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Throughout my time shooting from numerous locations in a multitude of improvised positions I have constantly been searching for a Bipod that does it all, but doesn't break the bank. I have tried at least 5-6 on the market and all, but the Harris have been sold to the next user who enjoyed the features of the other brands better. The thing I like most about the Harris is its simplicity. Quick to put the legs up or down. Quick to extend or close the legs. The things that I didn't like about it were first and foremost the sling stud mount. I replaced mine with an adapter that allowed me to install the ADM170S QD mount. Second the factory feet left a lot to be desired, so I pull them off and replaced them with PASS Adapters that allow you to use the Atlas attachments on your Harris. These were great improvements, but I still found that it didn't always function as well or as smoothly as I'd like.
My initial impression of the TipTop Rifle Bipod Series 9N 7-10.5 was that it's construction felt very solid and ready to do work! It's smooth where it needs to be smooth and tight where it needs to be tight. I also really like the fact that the tension lever can easily be set out of the way without further adjusting the tension setting of your preference.
It's very similar in design to the Harris BRM-S series, but offers many features right out of the package that would be additional upgrades to the Harris Bipod. It also offers features that the Harris never will without a large amount of modification, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Here is a link to a short video covering my current Harris Bipod as well as the unboxing and first impression of the TipTop Rifle Bipod: https://youtu.be/7BM_ObGRQpM
Construction: The first thing I noticed was that the legs on the TipTop bipod are larger in diameter than those found on the Harris. They feel solid with no apparent flex at first impression. The little bit of play (not flex) that is noticeable is very similar to the Harris - enough to load the bipod if that style fits you, but no where close to worrying about failure.
Features: This Bipod comes feature rich right out of the package! It has a tension system like the Harris, but offers both cant and pan capabilities. The tension on both functions is adjusted off the same tension lever located at the rear the same as the Harris. The tension bolt is 100% tooless and offers the ability to pull the lever out to reposition the lever either out of the way or into a position to add or remove tension to the bipod. The level of cant and pan offered is more than enough for any angle up to about 45* and pan the bipod can rotate just short of 90* in each direction. If you use a picatinny rail rather than the sling stud for bipod attachment you can get this bipod configured in either way. No more adapters raising the bipod even higher!
Function: This bipod offers some functions that through it's features the Harris just doesn't have. The biggest one that I noticed is the panning. While panning for multiple or moving targets is a great feature it can also be used to decrease the footprint of the bipod if the surface you're shooting off of is not wide enough for the standard width of the legs. By pannning the bipod up to a 45* angle (while maintaining stability) the bipod foot print narrows. This is very useful for situations in matches or hunting where you have to shoot from a surface that are more narrow than the bipod. I use the example of shooting off of stairs that are about 8" deep steps. I had the issue before during a match where one legs was falling off the edge of the step while trying to engage all the targets for that stage.
Range/Match Performance: This bipod functions amazingly well under recoil. The feet are designed in a way that allows it to track very straight as they roll nice and smooth, but do not slip. I was actually able to spot my impacts at 100yds shooting prone off bipod with a rear bag on Concrete! It does have a similar amount of play at it's lowest setting that you find in the Harris legs where the springs are under tension. I was able to hold the crosshairs dead steady without loading the bipod. On dirt, Sand, or Wood it functions quite the same with plenty of height for most all prone shooting unless aiming at an extreme vertical angle. The panning feature does smooth out target transitions quite a bit, but you do have to be careful that you don't exceed the point of loosing the stability the bipod offers. It sticks well to tires even without the Hawk Hill Talons that I became very accustomed to on my Harris.
I finished my load development on my 6.5x47 using this bipod shooting prone on concrete with a rear bag. You can see from the grouping below that it is very consistent and easy to shoot off of.
The video link below is from a recent match with targets running 200yds, 1000yds, 400yds, 800yds, and 600yds. I'm very close to the board at the edge of the deck, but I am not actually loading the bipod into it. I stopped loading the bipod about a year ago as I found it quite inconsistent and not always possible to do depending on the situation. I also noted that different amounts of pressure applied when loading a bipod would noticeably change my point of impact.
Price Point: In order for me to get close to the same performance with a Harris Bipod I would have to put around $300 into what I get as a packaged deal from the TipTop Bipod. The current advantage of the Harris is the aftermarket support that is readily available. You can take the 6-9 Harris add a few parts and have the advantage of running it with multiple leg extensions, your choice of feet, or even 2 sets of legs simultaneously with the products available from P.A.S.S., You still won't have the panning feature, but I know from conversations with the guys at TipTop they are already planning to bring more features and support to their system. I believe after working load development and a couple matches that the TipTop Bipod is far superior to the Harris and a joy to shoot off of. The recoil path is straighter than any Bipod I've previously experienced and for me the initial height is perfect where I found the Harris to be a bit low until I added the additional features.
The other beautiful thing that TipTop Rifle Bipods has done for the shooting community is offer a full line of Bipods with anything from all the features offered to the bare minimum. This way for whichever rifle or task you are selecting a bipod for you can pay for only the features you need for that task and still have a highend bipod for the low end price. This ain't no Caldwell or other chinese knock-off! This is good old made in America high end equipment!
In closing I have found Tiptop's line of bipods to be far superior to what's available on the market at the same price. They offer all the options I want and put them into a design that functions with the simplicity I personally look for and the robustness that I require. After conducting this review, I actually intend on switching all my rifles over and look forward to seeing what kind of future after market support comes to the market once this product is better recognized! It's 100% worth the look and I don't believe there is anything to really be upset about with the purchase! High end performance at a very reasonable cost! What more can you ask for?
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Contact Information
Peleton Technology, LLC
520 Stacy Court, Unit A
Lafayette, CO 80026
Phone: 720-890-5002
www.PeletonTechnology.com
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