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F T/R Competition LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

J-ROD

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 17, 2011
308
10
Mechanicsville, Virginia
I have been in the market for a new bipod that was more FTR style than my Harris but not quite to the level of the Centershot or Sinclair, (which I was real close to just making my own if I had to go that route). I wanted something as wide and solid as I could get but still fold up and be practical for my local groundhog removal and deer herd reduction duties.

I looked at all the variants...Atlas, GG&G, etc and honestly I had never heard of LRA until Darrell Buell told me about his and how much he liked it.

Spending that much money on a bipod was not in the original plan but after looking at all the options and talking to David on the phone...twice...about 30mins each time (Thanks for your time!), I was in. David was up front about the ETA as he was in the middle of making up a batch, so it took a few couple weeks, but it showed up exactly when he said it would. Yet another great vendor I have come in contact with via SH.

This bipod is ROCK SOLID...WOW!! Even a newbie like me can feel the difference compared to the Harris I had on there. The fab work on it as well as design are excellent and it is much lighter than I expected (can't remember the weight off the top of my head). I really dig the adjustments too, nice positive clicks for gross height changes and then a lever which is easily accessed for the fine leveling. I don't know if I will shoot with the legs in any of the angled positions but it's good to have the capability.

Anywho, Lord willing I am going to shoot some tomorrow so will post up a full range report, for those that care, as I have changed a few things other than the bipod since my last shoot.

Picture time! (this is the Light F-class model, there are two other models FYI)

DOWN
lra2.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

Compared to 6" Harris
lra3.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

UP
lra5.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

lra4.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

Can almost level the gun with the fine adjustment, legs both on lowest setting.
lra7.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

All folded up, for some reason the legs look to be at an angle but looking down they are both parallel with the barrel.
lra1.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

lra9.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

Re-cap on stuff I've changed: bedded the action, clearanced barrel channel, rings lapped, Karsten cheek piece (so much more comforable!) and I made a LOP spacer on our rapid prototype machine to increase it from 13.5" to 14.75" (I will remake out of Al once I am sure that's the thickness I want). No more feelin cramped on the gun.
lra8.jpg

By mouzetrap at 2012-01-27

Thanks again David for a great bipod and all of the brain picking you let me do.

God bless,

-Jarrod
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

I recently acquired the heavier version (purposely) for my F-Class rifles. I bolted it onto a LaRue QD Picatinny Riser mount (LT101) after cutting off the riser overhang and re-bluing the edge. It makes for a very simple do-it-yourself QD mount for the LRA bipod. Your opinion of the LRA bipods is spot on to mine. They are very wide, not too heavy, and extremely stable. Like you, I also found David extremely knowledgeable, easy to deal with, and very up front about the lead time for one of his bipods. It's a great product.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

308RS, Thanks but all I did was buy it lol...kudo's go to David! Weight is 1.5lbs for the model I have, I believe the other two models are a little bit lighter but aren't as wide.

Gstaylorg: thanks for the response. Have any pics of your set-up? I may want to do a QD eventually and also just curious of the differences in your model and the one I got.
I tried it out yesterday, shoots even better than it looks hehe!
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

Unfortunately, I had a little tussle with it at my first SoCal midrange match at Pendleton today. A couple shots into my second relay, it seemed loose, but I wasn't sure and dealing with rapidly shifting wind was the first priority. After finishing the relay, it was definitely rattle loose. Obviously a problem. So I unbolted it from the LaRue QD mount and bolted it directly back on the rail. I did this because the QD levers are right near either end of the rail section when engaged/mounted. If you don't get the mount pin in the right rail slot, one of the levers won't be fully seated on the rail, so I figured I must have messed up when I first mounted it at the beginning of the comp. Turns out, the damn rail section was loose, not the QD mount, so I tightened that up and everything was fine after that. I'll try to get some pics of it mounted with the QD setup in the next days or so and post them here. When the rail is not loose (LOL), the QD mount seems to work just fine.

BTW: Here are some reviews that include the heavier (SC-2) version that have already posted here at SH:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2602212

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2814358

https://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2487650

 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

I have a Light F-class and a Light Tactical (? I think that's the second one)

Wait til you start shooting them, you think you love it now, just wait til you get some rounds downrange on it, there's no going back.

