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shooting sticks for leo

urmaker45

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 30, 2013
206
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wise,va
I'm looking at buying some shooting sticks for leo purpose of being a marksman I do work in a rural area so I see a need. What do you guys suggest I was thinking about the cheap ones at like walmart but would see what opinions you guys have first
 
I've used sticks in the past and have never been satisfied. Unless you are having to hike/pack your kit some distance, take a serious look at a quality tripod system and a PIG saddle. Particularly for LE, the ability to lock the rifle in on a threat area and leave it there is huge.
 
I've used sticks in the past and have never been satisfied. Unless you are having to hike/pack your kit some distance, take a serious look at a quality tripod system and a PIG saddle. Particularly for LE, the ability to lock the rifle in on a threat area and leave it there is huge.

I completely agree with this. You will do yourself a greater favor by spending a little money on a tripod and a PIG saddle. I run this setup, and the ability to leave the rifle locked on your threat area exponentially reduces fatigue compared to holding it up with sticks. It also makes a much more stable shooting platform.

My AO is a mix of everything from trailer parks to miles of open terrain, and we are expected to be able to solve problems in any of these circumstances. Even on rural ops I still carry the tripod because it allows me to set up in a sitting or kneeling position when utilizing large piles of brush for concealment. After spending a little time behind the tripod, I consider it a piece of equipment that is a must-have for police sniper operations.
 
I can't help you out on the xray chassis since I have no experience with it. My rifle has a McMillan A5.

As far as a tripod is concerned, I have a Manfrotto XPROB-055. I picked it up on Amazon for about $150 with free shipping. I have the PIG saddle mounted directly to the tripod with no head. So far that setup has worked well for my needs.
 
If you are on somewhat of a budget and can't go for the manfrotto tripod and HOG/PIG saddle I recommend checking out Precision Rifle Solutions, they offer a pretty sweet package that includes a nice tripod that will go from prone to standing, a great quality saddle, a binocular/lrf mount, and a MOLLE compatible scabbard. The tripod isn't as high quality as a Manfrotto but I've been using my at comps and for range work for a few years and it has held up great and the owner's customer service is quite awesome.
 
I only fondled one at a match earlier this year and it worked well, it didn't feel cheap, and it held it's position with a USO spotting scope attached to it. I'm just running a standard ball action head on my PRS set up and it works but the trigger style grip would be a worthwhile upgrade I'd say.
 
I completely agree with this. You will do yourself a greater favor by spending a little money on a tripod and a PIG saddle. I run this setup, and the ability to leave the rifle locked on your threat area exponentially reduces fatigue compared to holding it up with sticks. It also makes a much more stable shooting platform.

My AO is a mix of everything from trailer parks to miles of open terrain, and we are expected to be able to solve problems in any of these circumstances. Even on rural ops I still carry the tripod because it allows me to set up in a sitting or kneeling position when utilizing large piles of brush for concealment. After spending a little time behind the tripod, I consider it a piece of equipment that is a must-have for police sniper operations.

^^^
I work in a large urban city with similar terrain surrounding it. We were initially issued sticks (Stoney Point) but went with Manfrotto 190XPROB tripods, 222 grip and pig saddles after attending a sniper concentration and seeing what the majority were using. No comparison between a good tripod and sticks. The tripod doubles as a shooting support and tripod for my Mark 4 spotting scope. Both are carried in my pack with attachments and it takes a matter of seconds to attach either the pig saddle or the spotter and you are good to go. I consider it a necessity rather than a nice to have. I also don't mind carrying it. Compared to the weights and distances I humped around while in the military, its a non issue.
 
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