Thinking about a sitting bipod

[Peakbagger46]

I currently carry shooting sticks in my pack and seldom seem to have time to use them when taking a shot on game. I’m pondering a sitting height bipod for shots between 100-350y on deer and elk. Would they be more stable than sticks? How bad to carry on the rifle are they (I do a lot of hiking over terrain)?

 

[TonyAngel]

I've tried those super long bipods. I don't like them. They aren't as steady as I would like and the bigger/longer they are the heavier they are. They can turn a comfortable rifle into a pig. When shooting with a bipod that long, I don't like the flex that you get when you load up the legs.

I don't use a bipod any longer. I usually have some sort of back pack so I use that to go prone when I can or use something else like a tree or branch on a tree to steady my shot. For sitting, shooting sticks are about as good as it gets.

 

[Gordon]

I like them, the Harris long one has served me 25 years on stalking rifles.

 

[mshootnit]

I currently carry shooting sticks in my pack and seldom seem to have time to use them when taking a shot on game. I’m pondering a sitting height bipod for shots between 100-350y on deer and elk. Would they be more stable than sticks? How bad to carry on the rifle are they (I do a lot of hiking over terrain)?

There is a neat unit called the Swagger bipod that allows about any shooting position.
That said I use sticks now, I usually prefer to kneel to clear taller prairie grasses. Sitting is more stable and might work fine for some taller hunters etc.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Thanks for the responses. I found a used Harris 13-25" for a good price ($80). I'm going to give it a try this summer before hunting season and see how it works. It's one with the pivot set up which should be helpful on the mountain.

 

[.308 Norma]

https://www.mtmcase-gard.com/products/shooting/hunting-products-sws-1.html

I’ve used one of these things for 20+ years. It works great as a shooting rest as long as the brush isn’t so high that you have to stand to shoot. But one of the best things about it is it’s an excellent walking stick/cane that helps you keep your balance on steep terrain. That has become increasingly important to me as I’ve grown older.

I have to warn you though - there is one thing you should never use one of these shooting/walking sticks for: do NOT tie it through the antlers of a big buck in order to give you a place to grab onto when you’re getting ready to drag the deer out. The shooting/walking stick will snap in two, and you’ll go head over heels, backwards, down the hill. If you’re lucky, you won’t break any bones, and you’ll have already handed your rifle to your wife/hunting partner to carry out for you.

 

[mshootnit]

I had a bad experience with a monopod one time. I could not get the outfit steady enough for a necessary 300 yd shot. Different things work for different people though.
Here is an oddity. I had a friend who never carried a bipod, or sticks. Instead he carried a roll up deer drag with a rope through it for a sling, and covered with an orange t shirt just to be safe. Now when it was time to unleash his 7mm Rem mag., he simple set that roll up deer drag down like an impromptu post and set the rifle on it. That thing works really well. It is about 8" in diameter rolled up and is pretty stable when you set it down. Plus you have your drag with you.

 

[jmr40]

I have tried bipods at the range, but don't want the excess weight hanging off my rifle when hunting. I started carrying shooting sticks several years ago. If you're on the move, see game and have to get off a shot quickly they probably aren't practical. But once set up on a stand they help a lot. But like anything there is a learning curve. You have to practice to be good with them.



This is my smaller set inside a makeshift blind overlooking a power line. They are shock corded and break down small for carrying in a pack. I can use them prone or sitting.

I also have another more sturdy set that is much easier to use. They are harder to pack, but can be used standing. I've used them extended as a walking stick a time or two. But mostly they stay in my pack until I set up to watch over an area.

https://www.amazon.com/Primos-Pole-...1587777769&sprefix=shooting+s,aps,191&sr=8-30

 

[Varminterror]

If you don’t have time for proper sticks, you don’t have time for a bipod either. I started with a long Harris around 30yrs ago, used it for almost a decade. Started using sticks and monopods, then went almost 10 yrs ago to a Primos trigger stick flavor of monopod and bipod sticks - my long Harris’s collect dust now.

If I want something more than just my shooting sticks, I take a tripod. Tall tripods don’t compute for my anymore.

 

[troy fairweather]

I have the longest Harris bipod, I don't really use it. One me sitting on the ground I am to high. It only works if I am looking down hill. It works ok if your looking down line a power line that narrow, but if you have to turn or move to the side say like 20 feet at 100 yards you have to pick the gun up and move it.

When I sit on the ground I find a stick 2-3 feet long and use it like a monopod, I hope the stick in my left hand and pinch the forend. This is very stable and you can move easily.