Harris Bipods for Hunting: Why?
- Thread starter Clevinger
- Start date
Bipods aren't for everybody and the way they hunt. Some folks have no use for them but then again, I have no use for a tree stand either. My style of hunting involves heading out to one of a few spots on the family farm land and cattle ranges, set up covering likely game trails and wait. Sort of like stand hunting but lying prone on the ground. Lanes are cleared of any stray brush and then it's like shopping for meat on the hoof, just take your pick. For this kind of hunting, bipods work very well especially when ranges get out past 500+ meters. I use either a Parker-Hale on my Remington 700 or Harris bipods with the pivoting base on others. I had one of the solid base Harris bipods and I hate it. Might work alright on a bench but if you need to shift your fire just a little bit in the field, canting becomes and issue.
Lucas McCain
New member
I live and hunt in open country and I use Harris Bi-pods. I have the bench rest model and that is my favorite. I like the way it pops out and adjusts and locks its self. The other 2 bi-pods (medium and long) I modified by drilling small holes 1- 1/2 inches apart so I can adjust them for uneven terrain. With out that they are not very easy to use.
I also have 2 B-Square bi-pods.a short one max about 8-14 inches and a long one about 16-28 inches long. These have the friction twist lock legs and are infinitely adjustable, they rock sideways to eliminate cant, but they do have a leg stance that is a little to wide.
As far as shooting sticks go they are ok, but I don't care for them because they are to cumbersome to carry. Part of my problem is that due to my husky body build I have a hard time getting a rifle sling to ride my shoulder. It keeps slipping off. and I like having a empty hand. I'm not comfortable with gun in one hand and sticks in another.
I also have 2 B-Square bi-pods.a short one max about 8-14 inches and a long one about 16-28 inches long. These have the friction twist lock legs and are infinitely adjustable, they rock sideways to eliminate cant, but they do have a leg stance that is a little to wide.
As far as shooting sticks go they are ok, but I don't care for them because they are to cumbersome to carry. Part of my problem is that due to my husky body build I have a hard time getting a rifle sling to ride my shoulder. It keeps slipping off. and I like having a empty hand. I'm not comfortable with gun in one hand and sticks in another.
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Interesting....do you mean from a bench/table carried to the field with you, or from the ground? And in what type of state/terrain/climate/ecosystem did you find them helpful? And how tall? 9, 13, or some other?
The short ones work fine for prairie dogs in this type of terrain....Laying on the ground, walking around or from a bench that we set up in the field. You can also still shoot with the sling off-hand if you like. I prefer to shoot from a mat while I try to catch some of the action with my camera.....
They can be handy
The last time I was overseas, I routinely saw young men on mopeds riding up and down the streets with shotguns slung over their shoulders I could see how handy they were. When I started party hunting for Iowa deer, I had a sling on my 1100. Most of the guys thought it was silly and also asked; WHY ??
The next season there were more slings in our party. ....
Be Safe !!!
For you, the obvious answer is to not get one. I have a short one mounted on one of my varminters and I can say that it has been handy but only a handful of times. It doesn't get in the way so I keep it mounted. I prefer sandbags on the bench. ....
The last time I was overseas, I routinely saw young men on mopeds riding up and down the streets with shotguns slung over their shoulders I could see how handy they were. When I started party hunting for Iowa deer, I had a sling on my 1100. Most of the guys thought it was silly and also asked; WHY ??
The next season there were more slings in our party. ....
Be Safe !!!
trg42wraglefragle
New member
The first thing I did when I got my shotgun, was put a sling on it. I really dislike guns without a sling.
If you are going to be shooting most of your shots within 200 yards and medium to large game, then there isn't really much use for a bipod.
Once you start getting into longer shots or varminting then you will need a rest of some sorts, and many times a bipod will be just the trick.
Sure sometimes they might be a bit low in long grass, or in rough terrain they might be a pain. I use one varminting a lot, there's no way I could make most of the shots I take without a bipod, if you are shooting at something with a 2" kill radius then after about 50-100yards, offhand your average Joe isn't going to make the shot everytime. Sure you might have to be picky where you lay down, you might have to move around a bit, but if you were going to have to take the shot offhand and likely miss, then those aren't overly big problems.
