New Springbok bipod feedback wanted?

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Look at the time. Full setup and two shots in 25 seconds. Almost the exact same as the video posted by Form.

Do what works for you homie

I think you’d be a lot happier with the regular spartan bipod with long legs, preset to your standard seated shot height for cutting your time down significantly.

 

[ElPollo]

My Springbok head just got delivered today. Have not shot off it yet, so this is just my initial impressions from swapping the extended legs onto it from my Javelin and slapping my rifle on it in the house. I plan to take it out and shoot groups off both in the field for a comparison. My initial impression is that the Javelin with the long legs seems more stable. I’m going to reserve judgement until I shoot them both in field conditions. Unfortunately, I have to go help a buddy with an off-range oryx hunt this weekend, so it may take a bit.

 

[ElPollo]

I put a few rounds down range on both the javelin head and the springbok this evening. Nothing crazing, just shooting about a box of ammo at a rock across a canyon at about 300 while swapping the head in the middle. I was sitting with my back up against the tire of the truck and had my pack pulled under my right arm as a rear rest. Sorry for the lack of pictures or video. It was just me and I was racing the sunset.

The javelin with the long legs is what I’m already used to. It’s solid and predictable and quick to set up. The Springbok is just kinda weird. It moves around on you in ways you don’t expect. Part of that is because you are putting force into that flexible head to get it where you want it and it is also putting force back into the rifle. You can hit with it, but it feels weird. I definitely noticed that it makes it a bit harder to see your impacts due to that springiness. My setup is pretty pretty good for spotting impacts. It’s a 223 Tikka in a Stocky’s VG Hunter with 6x SWFA and an AB 8-stack with a 3” reflex. I could still see the impacts, but the gun was moving off target by a few feet at 300 with the Springbok.

The other thing I noticed is that the javelins will only let the legs spread so far. The legs Springbok can just keep on spreading to nearly 180 degrees. That sounds like a benefit for the Springbok, but in reality it just makes the bipod less stable. I’m sure there are extreme cases where you need the extra flexibility of the Springbok to get set up in some odd position. But the flexibility and the springiness sacrifices stability.

I will keep on using both in field shooting to try to better identify the use case for the Springbok. When I talked to Rob at Spartan about it, he mentioned the Springbok was better for cases where you need to pan downward. I just need to think about that some more to really understand what he is saying. If you’re panning downwards the butt of the rifle has to come up. Seems the same for both, but you still have that springy head trying to push your rifle around. Maybe I’m not getting it.

For now, I prefer the Javelin with long legs to the Springbok.

 

[Happy Antelope]

That doesn’t look to bad. I see what people are saying about the legs being a little wobbly bride of the flexible leg attachments but it doesn’t look terrible. I bet that’s definitely reasonable out to 400 yards while still leaving my regular legs on my javelin bipod if a prone shot presents itself. I don’t typically use trekking poles.

I was in a situation 2 years in a row where my bipod wasn’t ideal/ usable due to brush being tall, so I wasn’t able to go prone.

I have watched people shoot 400 yards, I have done it, Rob was doing it last week on a 12 inch plate, Paul at FHF shot his elk last year well over 400 on it. That being said it is built for 100-200 yard shots, this is NOT a precision tool, it's to give you a better option than no option. It works amazing for what it is intended for. People wanting something like this to be steady at 1000 yards is as dumb as saying why can't I shoot standing up with my bipod. It's now the number selling one and best reviewed product Spartan sells.

 

[Happy Antelope]

My Springbok head just got delivered today. Have not shot off it yet, so this is just my initial impressions from swapping the extended legs onto it from my Javelin and slapping my rifle on it in the house. I plan to take it out and shoot groups off both in the field for a comparison. My initial impression is that the Javelin with the long legs seems more stable. I’m going to reserve judgement until I shoot them both in field conditions. Unfortunately, I have to go help a buddy with an off-range oryx hunt this weekend, so it may take a bit.

The javelin is more steady for sure, but it lacks the ability to flex forward and back. There is a lot less freedom to make adjustments with the bipod as you are stuck on one plane. Not saying one is better than the other just saying their are always tradeoffs.

 

[Happy Antelope]

I have the primos bipod with spartan head. The quick attachment and quick height adjustments are nice. I think it would be a great option for seated shots for people that use the spartan system.

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Yes they work good also, just a lot heavier and bulkier.

 

[ElPollo]

The javelin is more steady for sure, but it lacks the ability to flex forward and back. There is a lot less freedom to make adjustments with the bipod as you are stuck on one plane. Not saying one is better than the other just saying their are always tradeoffs.

Agree there are tradeoffs. My gut feeling is that set ups with higher recoil levels and more magnification won’t notice the differences in being able to spot impacts, but if you compare groups shot with the javelin vs the springbok, the former would mop the floor with the latter. But there is always a trade off between accuracy and speed. Everyone gets to choose where they want to be on that gradient. So far the flexible head and the rapid up and down adjustment is a solution to a problem that I haven’t experienced.

 

[Anything Outdoors]

I white-tail hunt in Western Nebraska and have for nearly 20 years. The landscape is interesting in that there are meadows that may present shots of 300 yards plus as well as thick ponderosa pines that cling to life in the folds and canyons of the Pine Ridge that markedly limit shooting opportunities to inside 100 yards. Our hunting style is as follows: hike in, sit in the shadows of some edge habitat against the base of a tree in a travel corridor and ambush deer as they move. Within the last five years I have introduced my wife to hunting and that comes with its own set of challenges - staying quiet, moving minimally, and reading the body language of deer that we have spotted and lastly and most importantly getting into a stable shooting position to ethically take game. This last point has been something I have attempted to find a solution to since introducing her to the sport. She has tried bracing her elbows to her knees, resting her rifle forend on a pack, she has tried Primos trigger sticks and a variety of other resting aids/configurations. All of the aforementioned solutions were lackluster in one way of another. Upon the introduction of the Springbok I knew I had found an answer that checked all the boxes. It's light, maneuverable, easily adjusted, quiet, and more than steady enough from a seated position to shoot out to 300 yards. Since purchasing one for her to use, every animal she has squeezed the trigger on has died quickly and shot placement has been excellent. I was so impressed that I bought one for myself and am planning on buying a third for my father. If your use case sounds like anything I described, I would not hesitate to purchase one. It increases lethality in real-world hunting situations plain and simple.