Products GearShooting SticksHunting Gear Long Grass African Shooting Sticks

Summary

Long Grass African Shooting Sticks offer a fast and easy set up while providing a high quality look for display in your trophy room.

Further down this page you will find sections on: Technique, FAQ's, and Customer Comments.

 

They are solid, strong, and reliable. Long Grass sticks have been proven on game not only in Africa but the world over. There are no better looking sticks for display in your trophy room.

 

These are the only shooting sticks with a lifetime guarantee. If you wear them out we will fix or replace them - so, keep shooting!

Nothing is outsourced. They are handcrafted right here in Texas by us personally - made for shooters by shooters.

 

Detail Description

We think our Long Grass Sticks are the best tripod shooting sticks available. Long Grass sticks are true African style sticks with independently articulating legs. They are fast and easy to set up and can be changed from standing to sitting/kneeling configuration in seconds.

Features

• Made of American hickory with a rich hand rubbed finish - these sticks break apart so they can be
   used from either a standing or sitting/kneeling position
• Long Grass sticks break down using a simple copper to wood ferrule connection that is strong, very
   fast and reliable
• The shooting "V" is leather wrapped to protect your rifle's stock and provide a bit of cushion for the
   shot - the leather is both glued and laced for maximum durability
• Rubber caps on the bottoms of the legs eliminate leg rattle when carrying the sticks - the rubber
   caps also work well on all surfaces from mud to concrete - an important consideration for range
   practice or dry firing at home on a slick floor
• The set includes a cloth bag designed to carry your sticks in your gun case. When in the bag, the
   sticks measure 36" in length, 7 ½" in circumference, with an average weight of 38 ounces
• Be sure to read the FAQ section for further explanation of design features
• Hand crafted in San Antonio, Texas. Unconditionally guaranteed for life!

Sizing

Size	Your Height	Inches when in closed position
2XL	6'5" - 6'7"	77"
XL	6'1" - 6'4"	74"
L	5'9" - 6'0"	71"
MED	5'4" - 5'8"	67"

 

Practical Application

African shooting sticks have become an almost universal tool for African hunters. Shooting in Africa often occurs in terrain where the prone and sitting positions are unusable because of intervening vegetation and steady rests on trees or other structure are unavailable or impractical because of thorns. While most shots are probably under 175 yards, that is still a long way for most of us when shooting from a free standing position. Shooting sticks provide an instantly available solid rest that allows hunters to make good shots at these distances. Some skilled riflemen are able to use shooting sticks to make much longer shots. All African Professional Hunters will tell you - Learn to use shooting sticks BEFORE you come to Africa.

Anyone that shoots a rifle or handgun should own and use shooting sticks. While tripod shooting sticks were popularized by African hunters they have many applications beyond the Dark Continent.
Long Grass Shooting sticks have been successfully used on a variety of large and small game in the United States and countries throughout the world from Africa to Alaska to Azerbaijan, and of course Texas.

Long Grass sticks are an excellent tool for still hunting the white tail deer. To use them for this purpose, you slowly move through your hunting area and stop when you encounter a likely looking area such as a deer crossing. Set up your sticks next to a tree or brush line to break your silhouette and wait with your rifle at ready. Follow your instincts and stay or move as feels right. Have confidence and enjoy your time outdoors and you will see more game - and be ready if the right one appears.

Long Grass sticks have many uses beyond their primary purpose as a gun rest.
• They make an excellent rest for binoculars or camera.
• They function as a walking stick can be very helpful when transversing rough terrain
• They can be used to move vegetation aside, knock down a wasp nest, or flip a snake
• The tripod design provides a place to hang binoculars, rifle and other gear when taking a break
• Tie a small feather on the top of your sticks with thread for a continual wind detector
• Tripod shooting sticks are especially helpful for the young shooter (an adult size rifle is much more
  manageable for a young shooter when resting on a set of sticks)

African shooting sticks, shooting sticks, tri-pod shooting sticks, bi-pod shooting sticks, bi-pod

Care Instructions

Long Grass sticks are coated in satin polyurethane and only need to be wiped off with a damp rag if dirty. Do not apply linseed oil. The leather and band can be wiped down with any leather care product if desired. The copper ferrules can be tightened if desired by using instructions in the owner's manual.

