Bipods

[L2bravo]

Let’s talk about bipods. So as I’ve put in other threads, I’m new to the long range game.

So on the RPR I’m putting together, I just bought an Atlas. It obviously a cut above.


So today I went and shot my semi precision 556 AR. The gun is newly built, and has some decent potential. Here’s the problem. I have a Magpul bipod on it, and it sucks. I feel like trying to use that is hurting more than helping. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.

I’m ready to ditch it, and upgrade that. I don’t necessarily want to spend 300 bucks again, as this is not that serious of a rifle. What would you guys recommend? I see that GG and G makes a pretty nice one, and then of course there is A thousand models of Harris. Any other options?

What would you guys go with??? Please feel free to post pics. Thanks guys

 

[Heyitsclint]

I think I'd probably add pic rail to the AR and get a qd for the atlas and use 1 tripod for both.

 

[ShooterwithNoName]

I'm with you, I'm in the market for some good heavy duty bipods. I've always ran Harris because they were always in my budget. A few months back I got to try an Atlas shooting prone. I finally understood why they cost so much, big difference.

I had considered trying out one of the Magpul bipods. I haven't tried one and theres not a lot of feedback out there on them yet. I figure if I go in for a Magpul I might as well just save and get the Atlas.

What problems are you having with your Magpul? Is it just flimsy or? Any input would be appreciated. I've never tried the GG&G before either but I have some of their mounts and they make good stuff.

 

[L2bravo]

I'm with you, I'm in the market for some good heavy duty bipods. I've always ran Harris because they were always in my budget. A few months back I got to try an Atlas shooting prone. I finally understood why they cost so much, big difference.

I had considered trying out one of the Magpul bipods. I haven't tried one and theres not a lot of feedback out there on them yet. I figure if I go in for a Magpul I might as well just save and get the Atlas.

What problems are you having with your Magpul? Is it just flimsy or? Any input would be appreciated. I've never tried the GG&G before either but I have some of their mounts and they make good stuff.

Well a couple of problems actually. 1. It’s rickety. Lots of front and back play. 2. And just as aggravating, is the thing is almost impossible to lock down from tilt. You can put the man nuts on it, and still move it easily. So I own a metric shit load of Magpu stuff. They usually build good stuff, but this here sucks. Hell I coulda bought a Harris probably cheaper and been better off.

How do you like you Harris’s? Any problems.

 

[021411]

You load up the bipod when you shoot?

 

[L2bravo]

You load up the bipod when you shoot?

Yessir, which is where I’m running into some issue with the Magpul. It just a lot of slop, and when I do load it, then there’s issue of it wanting to move. Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but I feel like I’m fighting it more than I would care to.

 

[021411]

I know this will sound stupid af but you did purchase the bipod from a legit dealer right? Magpul stuff gets copied a lot and there are counterfeits packaged and sold as real to unsuspecting dealers that don’t know any better. Just throwing that out there. Try hitting Magpul up to see if they can warranty it. I’ve never had issues with their CS for even minor things.

 

[perttime]

I don't think you should be fighting the rifle at all, when shooting for precision. Just hold it neutrally, so that it points where you want it to hit. Then you let your shoulder absorb whatever recoil there might be.

 

[shoobe01]

I think I'd probably add pic rail to the AR and get a qd for the atlas and use 1 tripod for both.

I'd start here. Find out how well the good expensive one works on the AR. You may then decide it's too tall, too short, or could otherwise be better. Save up and get the right one for the AR later on if you find switching or sharing not great.

 

[SpeedyR]

Harris S-BRM. I have two of them. one mounted on a aimshot keymod quick release and one mounted on a Larue pic rail quick release. This makes it easy to swap between different rifles or uppers as long as it has a rail.



If you are really on a budget for the second bipod, the Caldwell units have worked well. I started with those and upgraded when I could find a deal on the Harris bipods. still have one mounted on a sling stud on a Magnum Research MLR10/22.

