Bipod or not to Bipod

[Davidw100]

Hey all

I had question about Bipods. I have seen that some of you have them attached to your rifles. I was thinking about getting one myself.

1. How many of you use them?

2. Do you need to get anything done to get one hooked onto your rifle?

3. What would be a good one to get?

Thank you

Dave

 

[shovelerslayer]

I have one on my 7MM that just attaches to the barrel and can be taken on and off pretty easy. Never had a good situation to use it, but have shot a lot of rounds at the range with it. It is really nice for shots from a sitting position..

 

[sancho]

i have a harris bipod on my rifle. i own one and move it from rifle to rifle. it attaches at the front sling pin. easy. i love it. i always creep into a prone position when i shoot. (i get a mild case of buck fever.) unless i am in a mud puddle or something. for the record, i have never missed a shot in my life, hunting. knock on wood. i own it to the critter to hit the killzone. but the best thing about it, is it allows you to set the rifle down safely while glassing, or eating lunch or something. i flip down the legs, set the rifle down, and do my thing. i like the short prone model. i even use the legs, when i clean my rifle at deer camp.

 

[Isolated Addiction]

i have several, though i use them mostly for varmint or predators, u need no special tools to mount them, and mine mount to the front shoulder strap screw, if you are going to get 1 then get one that allows your gun to cant i guess u would call it, because on uneven ground your gun sits at an angle or takes too long to adjust the legs to sit just right for the shot. also they sell different height legs and some work better for siitting or prone depending on the situation or preference. hope this helps a little. shoot straight......

 

[myfriendis410]

I have one that I use for ground squirrels, but they are a pain to carry on a shouldered rifle (literally). I prefer to use shooting sticks. I made mine but you can find all kinds from Stoney point: monopods, bipods and tripods. They have been used for many years in Africa and I agree that I owe it to the animal to hit the kill zone.

 

[hatchet1]

consider the terrain you will be hunting,i will tell you that shooting down hill or on uneven ground is a
bit challenging,get one that swivels side to side,and ajusts in highth,with that being said,i dont
leave home with out it on my rifle,you can always use sticks also,if the bipod wont deploy for
your shooting position that you are in, i carry both with no hassle,

 

[Shot]

From my experience a bipod has only slowed me down. And since your posting this in hog forum I am assuming you mainly hunt hogs with this rifle (and any big game in Cali). So my suggestion is try to avoid the bipod for a number of reasons. When it comes down to it and you want to shoot you usually have a few second window where a shot presents itself, during this time you don't want to be messing around with a bipod. The terrain you will be on will most likely be uneven and by the time to setup your bipod the pig will be gone.

I only use my bipod now for some bench work and thats it. When hunting, if need be, I will use my pack as a support. Another great option is a shooting stick, much lighter and quicker to setup on rugged terrain.

If your set on getting a bipod, you can't go with a harris.

 

[mc2212]

Ditch the bipod and get some shooting sticks. They are lighter than a bipod, don't dig into your shoulder when you sling your rifle, let you shoot up or down hill easier than a bipod, can be used to steady a rilfe, pistol, or binoculars, and are cheaper than a bipod. You can also use the shooting sticks as a walking stick which allows easy and fast access to them if you need to shoot from a supported position. In my opinion, shooting sticks are great for people who like the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) becasue if it can go wrong, it will when that buck of a lifetime comes walking out of the brush.

 

[Davidw100]

Thank you all for the information. I think I will endup getting both Shooting Sticks and a Bipod to play around with.

Dave

 

[hatchet1]

good choice brother

if you learn how to use one correctly,they can be a great
asset when your pulling down on that trophy along with the sticks

 

[Speckmisser]

I'm a day late and a dollar short on this conversation, but I think you're making a good choice, David.

I've tried a couple different kinds and sizes of bipods, and eventually did away with them. It seemed like no matter where I was, when the time came to shoot, the bipods were more hindrance than help...with the exception of ground squirrel shooting with the .17.

I now use a monopod for most of my hunting, because it also doubles as a walking stick. Shooting sticks are even better, but I'm all about convenience.

 

[One Track]

I really like the shooting sticks for rifle hunting. I usually attach that sheath they come with to my backpack belt. You won't even notice that it's there until you need them. I like the short ones, 36" I think. They are awesome in steep terrain, like at Tejon. It's hard to make a rest with a backpack when you are on a 45 degree slope shooting cross canyon. Shooting sticks have been perfect for that scenario.

 

[z71stealth]

I have a Harris bipod because it was cheaper than a fancy benchrest set-up (not by much...haha), which is pretty much the only time it'll ever get used -- at the range. Then again, there is the aesthetic value -- it looks cool to flip down the bipod and show off the rifle front-and-center in the photo of your trophy! All-in-all, it only does one thing and that's sort of an inefficient use-to-weight ratio. Besides, the vast majority of my shots have been offhand or in a three-point position. But it is still a nice toy to have...

 

[UPER]

Never hunted anywhere but a few places that I would need a bipod, and then it would be iffy. Most of my shots were under a 100 yards. And if I could not kill them cleanly from that range then I have no business hunting period.

 

[DanV]

No Bipod attached to my rifles , I use shooting sticks . ALL homemade , one is made with tent poles ( fiberglass ) and thin bungie cord and I use a few that are just solid . Also have a mono pod that doubles nicely as a Walking stick .

The solid sticks see most use and the collapsing ones get used when I have a full size backpack on .

Anyone know where or if you can get over length arrow shafts , arrows make real nice shooting sticks , but they are just a bit short ? My arrows are 31" and would be much better around 40 ". Got a pair of old ski poles that are 42" and work quite nicely although heavier than the arrows .

 

[bobby7321]

i would say if your going to lug the rifle around, use shooting sticks.

if you get a bipod, i would go with the harris brand, whatever model you go for, spend the few extra bucks for the swivel version (tilts side to side, and is 500% better than the standard rigid model).

 

[Mntngoat]

God gave you a built in Bipod. Your elbows on your knees works for me,and is easier to carry too.

Michael

 

[Duknutz]

David,
Look into a Snipepod made by Kramer Designs out of Montana.His bipods are awesome,they clip on and off(sling pin) in seconds,are super light.You can buy xtra clips for multiple guns and they have a full radius range of motion for uneven ground,side hilling,etc.Check them out,you won't be disappointed.I've had four buddies purchase them after seeing it used out of state(solid long range shooting).They are about $100 and come in a case that goes on your belt.They also maybe folded back(while open)to move and readjust.
Good Luck......

 

[Wild1]

I do what Mntngoat (Michael) does. Some of my hunting partners use bipod and/or sticks (in fact I have a set of sticks), but I like to keep it simple and lightened up. I anchor/brace my elbows into the inside part of my knees and follow through on my shot and it works great from a sitting position. I'm sure all three methods have their time and place - might as well experiment with them all and find a method that works best for ya. Good luck.

 

[B-RAD]

with all this talk on shooting sticks, has anyone ever tried the sling stix? any good? or flimsy as they look in the picture?