Patricks’s top tips
• The most stable way of taking a shot from steep ground is to use a set of sticks adjusted to provide a comfortable sitting position. If you’re right-handed, the left arm can be folded across your chest to help support your right elbow, which in turn can be rested on your right knee.
• Sometimes a kneeling position is more appropriate – depending on where your quarry is and how steep an incline there is. In this instance, I like to put my left knee on the ground but keep my right one up to support my right elbow, while my left hand comes across my chest to help locate it.
• Kneeling or sitting shots are OK when the ground is dry but if it’s wet it can be rather unpleasant. If you think you’re going to have to do either, it can be helpful to have something to rest on such as a small sheet of plastic, which can easily be folded away.
• If you live in a hilly area and have never or rarely taken shots off steep ground, it is a good idea to set up some practice targets. An air rifle or rimfire will allow you to put lots of rounds down without breaking the bank.