I certainly don't have every model, but I do have just about every brand. I've been shooting EI and Acutac since I was told they're "off brand" junk by Atlas only people right here.
There's no question that the Ckye Pod is the most versatile/most adjustable "normal" bipod (sans the ability to rotate the rifle 360 in the ring, which only the EI has). You have to get really used to it I think. Once you learn how to adjust it well it's easy to see why a lot of people prefer it. I've never actually used it in a comp, but I can easily see the advantages on certain stages. It seems pretty bomb proof to me, but I have not really beaten on it.
Elite Iron isn't just plug and play, you need to get the right parts to set it up, which can be a pain. I think it's significantly the most robust one with all steel, and very little to break or malfunction, but it's pretty heavy. It, like Atlas, has "slop" in its function to facilitate loading the bipod for high recoil rifles. I view this sort of like a shitty Glock DA trigger, it DOES suck, but people get used to it and it really wont effect anything once you do. There are also some features that aren't all that useful in comps, but are very kewl. I feel like the ring makes eliminating cant easier than in any other design. I use the EI on my .300WM, and feel like there is no position or situation it won't work, including silly ones where a "normal" bipod won't work.
The Acutac doesn't have slop designed into the locking system for loading. It's a very toight (like a tiger) lock up on the legs with no movement. I feel that in this respect its more suited to free recoil/mod FR shooting on the low recoil/sub cartridge comp sticks where some play to facilitate loading isn't necessary (or desirable). Also I really like how you just pull on the whole leg to adjust the position, just pull on the feet to extend the legs, and they're spring loaded to retract them fast. It's the fastest, simplest deploying bipod of them all IMO. I just feel like I never drop seconds because there's noting to mess with. There's just nothing going on with it and nothing to learn. Sort of the gross motor of bipods.
There isn't a tier one bipod that I don't "like". My advice would be to ask to finger bang and play with them at a match to see what makes sense to you and find what you like without jumping just on the basis of what other people like (same thing with scopes).
There's no question that the Ckye Pod is the most versatile/most adjustable "normal" bipod (sans the ability to rotate the rifle 360 in the ring, which only the EI has). You have to get really used to it I think. Once you learn how to adjust it well it's easy to see why a lot of people prefer it. I've never actually used it in a comp, but I can easily see the advantages on certain stages. It seems pretty bomb proof to me, but I have not really beaten on it.
Elite Iron isn't just plug and play, you need to get the right parts to set it up, which can be a pain. I think it's significantly the most robust one with all steel, and very little to break or malfunction, but it's pretty heavy. It, like Atlas, has "slop" in its function to facilitate loading the bipod for high recoil rifles. I view this sort of like a shitty Glock DA trigger, it DOES suck, but people get used to it and it really wont effect anything once you do. There are also some features that aren't all that useful in comps, but are very kewl. I feel like the ring makes eliminating cant easier than in any other design. I use the EI on my .300WM, and feel like there is no position or situation it won't work, including silly ones where a "normal" bipod won't work.
The Acutac doesn't have slop designed into the locking system for loading. It's a very toight (like a tiger) lock up on the legs with no movement. I feel that in this respect its more suited to free recoil/mod FR shooting on the low recoil/sub cartridge comp sticks where some play to facilitate loading isn't necessary (or desirable). Also I really like how you just pull on the whole leg to adjust the position, just pull on the feet to extend the legs, and they're spring loaded to retract them fast. It's the fastest, simplest deploying bipod of them all IMO. I just feel like I never drop seconds because there's noting to mess with. There's just nothing going on with it and nothing to learn. Sort of the gross motor of bipods.
There isn't a tier one bipod that I don't "like". My advice would be to ask to finger bang and play with them at a match to see what makes sense to you and find what you like without jumping just on the basis of what other people like (same thing with scopes).
