Whats preferred bipod for an elk hunt?

[miteybucs]

Head to New Mexico next week (Chama) ....Having never been there, would you suggest a 6-9 bipod or 9-13? or is tripod/sticks more likely to be needed? Obviously anything can happen just trying to figure best setup...

 

[wannakillabigbull]

9-13 or 12-25 are my two favorite. I prefer the 12-25 in the off chance I'll need to make a relatively quick sitting shot. That being said, I know that a lot of members here wouldn't be caught dead carrying that much extra weight on their rifle. To each their own.

 

[Indian Summer]

What type of terrain? In other words is weight a factor.

I like my Versa Pod. Wide range of height adjustment.

I was recently given a Swagger QD4 bipod for field testing. It has heavy springs at the top of the legs allowing you to twist the gun to stay on track of a moving elk without repositioning the legs. I really like it. The same company also makes Stalker Lite shooting sticks. They are SWEET! The place where the sticks come together.... where you rest your gun slides up and down. So not only can you pan sideways but you can push the gun down or let it slide up for height adjustment. It’s a bit hard to explain but they are definitely the Cadillac of shooting sticks. Very light and pop up in a flash.

 

[Lytro]

I have a 6-9" Caldwell carbon fiber bipod on my Tikka T3X Superlite 7mm Rem Mag. The 9" max seemed to fit my shooting position well, so I'm not sure if having a 12" would provide any further benefit for me. I'm not a fan of the extra bulk/weight for anything bigger than that. I can shoot well enough off hand out to 200. Anything further than that, I'm fairly confident I can set up prone with the bipod in time to get a shot off. It's also likely that you'll be able to find something to rest on when you have a shot opportunity (rocks, downed trees, etc.). I've hunted that area for deer before, I'm guessing you'll be in Carson NF?

 

[longbarrel]

I suggest practicing the sitting position with your arm resting on a leg. See if you can do without a bipod. Some rifles recoil against a bipod on hard or uneven ground, throwing off the shot. Brush can be high enough that prone won't work.

 

[Mlantz11]

I like the 9-13 Harris. Built like a tank and lighter than the 12-25. I feel comfortable stabilizing off my knees while sitting to about 300 depending on weather and size of animal but at that point it’s usually no issue to get in prone when they are at that range and within 300 a bipod is usually not necessary.

 

[Indian Summer]

If you really want a solid rest and bulk isn’t an issue look at the Caldwell Deadshot Field Pod. I hunt some open country where shots can be long. Making the shot obviously makes or breaks your hunt. I wish it was smaller but I feel it’s worth it so that’s what I carry.

 

[2rocky]

Shooting sticks. Everywhere I've hunted elk with a rifle has had some brush to shoot over...

For me mainly because Bipods don't fit in saddle scabbards.

 

[JG358]

My bipod stays at home on elk hunts.

 

[netman]

Shooting sticks or a Harris 12-25.

 

[Couzklr]

The bull I shot last year I shot off the outdoorsman shooting V on top of my tripod

 

[SniperHunter]

I have a 6x9 bipod on my rifle , it came with my 308 when I purchased it last summer , at first I was thinking it's too small for hunting in NW Oregon where I live we hunt brushy clearcuts for deer and elk and I need a taller bipod to get above the slash left on the ground but I was able to fill both tags last season, loggers leave lots of stumps and I used that for a rest and it took one shot at 277 yds on my Elk . first time I've ever hunted with a bipod , and won't go in the woods with out one now , I'm sold on them, plus I feel when you know your rifles on , a bipod gives you an inner peace or confidence.

 

[300-win-mag]

My hand works well.

 

[SniperHunter]

I prefer shooting sticks to a stock mounted bipod. Have used both over the years... have also used my pack a time or two... and trecking poles slung together. Of the two options mentioned by the OP, IMHO, shooting sticks just seem more versatile to how high off the ground you need to be based on shot angle, obstructions on the ground, etc. It really comes down to which system a person has the most confidence in. To the OP, try both and see which one YOU like the most. I will say that getting prone and shooting off my pack is pretty darned stable, but you can't always do that.

 

[Indian Summer]

Just like most questions about tactics and gear you’ll get a wide range of answers because it depends on the area you hunt. A guy sneaking through timber usually has short range shots and can rest against a tree. He has a low power scope or maybe even open sites. He’ll tell you he leaves the rest at home. If you hunt open country and use a high power scope your needs are much different. But the fact is that you have to make the shot and there’s a good chance you’ll be breathing heavy with some adrenaline running through your veins. I’ve killed bulls with offhand shots but only because that’s the way it unfolded. Close elk and no time. But most of my opportunities as a spot and stalk hunter were best suited to settle in on a rest. I’m not interested in 350-500+ yard shots offhand.

 

[Kimber7man]

Extreme pod 7-10” bipod with extra set of longer legs.

 

[DRUSS]

I use the tall javelin or my pack. If need taller my spotter tripod or my trekking poles work well together. But a lot of my elk hunting is timber hunting where a tree is quick and usually nearby

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[300-win-mag]

Men don't hunt with bipods