I recently purchased one of the mono sticks for hunting. When I shoot from this rest I shoot consistently but my shots are all lower than when I shoot off hand. I've reviewed everything I've learned and can find to read but haven't found a solution. The load I'm shooting is a .44 mag, 200 gr, 1400 fps. Low pressure and very pleasant to shoot. I dislike shooting paper, but I spend my time "stump" shooting at longer distances. Anyone have any ideas why the difference?

If you shoot low off the bench also, I would say you are on to something that you will have to work out. If I read this right the mono stick, sticks above your line of sight when you are using it. If so is it shadowing your rear sight? Sight picture is a usual suspect in this case the only thing different is a shooting aid. Test from an aided rest of some other kind such as a tree limb see if it is the same scenario.

There is a very good chance your difference is in the downward pressure. I have never used your exact setup but similiar things. If the stick allows you to exert downward pressure on it, you have effectively increased the weight of the gun at firing. All things being equal, there is more mass to hold the barrel down, hence a lower shot. The same effect can be caused with different grips, straight vs bent elbows and all sorts of things that make long distance shooting appear harder than it really is.

Just a guess. Hope it helps.

What Bill said, and also, you may be changing how tightly you hold the gun. The more your arms and hands and wrists clamp down, the less muzzle rise you'll get.

It is surprising how much difference there can be in point of impact with a very loose grip vs. really squeezing with both hands....

Yep, after some 20 years of shooting, I'm learning this lesson well. Pistols ain't rifles! My hunting partners are trying to help make me a better pistol shooter. It starts with the grip. If it changes, so does the point of impact. And then everything else that happens after your grip....so odds are good that the different positions are causing you to grip the gun differently, hence a different point of impact.

JR1, Amen to that, I can shoot my DA revolvers on DA more accurately than on SA and that's a real confusing item.

I hate to admit it but if I happen to lose count while shooting my ILH (inordenatly large handgun) and come backaround to a spent case I flinch and pull the gun muzzle down. (This might explain why my son shoots higher with the same gun than I do.:confused: ) It might also have something to do with shooting off a mono rest, I don't know. I sometimes use crotch sticks to shoot my ILH from but rest my hands on them not the gun.

Do you reat the gun on the mono rest or your hands?

After carpul tunnel and ulnar impaction surgery on both hands (last surgery in April 05) I've had to stop shooting "Sven" loads and use only "Nancy" loads. :(

Thanks to all of you for your responses. As I read your advice, I think I'm probably guilty of "all the above". My favorite guns are both Taurus Raging Bulls. They have large stocks and I have small hands. I work hard at using the same grip but I can sure tell when it changes. I went shooting last weekend and tried the tree thing. Didn't rest on a limb but rested against the side of a tree instead. Deciding to be nice to my gun I rested my hand against the tree. The shots still went low. After six shots I picked the bark out of the back of my hand and went back to having fun.
I'm going shooting in the morning and all of your tips will be going with me.
Thank you all very much.
RB

BINGO!! Most of your replies had me looking at my grip so I started all over. No change at first but 3 writers that I read all said to not apply pressure with my little finger. Since that was the only thing I hadn't changed I started squeezing the stock with my little finger and WOW. I could feel my wrist locking up tighter and it helped me with my trigger pull. Barrel rise was a small fraction of what it had been and even the recoil felt lighter. And I was shooting my new .454 Casull rather than the .44 mag. Those weeds on the sand bank 130 yds. away are now in serious trouble. Again, thank you very much. Oops, Old Timers' Disease made me forget to take the shooting stick but I think I have solved the problem with your help.
Thanks again,
RB