Re: Bipod Choices?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AvsFan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Gent's,
Which Harris bipod would you guys recommend on a McMillan A-5? I checked out a couple of vendors and honestly I'm confused as there's several available (bench rest, swivels, standard legs, notched legs, S series, M series?
Please chime in and let me know what to order? I'm assuming they all work with the standard stud on the stock? I will be shooting prone and off a bench...thanks again!
Cheers,
AvsFan
</div></div>
A 6-9" is a very good overall height and works great off a bench and prone for most people. However - if you're a big guy and/or are on the "thick" side you may want the extra height of a 9-12" when shooting prone. I highly recommend getting the Notched & Swivel model of whichever height you decide on. With Harris bipods, <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"BR"</span></span> denotes a <span style="font-style: italic">"Bench Rest"</span> (6-9" height), while <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"M"</span></span> denotes a notched leg model. So the <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">BRM-S</span></span> is a 6-9" Notched & Swivel and the LM-S is a 9-12" Notched & Swivel. The <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">M</span></span>'s legs <span style="font-style: italic">spring-out</span> under tension to deploy.
A big difference between the notched (<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"M"</span></span>) and non-notched Harris is that the legs of the <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"M"</span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">spring-out</span></span> under tension (you just press a tab on each leg), making them faster to deploy than the non-notched versions. However, because the legs are notched about every 3/4" you may not get the "perfect" height to line-up your reticle perfect. The legs of the non-notched models <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">retract</span></span> under spring tension, <span style="font-style: italic">so you have to manually pull the legs out to the desired length and turn a thumbscrew to lock the length while they're trying to retract.</span> This is tedious but the advantage here is that the legs are infinitely-adjustable so you can fine-tune the height <span style="font-style: italic">exactly</span>.
I would get a <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">
BRM-S</span></span> - it's more likely to work for you, and in the event that you want/need more height the BRM-S will be easier to sell than an <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">
LM-S</span></span>. I also highly recommend that you get a <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"
KMW Pod-Loc"</span></span> because the Pod-Loc makes loosening, adjusting, and tightening the swivel tension much easier and faster than the Harris's knurled thumbscrew tension knob. The KMW Pod-Loc also features a geared sprocket "clutch" so you can "park" the Pod-Loc's lever out of the way too.
All that said, there is a <span style="font-style: italic">potential</span> problem when using bipods that have a "platform"/"saddle" that attach to a stud on the the A5's forearm. All such bipods' rely on firm pressure between the "platform"/"saddle" and the forearm to keep the "platform"/"saddle" from rotating. The greater the area of contact between the forearm and the "platform"/"saddle" and the tighter the bipod's "pinch clamp" to the bipod stud is, the more secure the attachment will be.
The <span style="font-style: italic">potential</span> problem arises out of the shape of the "platform"/"saddle" of the respective bipod. The Harris bipod and the cheap wannabe Harris knock-off's all use a "platform"/"saddle" contoured to "hug" the forearms of narrower, more rounded forearms. The "platform"/"saddle" doesn't make full contact with the wide, flat forearm of the A5. The result is inadequate support along the center of the "platform"saddle", and sometimes no matter how much you tighten the thumbscrew/screw that secures the bipod to the bipod stud the bipod will rotate. Over time, repeated over-tightening can loosen the stud and/or damage the stock.
Harris makes the <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"
Harris #9 Bipod Adapter"</span></span>, but IMHO that is a clusterfuck, Band-Aide "solution". A more secure but more expensive method of bipod attachment would be rail-mount. The good news is that a rail-mounted bipod can be much faster to mount and un-mount than a screw mounted bipod. An inexpensive rail mount would be the <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">
Atlas BT-17</span></span> and <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">
Atlas BT-1517 Rail Mounting Fastener Set</span></span>.
A much nicer (but also much more expensive) method of mounting a rail-mounted bipod is to have McMillan install an Anschutz Rail in your A5's forearm and use an <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">
Atlas BT28 AFAR Kit</span></span> in that Rail. I recently went through this when upgrading the stock on my Tac Ops X-Ray 51 from a non-adjustable cheekpiece stock to an adjustable cheekpiece stock. I bought an A5 Adjustable with the KMW "Loggerhead" cheekpiece hardware and adjustable LOP. It also had a Remington Varmint barrel channel, "BDL" floorplate inlet, and didn't have an Anschutz Rail so to turn it into an X-Ray stock it was going to need more work than usual. The fore arm had also had two T-Nuts installed to attach an Atlas BT17, so the holes would need to be filled-in. Before committing to buying the A5 I spoke with Mike Rescigno about modifying it for re-fitting to my X-Ray 51's barreled action (it's a lot of work). Mike gave me the thumbs-up so I bought the stock and Williams bottom metal.
Below are some "before" photos of the stock as I bought it - molded-in GAP Camo pattern, Remington Varmint barrel channel, LOP Spacer Sysytem, BDL floorplate inlet, and dual T-Nuts installed in the fore arm to attach a BT17. There are also some photos of the stock in-process (re-inletted barrel channel and Anschutz Rail installed) as well as detail photos of the fore arm with Anschutz Rail, installed BT28 Rail, and BRM-S + LT706 QD Mount.
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Underside of GAP Camo A5 Adjustable as I received it, before re-inletting, fitting, texturing, bedding, & painting:</span></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Closeup view of bottom of A5 forearm showing the BT17's two (2) attachment screw holes:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Closeup view of A5 Remington 700 "Varmint" barrel channel showing the top of the BT17's two (2) T-Nuts:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">A5 barrel channel post re-inletting. The BT17's two T-Nuts have been covered and four new T-Nuts installed for the Anschutz Rail:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Bottom of McMillan A5 forearm after Anschutz Rail installation. The screws have not been torqued down and "timed" yet:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Bottom of forearm of completed X-Ray 51. Note that the Anschutz Rail screws are all "timed" to the 12:00 position:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Closeup of Atlas BT28 installed in the Anschutz Rail on the forearm of a Tac Ops X-Ray 51:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Tac Ops X-Ray 51 with BT28 Accessory Rail installed in Anschutz Rail with
Harris BRM-S + LT706 QD Mount Combo</span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">+
KMW Gen 2 Pod-Loc:</span></span>
Keith
Please chime in and let me know what to order? I'm assuming they all work with the standard stud on the stock? I will be shooting prone and off a bench...thanks again!
