I'm staff sergeant Tyler Payne of the Army Marksmanship Unit Action Shooting Team and today we are going to discuss tripod techniques. 

When shooting off the top of the tripod, I balance my gun and make all minor adjustments with my support hand. While I am using the tripod, I let the tripod support the gun and I impart as little movement into the gun as possible. If I don’t touch the gun, the gun won’t move. As soon as I touch it, it will start to move. But the top of the tripod is just the beginning.  

One of my favorite techniques of utilizing the tripod is to support the front of the gun off a tripod leg. I like to use a bag to maximize my surface area on the gun and I can use my elbow on my knee to help support the rear of the gun. 
One of the keys for supporting the front of your gun on the tripod is using a good quality shooting bag, wrapping your hand around the tri-pod leg and making your fine tuning adjustments by squeezing the bag.  You can get very fine adjustments just by applying a little bit of pressure to the bag. 

Another advantage of supporting the front of the gun off the leg of the tripod, is I can quickly adjust my position if I encounter an obstacle. I can go from a high standing position down to a low kneeling position in much less time than it takes to adjust the legs if I were clipped onto the top. 

Another advantage of supporting the front of the gun off the leg of the tripod, is I can quickly adjust my position if I encounter an obstacle. I can go from a high standing position down to a low kneeling position in much less time than it takes to adjust the legs if I were clipped onto the top. 

If you’re presented with a barricade where you can support the front of the gun, the tripod really shines as a rear support. With the front of the gun and the rear of the gun both supported, it’s like shooting off of a bench.  Plus, it works at any height. Supporting the rear of the gun is very similar to supporting the front of the gun except you don’t have a bag. Your fine adjustments are made by sliding the gun slightly up and down the leg. 
A tripod can be a very versatile tool especially for you hunters and precision rifle competitors. Just make sure you practice these tips before you get out there on your hunt or you show up at a match and the timer goes off. We’ll see you at the range.