Brand new to distance shooting - Bipod ?
- Thread starter Jaeger62
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I recently got a MDT CKYE-POD with the ARCA mount. I like it so far, as it is easy to adjust and is stable in use. Note this is my first ARCA setup, and I love it on my AIAT. I will be adding ARCA mounts to all other rifles when coin is available.
Hey Steel head- how'd it go with your new EI bipod? Which one did you go with? Aluminum, pan/no-pan, standard/short, etc.. After a ton of research (including Frank's video) - I've decided to go with one. I'm hoping it does a good job of straightening out my suppressor recoil impulse. Anyway... how'd it go for you?
The rifle won't pan on its own no matter how loose the friction wheel is.
I have a V8 and don't see anything superior or interesting in other bipods.
Awesome... shoot us an update when you're back from the range! A pic of your setup would be welcomed too I'm sureYesterday Was terrible out so I’m going today instead
I’ll know today
This. If you are prone and set up correctly with the rifle connected to you it won’t matter if your panning feature is on a zero friction bearing or if there is zero panning. A rifle connected to a slab of meat on the ground will not pan unless the slab of meat is not connected to the ground. The CAL feels more stable because the rifle sits lower in(rather than on top of)the pyramid, not because there is no panning feature.
Pan = traverse = rotate laterally.
A rifle mounted to a bipod with pan capability will not traverse unless the shooter pivots in the opposite direction to the desired panning.
The bipod is the pivot. To pan right you rotate your body left about that pivot, which rotates the muzzle right.
You could be levitating in mid air with the rifle. So long as you don't rotate about the bipod's vertical centerline, panning will not occur.
Yes I know you can pan by twisting your body around the waist but that breaks the shooter/rifle alignment along the line of the bore.
A rifle mounted to a bipod with pan capability will not traverse unless the shooter pivots in the opposite direction to the desired panning.
The bipod is the pivot. To pan right you rotate your body left about that pivot, which rotates the muzzle right.
You could be levitating in mid air with the rifle. So long as you don't rotate about the bipod's vertical centerline, panning will not occur.
Yes I know you can pan by twisting your body around the waist but that breaks the shooter/rifle alignment along the line of the bore.
exactly what I was thinking..
the OP says beginni
Yes
Ok ok ok... the OP stated he was beginning in long range. Sure there are are $300-$500 fantastic bipods out there and I’d love to have them as well. If the OP wants to spend that then go for it. How did we ever manage to shoot on those old shitty Harris’s over the past 20 years....
look at it this way
F Class is accuracy based and look at the bipods and rests they use
that should be a clue, same with ELR
I love the guys who say it worked in 1996 so why change now
so don't learn anything new, don't innovate , don't acknowledge we can do better
I graduated sniper school with no bipod, a 10x scope, shooting 173gr special ball how foolish to think I can improve on that, get rid your new scopes a fixed 10x P3 Mil Dot is all we need
F Class is accuracy based and look at the bipods and rests they use
that should be a clue, same with ELR
I love the guys who say it worked in 1996 so why change now
so don't learn anything new, don't innovate , don't acknowledge we can do better
I graduated sniper school with no bipod, a 10x scope, shooting 173gr special ball how foolish to think I can improve on that, get rid your new scopes a fixed 10x P3 Mil Dot is all we need
Found the same result swapping original Atlas and notched-leg Harris at 1050, repeatedly cut group size in half. In the field, quickly dropping into position, rear bean bag. Loading the Atlas was not critical, negating any presumed deployment advantage the Harris might have. Seymour
what really cracks me up is all the hunters that put them on backwards so they don't hang up on everything
nobody wants to acknowledge it really doesn't work that way, but it's fast doing it wrong
with an Atlas you can do 4x more with it but they love their 1970s tech
FYI the Atlas is designed to remove the feet, you can put 1\2" rods in the legs to create a taller bipod or buy the tall extensions vs buying separate bipods one unit will work in a variety of ways
nobody wants to acknowledge it really doesn't work that way, but it's fast doing it wrong
with an Atlas you can do 4x more with it but they love their 1970s tech
FYI the Atlas is designed to remove the feet, you can put 1\2" rods in the legs to create a taller bipod or buy the tall extensions vs buying separate bipods one unit will work in a variety of ways
I'm a member of a Canadian precision rifle forum, and trying to convince some of those guys that there are bipods better then the Harris and that it's worth spending the money on higher priced bipods is absolutely worth it is about as worthwhile as smashing your head against the wall.