Technique

The technique I have come to prefer is somewhat different. The technique was shown to me by Danie van Ellewee of "Into Africa Hunting Adventures", Namibia. The method is described below:

  • Place the rifle on the shooting V so that the rifle is roughly balanced fore and aft. This placement
     puts the rifle well forward of most other shooting stick methods.
  • Grasp the fore end with your left hand (right handed shooter) with your right hand in the normal
     trigger position.
  • Lower your left elbow until the left fore arm presses against the left stick leg. Apply enough pressure
     with your fore arm to put some bend in the left stick. It also helps to pull down on your rifle with the
     left hand. The goal here is to use the stick leg to lean against to reduce horizontal sway.
  • Lean slightly into the sticks. (I prefer to adjust my height and balance by locking my knees and
     spreading my feet rather than bending at the legs.)

I believe there are several benefits to this approach.
  1. The tension of the fore arm against the left stick leg reduces horizontal sway, especially in windy
      conditions. The result is better and more consistent shot placement.
  2. The technique provides a firm two handed grip on the rifle and works with a scope or open sights.
      A two hand grip on the rifle is important to insure control with hard kicking rifles.
  3. The sticks stay in position at the shot as you are essentially holding the sticks with the pressure
      from your forearm. You can work the action and take a follow up shot in the quickest possible manner.
  4. The rifle is held tightly to the sticks requiring both to move as a unit when the rifle is fired. This
      reduces recoil.

As an adjunct to this technique, Danie also demonstrated how your PH can add additional stability by supporting your right elbow. To do this, set up on the sticks as described above. Your PH then cups his hands, palms up, against his mid torso to form a pocket to hold your right elbow. The PH should be standing at a right angle to you while supporting your elbow.

FAQ's

Q - Do I really need shooting sticks?

A - Of course you do. Shooting sticks will help you shoot better. Beside the ethical issue of accurate shooting for quick humane kills there are other practical reasons to use sticks. In Africa much of
your shooting must be done in the standing position. Tall grasses often make the prone position
useless and the sitting position of limited value. Additionally while many shots must be taken
quickly, there are occasions when you must hold a rifle in a ready position for a significant amount of time. For example, waiting for an animal to move from cover, step clear of other animals, or turn for a better shot angle. Last but not least, shooting from sticks will minimize the amount of felt recoil. Big game rifles kick and practice is of little value if you develop a flinch.
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Q - What kind of accuracy can I expect from Long Grass shooting sticks?

A - The answer depends on many factors. Shooting sticks provide an instantly available rest to help you hold your rifle steady. You still have to squeeze the trigger. From the standing stick position, most people can hold on or near a nine inch plate at 100 yards. Experienced shooters can do better often times much better. One customer sent me a target he shot with a .416 Rem. Three shots were in 1 ½". Some report they have shot groups under one inch. I'm happy with 4". The size of the target you can hold on from the sitting/kneeling stick position will be roughly 1/2 that of standing. More important than group size is improved consistency and elimination of all wild shots.
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Q - Why bother with purchasing and transporting my own shooting sticks. Why not just use the ones the Professional Hunter will have?

A - This approach may or may not work for you. There may not be a set of shooting sticks waiting when you arrive. Just as important is you cannot practice with sticks that reside in Africa. Practice and familiarity with your own sticks increases the probability of good hits and clean kills. The sticks your PH (Professional Hunter) has may not be appropriate for your height. The sticks your PH has will probably not break down and consequently are of limited use for sitting or kneeling shots. The sticks your PH has may have all three top sticks protruding the same length which can be confusing to shoot from. Your PH sticks may not have covered tips to protect your stocks finish.
You can't put your PH's sticks in your trophy room.
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Q - How durable are Long Grass shooting sticks? What if something breaks?

A - Long Grass sticks were designed to be strong and reliable. They are also simple and repairable in the field in a worst case scenario. The legs are made of hickory known to be a very durable wood. Hickory is used to make bows and ramrods. The band that holds the sticks together is a vacuum cleaner drive belt. This belt is designed for a lot more abuse than shooting sticks will ever give it. Credit for this idea goes to the Accurate Reloading Forum, a true treasure of hunting and shooting information. If the band were somehow cut in the field you could temporarily patch things up with string, rubber bands or even wire. The stick connectors are ½" copper tubes. If the connection mechanism was inadvertently damaged, a pair of pliers and a pocket knife would resolve most issues. Long Grass sticks were designed to be durable but fixable with common materials and tools. In any event, Long Grass sticks are 100% guaranteed for the life of the purchaser.
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Q - Why use a wood to copper ferrule connection. Why not use a screw in mechanism?

