bipod

mother of all bipods

If you want to spend a good bit more than $4, and about 3 times what you pay for a base model Harris, look at what Sinclair sells.
 
I plan to use it prone and be very selective of the shots I take.

I will use it on one of two rifles:

a Remington 722 in 257 Roberts with a 27 inch bull barrell. The rifle with scope weighs in at 10.5 pounds.

A Ruger M77 T in 308 win. This rifle weighs 13 pounds.

My guide assures me that I will not be humping rough terrain. I currently require a Canadian cane to walk. (to many fast motorcycles and jumping out of helicopters, sins of my youth)

May be this wil help you guide me.
 
Harris S25. Short enough for prone (was using mine this morning) yet it's three sections extend enough for sitting if you're in tall grass or sage brush. The short ones are too short FOR ANY USE when collapsed and the same height as the S25(collapsed) when the shorties legs are extended. Only things the short ones are better at is weighing less and for use on a bench.

Also the short ones are worthless if there is any snow on the ground. The legs sink in making them too short for anything useable. Might not make a difference on this hunt but it may in the future.

Make sure to get an "S" model. Bipods are crap in the field without this feature.

LK
 
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Harris S25. Short enough for prone (was using mine this morning) yet it's three sections extend enough for sitting if you're in tall grass or sage brush.
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Excellent reccomendation...

If you're gonna spend the money on a guided hunt, spend the money on a Harris.
 
S25 is what I have also. Works well prone or sitting.

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Thanks for the help. The Harris bipod was not available so I picked up a Champion Bi-Pod 9" -13". It is popular with the local shooters. I had the oppuritunity to use on which mounted to a Howa in 30-06.

I liked the fact that it had set screws which allow you to set the height and not have the legs retract.

It mounts easily and is easily moved from rifle to rifle. Have not shot with it yet.

Will update on how it works.

Once again thank you for all of your comments.
 
How much do you want to spend?
You can get a harris for a reasonable price, or if you want the best get an Atlas. I went through many cheaper alternatives and now have the atlas. Probably overkill for many though.
 
I have a Harris bi pod, the 14 to 30 inch model, or something close to that length. Worked great for a couple of pronghorn hunts. I liked being able to sit rather then lay down in the Wyoming cactus prairie. I also have three short bi pods, the Winchester tagged ones from Wal-Mart. Chinese junk as many here would call them. Held side by side with the Harris, I can’t tell them apart, other then the word Harris stamped on the one. Actually, the deck and hinge tabs on the Chinese made bi pods are a few thousandths thicker then the Harris. I measured them with a caliper. One is on a Remington 700 chambered in 7mmSTW. It takes a beating on that rifle shooting off a bench, and hasn’t failed me yet. Another is on a Saiga .223. Two thousand rounds, and it’s still doing what it’s supposed to. The third is on a NEF Handi Rifle in .223. No problems at all.
 
Unless you plan on flopping to the ground and shooting from a prone position a bipod well be of little use and add extra weight to the rifle.

On a stalk hunt a pair of shooting sticks is of much more useful. Make a set with slots so you can quickly adjust the height. Just the ticket for those 400yd plus shots needed for lopers.;)

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Unless you plan on flopping to the ground and shooting from a prone position a bipod well be of little use and add extra weight to the rifle.
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This a constant debate on lots of fronts and completely false on others. Of little use unless prone? Give me a break.

I personally find shooting sticks a pain in the butt more times than not and THEY ARE less stable than bipods. Do I like the extra weight on the gun? Not really and I do have 2 sets of sticks around I use in some cases. But then the OP asked about bipods and not which was better.

LK
 
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Unless you plan on flopping to the ground and shooting from a prone position a bipod well be of little use and add extra weight to the rifle.
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This a constant debate on lots of fronts and completely false on others. Of little use unless prone? Give me a break.
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What bipod leg length do you use when shooting other than prone?

I personally find shooting sticks a pain in the butt more times than not and THEY ARE less stable than bipods. Do I like the extra weight on the gun? Not really and I do have 2 sets of sticks around I use in some cases. But then the OP asked about bipods and not which was better.
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The OP asked about using a bipod on a guided trophy antelope hunt. A bipod would be fine if he is going lay in wait and have the animal driven to him.

Every lope hunt I have done involved considerable stalking and normally a kneeing or supported standing shot. That is why I prefer shooting sticks, but you can use what ever method you like.

Now back to bipods, the Atlas is one of the very best. Light weight, superior construction and adjustment. Combined with a Larue or AMD QD and rail it's a great setup.

A Harris gives similar adjustment at a higher weight and lower price. The Harris clones are of varying quality and I wouldn't trust one on a high dollar guided hunt.

Hinds makes a nice rifle bipod that is light, can be rail mounted or integrated. The Hinds would be my first choice on a bolt gun, preferably integrated to the fore-end.

I've even used a GPS pod for shooting sage rats in the past.
 
What bipod leg length do you use when shooting other than prone?
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Didn't bother reading the first page of the thread did you? :p Harris S25. And yesterday I was using mine while sitting, last week I was using it prone. Works great for either.

It doesn't make any difference if you're stalking or layin in wait, the advantages/disadvantages of bipods and sticks are exactly the same. Style of hunting makes zero difference. If anything the advantages of bipods might be multiplied the more ground you cover. I know that the only time I use sticks is when stand hunting.

LK
 
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I wanted a Harris bipod for my 700 but ended up getting the shooters ridge champion 6-9" and am very happy with it. It cost less than half the Harris and is of very good quality. It even has 2 strips of leather to protect the stock's finish. I would be interested in knowing why others regard the Harris bipod so highly that they are willing to spend more than double the cost of other bipods. Not trying to flame...just curious.
 
I would be interested in knowing why others regard the Harris bipod so highly that they are willing to spend more than double the cost of other bipods. Not trying to flame...just curious.
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If you compare the two side by side you well see a difference in quality. The materials used, weight, fit and finish. It's not a huge difference, I've shot rifles with the Harris clone bipods and they work fine, but have been known to fail. There is even varying quality in the clones.

Not everyone wants to budget a lot of money for a bipod, I can't fault that, more money for ammo:)

Spend some time shooting with a Atlas, you well not want to go back to a Harris or clone. The Atlas does cost more, but it does so much more.
 
I wanted a Harris bipod for my 700 but ended up getting the shooters ridge champion 6-9" and am very happy with it. It cost less than half the Harris and is of very good quality. It even has 2 strips of leather to protect the stock's finish. I would be interested in knowing why others regard the Harris bipod so highly that they are willing to spend more than double the cost of other bipods. Not trying to flame...just curious.
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I've never used the Shooters Ridge and somebody correct me if I'm wrong but aren't they basically clones of the 6-9" Harris non-swivel model? 6-9" bipods have all sorts of drawbacks. Non swiveling bipods have even more draw backs. Both of which have already been covered in this thread and the fact that it's a clone isn't gonna help in either department. Those short POS bipods are fine for shooting off a bench, prone at a range or for photo ops. Now I realize that for a lot of shooters those 3 things are about the only things they do with there gun so it may work fine for them. For anybody else, toss em in the trash.

LK
 
I don't have a problem taking my 'Harris clone' out in the field. LK--why do you see the clones as a pos? Are you talking weight, finish, durability? I think I can live with the first two for half the price...Durability is Tbd.
 
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