CamoTherapy

SUPPORTING YOUR HABIT

            Every good rifleman finds a way to support his habit, and disabled hunters should be no different. I’m talking about using a sturdy rest for your firearm.

            Many permanent ground blinds –ready made or custom built—feature shooting rails or window frames that can steady a rifle. Hunting in the open or from pop-up blinds poses a greater challenge when it’s time to aim. Before needing a wheelchair, I used a four-legged walker to reach the blind. Once settled in a folding stool, I’d position the walker in front of me to serve as a gun rest. Here’s a pic of me using the setup on a deer hunt in Georgia:

             As my condition worsened, I depended on a wheelchair, and my arms became too weak to hold a rifle. I bought a model LM100 wheelchair-mounted bracket from BE-Adaptive (www.beadaptive.com) that supports the rifle’s weight yet allows full range of movement for aiming. BE-Adaptive also makes a motorized gun bracket for quadriplegics. Controlled via joystick or chin movement, it draws power from a 12-volt battery. This photo shows the results of a South Carolina squirrel safari with a Ruger semi-auto .22 on the LM100:

     

        Collapsible shooting sticks rate as the best option for disabled hunters who have use of their arms. The sticks adjust to hold a rifle steady whether you’re standing, sitting or kneeling, and they offer maneuverability when you need to change shooting angles quickly. Keith Jordan, of Alabama, demonstrates how he uses shooting sticks:

Each shooter must find what works best for him, and then spend time practicing at the rifle range. How do you hold your crosshairs steady in hunting situations?