A - We wanted a connection that allowed a quick change between standing and sitting/kneeling
shot opportunities. A simple friction fit provides for a quick change. A screw in mechanism does not. A screw mechanism in the field is also easily plugged with mud or dirt making it inoperable. Mud and dirt are not a problem with our ferrule connection.
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Q - Why use rubber tips on the stick feet? Wouldn't pointed metal caps be better?

A - We chose rubber tips for several reasons. Most importantly they prevent leg rattle when carrying the sticks. The rubber tips work on a concrete slab at the rifle range or your tile floor when dry firing at home. Rubber tips work well in a wide variety of field situations from rocks to soft mud.
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Q - What is the best approach for learning how to use shooting sticks?

A - Dry fire using different stances and hand positions until you find what works best for you. Verify your dry firing approach with live ammo. Sometimes recoil changes things.
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Q - What is the best way to hold the sticks and rifle?

A - There is no one best answer for everyone. There are several variations that work well. You should try various approaches and pick the one you feel most comfortable with. The most common approach is to rest the fore end of the rifle in the shooting V and grasp both the fore end and some part of the sticks with the left hand (right handed shooter).
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Q - What about holding the rifle fore end with your left hand and resting that hand in the shooting V?

A - Some double rifle shooters have told me that it is necessary to hold the rifle in the hand to insure both barrels hit to the same point of aim. Unless this is an issue for you, I think it is better to rest the rifle stock fore-end in the sticks. Double rifle shooters hold the rifle fore-end in the left hand and rest the wrist on the sticks with the left hand in front of the V. Do not put your hand directly in the V as recoil can jam your fingers or the back of your hand into the sticks.
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Q - I wobble left and right when using sticks. What can I do to steady my aim?

A - Horizontal movements are caused by your body swaying left and right. If the wind is not blowing, try standing more upright, like a silhouette shooter. The objective is to minimize muscle tension and allow your skeleton to support your body. Adjust your stick height to accommodate this position. Sticks that are too short will not allow you to stand highly erect. This is why we recommend Long Grass sticks that are at least as tall as you are when the sticks are in the closed position.
If the wind is blowing the above recommendation will not work as wind gusts will move your body more than muscle tremors will. In windy situations, spread your feet wide apart and adjust your sticks accordingly. Lock your knees and again try to let your skeleton support you. Lean slightly into the sticks. This approach uses a bit of your body weight as a stabilizer against the wind gusts which is better than trying to fight wind with muscle reactions. The Dannie technique recommended in a Q&A above helps eliminate horizontal sway.
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Q - Will my Long Grass sticks work as a pistol rest?

A - Your Long Grass sticks make an excellent pistol rest. They also make an excellent platform
for steadying your binoculars or camera. Your sticks are also very handy for hanging your rifle
(bolt open), binoculars, water bottle, and other gear when taking a break.
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Q - I have read that resting my rifles fore-end on shooting sticks will cause the shot to be high?

A - This has not been my experience. I have a Remington 700 in .223 that consistently shootsunder ¾" groups at 100 yards. With the "barrel" rested directly on the sticks, the resultant group does impact two inches above a bench rest, sand bag group. When the fore-end is rested on the sticks there is no observable difference in vertical impact between the bench rest group and the stick group. I have had the same result with free floated and bedded barrels. Snipers often employ Harris type bipods and they seem to work OK. The short, stiff, Harris type platform would seem more likely to throw a shot high than African style sticks. Note - I used two sets of sticks to insure accuracy in the above tests - tripod for the fore end and a bipod against my shoulder as a rest for the butt stock.
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Q - Can I use Long Grass shooting sticks as a walking stick?

A - Yes. They work fairly well as is and can be made significantly more useful as a walking stick by addition of two simple items. The first is a lanyard loop tied to allow transfer of pressure from the hand to the wrist/arm and a small Velcro strap to keep the legs from splaying in certain situations. With these two upgrades your Long Grass shooting sticks become an outstanding walking stick. The extra length as compared to most walking sticks is very helpful when transversing rough uneven terrain or probing undergrowth before deciding to take the step. 

