I have been seeing a bipod at shceels for 15 dollars. I just havent been able to bring myself to get them, but they seem good, i can shoot from them sitting kneeling and prone, but i dont know, they arent real practical for my style of hunting.

I've used "stick's" when I was a guide in Colo.
Amazing how bad some of my "clients" shook when they saw their first elk.

I feel it depends on what you are using them for. I tried a mounted bipod once Argali sheep hunting in Mongolia, and found it to be a royal pain, never again, and never missed it. Tried a longer bipod antelope hunting in Wyoming, found it OK, but no better than sitting. Sticks in Africa are a different story. The PH"s will insist you use them, so practice a lot with them before you go. Any sporting rifle publication will have them for sale for up to a hundred bucks or so. Take down models and zebra covered tops. Much more sensible to get three pieces of PVC, an old bicycle inner tube if you can find one, if not go to the drug store and buy a length of surgical tubing . Look in a hunting magazine or book. and. eyeball the pictures. There will be plenty of experts willing to tell you how to use them.
This is not rocket science, the main thing is to practice shooting off the sticks, not the bench.

I've used shooting sticks a few times, very steady, but just one more thing to carry. I bought a monopod (like a telescoping hiking or wading staff with a rubber Y on top), but haven't used it much at all, and not once on big game. I might take it for VT mountain tracking and still hunting just to try. Will probably ditch it shortly, though.

I've used a Versapod which was ok but I really like the Stony Point bi-pod. There is a base that fastens to your stock forend and you can simply snap the legs on or off for shooting. Also there's no hinge (like with the versapod) the fork is made of flexible rubber which makes it very steady for shooting. They come in two adjustable lengths and cost around 50 bucks at BP or Cabela's.