Bipod Advice for AR-15

[HMMurdock]

I have an M4 style AR-15 from Rock River that I am setting up for Varmint hunting. It has a tactical rail already on it so I am getting an adapter on it to put a Harris bipod, but I don't know what height of bipod to get.

I obviously want something short since it's only an AR-15, but I still want it high enough to clear the hight for the 30 round magazines and whatnot.

I am not very familiar with what is available, but does anyone have a suggestion as to the model and/or height of Harris bipod I want?

Thank you.

TRL

 

[koja48]

Ever since I built & tried a Bi-Fur Pod as shown on Varmint Al's web site, I removed any bi-pods I had installed, so sorry, I can't offer sound advice. These work great for me (and make an excellent walking stick when I'm moving from stand-to-stand, in addition to subtracting weight from my rifles.

 

[Sunray]

Get the highest bipod you can if you want to use a 30 round mag. Mind you, you will find a bipod adds significantly to the weight. Bipods are great on light MG's, but not on a carbine. Buggers the balance as much as a scope does. An M-4 isn't exactly a varmint rifle either. Mind you, neither is an M-1 Carbine and I've had lots of fun using one on ground hogs. Forget the bipod. You don't need it.

 

[jeepmor]

Take two pieces of bamboo or the like and string them together and try them as a rest first to see if you even like the idea of a bipod.

Many people fashion a single walking stick, put a tee nut in the top and add some sort of yoke to rest their rifle in. An adjustable skipole or trekking stick may have all but the yoke on it already.

I thought the same thing coyote hunting with my HB ruger. During coyote hunting, you're typically squatted indian style, so a taller one is the best fit for shooting from the sitting position 18-30" height or something like that. The short ones are 9-13 for proning. The tall ones vary and you can just widen the stick stance for adjustment.

As for the bolt on models, I've found harris to be the lightest, but I can't seem to find the swivel model, which is pretty much required for shooting at varmints on the hoof.

I really don't like the walking stick types simply because I don't typically use a walking stick while hunting, it gets cumbersome. Usually I do use a walking stick while trekking because the terrain is more alpine like and an extra contact point with the ground adds stability when you get up high to those dizzying views. And I frequently don't have my rifle in the specified wilderness areas, that's a big no no.

 

[koja48]

it gets cumbersome

Exactly what I thought, until I found when I didn't want a walking stick, I could slip it around the hip strap of my back pack. To each his own . . . I find this style much easier to adjust & when spread wide, the legs don't slip plus I can use it in every position, from prone to off hand. The 3 or 4 bucks plus time I have invested were a gimme (heck, I can't shoot or reload all the time; puttering with accessories is an acceptable substitute!).