Primos Trigger Stick

[Hilltop]

Just wanted to give everyone a review on these in case you were considering buying shooting sticks in the near future. I have no experience with any of the other models, past or present to compare to. We purchased the tall tripod version that is listed from 24" to 62". I primarily use gun mounted Bi-Pods for myself but my wife doesn't like them. She is uncomfortable shooting prone and for sitting a kneeling shots she has a hard time getting the height right. I thought one of these sticks would be a solution- and it is. They work as advertised. Very steady, easy to use, silent, and feel very sturdy. They adjust low enough for a sitting shot for my wife (5'4") and adjust tall enough for me to shoot uphill standing- I'm 6'2". The trigger system is much easier for her to adjust than the bi-pods were so in the end I got a happier wife. Hopefully I can include an elk success picture with her and her stick in a couple of weeks.

 

[Cobbhunts]

Nice, I looked at these for a long while and didn't buy one. Maybe I should have!! Thanks for the review.

 

[NVBird'n'Big]

Thanks for the review, I am thinking about getting some for my elk hunt this year but am still on the fence, these look awesome. I've bought a lot of new crap this year so at ~$150 I may look at cheaper options.

 

[Murdy]

I have been on the verge of ordering that same model for about a week now. I guess I'm gonna do it.

BTW, available on Amazon for ~$125

 

[minn elk chaser]

I am also looking at them so you may have just convinced me.

 

[MT dreaming]

Thanks- I've been debating on some shooting sticks also. May have to check these out for an upcoming elk/mule deer hunt.

 

[Hilltop]

They are expensive but you can find them around $125 to $135 if you shop around. I went to a sporting goods store and tried one in the store before purchasing it. I then pulled up the online price and the store matched it, no questions asked.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Got some shooting sticks for x-mas last year. Haven't used them myself yet but my brother used them to shoot his bull in AZ a couple
of weeks ago. They worked great. They can be adjusted from sitting to standing shot instantly. They will be perfect when my bi-pod is
a little too low.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I've been using a Trigger Stick for years. I use the single and also use it as a walking stick. When nothing is available for support for shooting (tree, rock, etc) I just squeeze the trigger and it does the job, great for a walking stick too.

 

[Againstthewind]

I tried a cheap single one last year and destroyed it the first day using it as a walking stick. The next one won't be a cheap one so I will look into these ones, thanks guys. So don't go the cheap route, they are a bad deal.

 

[Montana]

Just adding my 2 cents in here... I have the tripod as well. I wanted to double it up as a tripod for my spotter and shooting sticks. Im about 80% satisfied with this decision. As just shooting sticks they worked great but they are a little heavy. I previously had the bipod pole cat and though lacked a little stability they were quite lighter.

As a tripod for the spotter. It probably nets out as a gain from carrying a tripod and shooting sticks. But its big and doesn't fit in your pack like a traditional tripod. Finding and following game is not as fluid as a traditional tripod. But it does offer simplicity and carrying less gear is always a goal.

There's my thoughts... I should mention if ever doing a half day hunt with no spotter then my 4 star would move to a 5.

 

[chsdaddy]

I'll through in my thoughts as well. I've had them for 2 seasons now and they work as advertised. As others have said you can use them for your tripod for your spotter or camera for in the field success photos.

I use them more for glassing than anything. If you haven't tried it, just rest your binos on top of them while standing. It's amazing how steadying them allows for better glassing. You can do this little trick with your bow too.

 

[Wyoming Hart]

I purchased the monopod and while it is good, I wish that I would have gotten at least the bipod. The monopod just doesn't seem to be steady enough for most shooting situations. If you are going for lighter and less bulky the monopod is the way to go but if you are shooting long distances and a little more steadiness, the others are the way to go. The trigger system is a great idea.

 

[battlebornnv]

I just purchased the Trigger Stick bi-pod and I couldn't be more pleased with it. I had vanguard shooting sticks that you had to unclip and re-clip to adjust the height and it was a pain. the Trigger stick allows you to adjust the height in seconds. Considered buying the tripod but figured I would stick with bi-pods which I have had success with

 

[Odin]

I just purchased the Trigger Stick bi-pod and I couldn't be more pleased with it. I had vanguard shooting sticks that you had to unclip and re-clip to adjust the height and it was a pain. the Trigger stick allows you to adjust the height in seconds. Considered buying the tripod but figured I would stick with bi-pods which I have had success with

I couldn't agree more. I would also add that it is easy to adjust on hills and uneven terrain in seconds.