Some on there tout the Harris as the best. Some say why spend a few hundred dollars on a bipod when you can buy a knock-off that does the "exact same thing"? Most recent one was that shooting off of a rucksack is better then a bipod and rear bag, because the Marines did it a long time ago
You just can't help some people...
Some on there tout the Harris as the best. Some say why spend a few hundred dollars on a bipod when you can buy a knock-off that does the "exact same thing"? Most recent one was that shooting off of a rucksack is better then a bipod and rear bag, because the Marines did it a long time ago
You just can't help some people...
I'm a member of a Canadian precision rifle forum, and trying to convince some of those guys that there are bipods better then the Harris and that it's worth spending the money on higher priced bipods is absolutely worth it is about as worthwhile as smashing your head against the wall.
Some on there tout the Harris as the best. Some say why spend a few hundred dollars on a bipod when you can buy a knock-off that does the "exact same thing"? Most recent one was that shooting off of a rucksack is better then a bipod and rear bag, because the Marines did it a long time ago
You just can't help some people...
If I'm thinking of the right forum, I'd consider the words "precision rifle forum" as a euphemism. The fuddery is very very strong up here, and especially on that forum. To be fair though, there was a time I used to think spending anything more than Harris money was insane. Like Frank says, don't know what you don't know. Now I use my PSR and Cal II while my Harris collects dust.
So, I'm going to throw in my 2¢ here, for 2 reasons. First, I'm also relatively new to precision rifle, and second, because I went through the process of buying 3 different bipods over the last 6 months or so.
My original buying decisions were based primarily on local access to products I could see and touch.
Locally speaking, the only 2 bipods I could find in my area, which were the Magpul bipod, and the Harris bipod.
I bought the Magpul first, for about $99, because the price was the lowest, and because it was available. My experience with it was... not good. I bought the M-LOK version, because it fit my handguard,
While it is low profile, and it is relatively inexpensive, it had 3 points that were not useful for me. First, the mounting method was solid, but it too long to remove or adjust. This might have been better with the pic rail version. Second, it was pretty flexible. While you could load it, it flexed quite a bit. And last, because the feet are hard plastic, they did not stick well to any surface, and in order to load it, I had to have a solid prop, sandbags, a sling stop, or a solid ledge, to push it against.
After my first match, I decide it had to go. Since the Harris was the only other locally available version, I bought that next. Buying in the local shop, I probably overpaid, but it cost me about $180. It was more stable. It did stick (a little) better, but not a lot. Also, it was bulky, and heavy. It also was either closed or open, no middle ground. It was an improvement, but not good.
At a match a couple months later, I had the opportunity to borrow an Atlas BT 46. This was a lot better. The feet were sticky, the legs were solid, but not overly bulky, and there were a lot better positional adjustments for the legs. It was a huge improvement, and I decided to buy one. However, my buddy, who had loaned it to me, told me that if he had it to do over, he'd have bought the Gen 2 CAL, which is what I bought. The main difference is that the CAL has cant, but not rotational pan. Also, I bought the no clamp version, and got the RRS Dual clamp that works with both the picatinny and ARCA rails.
Last, the same week I bought mine, my buddy bought the Thunderbeast bipod. I've tried it a few times now, as well, and I like it. It's stiff fore and aft, it has a ton of adjustment for height, it has a built in spigot that brings it forward and keeps the locking knob out of the way, the adjustments are quick, due to spring loaded legs, and it's light, especially for its size. The weight is partially due to the legs being titanium (possibly only the inner legs?). It is, however, almost $100 more than the Atlas CAL Gen 2.
