Bi-pods - practical uses?

[Durby]

Wow thanks for all the input. I will be using it for multiple styles of shooting and hunting. I am going to school in high desert country in northern California, but if I drive 10 minutes west its all forest. I guess the good thing is that bi-pods do go on and off easy enough, so I'll just buy one to start, then when I'm in a wooded area I can leave it in the truck.
ArmedBear: I only have limited experience with shooting sticks, but I'll make some and give it a try as well.
RonE: No pics yet, the gun is not quite done. I blueprinted the action, turned and knurled a bolt handle and welded it on, threaded and chambered a number 5 contour Shilen stainless barrel in 338 Win Mag, did an OD green bake on finish, then took a true fiberglass stock, re-enforced the fore end and glass bed it. The Leupold Mark 4 bases are in the mail, and it will have a Mark4 4.5-14x40 on top, which I had Leupold take off the target dials and install the M1 dials instead. It is pretty much my dream rifle, and I built it all myself (I'm a gunsmithing student right now)

 

[janobles14]

if anyone is interested in a cheap, easy, and light bipod heres my solution.

take 2 very stiff carbon arrows with inserts in each end. get some cheap field points to plug in. set the height by cutting or simply use one of your wifes hairband things to bind (animal castration bands also work). to shoot prone simply flip the whole thing over.

 

[goon]

Some hate bipods and see them as a waste of space that could be used to carry something useful.

Personally, I have a great appreciation for a bipod that can attach to a sling swivel quickly. They can add a lot of stability.

 

[xringer3]

I can see some uses for them but they're a hinderance to others. In eastern Oklahoma were I hunt most, you won't hardly ever see one on a rifle. In the western part of the state, you'll see quite a few of them. Varmint hunters can get alot of use from them. Snipers also as they have to stay on target for long periods of time. For hunting big game, it's easier for me to use my pack or shooting sticks as they're more user friendly. The ground is not always flat for the bipod. I also know how to use my sling and can get just as steady in sitting and prone with it as I can my bipod. You just don't want to have to stay in the loop sling position for very long like a sniper would have to.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

As a follow up to my post on page 1, I'll just say that I find this kind of item MUCH more useful than a bipod attached TO a gun, where I hunt:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...r=19772&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...cm_guid=1-_-100000000000000032655-_-747244885