Customer Comments

Your Long Grass sticks live in my truck, and are taken out and used every time I go to the range!
Look forward to seeing you, all best,
Craig Boddington
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Dear Long Grass,

I regret to inform you that I have a recurring problem with your product.

I have taken and utilized Long Grass shooting sticks on two African Safaris. On both occasions the guides had their own shooting sticks and preferred me to use them. After insisting upon using my Long Grass shooting sticks, thereby forcing the guides to witness the sticks' usefulness, I was not allowed to leave the country with my new Long Grass sticks.

African professional hunters keep taking them away from me because they want them. They like the way they break-down and travel well, the sturdiness and the light weight design.

To me the most important part is the two prongs that rest on top the tripod design as opposed to the normal three which tend to get in the way, especially when there is a need to pan left or right without moving the legs. Your product is outstanding. In my case perhaps too good.

Therefore, I would like to purchase another set of these sticks.

Attached is a picture of one of the ten African species I have taken with your product.

Thank you.
Mike Rogers
Expedition Safari
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The sticks really worked well. The PH wanted them in the worst way and if I hadn't left everything else but my gun and binoculars I'd give them to him.

When you can practice on them here and get used to them its a snap there...each guy had his own so when we got out of the truck and made a walk we could tell who was going to shoot just buy which sticks were getting set up.. a 2x1 hunt... my friend is 6'2..I'm 5'7 I color coded the sticks at the front so they would readily get the front leg out right... mine were red and his were yellow..

worked effortless for everyone after a two minute talk... the trackers used them all the time to point out the tracks [very light and easy to carry for the compared to their sticks]

I'm sold on then thanks again
Larry Drahota M.D.
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My name is Brian McDonald from Orlando Florida and I have purchase [sic] 6 sets of shooting sticks from your company over the past year.

As a young hunter growing up in South Texas, shooting stick [sic] were very foreign to me, but having left Texas 16 years ago I have learned to appreciate hunting outside of a deer blind. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to hunt Alaska, Canada and all over the Pacific North West. You learn quickly to shoot from a seated or prone position when you are truly hunting on foot.

I have always dreamed of hunting Africa and being a voracious reader was always aware of shooting sticks, but had never used any. Last January I took some important customers to Sonora Mexico and before leaving purchased 5 set [sic] of sticks from you. As you will see from the photos attached we harvested some spectacular Mule Deer including one that went into Boone and Crockett. All of these spectacular deer were taken off of Long Grass Outfitters shooting sticks.

This past June, I went on safari in South Africa with Barry Burchell's Frontiers Safaris and to be honest, I was told by countless friends who have hunted all over the "Dark Continent" that most of my shots would be between 100 and 150 yards. Boy I am grateful to you for such a wonderful product.

I harvested 15 animals of which my closest shot was 100 yard [sic], but 4 of my trophies were at 300 plus yards. In particular, a monster of a Nyala was standing cross canyon at 347 yards (I have Leica range finding binoculars and to use a bad cliché, "never leave home without them").

We were in tremendously think brush and my PH's stick [sic] were worthless as his didn't break down and couldn't be spread far enough apart for a shot were I was seated. I broke my Long Grass sticks down and harvested my Nyala with one shot. With my Long Grass Shooting Sticks broken down, I also took a Black and a Cape Springbok at 300 & 304 yards, a Bush Buck at 315 yards, and a Blesbok at 267 yards, all with one shot a piece from a seated position.

Additionally, standing with my stick in one piece, I harvested 2 Burchells Zebra, a second Bush Buck, Impala, Black Wildebeest, Blue Wildebeest, and Red Hartebeest.

The only animal that took more than one bullet was a Kudu that I had to shoot without my sticks (my skinner left them at the camp that morning). I almost lost that Kudu and took personal responsibility for ensuring I always had my shooting sticks from that point forward.

My sticks became absolutely indispensable, but sadly, they never made it out of Africa. They quickly became a gift to Barry Burchell, whom I personally hunted with and who owns Frontier Safaris.

He saw the huge benefit of sticks that break down quickly in the field. In addition to my sticks, the extra set I ordered (which my wife actually used to stabilize her 1000-millimeter Canon lens in the field) also stayed with Barry. I will be calling to order replacements, but cannot thank you enough as your product was every bit as important as my rifle and binoculars.

Many thanks for the wonderful trophies that will grace my walls as a result of your Long Grass Shooting Sticks.