I will say one last thing. I spent a ton of money that was unnecessary, because I went for the quick fix, instead of spending the coin to do it right up front.
Avoid my mistakes.
My original buying decisions were based primarily on local access to products I could see and touch.
Locally speaking, the only 2 bipods I could find in my area, which were the Magpul bipod, and the Harris bipod.
I bought the Magpul first, for about $99, because the price was the lowest, and because it was available. My experience with it was... not good. I bought the M-LOK version, because it fit my handguard,
While it is low profile, and it is relatively inexpensive, it had 3 points that were not useful for me. First, the mounting method was solid, but it too long to remove or adjust. This might have been better with the pic rail version. Second, it was pretty flexible. While you could load it, it flexed quite a bit. And last, because the feet are hard plastic, they did not stick well to any surface, and in order to load it, I had to have a solid prop, sandbags, a sling stop, or a solid ledge, to push it against.
After my first match, I decide it had to go. Since the Harris was the only other locally available version, I bought that next. Buying in the local shop, I probably overpaid, but it cost me about $180. It was more stable. It did stick (a little) better, but not a lot. Also, it was bulky, and heavy. It also was either closed or open, no middle ground. It was an improvement, but not good.
At a match a couple months later, I had the opportunity to borrow an Atlas BT 46. This was a lot better. The feet were sticky, the legs were solid, but not overly bulky, and there were a lot better positional adjustments for the legs. It was a huge improvement, and I decided to buy one. However, my buddy, who had loaned it to me, told me that if he had it to do over, he'd have bought the Gen 2 CAL, which is what I bought. The main difference is that the CAL has cant, but not rotational pan. Also, I bought the no clamp version, and got the RRS Dual clamp that works with both the picatinny and ARCA rails.
Last, the same week I bought mine, my buddy bought the Thunderbeast bipod. I've tried it a few times now, as well, and I like it. It's stiff fore and aft, it has a ton of adjustment for height, it has a built in spigot that brings it forward and keeps the locking knob out of the way, the adjustments are quick, due to spring loaded legs, and it's light, especially for its size. The weight is partially due to the legs being titanium (possibly only the inner legs?). It is, however, almost $100 more than the Atlas CAL Gen 2.
I will say one last thing. I spent a ton of money that was unnecessary, because I went for the quick fix, instead of spending the coin to do it right up front.
Avoid my mistakes.
The thunderbeast bipod IMO is the best overall, I was trying not to suggest it so as not to completely break the OP’s bank right out of the gate.So, I'm going to throw in my 2¢ here, for 2 reasons. First, I'm also relatively new to precision rifle, and second, because I went through the process of buying 3 different bipods over the last 6 months or so.
My original buying decisions were based primarily on local access to products I could see and touch.
Locally speaking, the only 2 bipods I could find in my area, which were the Magpul bipod, and the Harris bipod.
I bought the Magpul first, for about $99, because the price was the lowest, and because it was available. My experience with it was... not good. I bought the M-LOK version, because it fit my handguard,
While it is low profile, and it is relatively inexpensive, it had 3 points that were not useful for me. First, the mounting method was solid, but it too long to remove or adjust. This might have been better with the pic rail version. Second, it was pretty flexible. While you could load it, it flexed quite a bit. And last, because the feet are hard plastic, they did not stick well to any surface, and in order to load it, I had to have a solid prop, sandbags, a sling stop, or a solid ledge, to push it against.
After my first match, I decide it had to go. Since the Harris was the only other locally available version, I bought that next. Buying in the local shop, I probably overpaid, but it cost me about $180. It was more stable. It did stick (a little) better, but not a lot. Also, it was bulky, and heavy. It also was either closed or open, no middle ground. It was an improvement, but not good.
