How to best use shooting sticks

[beltfed]

As DT pointed out, we have very stiff barrels. There is also a Node/"dead" vibration point on the barrels that is usually closer to the muzzle.
You will definitely want to determine where that Node point is and mark it on your barrel. Find it by holding up the rifle by the action/barrel hanging down.
Then start "rapping" on the barrel with,for example a wood hammer Handle, starting at the muzzle and working your way back towards the receiver.
The barrel will "ring" and then when you get to the area of the Node, the sound will "go kind of dead/dull thump" then, as you keep on going, the sound will start to go back to a "ring"
Mark that "dead" spot. Tape or paint. Actually, a barrel may have more than one Node. But you want to use the Node closest to the muzzle, reason outlined below.
When you rest the rifle "out there" ( on the dead spot/Node) rather than on the forearm or in front of forearm, you have a longer distance=Radius to the support and therefore
a smaller angle of "error" of your hold variation at the butt/action as compared to the shorter distance at the forearm.
Similar to Mike T, I use wool felt pad in the crotch of the crossed stix (mine are cut from soft 3/8" felt Sorel boot liners). Advantage of the wool
is that even if wool gets wet or damp, the barrel will still slid freely in recoil so as to minimize any such effects of "sticking" on the stix
beltfed/arnie