I went through a few lower cost bipods before understanding exactly how the lower cost bipods differ and how those differences impact your accuracy and precision.
First what are your long term goals for how you will utilize this specific rifle. If you plan to shoot prone at targets beyond 600yds and you are looking to hold 1 MOA and/or if you will be shooting often in the elements, than you will want to spend more. However if you are intending to mostly shoot a few hundred yards or less and 2 moa is ok and you will not be using the bipod often then there is no need to spend much.
Here is what I found.
First i picked up a Harris knockoff from Amazon for $30 it got great ratings and seemed like a solid build. However after just a few trips to the range I noticed that the screw which tightened the lock to the stock would work loose sometimes after a few rounds. I started really cranking down on it and then the plastic handle cracked. I repaired it but relegated it to a hunting rifle.
I picked up a UTG bipod at a gun show for about $45 it was light and the legs locked in fairly tight, but when leaning into the gun to fire I noticed the legs would bend slightly. After firing the recoil would bounce the gun and the legs seemed to spring forward so I would have to spend more time getting back on target.
I picked up another gun show model for $95. It’s a private labeled bipod which was built very well. I took this to a training camp and shot out to 1200yds. Overall it performed ok, but the trainer noticed a few things. I was having trouble canting the gun between rapid strings of fire. The design of the head used a small Allen screw to apply force to the rotating head. We tried several times to tighten this up but it never really made much difference. The set screw was so small that eventually the hex stripped. I still use this on my AR.
He loaned me a genuine Harris bipod at that time and I could immediately feel the difference. The gun would not flex in the bipod head and the legs were real stiff while pushing against the bipod. I was able to spend less time between shots fidgeting with my gun in order to get back on target.
After that event I himmed and hawed and finally decided to get an Atlas Bipod. I had seen a few guys using them at the training event. The funny thing was that I ordered it on Amazon for about $350. What I got was a ripoff Chinese copy. It looked almost correct but I could feel a lot of slop in the movement and the locking mechanism.
I contacted Amazon immediately and the refunded the purchase and I ordered a new one directly from the Atlas website. When it arrived I closely compared the two units. I found that while the copy looked good the parts were stamped or cast where the genuine Atlas bipod had all parts machined or turned on a lathe. The tolerances were very tight. The legs locked into position with no play compared to the copy where the lock would wiggle several degrees.
The quality of the Atlas means that I can get into shooting position more consistently. I’ve got enough to worry about just getting my head in the right spot, so not having to worry about the bipod twisting does make a difference.
Here is a shot of the current setup.
Here is an example of the groups you can expect at 100yds, with this great rifle, when you are shooting quality ammo from a stable prone position.
Good luck with your search.
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