Load or not load bipod with AR platform?
- Thread starter BigPineyTradingPost
- Start date
How hard are you pushing? Doesnt take much forward input, to properly "load" a bipod. More or less just taking up slack. That being said: delta ring type handguard, I dont think so; quality handguard and barrel nut combo, different story. I run Aero Precision sets, with their handguard, and have not had any problems. I use a small keymod stud that interfaces with the Harris type mount nicely. No problems here.
Just wondering out loud. I’m going to be working more with my Harris. I have a strong, aftermarket hand guard/nut setup.
I get better results when I load it a bit-especially with AR10s.
Short answer: it's best to load most all guns in the prone. Long answer: you will get different answers from people running different rigs. Not only does the quality of ARs vary widely but also the construction. For instance I run Aero and they have two different uppers that hold the handguard differently and react differently to load.
The Army SDM course taught me to dig a hole with the magazine and load into the magazine instead of using a bipod. That worked pretty well to 600 on man size targets but its it's not best practice for what we do with the long range stuff. You just have to go out and put some rounds down on paper with your gun and see what it likes.
The Army SDM course taught me to dig a hole with the magazine and load into the magazine instead of using a bipod. That worked pretty well to 600 on man size targets but its it's not best practice for what we do with the long range stuff. You just have to go out and put some rounds down on paper with your gun and see what it likes.
I plan on testing this, I have a custom shooting may with bipod loops so I can really load up bipod. I plan on having magneto speed on, eliminating all other variables and testing different load levels to see if it impacts group size and/or point of impact.
It's not a matter of mastering "loading the bipod". Loading the bipod is part of the fom while shooting prone with any rifle. No need to try and bend your bipod legs, just light pressure into shoulder pocket. Frank has demonstrated and talked about it in many videos, look one up.
I don't claim to be a master of shooting AR's but I do agree with your statement about focusing on other fundamentals first.
My shooting mat has the bipod loops secured in such a robust way that I can put all the weight and force possible into the rear buttstock when laying "into" the rifle and also extra by "pushing" a little more with my boots. I found myself doing this to keep the rifle scope completely on target when doing some dot drills. I shoot with a 9 inch form 1 can (it's a do it all, every rifle can) so there's more recoil vs shooting with a brake. I started noticing some POI shift but velocity was stable and ammo is good and shoots VERY well in my rifle (IMI 77GR Razorcore)
I had to pack up and leave and in my rush I just blew it off as me not doing the fundamentals properly. About a week later I thought about the loading of the bipod. My rifle is a low budget SPR style build:
Dpms lower
WOA SPR 18 inch 1:7 twist
Nordic Components NC-2 hand guard
Bcm upper thermo fit and green loctite
JP SCS w/ heavy tungsten weight for can
A2 rear stock
PRI Gas buster
SD tactical adjustable gas block
Sd tactical brake w/ ACME outer threads for can
Ergo grip
Geiselle lower parts kit
Ruger MSR trigger (for now, have SSA-E when I get time to install, BUT the MSR is a good trigger)
The rifle can shoot 0.5MOA sometimes and 0.75 MOA when I do everything right)
I think that’s what I said. Other things being more important to master does not mean the bipod and it’s correct use are not important, just that other things are more important and will impact results more so. Perhaps you should watch some of Franks videos on fundamentals to see what I mean.
You always want to load the bipod as long as you are loading it correctly. A lot of people hear “load” and ram their shoulder into it and put tension on the legs. That’s not loading the bipod that’s shouldering the rifle. Guys do it like crazy with the webbing loops on shooting mats. As soon as there is any recoil the tension on the bipod legs will need to go somewhere and that is usually up in the form of a hop. If they don’t hop they will cause the rifle to fishtail and you will likely see horizontal spread on the target, ask me how I know.
You want to set yourself so that when the rifle is pulled in tight to your shoulder there is no slack in the bipod legs, but also so there is no tension on the legs. The goal is to allow the rifle to rock straight back and forth under recoil without the bipod legs hopping, sliding, or losing the point at which they are connected to the ground. Pressing forward hard on the bipod will not accomplish this and will cause you problems. You may get away with it on a braked rifle with little recoil but once you are on something that loves a little it will start to fall apart.
I just take the slack out. Reason being is I don't like being dependent on any significant amount of forward pressure to shoot well, because I rarely shoot from prone and I can't usually load hard into barricades, rocks, tree branches etc.
Load, don't overload and your GTG. I have LMT MWS rifles and I prefer to load but dont always if it becomes a PITA to try and load. In that case, Ill just do a slight load and let it rip. Not a big diff. YMMV
PB
PB
