Bipods, what are you using?

[RonT]

Guys, I have always used Harris bipods, I recently bought a Stealth Evolution that sits in a chassis, so I was wondering what works best with these types of rifles?

Thanks,


Ron

[psharon97]

I really like the Atlas bipods. They are expensive, but I feel that they give me a more solid shooting surface than a haris.

[celltech]

I personally can't stand swivel stud mounted bipods. All my stocks have short pic rails (mostly Seekins) and I either use the heavy duty UTG QD locks or the new Magpul bipod. I just can't bring myself to spend the $$$ for an Atlas yet.

[Robinhood]

Depends on what type of shooting you are involved in. If you are using a rock, a bag might be the best support. If you are prone or sitting, maybe something different. There are better but if you are shooting prone at a range with a smooth surface, a Sinclair F/TR works well with a few minor mods. The old standby Harris does great under most circumstances outside of shooting small groups for record., you can ad some stuff and modify it a little to improve the performance. Atlas bipods are really nice as well. There are some expensive options that are a lot more stable in my opinion that lower the center of gravity.

[JUS1MO]

I have used the Caldwell XLA 6 to 9 for some time but recently purchased a Harris HBTM-S 6 to 9 to compare the Caldwell. The Harris seems better and made in the USA, I like that. We'll see how this goes.

[LoneWolf]

I use Harris Bipods modified to mount to a pic rail or current on my match rifles they are mounted to Arca Swiss rails with the Area 419 mounts. I also swap out the feet on the Harris for Hawk Hill talons. I've tried at least 5 or 6 different bipods Harris, Atlas, Accu-Tac, and a couple of the less expensive models. I've always ended up back at Harris for all around performance. With the modifications they are very tough to beat.

[armydoc]

I really like my atlas BUT... for the price it should have been made with a quick throw lever for the cant.

[J.Baker]

I've looked at a lot of bipods in the last year or two and have yet to find a cheaper alternative to a Harris that's as well built or will last as long, and of those that are much more expensive I've yet to find one that offers anything that would justify the greatly inflated price for what I'd be using it for. Most of the cheaper options (Champion, Caldwell, etc) are made in China and use thinner metal that fatigues easily and/or really soft rivets that will loosen up or fail after a fairly short period of time.

If you're serious into competition I could maybe see spending the money for a high dollar bipod, but for casual shooting and/or hunting you can't beat the Harris for the money. The first one I bought probably 13-14 years ago is still just as good as the day I bought it and it see's a lot of use on most every rifle I own and most every rifle I get in for review. Finally got around to buying a second one with longer legs this last year as my first one (HBRS) just has the 6-9" legs. It's fine for shooting off the bench but I wanted something I could shoot with while sitting on the ground while hunting so I got the 13.5-27" with swivel (HS25CS).

[yobuck]

I tend to agree on the Harris being hard to beat. I have all the various sizes up to and including the tallest one.
Terrain tends to dictate how well they work. Time spent in the off season at the locations we hunt can be very helpful.

[mudpig]

I keep coming back to Harris. I've got some of the knock offs and they work, but as stated earlier they aren't built with the same quality materials.

[CFJunkie]

I think your best choice depends on how you intend to use it.

If you are going into the field, a Harris is a good choice. I have two and have used them for years. One has a stowed position in my range bag as well, always ready in a pinch.
I also have an Atlas bipod. I find that all three of them have a bit of 'wiggle' even when they are tightened down.
I have also found that you need to front load either style of bipod before you finally set up and aim.
If not, bipods hop with recoil. When they are front loaded, they tend not to hop, just move back with the recoil.

The guys I know who went on African Safaris learned to use shooting sticks since they are the standard among African guides.
One preferred the tripod versions and another preferred bipod versions.
I tried both models when they were in training and found that they helped steady the stock for a standing shot, and were tall enough to get above the high grass found in the veldt, so they were great for hunting.
But I thought that they would not be stable enough for precision shooting.

If you are target shooting from a bench, I find I prefer a more stable alternative, especially when I am testing loads and target shooting.
I have tried very expensive adjustable front rests, and the Harris bipods but found them too easy to slide around and cause a change in my set up position. Those subtle changes cause changes in POI.
I finally settled on a Sinclair Gen 3 F-Class bipod and have two of them.
When used with a good rear rest, they are the most stable platforms that I have shot from. They lock onto the front swivel and then tighten down so there is no movement with respect to the stock.
They don't need to be front loaded and they slide back but don't bounce on recoil.
They come with and without an azimuth adjustment knob, the adjustment knob costs about $25 more.
From a bench, I find that I don't use the azimuth adjustment knob once I have the bipod height set for a comfortable position for me.