Bipod query.

[Landgroove]

May have been discussed before, but I have wondered about the use of bipods.

I cut my teeth on advice to use a "soft" rest for the forend to get best accuracy.
Yet I see "tactical" sniper/SWAT rifles sporting bipods.

Do bipods act differently from shooting sticks, leaning on a tree or a fence?

 

[robert4301]

I find a padded front rest works best with conventional rifles when shooting from a bench. For AR and many chassis rifles (like a Ruger Precision for example) bipods are better for best accuracy from a bench. Bipods are generally used for bench or prone shooting while sticks are more for standing, or maybe sitting positions.

 

[Theinkman]

Me too. I got a bipod for my .22-250 which is exclusively used for prairie dogging from a portable bench. Felt more comfortable using bags or some sort of padded front rest not only when hunting but also when working up loads, sighting in, etc.

 

[.308 Norma]

Do bipods act differently from shooting sticks, leaning on a tree or a fence?

Where we hunt deer, trees and fences to lean on are not always readily available. So, one thing that's different about bipods (or tripods, or monopods) is that they're all a lot easier to pick up and carry with you than trees or fences.
Seriously, I bought my first "pod" (a tripod) just before deer season last year because I knew the area where we were going to be hunting offered little in the way of "rests," and if I got a shot at a deer, it was likely to be a 300+ yard shot. It took a little getting used to (practice), but by the time deer season opened up, I was ready.
Then the darned deer walked into the field behind me, stopped when he was only 80 to 90 yards away, and I shot him right under his chin. I didn't even get to use my new tripod!

 

[Chuck R.]

May have been discussed before, but I have wondered about the use of bipods.

I cut my teeth on advice to use a "soft" rest for the forend to get best accuracy.
Yet I see "tactical" sniper/SWAT rifles sporting bipods.

Do bipods act differently from shooting sticks, leaning on a tree or a fence?

Thing that negates "soft rest" requirement is a free floated barrel. A proper setup rifle on a quality bipod with rear bag is very stable, very close to a benchrest when it comes to accuracy for me at least.

Shooting sticks allow for a fulcrum effect, whereas a bipod is fixed to the stock, so you don't have as many flex points. I've shot a lot off of sticks, both prone and sitting using BPCRs for Silhouette and buffalo gong shoots. They're stable, but not to the same level a bipod is. Leaning on a tree/fence is the same effect IMHO, just worse than sticks.

Any chance I get, I'd go prone 1st, as the closer to the ground I am, the more stable. For this a bipod works great, you can even use a bipod off a backpack to shoot sitting.

My 2nd preferred is a quality tripod, which is what I practice the most as it's hard to find a spot where a bipod will work around here due to the terrain and vegetation. Probably the only time I'd use sticks now was if I was doing the tall grass/brush hunting when the majority of shots would have to be standing.

All of it requires practice, especially to learn your limitations from each rest.

 

[CapnMac]

Much of that depends on whether its the fore end or the barrel supporting the bipod.

Whether the fore end is free floated matters, here, too.

The location along the length of the firearm matters, too. Out towards the muzzle give the most support, but the least aiming arc. Back towards the receiver, you get rapid traverse on target, but less support for the shot.

Like nearly everything else in life, it's a compromise.

 

[BushMaster-15]

Not much beats a lead sled but who's gonna carry that around !.

Hunting ,I consider pods a brush hook and as CapnMac says life's a compromise .
I never leave camp without Rifle, Pistol and their respective Ammo ,along with MY Patrol Molle pack and canteen .
As MY Patrol Molle is somewhat a fanny pack ,it doubles as a rest or lean too .

The ONLY time I ever actually hold the forearm of MY Rifles while hunting ,is leaning or standing shots . I otherwise make a fist under forearm or barrel and tighten my grip to elevate bore or relax it to lower it . Shooting M14's and M1 Garands I cup my Rifle's forestock ,don't pinch em .

 

[tarosean]

Hunting its extra weight. From the bench they are great.

 

[Varminterror]

I don’t think the “soft rest” myth has ever been true. For at least 25yrs of my life, I’ve watched competition shooters packing hard front bags for machine rests, and guys which had either a lot of grey hair, or none left at all, even those decades ago - so it wasn’t a new development at the time. F-class shooters run rigid bipods too… ELR shooters shoot rigid bipods…

For much of the country, bipods aren’t terribly valid for field expedient support, but there also aren’t always handy trees or fence posts nearby either. I’ve shot almost every big game animal I have killed in the last 20yrs from a shooting stick or tripod, or at least a pack as a field expedient support.

 

[kmw1954]

In the modified Bench league I shoot during the winter there are very few equipment requirements but one firmly held is that all rifles must be shot with a Front Bi-pod and rear soft bag. I started shooting with the use of a Rock Rest. After I made the switch to a Harris my groups improved greatly.

 

[LoonWulf]

Hunting its extra weight. From the bench they are great.

While they do add weight the utility is worth it, if your terrain allows.
I use a Spartan Javelin. Comes off and fits in the side pouch of my chest pack. weights less than a pound.
I also use Harris (amd harris type) pods and while i find the legs kinda annoying as they catch stuff when moving thru the thick stuff, they dont add much weight.

The Atlas is a bit of a brick, but it also comes off and can store in my thigh pocket.

I wish id had one on my 375 this last trip home.....maybe ill finally put a mount for my Jav on that rifle.

 

[bbqncigars]

Of the three rifles I have that have bipods (STG58, 50BMG EDM Arms Windrunner, and 50BMG GM6 Lynx), the first two are far more accurate off a front bag, although the built in bipod of the STG is flimsy compared to the big boys. The Lynx displays no preference.

