Bipod or no bipod?

Ryan Avery

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0-600 yards you can get away with shooting off your pack if you practice good fundamentals. Past that I need a bipod and a good bag in the rear.

I like the spartan Javelin with the pro legs. It's light so I always have it with me.
 

mtblackdog

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Hatch bipod, Its fits a rail. Goes on and off quick. On back pack trips it goes on side pocket of my pack. Out hunting its on the gun. Not cheap but I think they are best system made.
 

XLR

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Its hard to justify carrying a bipod when you can get so steady off a tripod. Plus it doubles up to glass off of. I carried my bipod this year because i was only getting 4-5 miles from the truck but in the future when getting deep I will just be carrying the tripod. Check out some of the PRS shooting techniques of using a tripod for rear support. You could lay your rifle on the pack and use the tripod as rear support to get almost as stable as the bipod and rear bag.
 

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ID_Matt

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I always bring the bipod. I am ok with the trade off of having the extra pound for more stability. I would guess the bipod is used just over 50% of the time on shots, when it is not used it is usually a hurried off hand shot or off a pack but most of the time it seems we have time to get in a good position with the bipod. I have slowly been adding arca rails to all of my hunting rigs and practicing off a tripod so the bipod may be used less in the future.
 

ChrisAU

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Spartan Javelin here as well. Used the fixed lite legs this past October in WY and got home and immediately ordered some Pro Tac legs, think its perfect now.
 
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I already answered in a previous reply, but wanted to make sure you understand that vegetation height might make your bipod useless weight. Might want to check that to save a panic situation.

A few years ago my buddy was setting up on a pronghorn with his 23" bipod only to find the greasewood was too high. He borrowed my sticks, and it ended well.
 
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The most useful bipod is the harris 12-25. Its a little heavier, but can shoot prone, sitting and kneeling.
 

sneaky

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The most useful bipod is the harris 12-25. Its a little heavier, but can shoot prone, sitting and kneeling.
The Hatch Out West bipod is lighter, more adjustable than the Harris, but at a bigger buy in. I don't miss my Harris bipods at all, but, they are in the price point a lot of guys are looking at spending on one.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

Huntin_GI

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So I was thinking the same thing 6 months ago. Simultanesouly I was trying to improve my glassing kit and had a bit of an ahha moment. Went with a Slik 833 tripod and it will now pull double duty. If I am rifle hunting, I have my glass, and if I have my glass, I have my tripod. All of the PRS guys have went the direction of tripods for good reason.
 
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The Hatch Out West bipod is lighter, more adjustable than the Harris, but at a bigger buy in. I don't miss my Harris bipods at all, but, they are in the price point a lot of guys are looking at spending on one.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Its less than 3oz lighter, and costs 3x more. I used a hatch for a season and hated it. I didnt feel like it was worth the money. Maybe I need to give it another shot. I have a few Atlas CAL talls on some hunting rifles, but the bulk of my rifles have the harris 12-25, one dedicated coyote rifle that has a 13.5-27.
 

Zappaman

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I use my Primos TALL trigger sticks (two legs) for the bino's and the rifle. They can get wide and low for sitting shots in a short ground blind easy too. If on a hill or flat (dry) land without vegetation, I pull the day pack off my waist and use it if I have time and it's a longer shot.

I tried a bi-pod and it wasn't tall enough in most areas I hunt-- "tall grass" Kansas. But the rifle was also harder to manage (for me anyway) on mountain hunts especially- heavy. The trigger sticks also double as a good hiking stick when crossing rougher terrain-- BUT don't get them wet (use them in streams) as they will gunk up and need a PITA cleaning afterward. But they are fine in rain (so far). Just dry them good when you get back.
 
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I have a bipod on my rifle I use for Antelope and mulies but most times just use my pack as a rest. Saying that I would rather have one and not need it than need one and not have it.
 

S-3 ranch

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The most useful bipod is the harris 12-25. Its a little heavier, but can shoot prone, sitting and kneeling.
Yes, on a Harris, I am primarily a white tail, pronghorn, nilgai ,mulie deer hunter , and kept my bipod on my model 70 .300wm , from the equator to the artic circle , only one time it was off was on a elk hunt and felt naked, try hunting in a swampy area and you will probably wish you have one
 

Seeknelk

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I use the Spartan javelin also. It weighs about as much as a can of Copenhagen and fits in vest pocket. Its out and snapped in place to kill stuff in seconds. No boat anchor swinging around on the gun. I have a couple rifles with the flush adapter installed. Clean , light and kills.
 
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Yes to the big Harris bipod. Been using it since 98 and feel it really helps extend my accuracy at range. Used to use my pack but now use a combo of the pack in back and bipod in front. If I'm going ultralight I might ditch the bipod.
 
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