holds rifle down and makes a unit of the bipod/rifle. Feet are spread shoulder width at slight angle to the direction of fire. This helps hold side to side movement to a minimum. For rock solid position if I can get my right shoulder against something solid its almost as good as a bench rest.
Regards,
hm
I now hunt with a Trigger Stick tripod, and use much the same techniques as hm does. The one thing that is very important to me is the positioning of the three legs. Thinking of the rifle muzzle as being at 12 o'clock, I position the legs at 12, 4 and 8. That allows me, just as hm does, to lean into the tripod as the front tripod leg anchors me. Simultaneously pulling the sling back into my shoulder while leaning forward into the tripod results in a very steady platform for me.
Jim
Practice, practice, practice.
Took a guy out this weekend who missed a gravy 80 yard shot. As we were walking back to the truck he tells me that he took his rifle out to the range and shot it last week. So it couldn't be that his rifle is off because he was using a lead sled. I asked him where his lead sled was. He looked at me quizzically. I kindly pointed out that he didn't have his sled with him. Again, a pained and confused look. I pointed out that he needed to shoot his rifle the way that he planned to hunt with it, since people tend to mount the guns differently from different positions. I sight in my rifles from my shooting sticks because that's the way they will be employed. Worse, he had taken 3 out of the 4 shots at the coyote from the off hand position, standing. Again, something he didn't practice. No wonder that coyote was giving him the paw.
Took a guy out this weekend who missed a gravy 80 yard shot. As we were walking back to the truck he tells me that he took his rifle out to the range and shot it last week. So it couldn't be that his rifle is off because he was using a lead sled. I asked him where his lead sled was. He looked at me quizzically. I kindly pointed out that he didn't have his sled with him. Again, a pained and confused look. I pointed out that he needed to shoot his rifle the way that he planned to hunt with it, since people tend to mount the guns differently from different positions. I sight in my rifles from my shooting sticks because that's the way they will be employed. Worse, he had taken 3 out of the 4 shots at the coyote from the off hand position, standing. Again, something he didn't practice. No wonder that coyote was giving him the paw.
A few tips from this tread that seem to help:
Raising the center column up so I was not leaning over so much helped.
Pulling the sling toward me with my left hand helped with the side to side movement.
Practice. I have been shooting a few nights a week off the tripod.
I ended up shooting a coyote last night at 150 yards. Thanks for the help everyone.
Raising the center column up so I was not leaning over so much helped.
Pulling the sling toward me with my left hand helped with the side to side movement.
Practice. I have been shooting a few nights a week off the tripod.
I ended up shooting a coyote last night at 150 yards. Thanks for the help everyone.
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ractice. I have been shooting a few nights a week off the tripod.
DiRTY DOG
Well-known member
Advanced techniques include using slings and 550 cord in non-conventional configurations to stabilize the front end on a tripod or bipod or improvised front rest. Consider using cord to wrap around a tripod leg, or to to tension to your belt or foot loop or off hand etc. Use your imagination. Here's one example:
duckstopper
New member
Dirty Dog:
What tripod is that?
What tripod is that?