Shooting sticks—monopods, bipods, and tripods—are a great way to steady your shot in the field, on the range, or from inside a hunting blind. They are quick and easy to set up and use for a solid gun rest no matter where you are shooting. With a little practice, using shooting sticks will become second nature.

How to Properly Use a Tripod, Bipod, or Monopod:

Place the forearm of the rifle over the cradle of the shooting sticks. Don’t balance the rifle at its center; instead, place the gun over the cradle at a point well forward on the forearm.

The experts at Rifle Shooting magazine recommend that the best way to use a shooting stick is not to let the rifle rest directly on the cradle. Instead, using your non-shooting arm, wrap your hand around the shooting sticks where they intersect and allow the rifle to rest on your hand rather than the cradle. Your forward hand should be holding both the shooting sticks and the gun. This position is more natural and stable than simply grabbing on to the leg of the shooting sticks and letting the rifle rest directly on the cradle.

Make sure the shooting sticks are set at the right height. If you are standing, the intersection of the tripod legs should fall just below your shoulders when your feet are in a wide stance. The rifle should be level when pressed into your shoulder. Lean into the rifle with your body, and pull back on the shooting sticks with your forward hand.