Can someone elaborate on the difference between a bipod that slides back on skids, and one that has pointy feet you load forward? What are the pro's and con's?
Not so short answer. First you need to decide what/how you are shooting AND just as importantly, how you will transport the rifle.
The big claim to fame of foldy bipods like the Harris is the ability to keep a field ready rest on the rifle at all times BUT not have a issue with packing in a case, back pack, etc. Portability was the primary goal.
But because it folds, it can wiggle. For its orig intent, that was plenty good enough and has been successfully used for decades by a HUGE number of shooters.
Now we get to F TR where you are trying to hit a clay pigeon at 1000yds on demand in as many as 22 rds. That demands a much higher level of consistency, repeatability and precision. It was quickly found that foldy pods just aren't that easy to use for the average shooter over long strings of fire and over many many rds in competition. It adds another layer that needs to be controlled by the shooter.
Yes, there are a handful of shooters that continue to compete well with the Harris, but the vast majority have found "rigid" pods a much better solution.
So the rigid or skipods, like the Remple and MPOD, are designed to lock up solid during the firing process.... similar to a pedestal rest used in Benchrest. They allow the recoil follow through to be extremely consistent and repeatable. Some shooters even shoot their rifles free recoil cause it is that stable and can be set up to track that consistently.
BUT they are rigid so in order to stop the rifle and/or pod to tear itself apart under recoil, the feet are designed to slide. That recoil energy has to go somewhere.
We found the sliding feet, as long as it is consistent, lowers vertical dispersion and outstanding shooting can be done at distance. So good, some F Open shooters still shoot with a skipod over the pedestal rest.
Anytime a bipod is dug into the ground, you create a variable. how secure is that contact? How long will that last?
As you can imagine, shooting 22rds of a heavy loaded 308 out of an 18lbs rifle is going to put alot of strain on those anchors. If the surface is soft enough to put anchors in my hand, it is most certainly soft enough to move under recoil. The problem then is the lack of consistency as ground is far from consistent and gets worst as it crumbles. It was a path that did not lead to any real success so was passed over years ago. Never seen it used in competition although I hear some shooters still use it. Mostly a way to reduce recoil and that it could have some benefit.
So decide on how you plan to use the rifle and what your accuracy goals are. I know of LR hunters that will carry my MPOD in their backpacks into where they hunt, set up, and know they have a superb and stable rest to use when the need arises. The Harris would be functionally easier to carry BUT offers less stability during the firing process. They both weigh the same
If the target is big enough, it wouldn't matter either way.
Ultimately, this is what a rigid ski pod can do for you. 500m. 223/90 my last years FTR rifle. Fast forward through to see the impacts as I uploaded in real time... kinda slow as is. It would need a very very skilled shooter to replicate using a Harris. I can't do it.
Jerry
PS when I travel by air, my MPOD come apart into a package with a smaller footprint then a Harris S 6-9 bipod. Only takes a few minutes to put it back together onsite.
