Charles Lindsay-Fynn reviews the latest Carbon Shooting Sticks from Blaser.
Charles Lindsay-Fynn reviews the latest Carbon Shooting Sticks from Blaser.
Whilst shut away during lockdown and unable to participate in the sport itself, I alleviated my frustration at not being able to get out into the field, by turning to the internet for my hunting fill. Watching YouTube videos and reading product reviews inevitably led to some unnecessary purchases of kit! However, one of the useful items that I did come away with during that period were the new Blaser Carbon Fibre Shooting Sticks.
Essentially, the Blaser Carbon Shooting Sticks consist of four poles that when set up form two V-s, which meet at the upper points to provide a stable and portable shooting platform sitting on two aluminium foot spikes. At the back is a simple rubber coated fork that accepts the butt of the rifle whilst at the front is another fork for the fore-stock to rest in. The forward fork is mounted on a pistol grip that ergonomically fits your hand for a more comfortable rest (more about that later). The front fork can be removed and replaced with a spigot that will fit the bi-pod socket of a Blaser rifle. The sticks themselves are made of carbon fibre, weigh just under 1kg and are adjustable via four screw closures to fit the height of the individual shooter, ranging between 1.24 m and 1.98 m. They also come with a smart Blaser branded carry case in which to transport them.
The innovative part of the Blaser Carbon Shooting Sticks that I mentioned previously is the pistol grip on the front rest. This grip is rotatable to allow for the swift lining up of your shot and subsequent tracking of an animal if it moves before the shot can be taken. You can keep the rifle aimed and steadily on target over a lateral area of 20 meters at a range of 100 meters. This can be done without having to move the shooting sticks themselves from the position in which they are set, which can be difficult depending on the ground, and could potentially alert the animal.
Fortunately, lockdown over, I finally had the opportunity to field test the sticks on a recent Capreolus Club trip to the New Forest, when we stalked into a fabulous Fallow buck during the rut at slightly under 100 meters. I am pleased to say that the rifle felt steady as a rock on my Blaser Carbon Shooting Sticks and the adjustable pistol grip allowed for easy and quick target acquisition. On approaching the animal after the shot, ‘proof of the pudding’ - I was chuffed to see the entry point was exactly where intended, which is in no small part down to the sticks, rather than my own shooting prowess!
The only possible sticking point is the price, retailing at around £265.00 GBP, depending on where you order them from. Are they expensive? Yes. Are you paying extra for the Blaser brand name? Almost certainly. Are they a well-designed and high-quality product? Absolutely. Would I recommend you buy some? Undoubtedly.
If you'd like to watch Charlie in action using Blaser's Carbon Fibre Shooting sticks during the Capreolus Club's trip for New Forest Fallow, click here: youtube.com/watch
In the meantime, to read more from Charlie follow this link: shot-placement-achieving-a-humane-kill
Or to read about Blaser's new R8 Ultimate Rifle click here: blaser-r8-ultimate
