Holding a handgun steady in a treestand..

How do you guys do this?

I have been reluctant to make my SRH 44 magnum (my primary killing weapon because I only feel really good out to 50 yards (without a good rest). It is possible for me to have a shot out to 100 yards in the tight woods I hunt. I have looked at a lot of shooting rests in the stores but none of them seem to be the best for a treestand. I have been brainstorming for ideas on a homemade rest that I could set on the rail of my climbing stand.

The rest would need to be able to adapt to sitting in different locations on my stand so I could shoot a deer from any direction of approach. Any ideas? I know that 100 yds is an easy shot for some of you...not me. How do you tackle this problem?

What climbing stand do you use?

I use the Summit Viper. I hunt from a ladder stand on occasion as well. All of the stands are made some close to 1" square-ish tubing with a camouflage pad zip tied around it.

Thanks.
Adam

You need a bigger stand...

Seriously though...this will sound weird, but I set my stand at a 3/4 angle from where I expect the deer to come from and stand facing the tree. This allows me to rest off either side of the tree or at least lean a shoulder on the tree.

This one was 244yds out of my Summit Goliath with my XP-100R in .260. I climbed up high enough to use a pretty good sized limb for a rest over-looking a field. But depending on the range I can use the corners of the stand to rest on.

I just looked at the summit viper and it's not an easy stand to shoot a handgun from...as you obviously know. I've been handgun hunting from climbing stands for about 18 years and all the climbing stands I've bought, have been with handgunning in mind but, I also bowhunt from the same stands. It's just that bowhunting specific stands are very hard to handgun hunt from, unless you want to shoot free handed. I prefer stands that are designed so that the hunter faces the tree and has a back rest. This allows multiple different supported shooting positions. It would be hard for me to explain them all but, maybe that's a future article for after hunting season...hope this helps a little...KRal

Hey Dan I thought you guys in PA just took off one boot and rested the barrel between your toes.

Hey, what's that long thing with the scope leaning against that tree!

I use a monopod in a treestand. Rest the point on your toe and you can swing left and right well. It adjusts easily, but you would have to be in the neighborhood of where you want to shoot ahead of time. Not so good for quick shots, but you don't have many of those down in the woods.

That would be my dad's "crutch"...Mauser 98 .30 Gibbs, shilen barrel, Boyd stock, etc, etc...

Dan, you should call that stand "The Cadillac." That is hunting right there!

Thats nothing compared to my great uncles, hes got sliding windows, heater, little stove, bird feeders on patio-you gotta take half your clothes off if you stop by for a visit. Them old guys gotta stay warm so they can nap better!!

An aid I have used is just a simple piece of broom handle about 3 feet long. I face away from the tree and my shots can come from any direction. When seated I hold the stick with the middle, ring, and little finger of my left hand. Index and thumb support right hand as I grip the gun. I sit the stick between or on the toes of my boot. It is easy to adjust for elevation just by sliding up or down the stick. Contact point on boot acts as a pivot point. Very quick and amazingly stable once you practise with it.

You can also use the stick to help offhand shooting by placing one end under your arm of your dominate hand. Then lay stick across your other palm and hold it with your ring and little finger. Your grip on the butt of the handgun then rests on the stick in your palm and you pull the stick back into your shoulder using both hands. In essance it acts like a detachable shoulder stock.

If shots come from behind me I turn and rest my wrist against the side of the tree. I keep a screw in tree step at about head level in the tree I'm leaning against. my stick has a leather loop through a drill hole on one end. If I need support for those shots behind I just hang my stick on the screw in step then I can grip my stick where ever I need to for elevation adjustments and again grip the stick with the middle, rings, and little finger of my support hand. I can go from seated to supported standing facing the opposite direction in seconds and be stabilized for the shot.

I don't think I'm ready for any of Dan's 500 yard shots with this system but for the close quarters to 100 yards that my view offers this system works for me.

I hunt out of a stang much like Dan's. Call it the "Hilton". has a heater, blamkets, ice chest, and padded chairs. I'll try and find a pic. But seriously. If you can Practice out of your stand in the off season it will help. We nailed some boards to the tree in the off season to help steady our guns. Built up a kind of "Floating Bench" I guess. Made things easier.