 

[tim]

can the bipod be used as a walking stick, or is the double feet kind of weird when walking?

 

[Hilltop]

The bipod and tripod have a rubber strap that keeps the feet together so can be used as a walking stick. 5 years later and mine still works like new. In my opinion, the tripod is the way to go. The stability they offer, especially on side hills, is great. My wife and I have taken elk, deer and antelope off of ours over the last 5 years.

 

[Shane13]

I use the tripod as a walking stick. It might get cumbersome or uncomfortable in your hand if you carried it for 10 miles up and down mountains, but it works just fine for most of my needs.

When I'm rifle hunting, I carry it with me all the time. I extend the legs all the way out and release the little rubber strap that holds them closed. I like to be able to set it up for a standing shot as quickly as possible. My hand keeps the legs together just as well as the rubber strap anyway. I usually hold it in the center so that it's balanced, but if I need it as a walking stick, I will grab it up higher for that purpose.

It's also useful for spot and stalk hunting to use as a rest for my binoculars. When I want to stop and glass, I just stand the sticks up with the legs still all together (not extended into a tripod) and pull my binocs up out of my chest pack and rest them on the shooting rest at the top of the sticks. That allows me to scan the brush and terrain around me easily. If I need to kneel to get a lower vantage point, I just pull the trigger and drop it down to that level. Then I'll extend the legs all the way up again when I'm ready to start stalking again.

I am lost without these shooting sticks nowadays if I ever forget to bring them with me on a hunt. They're an excellent tool.

Side note: I prefer the Gen 2 version over the Gen 3. The Gen 3 head has holes in it that can whistle a little bit in the wind when the wind blows above 15mph or so. Gen 2 head doesn't do that.

 

[taskswap]

I used the Primos Gen 3 Tripod last year, but gave it up. In addition to the whistling, it's definitely way heavier than a pair of hiking sticks, and I found the legs can rattle a bit too. What's worse, the one time I did use it to set up on a deer, all the fussing around with the bottom strap to undo the legs, fold them out, then adjust it, then swap the top adapter (assuming you have your binos on the camera mount to positively identify species/sex etc before taking your shot) was just too much movement - it gave me away. Say goodbye to that doe.

If anybody that doesn't own one of these already wants a quick video overview I'd be happy to make one.

This year I've optimized my gear a lot. I:

1. Went back to a pair of carbon fiber hiking sticks, which give me 2 sticks for less than half the weight of the tripod.
2. Bought a tent that lets me use the sticks as tent poles (River Country Trekker 2.2). This saves weight even more.
3. Drilled/epoxied a 1/4-20" bolt sticking about 3/8" out the top of one of them, then cut the head off of it. I mounted a Vortex Uni-Daptor base on this stud.

With the Primos stick it's a bit of fussing around to switch what you have mounted. With the uni-daptor, you just drop your binos into the base. The bino mount is compact enough to stay on in your bino harness, and it's not a locking mount so when you want to put them away, you just lift them off and do that.

I still use the Primos tripod occasionally, but mostly when I'm target shooting on public land. I use it to hold my binos or a spotting scope. The weight and clumsiness don't matter so much then, and it's nice to be able to make quick setup adjustments.

I don't know if Primos reads these forums, but I do have a couple of "wishes" that I think would make this product a lot better:

1. The base really needs some kind of clip or holder for the shooting rest when you have the camera base mounted. It's too easy to drop/lose either of these attachments, and there's nowhere to "put them".
2. Evaluate the legs even more. That bottom silicone strap to hold them together while hiking requires you to move a lot to undo it and then spread out the tripod.
3. The whole unit with the shooting rest mounted (but not the camera adapter) weighs 3lbs 1oz. That's really heavy for a tripod or stick you're meant to hike around with in one hand. You don't notice it so much after 1 mile. You SURE notice it after 5. A carbon fiber version would be really nice.

 

[Shane13]

Leaving the strap open on the Primos sticks solves the issue of having to fumble with it when a shot opportunity presents itself. I find that it's unnecessary to use the strap while hiking, or at any other time, in the field. It's helpful for when you're storing them or transporting them though. I can see where swapping different attachments would not be efficient as well. I haven't found a need for any extra attachments though. I just keep the rifle rest on it. I can rest my binoculars on that to steady them when I'm glassing, and it's always ready to go when I need to rest my rifle on it for a shot opportunity. Foregoing use of some of the optional bells and whistles in order to keep it simple works pretty well for me.