 

[Laphroaig]

With the rifles that I typically shoot off of a bench, a Harris bipod is slightly more accurate than my Caldwell front rest and slightly less accurate than my Bald Eagle front rest. The differences aren't much but they are different.

 

[Varminterror]

I started shooting with the use of a Rock Rest. After I made the switch to a Harris my groups improved greatly.

off of a bench, a Harris bipod is slightly more accurate than my Caldwell front rest and slightly less accurate than my Bald Eagle front rest.

These say a lot about the quality of the Caldwell Rock rests.

In principle, a mechanical front rest should be more stable than a bipod, but not all rests are created equally.

 

[kmw1954]

In principle, a mechanical front rest should be more stable than a bipod, but not all rests are created equally.

You and I discussed this long ago and I think we both came to the conclusion that the stock just didn't fit well on the bag which was cause the rifle to rock side to side and not be as stable.

 

[Hookeye]

I varmint hunt so always have a bipod on my mid and heavy rigs.

Deer is under 150 so no bipod. Heck most shot offhand

If i get a place offering longer shots proly use sticks

 

[Varminterror]

Do bipods act differently from shooting sticks, leaning on a tree or a fence?

A shooter can MAKE a bipod or a fence post or a tree or anything else act VERY differently from one another, but a shooter can also make them all act relatively the same - in terms of delivering shots on target.

 

[CapnMac]

from a shooting stick

If a person were "rucking" with one, or a pair, of hiking sticks, a bipod is going to be a bit superfluous.

Now, it would probably behoove a person so equipped to get in range time practicing single or paired stick technique, so as to not have to learn out in the dirt or long grass.

Tall grass is not a bipod's friend, either (nor the person setting out with a bipod capable of 18+ inch height--makes my back sore just thinking about it).

Now, if a person is rucking out to go set up on prairie dogs or a similar varmint den, then, probably, a bipod--or a rest for that matter--would make some sense. Well, I see @Hookeye beat me to the punch on that topic.

 

[Varminterror]

If a person were "rucking" with one, or a pair, of hiking sticks, a bipod is going to be a bit superfluous.

In general, my answer is “maybe,” BUT… tools for tasks. I generally do like to set my rifle down, and most of our hunting season is wet, so I use a bipod on the rifle like a kickstand to keep it out of the frost, dew, and mud - then my shooting is done from a shooting stick.

Tall grass is not a bipod's friend

Definitely not - especially here in Flatlandia where we don’t have any elevation to gain higher perspective. A slight rolling crown with 4” of grass seems like it can hide an elephant - we can see it clearly with open line of sight when standing, but then going prone closes the door, every couple hundred yards… and we don’t just grow 4” grass, we grow 3-6ft grass, or knee high wheat, thigh or chest high beans, and waist to head high corn. So bipods aren’t a terribly productive options.

I use a Primos TriggerStick monopod for myself, their bipod for my wife, both of us either standing or high kneeling, and my son shoots standing behind a tripod. But… I have a Harris typically on the rifle like a kickstand.

 

[WisBorn]

I think part of the question about rests should include where and how you hunt, or is the rest for bench shooting.
I have used gun mounted bipods and mono rests. I would like to add a gun cradle for blind hunting. The gun mounted rests don't fit the types of most terrain that I hunt.

https://www.boghunt.com/shooting-rests/fieldpod-max/1100473.html

 

[Varminterror]

@WisBorn - have you checked out the pig saddle, or ARCA clamps instead of the gun cradle? I never bought one for myself, but I had some customers which brought them to classes, and a buddy bought one for his son, and I just can't get on board. They're just bulky - which is saying something, since tripods are bulky in general anyway. But I can collapse my tripod and slide it down the side of my pack a lot more compact than the gun cradle types. I like clipping into the arca clamps now, and have ARCA plates or full length rails on most of my rifles I use, but the Pig Saddle (less expensive Hog Saddle) is pretty versatile. I've also done quite a bit of shooting with just a bag on top of the tripod, instead of clamping in at all.

 

[Chuck R.]

I've go a Hog Saddle that I bought with my tripod, it's heavy & bulky, but would work well in a blind, and take up less space than a cradle.

As VT said, the "way to go" is with Swiss Acra plates and a clamp.

They really are more stable, pretty unobtrusive, and very quick to mount and more importantly dismount the rifle should you have to. I've been converting all my picatinny stuff to arca plates and clamps. I also use a small bag with git-lite fill that can just be tossed on the tripod head.

One of my "arca-less" rifles in the Hogg Saddle:



Rifle with Arca plate clamped in:



Rifle balanced on bag:



Overwatching a couple draws in MT last season (-5 degrees before windchill) while avoiding using a bipod on reverse slope:

 

[Varminterror]

 

[Walkalong]

I've go a Hog Saddle that I bought with my tripod, it's heavy & bulky, but would work well in a blind, and take up less space than a cradle.

As VT said, the "way to go" is with Swiss Acra plates and a clamp.

They really are more stable, pretty unobtrusive, and very quick to mount and more importantly dismount the rifle should you have to. I've been converting all my picatinny stuff to arca plates and clamps. I also use a small bag with git-lite fill that can just be tossed on the tripod head.

One of my "arca-less" rifles in the Hogg Saddle:

View attachment 1161849

Rifle with Arca plate clamped in:

View attachment 1161850

Rifle balanced on bag:

View attachment 1161851

Overwatching a couple draws in MT last season (-5 degrees before windchill) while avoiding using a bipod on reverse slope:

View attachment 1161852

What's that white stuff everywhere?

 

[Nature Boy]

Not much beats a lead sled but who's gonna carry that around !.

Everything beats a Lead Sled.