Folding Bi-pods?

hank4elk

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Jan 8, 2015
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Location
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I've been thinking I need to get a folding bipod or some such again on my -06.
It had one when I 1st got it,but it weighed a ton and was always getting caught in the Coastal brush/vines I hunted and sold it.
I'm always using Stoney Point sticks or my pack out here in NM now.

Who uses what brand and how much do they weight nowadays?
 
I personally think you are better off with external sticks such as primos.......my 2 cents.
 
I just looked up weight of Harris pivot/27"....20oz.
My sticks weight a couple ounces,and I carry a pack now.
 
I will sacrifice the extra weight for shear convenience. That extra time it takes to get out the sticks and set them up could be a missed shot. I also use the Kifaru gunbearer (sorry about the spelling) sling and it keeps it out of the brush and whatnot. But thats just my input. They weight pretty much the same now bt are more pricey. But if you want one that wont break then the extra money is well spent
 
Of the gun mounted ones I've used, the only ones that held up were the Harris brand bi-pods. Sometimes I prefer shooting off the pack, but often I feel more comfortable using the bi-pods.
 
I have a Harris. I think it is something like 13" collapsed and extends to 27". Good for prone and sitting, but I wish I had got the one with the pivoting head. Certainly weighs a bit, but it is convenient. Randy has a good youtube video about this topic.
 
I think mine is a Caldwell. I got it a couple weeks ago and hunted with it for 1 day and wasn't pleased with the awkwardness of having it on the gun. I was getting up from a sit and it snagged on a sapling and bent one of the stops that the legs rest against when they are deployed and now the whole thing looks crooked. I like the concept but not great for a mobile hunter as far as I'm concerned. I've seen plenty of other people have success with them and think I have seen Randy use them on the show. I'll give it another shot but my expectations are low.
 
I've always used the external ones that fold up like tent poles. I carry them in the cargo pocket and are pretty fast to deploy. Prob just as fast as a gun mounted one. Plus they only weigh a few ounces. If I'm shooting prone then I just use the pack
 
Like I said I use my pack and the superlight Stoney Point sticks now.
The pack is a solid rest,like Randy states in his vid I just saw. I'm even using one of his old packs now,LOL
The sticks works great most of the time,and I use them when taking off the pack is too much motion. I sit or kneel slowly and get set up if possible. I don't think I have taken an offhand shot hunting big game in years,5 maybe. I have used my spotter/tripod once to shoot off. I don't use the spotter much with 15x50 glass I use now along with sticks for brace.They do bounce.The hiking poles brace good too.
And I use a Safari Sling, like the hands free glassing/& multi-positions it works in.

Most of the guys I see with Bog-pods and heavy tripods are outfitters and guides and not carrying a gun....or Randy and his folks. But the ones I do know swear by them.
Just wondering what folks are using for a rest.
 
+1 with the tent pole style. They fold up small, weigh almost nothing, deploy really quickly, and hold the gun steady.
 
9-13 Chinese Harris pivoting clone. About $60 and works flawlessly. 8 Antelope in the last two years, wouldn't hunt without it.
 
Thought about those clones. I have been shooting Harris for years. My 300 win jumps up so that extra weight is king of nice for a long range rig. For an ultralight rifle I would go with sticks. For medium/heavy a combination of pack or bipod would be the ticket. I have not seen sticks that work well for long range shots but I know they are out there. I just think the Bipod is way more stable with a rear bag and easier. Unfortunately my Harris in not pivoting. I am planning on upgrading to one that is. Does Harris or anyone else make a pivoting adapter for the Harris Bipods?
 
Harris does. The bipod was like $119 and another handful for the pivot. I choked and went with the knockoff. Pivot is the only way to go after using a non pivot.
 
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