I don't compete. I can perform fine with a Harris, but prefer an Atlas at a minimum. Took a friend and his dad shooting out to 600 yards tonight. Both instantly complimented the Atlas when they got situated behind my rifle. They both use a Harris on their rifles. I am still eyeballing a TBAC to try though...
A quality bipod's price is worth every penny when you realize its a fraction of the total system costs, and most tend to notice the improvement instantly. If that improvement leads to less misses, it pays for itself quickly even for non-competitors. Plus you can always move it between rifles.