DIY Shooting Sticks

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Here’s a quick and cheap way to make yourself some really good shooting sticks. Start with 3 fiberglass driveway markers from the local hardware store. These sticks are 4-foot long and approximately 1/4″ in diameter. They are available at the local hardware store for about $2.00 each usually. These sticks also have a nice point on one end which helps them stick into the ground.

You also need some duct tape, preferably camouflage, and some cloth camouflage tape. I like the Allen Company cloth camo tape, available on Amazon. I use this type of cloth tape because the ligature will slide on it easily.

…and 36-inches of paracord.

1.) Start by unrolling a 48″ length of the duct tape, lay it sticky side up next to one of the sticks…
2.) Roll it around the stick as smooth and even as you can until the stick is completely covered. This layer of tape helps to camouflage the sticks if the cloth tape wears off anywhere, and keeps fiberglass splinters from sticking you in the fingers.
3.) Lay a strip of the cloth tape, sticky side up next to the duct-taped rod as with the duct tape, BUT DON’T wrap it all the way around. The cloth tape goes edge to edge to leave a lengthwise seam that protrudes from the stick.
This seam is necessary to hold the ligature in place and prevent it from sliding off of the sticks. When all 3 sticks are thus taped, lay them together and cut a piece of paracord about 36-inches long. Tie a tight not at each end and melt the ends to keep them from fraying. CAUTION: the hot, melted paracord will stick to your skin and burn you if you touch it before it cools. Form the paracord into a “U” and lay the three sticks across it:
4.) Now comes the tricky part… When all 3 sticks are taped, lay them together and cut a piece of paracord about 36-inches long. Tie a tight not at each end and melt the ends to keep them from fraying. CAUTION: the hot, melted paracord will stick to your skin and burn you if you touch it before it cools. Form the paracord into a “U” and lay the three sticks across it.
5.) Tie a “Cow Hitch” around the sticks…
6.) …and proceed tying half-hitches in each direction until you have 8 loops around the sticks.
7.) Tie a knot in each
In the end, you should have something that looks like this.
When you pull the knot “open” it actually tightens and holds the sticks together. the “seam” in the sticks keeps it from sliding off the rods.
That’s it! You now have some lightweight, flexible, adjustable height shooting sticks.
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