Tips and Shooting Technique with an Air Rifle Mounted Atop of a Tripod

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Ezana4CE

Ezana4CE

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Jan 15, 2021
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I am looking for tips and direction on shooting while standing behind a tripod with and air rifle mounted on it. I’m seeing lateral movement patterns on my targets and I’d like to correct it. I haven’t been trained to shoot from behind a tripod, so I likely have some bad habits.

Things I’d like to know about shooting while standing behind an air rifle min tied atop a tripod are: foot placements, body positioning, how others rotate thier rifles, stop, and hold after moving from one target to the next. How do you move when you move the rifle? Are you leaning into the tripod at all?

Please describe your setup (tripod, head, mounting surface and device), air rifle, caliiber(s), and range(s) typically shot. If you can list photos of your setup and some targets along with your tips that would be great. I’d like to improve my shooting standing behind a tripod with night hunting in mind.
 
Are you clamped into a head?

I'm not very experienced either but I spread my legs as far out as to not be uncomfortable, of course get as close to the balance point of the rifle in relation to the clamp, spend enough time to create NPA and also adjust the clamp for any sag for or aft. I grab the left leg pressing down a little if NPA is good or put my left hand on top of the scope if I need to manipulate POA a tad. There's always going to be a tiny bit of wiggle in the FOV so I try to relax within that wiggle zone, start pressing the trigger, and follow through.
 
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@steve123 Yes I am.
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My setup varies in application and from gun to gun. Generally it looks something like what is seen above with the exception of the R5M and Bulldog platforms which are more difficult to mount or require an open yoke or saddle where I use the tripod and saddle or yoke more as a shooting rest depending upon which tripod I’m using.
 
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Dave, I have a tripod with a ball & socket upon which is mounted a saddle clamp. I mount my guns in the clamp at their balance point so even if I have no contact at all the gun will just sit there "mid air" without any help from me. Probably the most important & helpful thing I've learned is that the lighter my hold & grip & the least amount of contact points between me & the gun the better my accuracy is. Took a while to practice & get accustomed to it but I really like using it now. Still, using my tall bipod (27") from a sitting cross-legged position is my favorite, stable, most used way to shoot. Don't know if that helps. Don't forget, I mainly hunt, not shoot paper. Minute of squirrel head is my goal.
 
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Gerry52 said:
Dave, I have a tripod with a ball & socket upon which is mounted a saddle clamp. I mount my guns in the clamp at their balance point so even if I have no contact at all the gun will just sit there "mid air" without any help from me. Probably the most important & helpful thing I've learned is that the lighter my hold & grip & the least amount of contact points between me & the gun the better my accuracy is. Took a while to practice & get accustomed to it but I really like using it now. Still, using my tall bipod (27") from a sitting cross-legged position is my favorite, stable, most used way to shoot. Don't know if that helps. Don't forget, I mainly hunt, not shoot paper. Minute of squirrel head is my goal.
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@Gerry52 That’s actually helpful. What I’ve found is that it seems that with smaller bores I can hold them lighter/more loosely (.22 and .25) and do pretty well. I also have to consider the balance points of the two air rifles that I have in mind - Brocock Bantam Sniper HR .25 and Huben K1 .22. I am able to mount them close to their balance points where there isn’t a lot of stress on the ball head which enables me to back off of the rifles and hold them with a lighter hold. I honestly hadn’t thought much about this until I read your reply.

With my Rattler and R5M the weight is shifted towards the rear. On the Rattler the balance point feels as if it is around or below the trigger guard. On the R5M it feels similarly, but more towards the base of the grip.

Here’s the R5M
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On these guns I feel myself holding them tighter into my shoulder. Although I lock the ball head with my view through the scope lower than my POA, when I let go of the rifle I try to lock it so that when the rear of the rifle sags, my reticle is pretty close to my POA. Which is fine for practicing on paper, but I didn’t always have that sort of time in the field. I may have to hold it steady while the ball is not locked down. I also generally don’t lock the 360 degree swivel point on the ball head, even when the actual ball is locked down.

Then there’s the recoil on the big bores (like my Rattler .357 pictured in my first photo) that make me hold them tighter.
 
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I've had Centercut's R3 on loan to me for a while. Its Balance point is in the back third of the gun somewhere too. My clamp & tripod still supports the weight securely & technique is the same as for the other guns with maybe a hair more shoulder support. I got my tripod about a year back when someone here posted a heads up about Amazon having them on sale for $16! A lot of members said it would never support the weight or be stable. Honestly, I didn't think so either but for $16 I'd thought I'd give it a try. We were all very wrong! It's way more robust than the price tag suggested. Now they're somewhere around $160.
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Go to YouTube and look at some PRS shooters and how they stand behind a tripod.

