Z-Michigan
Member
I'm looking at getting a nice bipod or two to share among several rifles, primarily for paper punching work and some expensive plinking. I'm interested in comments on some of the newer bipods and a comparison to the standard, the Harris.
As background, I've been using a cheap UTG bipod for a couple years with decent results, and just recently got a Harris S-L bipod which is far, far nicer than the UTG and overall pretty good - but feels like a living fossil when I hold it. I can easily imagine the exact same bipod being sold in 1958, and I see a few improvements that could be made. The Harris is a quality piece and really stable, but I don't like attaching using a sling swivel stud, and I can see a benefit to a pan feature (I do have the swivel model).
So I'm browsing what seems to be a whole new generation of bipods, all seem to be new in the last 5 years or so and all seem to be similar in three ways:
-height - only 7-10" or so range for all
-attachment to the rifle using a picatinny rail, which seems much sturdier and more durable over long-term use
-cost in the $200 range (ouch)
The bipods I'm lumping together are:
-GG&G bipod (both light and heavy versions)
-Bobro with the collapsing triangle design
-Accu-Shot Atlas bipod
-TangoDown bipod
-Rock Creek SOPMOD bipod
Among these the GGG and Atlas are the most appealing based on their apparent features and design. The TangoDown costs near $200 with plastic legs, the Bobro is pushing the price barrier ($240?), and I don't like Rock Creek's attitude of not selling certain feet to civilians (c'mon guys, bipod FEET! It's not like we're talking HE warheads...). But I haven't handled any and I'm not yet sold on a particular one.
So what I'm asking is this: for anyone who owns one of the bipods I'm listing as newer, how do you like it and would you buy it again? And how would you compare it to a Harris bipod, if you've also used one of those?
How would you compare the method of attachment? Most of the rifles I want to use a bipod with (which are all .223 or .308) have neither a stud nor a rail, so I would be adding one or the other to each rifle in order to use it.
How about the height of those bipods? My Harris is the 9-13" model and I find that just about perfect. Do you ever find that these shorter models in the 7-10" range are too low? A lot of my shooting will be at a private range with lumpy, sloping ground and relatively tall grass.
As background, I've been using a cheap UTG bipod for a couple years with decent results, and just recently got a Harris S-L bipod which is far, far nicer than the UTG and overall pretty good - but feels like a living fossil when I hold it. I can easily imagine the exact same bipod being sold in 1958, and I see a few improvements that could be made. The Harris is a quality piece and really stable, but I don't like attaching using a sling swivel stud, and I can see a benefit to a pan feature (I do have the swivel model).
So I'm browsing what seems to be a whole new generation of bipods, all seem to be new in the last 5 years or so and all seem to be similar in three ways:
-height - only 7-10" or so range for all
-attachment to the rifle using a picatinny rail, which seems much sturdier and more durable over long-term use
-cost in the $200 range (ouch)
The bipods I'm lumping together are:
-GG&G bipod (both light and heavy versions)
-Bobro with the collapsing triangle design
-Accu-Shot Atlas bipod
-TangoDown bipod
-Rock Creek SOPMOD bipod
Among these the GGG and Atlas are the most appealing based on their apparent features and design. The TangoDown costs near $200 with plastic legs, the Bobro is pushing the price barrier ($240?), and I don't like Rock Creek's attitude of not selling certain feet to civilians (c'mon guys, bipod FEET! It's not like we're talking HE warheads...). But I haven't handled any and I'm not yet sold on a particular one.
So what I'm asking is this: for anyone who owns one of the bipods I'm listing as newer, how do you like it and would you buy it again? And how would you compare it to a Harris bipod, if you've also used one of those?
How would you compare the method of attachment? Most of the rifles I want to use a bipod with (which are all .223 or .308) have neither a stud nor a rail, so I would be adding one or the other to each rifle in order to use it.
How about the height of those bipods? My Harris is the 9-13" model and I find that just about perfect. Do you ever find that these shorter models in the 7-10" range are too low? A lot of my shooting will be at a private range with lumpy, sloping ground and relatively tall grass.