At a match a couple months later, I had the opportunity to borrow an Atlas BT 46. This was a lot better. The feet were sticky, the legs were solid, but not overly bulky, and there were a lot better positional adjustments for the legs. It was a huge improvement, and I decided to buy one. However, my buddy, who had loaned it to me, told me that if he had it to do over, he'd have bought the Gen 2 CAL, which is what I bought. The main difference is that the CAL has cant, but not rotational pan. Also, I bought the no clamp version, and got the RRS Dual clamp that works with both the picatinny and ARCA rails.
Last, the same week I bought mine, my buddy bought the Thunderbeast bipod. I've tried it a few times now, as well, and I like it. It's stiff fore and aft, it has a ton of adjustment for height, it has a built in spigot that brings it forward and keeps the locking knob out of the way, the adjustments are quick, due to spring loaded legs, and it's light, especially for its size. The weight is partially due to the legs being titanium (possibly only the inner legs?). It is, however, almost $100 more than the Atlas CAL Gen 2.
I will say one last thing. I spent a ton of money that was unnecessary, because I went for the quick fix, instead of spending the coin to do it right up front.
Avoid my mistakes.
I figure if I gave him options, reasons, and prices, he'd have to ability to fit his budget. It blows my mind that I'm using a bipod that cost 70% as much as the original cost of my rifle. (I'm shooting PRS22). But $400 once on the Thunderbeast and a good clamp for it it still less than what I spent on 3 bipods, 2 of which are in my junk drawer. They'll get used, for something, but...
Awesome... shoot us an update when you're back from the range! A pic of your setup would be welcomed too I'm sure
It’s awesome!
One target today at 1950 yards was at a fairly good incline and the elite iron has a surprising amount of extension.
It’s all in the rear bag! ?????
Rear bag is awesome as well!
The two sizes I have covers every situation.
Damn man, you've got a beautiful place to shoot. I cant wait to get my EI bipod... thanks for the pics.
Yesterday I found another really sweet spot.
400 to 2400 yards!
I’m glad I came across this thread. I’m actually in the market for a new bipod. I already have a PSR that I use on my pig gun. So, I believe in the quality being worth the money. My first thought was an Atlas Cal. I actually didn’t know about the TBAC bipod until I saw this thread. This bipod will be going on a new 6.5 creedmoor that will be used for precision shooting. Is it worth the price jump to go with the TBAC? Maybe a better question is - once you put your hands on it, what made you choose it over the Cal?
Well, first, I didn't choose the TBAC over the CAL. I borrowed a TBAC to test, but I am using the CAL.
The one benefit I found for the TBAC was a faster deployment of the legs, due to being spring loaded, and I didn't see that as enough benefit to pay the extra $100.
Also, the moving part of the leg on the CAL is the outside tube, which helps protect it from dirt and junk getting jammed into the leg. The TBAC 's moving part is the inside leg, which leaves it more exposed to dirt and jamming. Mot that I had any issues, just an obvious mechanical difference.
The only reason I could see paying for the TBAC was if I was constantly in a situation where I was under time pressure to deploy it.
Oh, and the adjustment knob sits farther back on the cal which can be an issue with some accessories, like the Area 419 barricade stop. I had to use a spigot adapter to make them work together. It does work, its just an extra part.
Hope that helps.
The one benefit I found for the TBAC was a faster deployment of the legs, due to being spring loaded, and I didn't see that as enough benefit to pay the extra $100.
Also, the moving part of the leg on the CAL is the outside tube, which helps protect it from dirt and junk getting jammed into the leg. The TBAC 's moving part is the inside leg, which leaves it more exposed to dirt and jamming. Mot that I had any issues, just an obvious mechanical difference.
The only reason I could see paying for the TBAC was if I was constantly in a situation where I was under time pressure to deploy it.
Oh, and the adjustment knob sits farther back on the cal which can be an issue with some accessories, like the Area 419 barricade stop. I had to use a spigot adapter to make them work together. It does work, its just an extra part.
Hope that helps.