Sincerely, Brian and Linda McDonald
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What did I think of your shooting sticks?? I loved them!! I only wished I had them earlier to practice with before we left for SA. I got to use them only one time at the range. (I'm a firm believer in practicing!!!!)
Denny showed me how to set them up by myself. Very simple, quick and straight forward. And the sticks gave me a really stable shooting platform, regardless of the terrain!
You & Jerry really have a wonderful product.
Cheryl Waldrum-Long
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I recently purchased two sets of your shooting sticks and have added a simple enhancement I thought you might find interesting.

One feature of your sticks that caused me to buy them is the ability to remove the leg extensions and use the sticks in a sitting and kneeling position. I live and hunt in Colorado, so in addition to my plans to use the extended leg version on an African hunt next year, I want to be able to use the shorter version more routinely for big game hunts in the western states near my home.

Here, it is extremely useful for your bipod or tripod to also function as a walking stick, since spot and stalk and still hunting while walking over longer distances is so prevalent. One thing I quickly noticed about your sticks is that they need to be secured together in order to perform double duty as a walking stick.

I easily solved this need with an inexpensive and commercially available Velcro strip, as illustrated below. If you were to make a similar feature available for your product, either Velcro or leather variations would work quite well. It effectively makes the product usable as a walking stick but instantly convertible back to its intended purpose.

Anyway, I just thought you might find this simple adaptation to be of interest.

I really like your product and am looking forward to using it, not only during my upcoming hunt in Africa, but also on a routine basis during treks in the mountain states for deer and elk.

Regards, Gary Nesmith
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Melody:
I really liked the Long Grass sticks for several reasons.
First and foremost was the sturdiness with the tripod design. I used a double rifle that weighed over ten pounds and the sticks worked great. They are fast to set up. The fact that you can take them apart and put them into the rifle case is a great feature. They are so much more stable than a bipod set or the metal sticks that are available.

One example of why your sticks are so good for Africa: we were within 20 yards of five Cape buffalo bulls for 20 minutes waiting for a shot opportunity, standing in four foot high elephant grass. So for 20 minutes my heavy double rifle was up on the sticks as I watched the bull through the scope. The sticks were steady the whole time and I never had to think about anything but pulling the trigger as soon as an opportunity came up. No wobble or flex or anything like that. Because the sticks are so stable, there is very little up/down movement with the rifle, the shooter just has to control the side to side movement.

My PH loved them. His only comment was that the copper tubes got very bright over the ten days, I guess because that's where he held them as we walked. I think he planned to paint them black or something.
FYI - I had to order another set of your shooting sticks because my PH in Zimbabwe would not give them back to me when I left! Of course, the PH had the ones made in Africa, but he really liked the convenience and above all the sturdiness of the Long Grass sticks, as did I.

Excellent product!
Best, Paul Smith
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I just returned from my most recent trip to South Africa. This was the first time I tried out your shooting sticks. Might I say they work great! As you
can tell by the photos the hunt was a success. To a point where I had utilized them in two separate ways IE: fully extended, then with the extensions removed. The Cape Buffalo that was taken was 38 inches
wide. The buff will score around 113 SCI (Gold Medal). Said buff was a troublesome bull in the area. To a point where the people called him satan.
There was one down fall however my sticks stayed behind with Nick Kilbride of Angus Brown Safaris. He also was very impressed.
Sincerely,
Robert Gaitan
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Melody, Your shooting sticks make a handy rest for hunting gear while taking a break in the African Bush. Mike Homcha "My friend and I used your Long-Grass shooting sticks on our recent hunt with Classic Safaris in Northern
Namibia. We used them to make accurate shot placements that resulted in one shot kills on 10 animals at ranges from 110 yards out to almost 300 yards. Both of our Profession Hunters said that your shooting sticks were the best made they had seen, and literally begged us to sell them to them. They liked the fact that they can be taken apart for traveling, and also the construction and materials are top shelf. They set up for a shot in only one second. Of course we left them behind for future clients to use. As you know by now, my friend and I have already ordered replacement sets for our own use.
Mike Homcha
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Here's what Adam had to say about these shooting sticks:
"Had a great time in Tanzania, and the shooting sticks were great. I loved them and the client loved them. I will for sure need for you to bring a couple by the office for me to sell. I will also list them on my website as well, as I think these sticks are great.
Adam Clements - Safari Trackers Inc

 

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