What's under your FTR bipod?

SND

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What do you competitive FTR shooters use and see at competitions under bipods?
Seems last season many moved to a 12"x24" steel plate with carpet on it or other rigid base(wood+carpet or such), which seems great. I assume the rules, at least on local level are allowing it now without having to worry about the 2" rule for rigid bases?
I'm thinking of making one as well. I think anything that can improve the scores/grouping and less issues with uneven firing point is a nice move forward.

So what's the current verdict and what's "good to go" next season?

thanks
 
1/2 inch rubber stair tread from Rona with carpet fitted and bolted to it with large fender washers at each corner and recessed barbed nuts on the underside, all also available at Rona. Purchased a carpet sample and cut to size to match. Stair tread comes in various widths and lengths. Easily cut to your dimensions. No bounce.
 
Last season a lot of shooters were using a piece of plywood with a carpet glued or stapled to the top of it , this is what I am going to use this year seeing it makes the rules.
 
I think the rule is or was that if using a rigid board under the bipod it had to be no more than 2" wider than the bipod, which doesn't work with the type of bipod most of us are using where its width changes as the height is adjusted.
I assume this rule is no longer an issue?

I used a 1/4" piece of rubber for a while, last match I did when I saw the other rigid boards I ended up gluing it to a piece of 1/2" plywood for the last day or 2, seemed to help a bit instead of riding in/out of holes.
I never had any luck with a slick surface, rubber was working better for me. Debating gluing it to a piece of Al or steel if it is indeed good to go from here on.
 
This upcoming season will be a whole new game for me. Going from a tactical bipod to a ski type. Will have to look more closely into the rules as to what I can use. Biggest concern will be the lack of practice on learning a new technique.
 
Here is the ICFRA rule

In Rule F2.9, we clarified what can be used under rest and bipods:
The use of ‘tables’ i.e. a single flat solid surface extending under both front rest
and rear bag is prohibited. Carpet or similarly flexible matting may be placed
under the front rest and rear bag. Separate flat boards and or plates not
exceeding the dimensions of the individual rests by two inches on a given side
may also be placed under the front rest and rear bag. In the case of a bipod the
board or plate may be as wide as necessary to accommodate the bipod at its
widest point, but not be more than 12" front to rear. It is not permitted to
provide tracks for the guidance of bipod feet. No levelling screws or protrusions
are allowed on these boards or plates. They must be flat on the top and bottom.


NRA rule

F‐Class Rule 3.4.1 Rifle Rests (b) (2)#‐#The use of “tables” i.e. a single flat solid surface extending under
both front rest and rear bag is prohibited. Carpet or similarly flexible matting may be placed under the
front rest and rear bag. Separate flat boards and or plates not exceeding the dimensions of the
individual rests by two inches on a given side may also be placed under the front rest and rear bag. In
the case of a bipod, the board or plate may be as wide as necessary to accommodate the bipod at its
widest point, but not more than 12” front to rear. It is not permitted to provide tracks for the guidance
of bipod feet. No levelling screws or protrusions are allowed on these boards or plates. They must be
flat on the top and bottom.#
 
Just to clarify/translate that wording... " 2 inches on a given side" does that mean 2 inches all around, like for a plate under the rear bag?
I thought it applied to any rigid board under the front rest/bipod but I guess not, excellent :)
I'll be making one of them 12x24 steel plates as well, and trying a few other things.
 
So my understanding is in FTR under front bipod, plate may only be 12 inches front to back and only 2 inches wider than the bipod at its widest setting?

Would that be correct?
 
There are 2 sets of rules listed by Trevor60.

The ICFRA rules is what you will see at Cdn matches or in most international matches.... if using a rigid board, 12" "deep" is the only real measurement. The board can be wider then the bipod.

The 2nd set is the NRA ever changing, boon doggle set of rules. Here, the width of rigid boards have to stay within 2" of the bipod feet and there used to be a max width which put a cap on how wide a bipod could get. Not sure where things are today as it keeps getting revised and I don't use a rigid board.

So under NRA rules and with a typical Remple type bipod, as you change the elevation and thus the spread of the feet, the boards must also move. There have been some very creative results in boards that can change with the bipod.