What I do.....

Set the rifle at about your shoulder height
Stand behind the rifle squared up on the rifle.
Hold on to the pistol grip of your rifle, and have one hand on the tripod.
Lean into the rifle and tripod to kind of "load" the tripod.

The only other tip would be a ton of practice! I have sent a ton of rounds with both my match nrl22 airgun as well as my 22lr rifles.
 
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Dave -

Hunting at night with a Thermal and utilizing a tripod is what I have been doing for years. The difference is that the rifle, either air or a PB, is not attached to the tripod itself. As some of the trails on my property narrow to only four (4) feet wide, a rifle attached to a tripod would have the propensity to snag limbs or twigs and potentially alert the hogs that I am coming for them.

I carry the lightweight tripod in my left hand and the rifle over my right shoulder. Every 30' or so, I slowly lower the tripod to the ground and swing the rifle off of my shoulder and rest it on the tripod. It literally takes me just a few seconds to do this. I then pivot around the tripod, making sure that my foot does not hit the tripod legs, in a 360* motion like a submarine using its periscope. If I see nothing of interest, the rifle is swung back on my right shoulder and I slowly move another 30' and repeat. I like this method as it distributes the weight of the rifle and tripod separately.

Below I am all bundled up for a cold night of pig hunting. Interestingly, although I have full camo on, the trail cam pictures always look white.

0080C75D-F101-4615-864F-3B4E81A015E8.jpeg
AEE4C6F3-DBB9-4750-94E1-160371A9173E.jpeg
 
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If you are shooting competitions just make sure you know the rules. There are some that will only allow you to use a tripod and not a sling.

I have used the sling method and I find it more of a hassle than anything.... but if I am able to "preset" the rifle then it works great. Just get use to building a solid base and leaning into the rifle with you butt sticking out.
 
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MAUMAU said:
Dave -

Hunting at night with a Thermal and utilizing a tripod is what I have been doing for years. The difference is that the rifle, either air or a PB, is not attached to the tripod itself. As some of the trails on my property narrow to only four (4) feet wide, a rifle attached to a tripod would have the propensity to snag limbs or twigs and potentially alert the hogs that I am coming for them.

I carry the lightweight tripod in my left hand and the rifle over my right shoulder. Every 30' or so, I slowly lower the tripod to the ground and swing the rifle off of my shoulder and rest it on the tripod. It literally takes me just a few seconds to do this. I then pivot around the tripod, making sure that my foot does not hit the tripod legs, in a 360* motion like a submarine using its periscope. If I see nothing of interest, the rifle is swung back on my right shoulder and I slowly move another 30' and repeat. I like this method as it distributes the weight of the rifle and tripod separately.

Below I am all bundled up for a cold night of pig hunting. Interestingly, although I have full camo on, the trail cam pictures always look white.

View attachment 539645View attachment 539648
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@MAUMAU That’s a big sow in top in your photo. You have an interesting technique. I leave my rifle affixed to my tripod and I carry a hand scanner to scan as you do with your panning. That saves me some battery life on my scope. Plus I don’t like the clicking noise that the scope makes while it’s nuking in “stand-by” mode. I find that stopping and setting the tripod and gun down saves some wear and tear on my back while toting my Western Rattler and tripod. Do you use a hand scanner at all? How long does your thermal scope battery(íes) last before needing to be changed?
 
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I do not use a hand scanner as this method works great for me. My biggest issue is that animals will literally walk right by me and have no idea that I am there. If a deer gets within 15', I usually make a small noise so that they don't spook and run me over. Had an Armadillo come and sniff my boot, and foxes and coyotes just trot by if the wind is right.

The batteries last ~ 4 hours. I do put it on standby mode as I move about, but only so the animals do not see the illuminated viewfinder. There is only a minuscule amount of battery power saved by doing this. If I am out longer, I just throw a new set of rechargeable batteries in the unit.

It is now dark and I will be heading out soon. I hope the piggies cooperate.
 
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MAUMAU said:
I do not use a hand scanner as this method works great for me. My biggest issue is that animals will literally walk right by me and have no idea that I am there. If a deer gets within 15', I usually make a small noise so that they don't spook and run me over. Had an Armadillo come and sniff my boot, and foxes and coyotes just trot by if the wind is right.

The batteries last ~ 4 hours. I do put it on standby mode as I move about, but only so the animals do not see the illuminated viewfinder. There is only a minuscule amount of battery power saved by doing this. If I am out longer, I just throw a new set of rechargeable batteries in the unit.

It is now dark and I will be heading out soon. I hope the piggies cooperate.
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@MAUMAU Happy hunting and be safe. I understand close encounters. I’ve had my fair share.
 
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