A rifle rest is only as good as the shooter behind it. The RoadRunner gives you a significant stability advantage over an unsupported shot — but like any other piece of field gear, getting the most out of it comes down to technique. Here's how to set yourself up for the steadiest, most confident shot possible.
How the Rest Works to Stabilize Your Shot
The RoadRunner Rifle Rest gives your rifle a fixed forward support point, which eliminates the largest source of movement in an unsupported shot, which is your arms and hands fighting to hold the weight of the rifle steady. With the forestock resting in the rest’s arm, your upper body is freed from that job entirely. One hand stays on the rifle for control and trigger management, and the other is free to grip the trekking pole for added stability.. That single change has a dramatic effect on how steady your sight picture is, especially as stress and adrenaline are high with a big bull in the scope..
Build the Triangle
The most stable shooting position with the RoadRunner isn't just about the rest itself — it's about the three-point foundation your body creates underneath it. Think of it as a triangle: your two knees, feet or seat on the ground and the planted pole form three points of contact that work together to create a platform that resists movement in every direction.
When you sit or kneel behind the rest, focus on getting that triangle as wide and as planted as possible. A narrow base wobbles. A wide, deliberate base locks everything down. The RoadRunner is the top of that triangle, and the stability it provides is only as good as the foundation you build beneath it.
Plant Your Pole
This is one of the most important and most overlooked parts of getting a stable shot. Before you settle into position, plant your pole firmly into the ground — not just resting on the surface, but deliberately pressed down so it isn't going anywhere. On soft ground, angle the tip slightly into the slope. On hard or rocky ground, find a solid contact point and lean into it. When you plant the pole on rocky ground, test it to make sure the hold is strong and won’t slip when you lean into it.
A pole that shifts or tips the moment you put weight on the rest will move your shot no matter how good your body position is. Take an extra second to plant it right before you deploy the arm and get behind the rifle. That habit alone will tighten your field accuracy significantly. With some practice
Lean Into the Rest
Once your pole is planted and your rifle is in the rest, don't just lay the stock in it and leave a gap between your body and the setup. Lean forward into the rest with deliberate, consistent pressure. This does two things: it keeps the rifle from lifting off the rest during recoil anticipation, and it locks your whole body position into a single connected unit rather than having your rifle floating independently of your body.
The goal is to feel like the rest, rifle, pole, and your body are all working as one system. When you achieve that, your sight picture will settle and hold in a way that a loose, unbonded position never will.
Sitting vs. Kneeling
Both positions work well with the RoadRunner, but they're not equal in stability.
Sitting is the more stable of the two. When you're fully seated on the ground with your legs crossed or extended in front of you, your center of gravity drops low and your body has maximum contact with the ground. Combined with a well-planted pole, a sitting position gives you the best possible foundation for a precise shot. The tradeoff is height — if there's brush, grass, or terrain between you and the animal, sitting may put you too low to get a clean shooting lane.
Kneeling gets you higher, which makes it the right call when vegetation or terrain demands it. The stability tradeoff is real though — on one knee, your base is narrower and your body is working harder to stay still. To compensate, focus especially on getting a wide triangle with your knee and foot well spread, planting the pole aggressively, and leaning forward into the rest with deliberate pressure. Your hold won't be quite as rock-solid as from sitting, but with good technique it's more than steady enough for a confident field shot.
As a general rule: sit whenever the terrain allows it, kneel when you need the height.
The Payoff: Stable and Fast
What makes the RoadRunner different from most rests isn't just stability — it's that you get that stability without sacrificing speed. The moment an animal appears, one motion deploys the arm, you settle into your position, plant the pole, lean in, and you're shooting from a platform that took less than ten seconds to establish. There's no separate piece of gear to dig out of your pack, no tripod to unfold, no bipod legs to adjust.
In the backcountry, the shot you're ready for is the one that connects. The RoadRunner keeps you ready.
