Prone or sitting

[Len Backus]

I'll be hunting antelope in Wyoming with some long range handgunners this fall in WY. Shooting prone is always my first choice but with a handgun it is even more important for accuracy.

In your experience when stalking antelope, how often are you not able to get prone because of sage brush or tall grass?

 

[Ernie]

Most of the time you can go prone.

 

[Bob33]

I've killed 34 antelope, and in my experience approximately 90 percent of the time I shoot prone. I believe I can shoot better at 400 yards prone than I can at 200 yards sitting, but this is a test anyone can do.

I've used bipods by Harris that can be used both prone and sitting, and recently have been using a Snipe-Pod. The Snipe-Pod is much lighter than the Harris, and can go down lower, but is not quite as stable. It can also be used for sitting, but switching from a prone to sitting configuration takes just a bit longer than the Harris.

 

[zuba]

All 4 I've shot have been prone. There is only about a few places on the ranch we'll be hunting where you cant go prone. My dad(yotefever) had to sneak up about a hundred yards through the taller grass to get to where he could see from the prone position.

 

[Len Backus]

I'll be prepared for sitting if necessary but with my handgun my distance is limited (relative to prone) even more than with a rifle.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Len,

I have hunted speed goats for several years with handguns and in my area of north central Montana, we have been going through a pretty good drought. There is no sage brush and grass will seldom reach your back pocket if your laying prone. I always use a Harris BR Bipod and a tapered rear wedge support for long range handgun shooting.

Its light fast and works very well.

For ranged outside 200 yards, I simply can not see myself shooting a handgun from a sitting position. Thats just me, I am not that comfortable with a longer range handgun shot in this position. From a prone position, I would reach out 3 times that far easily in good conditions.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Len Backus]

Kirby, thanks. Can you describe your wedge.

 

[Ernie]

Len,
I do not use a wedge but I use a small leather bag filled with corn cob media.
Kirby, Got a pic of that wedge?
I'm curious too.

 

[justgoharder]

Fifty,
I too would love to see some info on your wedge. I have spent way too much time trying to find a good rear rest to use with a bipod in the field. Most of the time I end up using my pack which works well but I think as I get better and keep moving further out I'll want something a bit better than a lumpy uneven pack...

thanks!

 

[Tracer]

Len, most of the time, I am not able to get into a prone position for taking a shot at a speed goat. I prefer the sitting position when having to take a long shot but that is when there is no wind to blow against your body and in Wyoming that blessed wind does blow often as not.

I have also run into times, when there was no larger rocks to lay up against or put your pack on etc. This can make it hard for those long range shots on the ghost of the plains. Hey, I have seen several hunting shows, using those cardboard painted antelope one simply holds in your hand and hide down behind it......They seem to work on camera, just don't know. I would rather reach out and touch them with my 1/4 bore 25-06 and a good 100 grain bullet sailing at 3300 fps.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I have actually laid in sage brush with day pack on the sage brush as a rest for my rifle. It worked well for me, very stable once I got all situated.