UVA Staff Review - CTK P3 Ultimate Mono-pod
By Kelly Higashiyama

I recently had the opportunity to check out the Ultimate Mono-Pod by CTK Precision. With a lot of my longer range shooting with my AR-15 I use a set of prone style bi-pods and a rear bag. I'm used to it and can get a very steady platform using that setup. Curt at CTK asked if I would give his new Mono-Pod a look and see how it worked for me.

The monopod uses the rear sling stud on the rifle for mounting. Curt included one that replaced the normal AR military clip sling loop on the AR to a standard rifle sling stud. Looking at the Ultimate Mono-Pod, it's attached to the stock with a screw type link that draws the sling stud into the monopod and cradles the stock against four non-slip pads on the bottom of the monopod. The mounting surface of the monopod is cut to fit most stocks and was almost a perfect fit on the standard A2 stock on my RRA varmint-hunting rifle.

Removing the sling at the rear sling-stud, the mono-pod mounts in seconds. A real bonus is it has several different places to attach the sling to after mounting. I found the mount, once tightened, to be rock solid. There was no movement of the mono-pod on the stock. I found while the monopod does change the overall feel of the sling, it does not get in the way or make the sling uncomfortable. In fact, I think it improved the feel of the sling on my heavy barreled rifle by moving the rear mounting point to a place more on the side of the stock instead of directly in line with the stock.

I took the rifle up to the range to do some testing and to see if the monopod was going to be able to hold the rifle steady and provide a stable shooting platform. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was very easy to use. Only taking a quick twist of the wrist to extend the main portion of the monopod. More accurate aiming was achieved by turning the knurled nut near the pad of the monopod.

Sighting in at 100 yards, I could easily dial in the elevation needed on the target, without having to actually handle or support the rifle myself. Looking through the scope, the sight picture remained perfectly still without the wiggle you would sometimes get from your heartbeat when shooting off bags. I changed to a target at a slightly longer range, and found that I could quickly dial in the elevation needed for a nice steady shot.

Sighting back in at the 200 yard target, I placed my shoulder into the stock, I flicked off the safety and let the first round downrange. The recoil on this rifle is pretty mild, and while I could still see the target through the scope, the point of aim had changed by a couple feet. After adjusting windage, it only took a few small adjustments in elevation to be back on target again.

I shot a 15 shot group at 200 yards, using my standard varminting load, and it produced a group that was only slightly larger then a group fired from my P3 Ultimate Shooting Rest. I was very impressed that this thing is that solid. I did find placing a piece of heavy cloth under the pad of the monopod greatly increased how steady the rifle was held, as the tops of the cement shooting benches at the local range are very uneven and rough.

I ended up shooting the rest of my rounds at various targets out to 650 yards and the Ultimate Mono-Pod performed with only one problem that was easily fixed. The problem arose after adjusting the main portion of the monopod several times. The setscrew that puts pressure to keep the monopod extenended had worn in a bit, which was to be expected from reading the instructions that came with the monopod. The monopod leg would sometimes retract back into the body of the unit. It was a very simple thing to fix though, and I only had to adjust it with an allen wrench once. After that adjustment, the monopod held tight and worked without a problem.

I can't wait to try this little thing out on my next Prairie Dog hunting trip. It might be a little of a change from squeezing the rear bag for elevation, but with how steady this thing is, I don’t see how you could go wrong. This is another great product from the guys over at CTK.

More information on the brass catcher in the picture above can be found here.

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