I want to give an Atlas a try but need to figure out what model I need.

 

[L2bravo]

I know this will sound stupid af but you did purchase the bipod from a legit dealer right? Magpul stuff gets copied a lot and there are counterfeits packaged and sold as real to unsuspecting dealers that don’t know any better. Just throwing that out there. Try hitting Magpul up to see if they can warranty it. I’ve never had issues with their CS for even minor things.

Yes sir, I bought it through primary arms. 100% it’s real. I’m not sure this is a warranty issue, but just a poor choice on my end.

 

[L2bravo]

I don't think you should be fighting the rifle at all, when shooting for precision. Just hold it neutrally, so that it points where you want it to hit. Then you let your shoulder absorb whatever recoil there might be.

I agree completely. I don’t find myself fighting anything else. Just this bipod.

 

[Matt15598]

Put arca rail on both and switch the bipod between the two rifles. Thats what I have done.

 

[L2bravo]

So has anybody else used one? If so, do they seem sloppy at all?

 

[TonyTheTiger]

My Magpul seems slop-free.

 

[021411]

Watching only this video it doesn't seem like it sloppy. Might be some give but nothing crazy..
The video should be queued up.

 

[L2bravo]

How do I post a video?

 

[Diver160651]

Watching only this video it doesn't seem like it sloppy. Might be some give but nothing crazy..
The video should be queued up.

There a bit of funky shooting going on there. Looks like he's never learned how to best shoot using a bipod ;()

 

[L2bravo]

There a bit of funky shooting going on there. Looks like he's never learned how to best shoot using a bipod ;()

Well he isn’t loading it from the looks. Maybe I’m wrong.

 

[Diver160651]

Well he isn’t loading it from the looks. Maybe I’m wrong.

He wasn't shooting even closely to how a bipod is best shot -- I am not even mentioning load vrs non-load.. I was painful to watch

 

[021411]

Load a video on YouTube or Vimeo so we can see what kind of play you are getting.

 

[021411]

Here’s a better vid. Start at 7:15.

 

[021411]

Start at 2:52 for this vid. More than likely the older V8 model with play for recoil.

 

[L2bravo]

Load a video on YouTube or Vimeo so we can see what kind of play you are getting.

Thanks for posting the videos. I’m pretty familiar with loading the bipod. Sorry I don’t have vimeo or a you tube account. Maybe I should follow kotaboy and dig mine into the dirt.

Mine moves enough so that when I get it to load, it starts sliding. That seems like a lot of play to me. Then again, I’m far from an expert. I’m probably a bit frustrated with it, and am most likely going to get a Harris or maybe GG&G.

Basically the movement is enough, that when I load it, I’m now fighting to stay in the rifle.

On the bolt gun video, does everybody’s bipod move that much? The Atlas I just bought doesn’t. Just an observation. If it should, how do I slop it up some?

 

[021411]

If you have the PSR it’s solid.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I just went and messed with my Magpul. The legs have enough wiggle to have 3/8" of play back and forth at the feet. I've never noticed it before because I already have forward pressure on the gun before I've even shouldered it. I messed with it a few minutes trying to come up with a scenario where the wiggle was more than my shoulder could load into it, but I couldn't make it a problem.

 

[Diver160651]

Here’s a better vid. Start at 7:15.

Damn you guys - you sure find the funny ones.. He adjusted his scope the wrong f'n way..and didn't even know it - some of these guys probably should not be doing reviews..

Cant we find something from Frank, Rifles only or a bunch of other guys squared away?

Here is my son on a Atlas V8. I think we was 13ish years old at the time on a 308
Remember you just sink into your bipod to load it you don't push it so hard it wants to slip away..

The better of the two: Davidson, today 6 years later, would probably rather his lead instructor, who BTW just won the Finale revisit the prone position and explanation of the offsets and how to account for them. Usually freer recoil vrs heavy load will tend to have a slightly higher offset, similar to his actual results.

