I guess technically I wasn’t a hybrid hunter, but a LW assault, LW stick, & RCH was my go to for yrs. I set the stand for mainly strong side to frontal movement & used the RCH for 360 shooting. In this application I don’t see the need for a saddle vs a RCH.
Often times I am pretty sure people forget why exactly we use all this gear that everyone talks about… to kill deer, and anything that can be an advantage…more versatile, to put me into a position to kill more, or better deer I am about, a hybrid approach is just that and anybody that thinks otherwise well I’m sorry to say is mistaken, a small tree stand like the .5 or whatever, in conjunction with a saddle gives a hunter many avenues of which to set up, seat… saddle.. face the tree.. don’t face the tree.. choice is yours, but you have the choice at least, having those options at your disposal during the grind of a long season while hunting multiple areas and varying terrain can be the difference maker between the success or failure of a season, no system is perfect, not one does it all, they all have positives and negatives, if I get a late invitation sometime to go on a hunt in a new area and have no idea what I’m getting myself into you better believe I’m bringing my .5 and saddle, the better question mite be why the heck somebody wouldn’t want more options, I guess if a guy hunts the same 6 trees every year well that mite explain it, rock on I guess, that never has worked for me.
I would agree with some points. Yes, the goal is to kill a deer. So the idea that is it always better to have options is generally correct. But sometimes when you introduce variables, you also add in other aspects that get in the way of what work fine in the first place. I'm using myself as example, before trying the hybrid, I was using a LWCG Ambush. Moving from the Ambush to a .5 added more noticeable cons compared to noticeable pros. The .5 gave me the ability to sit, built in kneepad, frame for heavy load, and more platform surface 'on paper'. Logically, that seem like a lot to gain for only an extra 3 lbs. but I found out that what on paper does not always translate to real situation.
- I found out that sitting in my saddle is more comfortable compared to the seat, so barely sit in the seat. On my all day sit, I use it maybe...10 minutes total.
- The kneepad option does not work for me because I'm too short and my knee rest against the edge. Highly uncomfortable plus I'm always being pinch by the cables.
- You need a really good quality harness for the .5 to make it comfortable to pack out heavy load, which add cost and weight. A addon shoulder/waist harness is nothing in compared to a purpose built frame like a MR or Eberlestock. The seat 'loadshelf' is not that big of a deal to be honest, as long as you secure the meat well, you don't really need the seat, tons of frame packs dont have a 'shelf' and work fine. But if you want, you can get a Mystery Ranch Backstrap and it would work fine on the Ambush with some buckles.
- The Ambush has more usable space closer to the tree. I can utilized almost all 16X14 surface of the Ambush compared to the .5 which have cables in the way. Yes, you can work around the cables, but I dont want to, I shouldn't NEED to. Red line is what you honestly 'need' for a saddle platform, the blue line is what the Ambush provides. I can spread my leg to a more comfortable width and not worry about kick out.
So I'm saying for me, it didn't add more benefits worth wide to me but I'm glad I tested it out. My perfect balance is getting the biggest functional platform you can get, yet I dont need the other options that does not work for me personally.
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