Bipod, Rucksack or Sandbag?
- Thread starter SurvivorRye
- Start date
sir_springer
Regular
- Location
- East Kootenays
I rarely leave home without a Harris bipod fixed to my rifle. Have taken a number of deer over the years that would have been somewhat more problematic without it. I use the 9" version, and generally hunt with the legs extended to 13"...one less thing to think about, and make noise. Even if I have to balance the rifle off of one leg, still makes all the difference on a clean shot.
That said, I'm not one to try 500 yds shots just because I have a bipod. 350 is, IMHO, starting to push the envelope.
IMHO, well worth the extra weight.
That said, I'm not one to try 500 yds shots just because I have a bipod. 350 is, IMHO, starting to push the envelope.
IMHO, well worth the extra weight.
backpack, tree stump, dirt pile. what ever I can find. if you do your job you should always have PLENTY of time to find a good supported shooting position.
I rarely ever take my bipods hunting, unless I have specific vantage point I want to lay up in.
I rarely ever take my bipods hunting, unless I have specific vantage point I want to lay up in.
Logan_Lamothe
Regular
- Location
- Big River, Sask
Hunting partners shoulder, they get two for flinching.
Prone shooting is by far the most accurate way in the field.
I'd learn to shoot off your knees while seated. It is much more natural and relaxing than trying to adjust to the dimension of a bipod or shooting stix.
Also much, much quicker. Stop, drop, aim, and shoot.
I have a favorite spot with many boulders. I practice by walking along and pretending the boulders are bull elk. I rapidly stop, drop, load, aim, and fire 3 shots without removing my backpack. It is great practice for rapid target acquisition, engagement, and followup shots.
No fancy accessories required.
CptnBlues63
Regular
- Location
- Northern Alberta
Shot my bull moose this fall sitting on my butt with my elbows on my knees. This is a very steady posture and I dropped him in his tracks at just over 200 yards with a lovely spine shot. Yes, prone is a little steadier, but in deeper snow, well, you're not going to lay down are you.
I suppose bipods are all fine and dandy if you're at the range but in the field!?!? As someone else said, I'll use my truck, a tree, a stump, or like I did this past fall, sit on my butt.....lol.
You wouldn't lay down and flip your bipod out in two feet of snow (or more) so it's pretty much useless in a season with lots of snow. Sure you could use it on top of your truck, but your elbow is just as good for steadying your aim and faster too!
I'm not interested in lugging the weight either. Plus, from what I can see, they would only be added hassle in the bush snagging on branches and such.
Now, I can see a bipod would be usefull if you were out hunting gophers or doing some extreme range hunting for say, antelope and you had one of those portable shooting benches. But for day-to-day dear/moose/elk hunting all I can say is, no thank you it's not for me!
I suppose bipods are all fine and dandy if you're at the range but in the field!?!? As someone else said, I'll use my truck, a tree, a stump, or like I did this past fall, sit on my butt.....lol.
You wouldn't lay down and flip your bipod out in two feet of snow (or more) so it's pretty much useless in a season with lots of snow. Sure you could use it on top of your truck, but your elbow is just as good for steadying your aim and faster too!
I'm not interested in lugging the weight either. Plus, from what I can see, they would only be added hassle in the bush snagging on branches and such.
Now, I can see a bipod would be usefull if you were out hunting gophers or doing some extreme range hunting for say, antelope and you had one of those portable shooting benches. But for day-to-day dear/moose/elk hunting all I can say is, no thank you it's not for me!
Either these or the bar on the treestand for me!
I carry a collapsible titanium walking stick with a V notch attachment on the top. It will extend to 5ft 6in with ease and weighs about 3oz.
My knees are shot from years of walking on concrete. I'm a bit over ideal weight as well. There are times when I need a bit of extra support to get up from a kneeling position.
The stick works well from sitting, kneeling or standing positions. For shooting prone ( I hate the recoil from big cartridges, anything over 338-06 recoil), I like to shoot from the approved military stance. Legs spread, maybe one knee cocked, rifle supported off elbows.
As mentioned by CptnB63, off the knees in a sitting position is very stable.
If we're talking trying to achieve extreme accuracy at long ranges/short ranges, then I will attach a Harris/swivel bi pod. Shooting with a bi pod isn't as easy as some think. It definitely takes a bit of practise but if I can do it, anyone can. I also don't attach my bi pod, until I get to where I'm going. Carrying a rifle with an attached bi pod is probably the most uncomfortable way to lug a rifle around that there is. Not that I don't agree that it is stable, it is.