 

[L2bravo]

I just went and messed with my Magpul. The legs have enough wiggle to have 3/8" of play back and forth at the feet. I've never noticed it before because I already have forward pressure on the gun before I've even shouldered it. I messed with it a few minutes trying to come up with a scenario where the wiggle was more than my shoulder could load into it, but I couldn't make it a problem.

Glad it is working for you. I could always try it some more, seeing as how I own it already. Are you on a bench, prone...?

So in light of me asking about other bipods initially, do you have others? What do you like best?

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Usually prone, sometimes a truck roof or rock or gravel pile or whatever. Never seen a bench in person...
I have a Harris and I've used but not been able to compare it side by side with an Atlas. The Atlas is in another league, no surprise there. The Harris has less wiggle but I don't care, I prefer the Magpul for the better pan/cant, legs that lock and lack of ghey springs hanging all over.

 

[Precision Underground]

I would guess you are pushing on the bipod too hard. You don’t need to “load” it. That’s a buzz word IMO. You just want to be able to pull the rifle into your shoulder without reversing the bipods range of motion towards you.

 

[AverageGrunt]

I’m confused how ppl buy an atlas and even come close to wanting something else? I use my atlas for 5 guns wouldn’t even want anything else.

 

[perttime]

I’m confused how ppl buy an atlas and even come close to wanting something else? I use my atlas for 5 guns wouldn’t even want anything else.

Depends on what you're after. The usual bipods have the rifle perched on top of the legs. There's models with a geometry that has the rifle basically hanging below the legs, which can be good for stability. Then there's bipods with huge amounts of tilt for shooting from very uneven surfaces, or legs that you can spread very wide so that you have the wide stance even when keeping the rifle low to the ground.

 

[Rimfiremike]

I've only had Harris bipods and they have served me pretty well. Tried a Harris knock-off once and couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
Atlas bipods sure look nice.

What am I missing out on? I've shot a couple of PRS style matches and they were a blast, so I plan to start shooting a lot more. Should I start looking at the Atlas bipods? Will I notice a huge difference from the Harris models?

 

[Kadams1563]

I have a Harris and an Atlas PRS.

They both have pros and cons. I like that Harris is a quick pull and both legs are deployed but the Atlas feels more stable even though it takes longer to deploy.

The Atlas just feels beefier but the Harris has lasted me a couple of years without failure.

I just got a second Atlas PRS and now I have a Harris HBMRS with an A4S quick detach for sale.

 

[Sieg]

I have an Atlas V8, Harris HBRMS and HBLS, and a Magpul. They all have pro's and con's but I don't consider the Magpul a bad bipod.

 

[The DFC]

I’m confused how ppl buy an atlas and even come close to wanting something else? I use my atlas for 5 guns wouldn’t even want anything else.

Me too-although I mainly bench shoot so not exactly the most dynamic use of a bipod. As much as I like and use Magpul stuff-I do not like their bipod. I bet they're selling a million of them though.

I call the Magpul the "1/3 of your way to an Atlas" bipod.

 

[MSTN]

I just sold my first Magpul bipod (Mlok version) to a shooter also buying a cute little Tikka T3x -A1 in .223 with Mlok-equipped forend and NF ATACR F1 4-16x42. After zeroing the optic, with ASYM 77 SMK factory ammo, he shot a five-shot 0.6" group at 100 yards and a 1.9" five shot group at 300 yards. The bipod did not seem to give him any trouble.

I later shot 11"x17" steel at 780 yards with one miss out of ten shots. Not much wind, obviously.

A precision weapon is a "system", consisting of rifle, scope, mount, bipod, ammo, plus the trigger monkey. The system cannot perform any better than its weakest component.

While the Magpul bipod may not be an Atlas, or an LRA, or an Elite Iron, it retails for just $108.95 and only weighs 11.3 ounces. In my one experience with it, it worked just fine.