I am comfortable using a rear bag but curious about this. Thoughts?
- Thread starter EasternNChunter
- Start date
If you're doing all your shooting at ORSA, sure. Shooting somewhere other than nicely groomed ranges on singular static targets, stick with the bag or your hand.
It's completely personal preference IMO. Funny that I am very opposite of Redmanss when it comes to a monopod. I use a bag at the range and for long range plinking, but I hate trying to shove that bastard in a cargo pocket when I'm hunting. I find it much more convenient to attach an Accu-Shot to an ADM riser with a QD lever and throw that puppy on if I think I need it. But that's really it. Just the convenience of carrying it around the mountains over a bag.
Out in the field and on the go, maybe / yes....... Controlled bench / prone stick with a rear bag.
I'll give a little more context to my answer. For me it's more how I was trained in long range precision. For the Scout Sniper Basic Course, we shot the KD portion with the sand sock. It's best for teaching new shooters how to control the rifle in prone shooting. Once I went through the Urban Course, I completely dumped the sock for everything other than zeroing. Dynamic shooting requires rapid adjustments from supported standing/kneeling positions, and having 4-6 seconds of time from exposure to shot fired on 3D head targets really teaches you what you need and what you don't. Applying that back into the field, using hand only as rear support taught me how to stabilize the rifle without carrying additional gear. When I went through the Advanced Course, the only student still using the sand sock was one who had just graduated the basic course.
I've tried using rear monopods and while they work in some scenarios, I've found them to work in few situations where I shoot. Bench or belly on a hard pad or well packed Earth? Sure, they give good stability and as close to a full rest as you can get without one. Soft sandy ground? Constantly adjusting them from shot to shot causing me to be very slow in comparison to how I've shot in the past. Anything positional or dynamic? No thank you, it's just in my way.
I still don't carry a rear bag in the field but I do use one on static ranges when zeroing or going for tiny groups. I like my slings to attach just in front of the toe of the stock for me to grip instead and use my sweat rag or other gear I already have out to assist if I need a little more rise or am watching through the scope for extended durations of time. Data books work great for that!
I've tried using rear monopods and while they work in some scenarios, I've found them to work in few situations where I shoot. Bench or belly on a hard pad or well packed Earth? Sure, they give good stability and as close to a full rest as you can get without one. Soft sandy ground? Constantly adjusting them from shot to shot causing me to be very slow in comparison to how I've shot in the past. Anything positional or dynamic? No thank you, it's just in my way.
I still don't carry a rear bag in the field but I do use one on static ranges when zeroing or going for tiny groups. I like my slings to attach just in front of the toe of the stock for me to grip instead and use my sweat rag or other gear I already have out to assist if I need a little more rise or am watching through the scope for extended durations of time. Data books work great for that!
it isn't a question of one being better than the other, the reality is you should have both and be good with both of them depending on situation where only you can make the decision to use one or the other.
cheers.
PS: my head hurts re-reading it.
cheers.
PS: my head hurts re-reading it.
+1 I found it unstable at the range compared to the rear bag.
Hmm.. Different thought process..
How many situations will the bag NOT work in?
How many situations will the monopod NOT work in?
.. Compare... I would think the bag would come out on top.. But I'm certainly not a subject matter expert just a different way to look at it
How many situations will the bag NOT work in?
How many situations will the monopod NOT work in?
.. Compare... I would think the bag would come out on top.. But I'm certainly not a subject matter expert just a different way to look at it
Monopod for me. I like gripping it in my fist. It has really helped me drive the rifle. I can see why some might not prefer it but I love it.
This +100
There are two schools of thought on how to use a monopod. Most people get the shortest monopod possible and use it locked at 90 and adjust elevation by rotating it along the screw or using the QK button. The other school of thought is to get the longest monopod B&T make and use it as a handle in the unlocked position adjusting height by hand position.
The first school of thought works well for bench work or more static shooting positions and targets. The second method is great for field work, multiple targets, and more dynamic shooting.
I've run a B&T monopod in competition for the past several years and wouldn't want to shoot without it. I do also carry two small sand socks and have on occasion combined both the monopod and sand sock when the situation warranted it. One of the biggest advantages I've found with the monopod is that it is attached to the rifle and near impossible to leave back at the previous stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iSKTcDEDQE
I see mono pods as an answer to a question that need not be asked. I equate them to all of the doo dads that are related to golf industry - a revenue stream generated not out of need, but the power of marketing. A bag has infinitely more utilitarian uses to build a better position in odd position or even seated shooting in the field. The mono pod does nothing I can not do by simply hooking my thumb in my collar and positioning the buttstock in the web of my hand.
Just me.
Just me.
I don't use mine as a pod, i use it most to pull stock into my shoulder, and use it a lot on position shooting, rocks, barricades, roof, doghouse - i'm using my whole hand (DPMS .260)
