Hi,
This past season I shot my first handgun deer. I used a scoped Ruger .44 Mag SBH Bisley and my own loads with a 240 gr. Hornady XTP.

When I started, I was about to climb into a friend's ladder stand and saw a 1x6" pine board leaning against the tree. I took the board up with me and laid it across the bar frame in front of me. I used it to put a small sandbag on and rest my wrists on the sandbag. (Later my friend told me he uses it for his rifle and had left it there.)

Along about dusk I spotted a doe tip-toeing through the woods about 75 yards out and crossing right to left in front of me. (I used a range finder for reference) I had been practicing all summer at 100 yards with the loads I was using, and that set up felt pretty steady. So in a bit of a hurry, I put the sights on her shoulder took and released a breath and touched it off. After a quick jump, she ran about 35-40 yards and went down. The XTP did a heck of a job.

After all was settled I put the board back where I found it and said a silent "Thanks for the help".

But the point of this post is that I've decided to carry a board with me when using a ladder stand in the future. I had been carrying a small sand bag in my pack for a while, hoping to find a way to use it for a rest. But that board was the big difference in being able to take a steady hold for a deer at some distance. So now I'm thinking of ways to enhance that set up a bit.

My question is, other than shooting sticks, how many handgun hunters use a board, or some type of rest (even one they made)when deer hunting? And can you describe it for us?

I screwed two 2X4's together in a L shape and them bolted them to the front of one of my ladder stands for the same reason. The sand bag just lays on top of the 6in platform. I am glad I am not the only one that finds this useful. LOL

All my ladder stands have 1"x12" board laying on them...

Great idea. I was thinking it might be more convenient to bungee the board behind the seat next to the trunk rather than have to tote it up and down. Thanks for the tip!

I use a commercial (WalMart) sandbag in my shooting house window ledge. It enables me to hunt and practice in the same position. This maintains the gun's zero. When using a revolver, the bag needs a blast shield to prevent the cylinder blast from cutting it. This can be leather or some other thick material. Check the picture in my article titled 'Till case do us part'.

Leaving the board up the stand makes sense. Until now, I always still hunted with a rifle. But when I get my own stand(s)I'll leave a board in each (after I paint or stain it to withstand being left out in the weather).

Using the same set-up during practice was a good point made by Wheeler.

I have several 2 person ladderstands with a shooting rail, I have installed 16" of 3/4 plywood on the front and the sides.The plywood is fastened to the rail with electric conduit clamps,this set up let's me rest my elbows on the platform, usually I shoot off my pack or a sandbag. I added 2 supports 2"x2" from the foot platform to the bottom of the shooting platform, it's exactly like shooting off a bench with sandbags,except you are 16' up in a tree, steady is the name of the game.

This is my typical setup on my ladder stands:



I use a 1"x12" board that's long enough to reach from the front of the stand, to the back of the stand. This allows yor to rest your shoot'n arm on the board; as well as resting you gun on your rest of choice. Cheap and effetive!

Nice....functional and cheap, whats not to like