Shooting off cross sticks ?

[pulaski]

Where do you rest your rifle on the cross sticks ? Near the muzzle , at a ferrule , at the forward hand grip area ?
This question came up at the shoot on Sun. as we had a second shoot off cross sticks .
Just curious as to what others do .
Thanks , Steve

[Harnic]

I rest the forearm on the same point I hold it when shooting offhand regardless what I rest on.  Just to keep the harmonics in the barrel the same.  I don't think harmonics play as big a role with muzzle loaders as with modern centrefire rifles, but there is some influence there.

[Roger Fisher]

Try as I might I could not get good grps with the rifle restin on the stix ab 3 inc back of the muzzle.  I found the sweet spot with her just behind the center pipe.  I was getting an occasional high shot from muzzle lift seems like....

[chapmans]

My X-stick guns have a hole drilled and tapped about 8" back from the muzzle for a muzzle rest, I push the rest right up against the sticks,so it's always in the same place from shot to shot. Either I don't have a rib or take it off when shooting off the sticks. I've always got good accuracy this way! I have not shot off the sticks with a full stock but would try resting it at the first thimble if it were me!
Regards, Steve C.

[smylee grouch]

Along with the barrel's position on the stix, there are those that say dont shoot up hill or have the gun canted up if posible so placing targets as close to horizontial will help somewhat too.   Smylee

[Daryl]

Interesting, Steve.  I found my .40, a 1/2 stock, required when shooting chunk, that the barrel had to be rested on a bag just behind the second pipe- or just behind the entry pipe. Either position gave it exactly the same group size, although the further down the barrel resting, elevated the gorup about 1/2".

I haven't tried any of this current lot of guns off cross sticks, except for my .69 and I do not let it have it's head.  I hold on to it's stock as if shooting offhand. That way, the poi does not change and I can control it's climb, somewhat.  The gun's rise on recoil is bad enough when holding onto the forend. I don' t want to get smacked in the beak by the hammer or barrel for that matter, by letting it get a running jump.

[northmn]

I used to enjoy coaching kids and women on shooting off X sticks so they could beat dad.  A halfstock is better off of sticks than a fullstock as it does not have the "bounce"  When I shoot with a fullstock I place a padding in the V to avoid scratching the gun and for support (often my hat).  It also seems to help them shoot on target as some guns do not from offhand to X sticks the same. 
First adjust the sticks for proper line up on the target.  While it sounds simple I have seen a lot of people try to compensate for poor positioning which is similar to not haveing enough padding off of a benchrest. A lot of sticks are made too short.
The best rest for the rifle is close to the muzzle behind the front ramrod ferrule (remove the rod).  It seems like one can learn to kind of pull a little against the sticks that way.  (sort of a feel)
Also I used to use my hand that normally holds the forestock and place it on the bottom of the the butt where its against my shoulder.  Have your knees high enough to rest your trigger elbow on one knee. 
I have taken deer out of blinds using X sticks I cut on site, and used to use the X sticks as my bench rest for ML's   A good X stick shooter should be able to blow the center out of a target.  They have now gone to 6 bull targets at friendship to be able to count all the holes (so I am told) The old X stick target was a double bull for that purpose.

DP

[Daryl]

I've used cross sticks with a long range gopher rifle when shooting from a folding chair. Being able to rest the elbows on the chair's arms was necessary for pin-point accuracy at long range on the sage rats - like 350 to 500yards.

This would be a comfortable position with a ML as well - sitting on the ground, elbow rest on the knees. Just make certain you 'target' the piece from this position before betting money on the result.(ie: entering a contest)