CAL’s all the way, and if you have the $$$ the Cyke Pod
EDIT: I ran a Harris for a long time because I absolutely HATED the pan feature on the Atlas. Once the CAL came out, that sealed the deal. Will never go back to the Harris.
EDIT: I ran a Harris for a long time because I absolutely HATED the pan feature on the Atlas. Once the CAL came out, that sealed the deal. Will never go back to the Harris.
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Be honest u ran the Harris because that’s what the marine corps taught you to use and old habits die hard
Incorrect. ...I’m an 8541 not an 0317. M40A1 Days. A3’s came out while I was an Instructor and even then we didn’t have Bipods. Butt packs, tent poles and sandbags is what we used and taught. And I haven’t used any of those items since. Those habits died easily..
I stand by my previous statement.
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I’ve been really happy with my Ckye Pods. I ditched the Harris a log time ago. Never tried the Cal but have other atlas bipods. I’ll stick with the Ckye pods for the win!
Adjustments can be made with a hex key, you can lock it out. Though I did see recently where a company produced a lever to adjust the cant (much like a KMW pod-loc lever).
I'll let @MDT_OFFICIAL answer the second question, though I'd be surprised if you couldn't.
It is not an all or none game. Just utilize what works for you. I have several bipods. My shooting is primarily field use. Hunting. The Harris works best for me. My Atlas has had about zero use. It is very well made and stable. I am not sure exactly what it's intended use is. It sure will not get up over grass or brush for a shot like the tall Harris.
I am now primarily utilizing a RRS tripod now. It is far better in every regard than any bipod I have ever used. YMMV
I am now primarily utilizing a RRS tripod now. It is far better in every regard than any bipod I have ever used. YMMV
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I get the argument of Harris vs everything else, I have shot most everything up to include the PSR Atlas but nothing newer. I am interested in the Elite Iron bipod, it seems to bring a lot to the table but mostly the very low Center of bore. What are the negatives with it? Not including the price?
it should be noted I’m a big fan of the TRG bipod but adapting it to other systems is difficult. I only know of 1 company who makes an adapter for it and they are out of the country.
it should be noted I’m a big fan of the TRG bipod but adapting it to other systems is difficult. I only know of 1 company who makes an adapter for it and they are out of the country.
The elite iron has a Few things it could improve.
Only one that bugs me that I can think of now is the legs like to extend on their own sometimes.
A rubber foot option like the atlas would be nice as well and it would be even more compact when folded then.
The included feet absolutely work well in the rock n dirt at my happy places in the Cheese forest though.
It’s surprisingly compact when folded.
Has a lot of elevation.
Is steady even in crappy positions.
I’m absolutely satisfied with mine especially for the Black Friday price.
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This is something that we are looking at having available down the road but don't have a time frame on when we will be making the conversion parts available.
Still not the “gold standard.”
With your logic, I’m assuming you’re still using a dial up modem? I mean, that’s what we used 20 years ago. That’s not a slow piece of shit is it?
Where do you find the vhs versions of movies when they come out? Cause you’re obviously still using those right?
Hey, I never said Harris bipods don’t function. They do, and the one I bought was certainly an improvement over the Magpul I started with.
But there’s a difference between an improvement in basic functionality, and being the gold standard for adjustability, maximum height, and stability.
Is there a Harris bipod available that adjusts to 20+ inches of leg length, can be set for several angles of support, either forward or backward, and where the outward spread of the legs can be adjusted almost vertical to 15 degrees from the horizontal? Or anything close to that?
If so, then it’s one that doesn’t get advertised much, and it’s not what most of us think when we hear the Harris name.
So, “gold standard” would be the Cykepod in my opinion.
And, yes, the gold standard costs actual gold. Or close enough to hurt. Which is why we went through 5 modern bipods, including the Harris, and their pros and cons, including price as a con for most of the good ones.
By the way, I really would like to know if there’s a model of Harris we should be looking at, other than the basic, short version we see in our local shops, and which is what we think of as a Harris bipod.
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