My knees are shot from years of walking on concrete. I'm a bit over ideal weight as well. There are times when I need a bit of extra support to get up from a kneeling position.
The stick works well from sitting, kneeling or standing positions. For shooting prone ( I hate the recoil from big cartridges, anything over 338-06 recoil), I like to shoot from the approved military stance. Legs spread, maybe one knee cocked, rifle supported off elbows.
As mentioned by CptnB63, off the knees in a sitting position is very stable.
If we're talking trying to achieve extreme accuracy at long ranges/short ranges, then I will attach a Harris/swivel bi pod. Shooting with a bi pod isn't as easy as some think. It definitely takes a bit of practise but if I can do it, anyone can. I also don't attach my bi pod, until I get to where I'm going. Carrying a rifle with an attached bi pod is probably the most uncomfortable way to lug a rifle around that there is. Not that I don't agree that it is stable, it is.
Thanks for all the input guys!
If I find a deal on a harris bipod I may pick one up, the chinese aluminum ones look like they might be junk and I don't want to waste money on one of them.
So far I've been using my backpack and it works pretty well. I'll try the sitting down cross legged position too. Thanks again!
If I find a deal on a harris bipod I may pick one up, the chinese aluminum ones look like they might be junk and I don't want to waste money on one of them.
So far I've been using my backpack and it works pretty well. I'll try the sitting down cross legged position too. Thanks again!
I rarely bring my Harris w/me when hunting big game, I do however use my Harris model H (13 1/2-23") for shoosting yotes from a sitting pos'n.
My shots at deer are normally off-hand or improvised rest.
-Now this topic brings to a new discussion-
In the last few years I've been doing plenty of black powder side-lock shoosting (building) and hunting, a set of "shooting sticks" would definately be something I would tote along on a big game hunt whilst carrying my .54cal.
My shots at deer are normally off-hand or improvised rest.
-Now this topic brings to a new discussion-
In the last few years I've been doing plenty of black powder side-lock shoosting (building) and hunting, a set of "shooting sticks" would definately be something I would tote along on a big game hunt whilst carrying my .54cal.
Bearhunter, I can sympathise. My legs aren't worth crap anyway (polio damage) and I no longer have cartilage in my knees, so I know how rough it can get. Needless to say, I don't hunt!
Hood of truck is really good, but you do need something else so you don't blast the paint off the hood. Sandbags are really nice, but I find that you can use a bag of wheat just as well. It's solid enough to shoot from, you can squeeze it up like a sandbag when you need that extra eighth of an inch and it only weighs about a quarter as much as sand.
Of the bipods on the market, I think the Harris is the best, but if you want something REALLY solid, the old Bren bipod is the cream of the crop. Just too bad they are so terribly expensive these days.
But give a bag of wheat or barley a try. Works fine.
Have fun!
Hood of truck is really good, but you do need something else so you don't blast the paint off the hood. Sandbags are really nice, but I find that you can use a bag of wheat just as well. It's solid enough to shoot from, you can squeeze it up like a sandbag when you need that extra eighth of an inch and it only weighs about a quarter as much as sand.
Of the bipods on the market, I think the Harris is the best, but if you want something REALLY solid, the old Bren bipod is the cream of the crop. Just too bad they are so terribly expensive these days.
But give a bag of wheat or barley a try. Works fine.
Have fun!
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
In any situation where the hunter is shooting from a rested position, I can think of no piece of equipment better than a shooting sling. When employed in kneeling, sitting, or prone positions, or some contortion that approximates one of the aforementioned, the sling increases the probability of a first round hit better than anything else I can think of. Bi-pods can be useful, if slow, although I can never seem to find a suitable piece of ground off the range on which to use them. A pack is good if you are going to carry one anyway, and when used in combination with a sling provides a very stable shooting platform. For field use as opposed to use on the range, the Ching Sling or the Safari Ching Sling sold by Galco provide a light weight, fast to use sling that is suitable in either the role of carry sling or shooting sling. The Ching Sling requires a 3rd swivel attachment ahead of the magazine, but the Safari Ching Sling uses the more conventional 2 swivel attachment.
