Another F Class bipod option

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wapitiwhacker

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East Kootenay B.C.
I thought I would throw this out there for anyone looking for a nice lightweight bipod for their F Class rig. It came in the mail today, so I haven't had it out yet, but so far I am very pleased with what I got for my money.

Designed specifically for F Class, the bipod is called a Trakker and is manufactured and sold by the Dolphin Gun Company over in the U.K. It will adjust from roughly 5" to 9" in height and runs from about 9" to 17" width depending on height. It comes in natural aluminum or anodized black and you can order it to mount to an accessory rail or a sling stud. I was concerned at first that it would be cumbersome to adjust and maybe difficult to level but the screw jack gives a nice fine adjustment and all it takes is a slight twist of the rifle stock to position the rifle to level and then a quick twist on the locks to lock it in place. The locks will index to whatever position you want to have them for easy access. I asked about the foot design, and was told that they tried a number of different configurations and this is what they felt performed the best. The bipods are built in two sizes, standard and long. The standard is about 14" wide at its lowest setting and the long, as stated above about 17". The long version (which I have) is only 700 gm. (about 1.5 lbs.), making it one of the lighter bipods out there. There is more info including pricing, on their website, just google Dolphin Gun Co. They were extremely easy to deal with and had my bipod on my doorstep in less than two weeks. I am anxious to get to the range and see exactly how it performs. Here are a few pics.

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I believe it is very similar to one that was made by someone here in Kamloops many, many years ago. Art Bourne and Jim Benge still use these bipods today. Only difference seems to be the foot design.

The feet on the ones they use are 3"x2"(approx. from memory) aluminum pads with the front and back ends angled up.

Marc T has one that he got off someone around here as well.

I believe the person that made them has passed, seems to me it might have been Ron Marsh but I am not 100% sure.
 
The concept isn't new. Both Davies in Australia and Fito Force in Spain make similar designs. Both of those designs use paired aluminum plates that are bolted together for the legs where as the Trakker is solid machined aluminum which I thought would make for a more stable platform. It is a very solid. I haven't seen any of the locally made bipods you mentioned, but it would be interesting to compare the two.
 
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My version of a better mousetrap.

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Features - 14.5ozs on the rail
- Footprint gets bigger the taller you raise the pod - more stable.
- Excellent torque control and tracking
- can support a rifle over 50lbs.
- Folds flat in your case - so much easier to transport.
- large range of height adj.
- can be adapted for a Pic rail, Remple plate, and Swivel Stud.
- simple on and off.
- Made in Canada.

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
My version of a better mousetrap.

IMG_4807.jpg


IMG_4818.jpg


IMG_4803.jpg


Features - 14.5ozs on the rail
- Footprint gets bigger the taller you raise the pod - more stable.
- Excellent torque control and tracking
- can support a rifle over 50lbs.
- Folds flat in your case - so much easier to transport.
- large range of height adj.
- can be adapted for a Pic rail, Remple plate, and Swivel Stud.
- simple on and off.
- Made in Canada.

Jerry
Click to expand...
That makes me wonder:rolleyes:...
A guy at my range made 1 just like that!?!
So I here that there is a Summer shoot in Summerland this year that you were setting up only for people who own these bi-pods?
 
Are those legs spring loaded Jerry? I looked at yours earlier and the show stopper for me was the individual elevation adjustments on the legs. I assume you need to reach forward with both hands and support the rifle with one while you adjust a leg with the other? Nice job though, especially with price point and weight.:cheers:
 
Jefferson said:
OK now when is the better mousetrap available, and when in blue

Jefferson
Click to expand...

Colours is now something we are looking into as you can never get it right :bangHead:

The min quantity for powder coating makes is near impossible to offer a range of colours.

Soooo.... We are going to experiment with various top coats to find a durable way to colour our pods using commercial metallic paints.

Likely we will be looking at a clear duracoat or similar which will provide similar abrasion resistance but be compatible with reg enamel paint. Give us a chance at offering 2 or 3 standard colours

Anodizing is another method being investigated. Looks great but no where near as resistant to wear.

The next batch are going to be matte black as we have had feedback from hunters and tactical style shooters who don't seem to think bright red is their thing:D

We can also supply the pod in the "white" so that you can colour as you see fit.

So let me know, and we can likely accomodate.

Jerry
 
wapitiwhacker said:
Are those legs spring loaded Jerry? I looked at yours earlier and the show stopper for me was the individual elevation adjustments on the legs. I assume you need to reach forward with both hands and support the rifle with one while you adjust a leg with the other? Nice job though, especially with price point and weight.:cheers:
Click to expand...

With all designs there are compromises. Yes, you will need to move the legs for major elevation changes but it is actually far easier then it sounds.

The legs move freely in the tubes so you set the length on the long side, lowering it till it fits. Gravity does the work for you.

And the location of the knobs was so that it would be far more comfy to do. We did try it on the front as most would expect but that is not how your hand bends.

Slight tweaks are done with the rear bag by sliding the stock or squeezing the bag. All standard stuff.

If you do need to raise up the rifle, the actual weight on the pod is a small fraction of the overall weight of the rig. No problem for anyone to move their rigs.

We looked at the most common bipod on the market - Harris - and we know there are thousands who deal with this same issue successfully.

With most ranges, and even field use, being more or less level (at least level over 2 ft), the need for major amounts of cant change and elevation adj is limited.

In fact, an interesting suggestion was to put graduations on the leg so you could mark various ranges on there for faster set up. The cost of engraving would be too high but a piece of tape and a jiffy marker would do the same thing.

So the best way to know how it works is to try it.

Dont like it, send it back for a refund...

Jerry
 
there seems to be abit of a buzz in the bypod area these days,i have personly had the chance to handle the new canadian made bypod from star shooter custom bypods.with its carbon fiber legs and aluminun construction i must say it is very well made,its rugged and not flimbsy and does not bounce or spring under recoil.with the wheel under the center of the bypod it makes is easy and very fast to adjust for the height and tracks well.this is one bypod that should be looked at closely.just my 2 cents.
 
A byproduct of strong growth in the F TR ranks AND trying to make weight.

Pods like the Remple set the watermark for how good a bipod could be. Many use his pods instead of a pedestal. It most certainly works but it is heavy.

Other companies have copied in other lighter materials with varied results.

So all of these pods are just an extension of a 'better mousetrap'. Some will catch on, some will fade - that's up to the shooters to decide.

But for weight, the MPOD ranks as lightest afaik. The Geometry is also unique compared to the typical skipod and I feel these help a shooter alot. Helped me to the podium so it is a sound design.

I doubt this will be the lightest design we have seen but I doubt for much lower in price.

Innovation drives the sport and improves everyones results.

It is great to see Cdn's stepping up and producing stuff.

There certainly will be more stuff from Mystic Precision....

Jerry
 
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