Shooting sticks can be good, but they still aren't as steady as a bipod, shooting off a pack can work too, but often a bipod will be just as high and faster to deploy. Bipods aren't the answer to every situation, but can be a very handy thing to have.
If I'm out stalking larger game, I'll take mine off, as I don't need the extra weight and where I shoot all shots are very close. But when I'm out shooting small criters, the added weight isn't an issue, as I don't really take offhand shots, and the hit ratio goes way way up if I've got one.
The beauty is a bipod can be taken off pretty quickly, so if you are out stalking and a 300 yard shot arises, there is nothing you can use for a rest, the extra minute it takes to put on the bipod far out weighs the likelihood of you missing the shot if you are rubbish at shooting offhand, sitting or kneeling.
If you are going to be shooting most of your shots within 200 yards and medium to large game, then there isn't really much use for a bipod.
Once you start getting into longer shots or varminting then you will need a rest of some sorts, and many times a bipod will be just the trick.
Sure sometimes they might be a bit low in long grass, or in rough terrain they might be a pain. I use one varminting a lot, there's no way I could make most of the shots I take without a bipod, if you are shooting at something with a 2" kill radius then after about 50-100yards, offhand your average Joe isn't going to make the shot everytime. Sure you might have to be picky where you lay down, you might have to move around a bit, but if you were going to have to take the shot offhand and likely miss, then those aren't overly big problems.
Shooting sticks can be good, but they still aren't as steady as a bipod, shooting off a pack can work too, but often a bipod will be just as high and faster to deploy. Bipods aren't the answer to every situation, but can be a very handy thing to have.
If I'm out stalking larger game, I'll take mine off, as I don't need the extra weight and where I shoot all shots are very close. But when I'm out shooting small criters, the added weight isn't an issue, as I don't really take offhand shots, and the hit ratio goes way way up if I've got one.
The beauty is a bipod can be taken off pretty quickly, so if you are out stalking and a 300 yard shot arises, there is nothing you can use for a rest, the extra minute it takes to put on the bipod far out weighs the likelihood of you missing the shot if you are rubbish at shooting offhand, sitting or kneeling.
WardenWolf
Moderator
I have unsteady feet due to bad arches. As a result, I need to be sitting when I shoot in order to hit anything at range. I normally use a tall Harris bipod that lets me shoot while sitting on my butt. It has some degree of side to side movement. Not much, but enough for minute adjustments.
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Damon, can you please tell us where that is?
trg42wraglefragle
New member
Rather lush green pastures Damon, could run a decent amount of Dairy cows on that property lol.
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
The trick is to figure out if you need one by getting out to where your going to be doing most of your shooting. If you can sit on your rear and see where the game will be coming from or showing up at, then there is a good chance you can use one.
However if like mentioned the terrain is such that you cannot see anything past 5yds when sitting then chances are you don't need one and a stick would suit you better.
I have and use both a mono pod which I carry on short walks around the farm and the Harris bi-pods which I attach to the front swivel for when i head out to sit and wait. Are they cumbersome yes, do they take a bit of getting used to yes, are they a pain to use if game is jumped up and your shot requires you to swing and follow yes, but can all of that be worked around absolutely with just a bit of actual experience using them.
I hunt several areas which allow me to use either the shorter BR style or the longer ones which allow me to sit. One of the biggest uses however is for when the grandson is out with me as it allows him to have a steady rest for short or long shots.
While some feel that longer ranges are forbidden territory, that all depends on how much you shoot them and what the conditions are at the time. Personally I have taken deer at 400yds and hogs and coyotes a bit further using a bi-pod on each. For ranges out to 300 they are great for either, IF you put in the time to learn how and when to use them.
In a situation like this one where we had hogs out at 375-400yds I was able to use the shorter one laying prone,
Same rifle different location, I was set up on top of a flood levee which overlooked this long pasture. I was using the longer one, expecting a shot in the neighborhood of 3-500yds. The hog came in right under my nose at about 30yds. The problem with that was, that the hog came in so close I couldn't see him until I stood up, simply due to the height of the levee. I was sitting back from the edge and he was right down below me. and I ended up spooking him when I stood up to shoot. I had to swing with him, with the bi-pod fully extended. Not fun but effective.
