Review: SmartRest Hyper Pod 3

SmartRest’s Hyper Pod 3 is a shooting stick that benefits from years of evolution that have made it a faithful gun rest and accuracy aid that can be used prone, sitting, kneeling and standing.

In short, it takes the concept of shooting sticks beyond what virtually anything else can do.

SmartRest Hyper Pod 3 review — The Hyper Pod 3 performs a wider range of duties than mere shooting sticks

This review covers the Hyper Pod 3 complete kit, which is what you need if you’re starting from scratch. It consists of the trigger pole, knuckle, bipod and a short pic rail to mount to your rifle. Some people already have the rail and/or the bipod, so SmartRest offers just the trigger pole and knuckle for a lower price.

You can then add various extension poles, from 10cm to 86cm, to better match the rest to your own height and the short of shooting positions you tend to favour. The poles are available with either screw-together or quick-release connections.

The pic rail is one of the things that separates the Smartest design from other shooting sticks. Instead of just resting your rifle on top, the pic rail creates a solid attachment point that adds solidity to your support as well as allowing your forward arm to do something other than firm up the bond between gun and rest.

The setup provides rotational movement at the base of the handle; left/right and up/down tilt through the knuckle; and height adjustment via the trigger.

With the standard-issue pole, the Hyper Pod has just over 16cm of height adjustment, holding your rifle roughly 75-91cm above ground level, but to describe it in such a simple way ignores other aspects of the design that allow you to use it prone and standing.

Let’s start with the prone position — lying down. It takes a few seconds to quickly detach the central trigger pole from the knuckle and bipod, then connect the bipod directly to the knuckle. It’s taller than a typical bipod but the up/down tilt movement allows you to lower it to a comfortable height, and there’s a locking button to hold it there.

That lock button is spring-loaded. It is held in place when you put weight on it by letting the rifle settle, and then it pops out when you ease the weight off again.

With the trigger pole in place, the Hyper Pod is good for sitting or kneeling. When sitting, most people will need to use that same tilt function to reduce the height to the right level, unless you’re sitting on a slope, when its length is an advantage.

When kneeling, the instant adjustability of the trigger pole comes into its own to set the height just right.

The Hyper Pod is particularly good when you’re standing, I reckon. Spread the bipod, wedge it into your hip and you create a triangulation that completely transforms the standing unsupported position into a very stable platform from which you can aim with precision.

You can also move flexibly to shift from target to target or follow running animals, and how many gun rests can you say that about?

I’ve never found any other gun rest that’s such a great shooting aid when standing. It is my favourite way to use the Hyper Pod and it has helped me take fast and long-ish shots I’d otherwise never have been able to.

The Hyper Pod 3’s bipod, when folded closed, turns it into a monopod. This is great on side slopes or very uneven ground.

SmartRest has a clever and very functional hunting aid in the Hyper Pod 3, which has evolved to what it is over a number of years — hence the number of worthwhile design features.

As shooting sticks go, it is quite portable, especially when attached to the firearm so you don’t have to carry it separately.

Its trigger and inbuilt movements ensure quick deployment, and in any position it will enhance your accuracy.