Many have abadoned the rigid board in the US given the difficulty of keeping onside with the rules.

In Canada, plates and plywood boards are common enough but not a method I choose. Regardless of the rules, that board has to stay flat and stable on the ground... whatever that might be. A rigid board can be victim to rocking if the terrain is not ideal... and that defeats the whole point of having a board in the first place.

Jerry
 
There are 2 sets of rules listed by Trevor60.

The 2nd set is the NRA ever changing, boon doggle set of rules. Here, the width of rigid boards have to stay within 2" of the bipod feet and there used to be a max width which put a cap on how wide a bipod could get. Not sure where things are today as it keeps getting revised and I don't use a rigid board.

So under NRA rules and with a typical Remple type bipod, as you change the elevation and thus the spread of the feet, the boards must also move. There have been some very creative results in boards that can change with the bipod.

Many have abadoned the rigid board in the US given the difficulty of keeping onside with the rules.

In Canada, plates and plywood boards are common enough but not a method I choose. Regardless of the rules, that board has to stay flat and stable on the ground... whatever that might be. A rigid board can be victim to rocking if the terrain is not ideal... and that defeats the whole point of having a board in the first place.

Jerry


The NRA rule has changes and can cause confusion as it has changed twice in 2015. When i shot in the USA in February the board dimensions were 24" by 12" by 1/2. These dimensions are no longer visible anywhere within the NRA rulebook.

As of this writing the rule provided does not distinguish any width beyond the bipod, there is no 2" rule. both ICFRA and NRA state In the case of a bipod, the board or plate may be as wide as necessary to accommodate the bipod at its widest point, but not more than 12” front to rear you can have a board cut to match your bipod' fully extended and use the same board at whatever setting suits you.

The ICFRA rules are very similar to the DCRA rules as of 2015 with some minor changes (there is no difference for the board or plate). Please familiarize yourself with all of the DCRA rules.

Thank you
Trevor
 
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The NRA rule has changes and can cause confusion as it has changed twice in 2015. When i shot in the USA in February the board dimensions were 24" by 12" by 1/2. These dimensions are no longer visible anywhere within the NRA rulebook.

As of this writing the rule provided does not distinguish any width beyond the bipod, there is no 2" rule. both ICFRA and NRA state In the case of a bipod, the board or plate may be as wide as necessary to accommodate the bipod at its widest point, but not more than 12” front to rear you can have a board cut to match your bipod' fully extended and use the same board at whatever setting suits you.

The ICFRA rules are very similar to the DCRA rules as of 2015 with some minor changes (there is no difference for the board or plate). Please familiarize yourself with all of the DCRA rules.

Thank you
Trevor

Why the NRA doesn't adopt ICFRA rules always make me chuckle.... never ending moving target but at least they are moving closer to our rules.

Jerry
 
Here's what I found on the DCRA (their rules) website concerning what goes under your bipod...
Any number and type of object(s) (of any material) may be placed beneath each rest to compensate for variations in the height, slope or surface of the firing point,
also beneath and around any rear sandbag or beanbag to reduce its rolling.
A fairly liberal rule (no pun intended).
 
I normally keep a 2-3 towels in my range bag to place under to level things out if needed, works ok, and useful if it starts to rain.

Being "2015" would be almost nice if these rules had some pictures/diagrams eh, partly because not all clubs seem to know a solid plate is even allowed for FTR.
 
I would just as soon they ban it and keep life interesting, but I still shoot TR. The whole point of F-TR was to limit it to skill.

So long as the rules are clear and apply to everyone, there's no reason to limit what it takes to shrink groups and improve performance, the best and most dedicated shooters will always come out on top in every discipline.
TR has evolved a lot too since its beginning and new bits of equipment keep coming, keeps things interesting. As much as people talk that FTR/FO, BR is all equipment and money race, TR isn't any cheaper to get into if you want up to date equipment... I was looking making a TR rifle for next year, I'd be 4-5K into it and that's with making my own stock and some other stuff myself... (had to put that project on hold :( )

I find it more fun to have to catch up than to try to hold people back, which sadly a lot of shooting disciplines seem more intent on doing, kills the fun and doesn't help bring new shooters in.
 
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