Again the areas you will be hunting will determine more of if you can use one or if you actually need one. I actually have several that I use, but the longer ones are used WAY more frequently simply because I sit more than I lay. Even if you have one and your not sure of the terrain, like mentioned they aren't hard to install when you get out to where your wanting to hunt. All of mine attach to the front sling swivel, and then allow me to attach the sling to them. I can toss even the longer one in my day pack and use it if needed or wanted depending on where I end up or what i might see while out stalking. There are many times I have edged out of the thick woods only to find the deer or hogs I was looking for standing out in the wide open middle of a pasture. I would MUCH rather make a shot off a bi-pod than a tree limb, not that it cannot be done, but the shot placement is SO much better when you have a solid rest.
However if like mentioned the terrain is such that you cannot see anything past 5yds when sitting then chances are you don't need one and a stick would suit you better.
I have and use both a mono pod which I carry on short walks around the farm and the Harris bi-pods which I attach to the front swivel for when i head out to sit and wait. Are they cumbersome yes, do they take a bit of getting used to yes, are they a pain to use if game is jumped up and your shot requires you to swing and follow yes, but can all of that be worked around absolutely with just a bit of actual experience using them.
I hunt several areas which allow me to use either the shorter BR style or the longer ones which allow me to sit. One of the biggest uses however is for when the grandson is out with me as it allows him to have a steady rest for short or long shots.
While some feel that longer ranges are forbidden territory, that all depends on how much you shoot them and what the conditions are at the time. Personally I have taken deer at 400yds and hogs and coyotes a bit further using a bi-pod on each. For ranges out to 300 they are great for either, IF you put in the time to learn how and when to use them.
In a situation like this one where we had hogs out at 375-400yds I was able to use the shorter one laying prone,
Same rifle different location, I was set up on top of a flood levee which overlooked this long pasture. I was using the longer one, expecting a shot in the neighborhood of 3-500yds. The hog came in right under my nose at about 30yds. The problem with that was, that the hog came in so close I couldn't see him until I stood up, simply due to the height of the levee. I was sitting back from the edge and he was right down below me. and I ended up spooking him when I stood up to shoot. I had to swing with him, with the bi-pod fully extended. Not fun but effective.
Again the areas you will be hunting will determine more of if you can use one or if you actually need one. I actually have several that I use, but the longer ones are used WAY more frequently simply because I sit more than I lay. Even if you have one and your not sure of the terrain, like mentioned they aren't hard to install when you get out to where your wanting to hunt. All of mine attach to the front sling swivel, and then allow me to attach the sling to them. I can toss even the longer one in my day pack and use it if needed or wanted depending on where I end up or what i might see while out stalking. There are many times I have edged out of the thick woods only to find the deer or hogs I was looking for standing out in the wide open middle of a pasture. I would MUCH rather make a shot off a bi-pod than a tree limb, not that it cannot be done, but the shot placement is SO much better when you have a solid rest.
Attachments
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Nice piggie and shooting! So what's the length of that pod on there?
The short one in the top is the 6-9" or thereabouts. The long one measures 12.5" from the base to tip unextended and 27.5 extended.
On the hogs, we work on them year round,;every chance we get, or that they give us. That is my 7mm STW in the older Sender. It shoots the Federal Premium loaded with the 150gr Nosler Solid Base into 1/2" groups at 200yds if I do my part. It makes easy work of the hogs. I picked up like 13 boxes from Midway on clearance for only $18 something per box on closeout and couldn't be happier.
On the hogs, we work on them year round,;every chance we get, or that they give us. That is my 7mm STW in the older Sender. It shoots the Federal Premium loaded with the 150gr Nosler Solid Base into 1/2" groups at 200yds if I do my part. It makes easy work of the hogs. I picked up like 13 boxes from Midway on clearance for only $18 something per box on closeout and couldn't be happier.
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Nice. I could definitely see the 27" one being very useful from a sitting position, espec. looking down a slight hill.