bipod on the bench ?

Does anyone else use the bipod for bench rest shooting?

I find it much more stable than a front rest...But I guess

thats just my opinion...Works for me so wondered if any

of you guys were into the bipods for bench..:confused:

I prefer sandbags as I use my pack in the field to rest my rifle on instead of a bipod.

I have better luck using sand bags on the bench. In fact, I think sand bags are always preferable to bipod. I find I get better results resting on a soft pad rather than hard surface. Bipods are intended to be a portable rest that's there "at the ready" for tactical, quick deployment purposes. Bipods also work better when used on soft ground or a pad. Otherwise, they tend to cause the rifle to jump under recoil. That's just my opinion, though.

Also, technically speaking, the answer to your question is "No". No one uses a bipod for "Benchrest" shooting. "Benchrest" does not mean shooting a rifle from a bench. It is a particular discipline of precise shooting sports that has its own style of equipment including rifles, scopes, stocks and rests. A search here and elsewhere can explain better what "Benchrest" shooting actually means. :) BTW, at my range, I must shoot from the bench because "Thems are the rules", but I am not a Benchrest shooter. I have never been to a benchrest event and know very little about it beyond what I've read from books and articles and forums. :)

Foxx-I think your wrong..I see lots of bipods on the bench at F class shoots....You are right about them
jumping around..But I set mine on a piece of carpet and push forward with my shoulder and it works
fine for me. My question was ment to ask if anyone else has used one.With a rear bag,and I have won
a couple of shots using it as stated above..I use the bench instead of prone do to back issues..But I
figure if the prone guys do it and it works,it's gonna work for me...I appreciate your reply..

Well, there you go. I truly don't know. I thought benchrest always used bags. Sorry. :)

F class is not Bench rest. Some clubs may hold informal matches and let you shoot from a bench, but F class is shot prone, from a bipod (F/TR class) and from a rest (F/O class). While some call it "belly benchrest", it is a competition governed by NRA rules. Real benchrest competitions are governed by IBS or NBRSA rules and are shot from a bench with pedestal type rest and sand bags.
F class matches are shot strickly for score, while long range bench rest matches are shot for score and group size. While F class can be very challenging, the scoring ring on the targets are larger than what they are on an IBS long range target. I would imagine this is due to the shooting protocal is different.
Back to the original question: bipods are not legal for IBS or NBRSA competitions.

sharpshooter---your right...nothing was mentioned about rules and regulations....Most are

informal,fun shoots to see who wins the bragging rights..Too many rules ruin it for a lot

of folks who would love to be able to be included...It's like having other calibers in the

shoot..Where if it is NRA sanctioned,it has to be 223 or 308.....Another crazy rule...

At the Ridgway PA VBR (Varmint Bench Rest) match there are a couple people that compete with bipods. This is a 850 to 1k steel match. I have done both front rest and bipod in non-sectioned bench rest matches. For me it came down to time and money. Time as in getting back on target as quick as possible. I want to give myself as much time as possible to use the conditions to my advantage. I other words when the conditions are consistent I don't want to waste time trying to find my target at 1k out. I want to push my rife back to the stop and have it be on target. With a bipod I just couldn't do that. I spent a lot of time getting back on target. Second was cost bipods are a lot cheaper than even a cheap front rest. So if shooting a bipod gets you out competing I say go for it. I know every time I go out I learn so much. I'm starting to realize how much I don't know!

I do all my shooting off a cement topped bench with bipod. I use a piece of rubber matting under it and have no problem shooting sub moa or less at 200 yds.

Dennis-I have shot over there at that club..Black powder cartridge rifle...But health issues caused me
to get out of it as much as I hated to.Thats a great range over there..It is about a 4 hour drive from
my place....Met some great folks there over the years..

sorry should not have posted here.