Bipod use help

[LC 6.5 Shooter]

Got into handloading and precison rifles about a year ago. Been shooting off a bench rest for about a year. Just getting into bipod shooting on the bench. Done prone a little bit but hard to at my range if anyone is there because the prone section is in front of the firing line. How much difference in groups would you expect when you start shooting off a bipod. I am an online training memeber and used franks tips of WTF. Staying square straight behind and leaning into the bipod, pulling rifle into me, pinching the stock to prevent fish tailing etc but my groups arent as good. From .3 off rest to .5-.7 off bipod. Also I have an atlas prs bipod. I have the cant locked all the way down but it still swivels. I noticed I was swiveled a little to one side and the bipod and rifle werent quite parallel. How much does that matter. Also started shooting at 300yds too (max distance at my range and groups are very inconsistent .5moa to slightly over one. Guess I need to keep practicing.

 

[JimLee]

Got into handloading and precison rifles about a year ago. Been shooting off a bench rest for about a year. Just getting into bipod shooting on the bench. Done prone a little bit but hard to at my range if anyone is there because the prone section is in front of the firing line. How much difference in groups would you expect when you start shooting off a bipod. I am an online training memeber and used franks tips of WTF. Staying square straight behind and leaning into the bipod, pulling rifle into me, pinching the stock to prevent fish tailing etc but my groups arent as good. From .3 off rest to .5-.7 off bipod.
Also I have an atlas prs bipod. I have the cant locked all the way down but it still swivels. I noticed I was swiveled a little to one side and the bipod and rifle werent quite parallel. How much does that matter. Also started shooting at 300yds too (max distance at my range and groups are very inconsistent .5moa to slightly over one. Guess I need to keep practicing.

I think you just need to get used to it. I used to shoot off a rest and transitioned to bipod and bags a couple years ago, now I shoot way better with bipod and bag than I can off a rest. Practice, focus on your fundamentals, and finding the sweet spot height wise for you will all pay off with a little time and effort.
Edit: I have also found on my Atlas the knob really needs to be cranked down to prevent any cant or pan slippage. If your getting a lot you may also need to focus on your recoil management as well.

 

[LC 6.5 Shooter]

I think you just need to get used to it. I used to shoot off a rest and transitioned to bipod and bags a couple years ago, now I shoot way better with bipod and bag than I can off a rest. Practice, focus on your fundamentals, and finding the sweet spot height wise for you will all pay off with a little time and effort.
Edit: I have also found on my Atlas the knob really needs to be cranked down to prevent any cant or pan slippage. If your getting a lot you may also need to focus on your recoil management as well.

So the atlas wont cant or swivel/pan if you toghten it enough. So if you natural point of aim is off with a bipod do you swivel or move whole bipod a little

 

[JimLee]

So the atlas wont cant or swivel/pan if you toghten it enough. So if you natural point of aim is off with a bipod do you swivel or move whole bipod a little

I won't say "can't", if you put enough force behind it it's gonna move, but really cranking it down helps alleviate that. I dont use the swivel feature, I dont think many people that shoot long range do but I may be wrong. I change the bipod position if necessary to get on a target. You can get some horizontal correction out of it with a little tension also, but you have to make sure you are not "muscling" the gun onto target.

 

[LC 6.5 Shooter]

Much better results today. Left the range much happier. Like you said just takes practice.

 

[JimLee]

Much better results today. Left the range much happier. Like you said just takes practice.

Good shooting! It's just like everything else you've learned shooting, after awhile it becomes second nature.

 

[Rimfiremike]

I noticed groups open up when shooting off a bipod one day compared with off a rest in the same shooting session.

Was wondering why because I 'felt' very stable on both.

Thought about it a bit and next day, I brought back a piece of rubber bottomed carpet to lay on top of the smooth concrete bench top.
Groups on second say were both nice, small groups.
Realized that on the smooth bench top, I was not able to load the bipod legs properly and the groups were larger.