Hatch Bipod vs Tripod investment

[OverInfinite]

I know "bipod vs tripod" has been beaten to death. The situation is I own a selection of rifles none with arca rails, and only 1 with a small picatinny rail on the fore end. I already have a decent tripod with a pan head that really doesnt NEED replacement but for sure isnt stable enough to shoot off of. I have always hunted with a harris bipod, but this year I struggled a little on my coues hunt, I missed 2 opportunities because the angle of the hillside.
Do I upgrade to a hatch bipod that I can easily make work with all my rifles or do I add arca rails and devote myself to a new tripod?

Have you ever left your bipod at home and ever lost a shot because you ONLY had a tripod? I think setup time would be my only struggle

 

[XLR]

I have a few good bipods with a lot of range and this year I still left the bipods at home and just ran a tripod. It all comes down to practice for deployment and accuracy off the tripod though. I can be in position and shooting in 25-30 seconds and can shoot 1/2-3/4 inch groups in a good seated position. That has taken a lot of practice but its possible with the right tripod and rifle setup. I haven't shot off a hatch so it would be great to hear someone's experience on that end too!

 

[Tullis94]

I have both and this year I carried both. If I was going to carry only 1 it would be the tripod. The tripod does take a little more time but with some practice it gets easier. This last season on hunts I participated in 5 deer were shot from the tripod and only 2 with the bipod. On all those deer the bipod would have been first choice if it were possible. The tripod is much more versatile.

 

[RuggedYogi]

It really depends on the type of hunt for me. If I am trying to be as light as possible, I’m not bringing my big spotter or tripod and would run the Hatch.

If I am not as concerned about weight, the tripod is certainly more stable and comfortable to shoot from.

 

[TN2shot07]

I’ve used a Hatch the last two seasons, it’s a solid hunting bipod. My only complaint (as with most bipods) is there’s no way to track with the animal. That cost me a shot at a nice deer than pinned me this season so I ordered a Spartan with the long pro legs to try out.

If you’re carrying a tripod anyway you might as well utilize it, if not that’s a big weight difference.

 

[OverInfinite]

I never take my spotter from the truck. My 10's have been enough for me 90% of the time. That said, I have been reading that the rifle clamps aren't nearly as stable as clipping in, but there are a couple rifles that just would not work with an arca rail.. or is it really that bad ?

 

[mtnrunner260]

I have a few good bipods with a lot of range and this year I still left the bipods at home and just ran a tripod. It all comes down to practice for deployment and accuracy off the tripod though. I can be in position and shooting in 25-30 seconds and can shoot 1/2-3/4 inch groups in a good seated position. That has taken a lot of practice but its possible with the right tripod and rifle setup. I haven't shot off a hatch so it would be great to hear someone's experience on that end too!

What is your tripod setup?

 

[OverInfinite]

A vanguard cheap-o. It weighs about 2lbs and does just fine for my binos. It is with me 99% of time, even for archery hunts

 

[mtnrunner260]

A vanguard cheap-o. It weighs about 2lbs and does just fine for my binos. It is with me 99% of time, even for archery hunts

Talking to a friend about this same topic.
We both have XLR stocks. He has had his for years and mine is new.
I mentioned that I felt the tripod was slow compared to bipod. He said same as XLR above that with practice you get quick enough with it.
I'll be spending time shooting rocks, marmots etc until hunting season to improve my setup time.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Talking to a friend about this same topic.
We both have XLR stocks. He has had his for years and mine is new.
I mentioned that I felt the tripod was slow compared to bipod. He said same as XLR above that with practice you get quick enough with it.
I'll be spending time shooting rocks, marmots etc until hunting season to improve my setup time.

Do not need to actual go "boom" to reduce your setup time. Use a snap cap or laser cartridge.

 

[atmat]

My vote is the tripod option, as it’s a solution to a greater number of problems. Hill angles, tall grass, and needing to quickly reposition can render a bipod useless.

I do shoot prone off my pack and prefer it to a tripod, so I always have that option too.

 

[kevin11mee]

This is a question I ask myself. I have a Hatch bipod and I’ve shot some from a light ish Sirui tripod. I think the Hatch bipod is pretty nice and it especially shines with seated shots and a pack as a rear rest. It will certainly deploy quicker than a tripod but a tripod would also be great for kneeling and standing shots. I would like to try shooting more from a tripod with perhaps an Anvil 30 head.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Do not need to actual go "boom" to reduce your setup time. Use a snap cap or laser cartridge.

For sure will be doing set up and dry fire practice as well.
Great call.

 

[XLR]

What is your tripod setup?

I am running a two vets recon with the RRS BH55 Head. I really like it for both shooting and glassing. If you were wanting a shooting specific head then the Anvil 30 is king.

 

[kevin11mee]

I’m interested to hear opinions on this because I like glassing with a VA 5 head but it’s not the best to shoot from. You give up
Some glassing ability with a ball head but definitely better to shoot from.

 

[levieric_307]

I own two hatch bipods which I switch out between my big game hunting rifle and my AR15s for predator hunting. Another bipod that recently hit the market that is very similar to the hatch but has some added benefits is the ROKSTEDi bipod. You can look up their website. They also have a YouTube video where they do a side by side comparison with the hatch bipod.

 

[aschuler]

I know "bipod vs tripod" has been beaten to death. The situation is I own a selection of rifles none with arca rails, and only 1 with a small picatinny rail on the fore end. I already have a decent tripod with a pan head that really doesnt NEED replacement but for sure isnt stable enough to shoot off of. I have always hunted with a harris bipod, but this year I struggled a little on my coues hunt, I missed 2 opportunities because the angle of the hillside.
Do I upgrade to a hatch bipod that I can easily make work with all my rifles or do I add arca rails and devote myself to a new tripod?

Have you ever left your bipod at home and ever lost a shot because you ONLY had a tripod? I think setup time would be my only struggle

For my coues hunts I ONLY use a tripod. I ditched the bipod a long time ago as there were just too many situation where it wasn't effective on those hunts. I already have a tripod to glass with my 15s, I just swap from the binos to a small cradle to rest my rifle on when I'm ready to shoot. I'm planning on switching my system to all arca this year, but the same principles apply.

 

[OverInfinite]

Well I ordered a sirui am-284. Weight capacity: 33lbs. Weighs under 3lbs without a head.
Ordered a sunwayfoto 44mm ball head and a couple extra arca plates. I will try it out with my ruger precision 22lr using the mlock attachments.

 

[aschuler]

Well I ordered a sirui am-284. Weight capacity: 33lbs. Weighs under 3lbs without a head.
Ordered a sunwayfoto 44mm ball head and a couple extra arca plates. I will try it out with my ruger precision 22lr using the mlock attachments.

Cool! Let us know how you like it!

 

[Happy Antelope]

I’ve used a Hatch the last two seasons, it’s a solid hunting bipod. My only complaint (as with most bipods) is there’s no way to track with the animal. That cost me a shot at a nice deer than pinned me this season so I ordered a Spartan with the long pro legs to try out.

If you’re carrying a tripod anyway you might as well utilize it, if not that’s a big weight difference.

The Spartan allows you to track an animal.