Dave's making QD setups now, existing bipods can be retrofit very easily, and I'm going to be getting them done for both of mine. I saw the QD setup and the first thing I could think of was "OK, when can you retro mine?"

Should be in the next few days. I have to get ahold of Dave and see how things are coming along.

Also, he mentioned something about making an adapter or replaceable rail or something along those lines for Savage owners so that they can use the LRA setup with the existing Savage stocks.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marzo2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I to have a Savage FTR, but was told that LRA bipod only mounted on a picatinny rail... How did you mount yours ??? </div></div>

There are a few Anschutz rail to Picatinny rail adapters out there. They are relatively cheap (~$40), and as far as I can tell, bulletproof. I have used the identical setup; Savage F-T/R, LRA bipod with adapter in many a competition with no problems at all.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

Where is a good place to order ? Brownells ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Darrell Buell</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marzo2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I to have a Savage FTR, but was told that LRA bipod only mounted on a picatinny rail... How did you mount yours ??? </div></div>

There are a few Anschutz rail to Picatinny rail adapters out there. They are relatively cheap (~$40), and as far as I can tell, bulletproof. I have used the identical setup; Savage F-T/R, LRA bipod with adapter in many a competition with no problems at all.</div></div>
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

gstaylorg: Thanks for the info and the links! Guess I could have done a search myself...lol oops.

marzo2: Yep, Darrell beat me to it. The one I got, didn't fit quite right but I made it work...pm me for more details.

bohem: You are right, I did get to shoot it, WOW!! I am now running out of excuses as to why I can't shoot..hehe

So I got a wild hair and decided now that I have this bomb-digity bipod, I should try the popular "ski" type feet against the usual grippy rubber feet, leaving everything else the same. I whipped these up this evening...thoughts besides ugly?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J--ROD</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I whipped these up this evening...thoughts besides ugly?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us </div></div>
They look slippery. Maybe glue some bare neoprene sheet cut to size under them?
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

Proneshooter: Slippery is the whole idea :)

Darrell: Thanks! I made everything thicker than it needed to be to be safe but this RP stuff is pretty durable, we drill & tap it all the time. We have countless bench top machines made almost entirely of the stuff and they function (even thermoform tooling). This particular blend is also very good in compression. Overall definitely more brittle than UHMW or the like but I feel like the bipod legs will bend before these break. If I like the ski style over the rubber feet, I will make some ski's out of Al...I just didn't want to put that much time into it until I tried it out.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

Is there any way to mount one of his bipods to a AI Chasis? I am thinking to getting one for my custom built 338 Lapua in a AICS.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J--ROD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">gstaylorg: Thanks for the info and the links! Guess I could have done a search myself...lol oops.

marzo2: Yep, Darrell beat me to it. The one I got, didn't fit quite right but I made it work...pm me for more details.

bohem: You are right, I did get to shoot it, WOW!! I am now running out of excuses as to why I can't shoot..hehe

So I got a wild hair and decided now that I have this bomb-digity bipod, I should try the popular "ski" type feet against the usual grippy rubber feet, leaving everything else the same. I whipped these up this evening...thoughts besides ugly?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us </div></div>

I'd call them right there: "alpine tactical camo."

After shooting with one of these, I'm taking the plunge too.

--Fargo007
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: whit</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is there any way to mount one of his bipods to a AI Chasis? I am thinking to getting one for my custom built 338 Lapua in a AICS. </div></div>

The heavy caliber stuff is what these bipods were designed for, they attach to a simple Picatinny rail.

Darrell
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

Does anyone know how to get ahold of LRA? I am interested in the Heavy Tactical but I can't get a Response. I have tried emailing them 3 times.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

I have contacted David on several occasions and he got back to me almost immediately. He may be out of town, or something similar. I'd say keep trying, he's been very good to deal with for me.
 
Re: LRA Bipod on my Savage FTR

Do you by the chance have a phone number? I was going to email him and leave my Phone # to see if he will call me. I am very interested in one of his Heavy Tactical bipods.