Whether you’re in the field hunting or at the outdoor range sighting in a new gun, having a stable and reliable shooting platform is invaluable.

Most outdoor ranges have purpose-built shooting benches for you to use. That’s great, but they can be limiting. Perhaps you want or need to shoot standing up or kneeling down? Those benches aren’t made for that kind of shooting.

What if you’re hunting out west and have the opportunity to take a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the big game animal on your bucket list? You’d want to be darn sure you’ve got a steady aim for that one-shot chance.

Enter the Vanguard VEO 2 Shooting Stick.

Like the name says, it is a stick with no "s," meaning that it only has one pole. Where it differs from other sticks, though, is in the feet. It has three fold and lock feet mounted to a ball joint, so that you have the stability of a tripod and the mobility of a traditional shooting stick without all the bulk and extra legs.

Because ounces count when you’re lugging gear through the woods, the VEO 2 is made of lightweight yet very durable aluminum, tipping the scales at just under two pounds. Despite being so light, it can support up to 11 pounds.

On the top of the stick, the U-yoke spins to provide 360-degrees of shooting opportunities, and it is wide enough to accommodate a crossbow if that’s your weapon of choice. Directly below the yoke is a rubber grip that serves a dual purpose: ensuring you’ve got a good hold and providing a barrier so that your hand won’t get cold from the aluminum.

The yoke can be unscrewed and topped with a rubber cap to protect the threads. Then, you’ve got a nice walking stick accompanied by a grip strap. Or, you can screw on an assortment of camera gear, etc to the threads and use it like you would a tripod. Despite its shooting stick name, it’s pretty versatile.

The four adjustable sections can accommodate any height from 24 inches collapsed to 64 inches when expanded.

For me personally, this stick is great because my outdoor range is anything but level. I can adjust to the height I need and then unfold and lock the feet for a stable platform. I also like the flexible ball joint because sometimes I’m leaning a certain way to accommodate the uneven range terrain.

That’s exactly how I used it sighting in a new scope at various distances on my .22-caliber lever-action Henry rifle. Standing, kneeling, leaning, whatever.—the VEO 2 worked exactly as described and I’m confident that the scope is sighted properly thanks to this simple but effective and endlessly useful shooting stick.

If you're looking for a versatile shooting platform that is compact and reliable, I'd definitely recommend the Vanguard VEO 2 Shooting Stick.

MSRP is $79.99, but I picked mine up for $55.99 with a bit of internet sleuthing. Definitely worth the price in my opinion.