thinking of putting one on an older A bolt for range use only ,any thing to look for /stay away from ?
good bi-pod ?
- Thread starter sloporsche
- Start date
CkyePod is top of the line. Doubting you want to put that on a factory A-bolt, I'd just put one of the cheap caldwell ones on (Harris nock off)
They work just fine and are cheap.
www.caldwellshooting.com
They work just fine and are cheap.
XLA Bipod
www.caldwellshooting.com
thank youCkyePod is top of the line. Doubting you want to put that on a factory A-bolt, I'd just put one of the cheap caldwell ones on (Harris nock off)
They work just fine and are cheap.
XLA Bipod
Harris S-BRM with a pod lock lever is the bare minimum for me.
It will last you a lifetime and it’s only $120.00 or so.
Black Friday is coming maybe you can find a deal.
Notched legs for no slippage, adjustable cant that can be locked out.
I use them wherever I don’t want to spend the money to put an Accu-Tac.
+1 harris isn't the best, but they are great people and will take care of you if issues arise.
Most of them seem to use the sling screw hole ....i am not having too much faith with that holding up [pun] against a 300 win mag
Atlas CAL. Nice compromise between a low end Harris and having to take a 2nd mortgage out for one of the very expensive ones (and the CAL ain't exactly cheap).
And BT has a program where you can turn in your old Atlas bipod on a new one if you wish...they will tell you how much credit they will give you against the new purchase for the old one. Outstanding, IMO, and I have found their CS to be very nice.
And BT has a program where you can turn in your old Atlas bipod on a new one if you wish...they will tell you how much credit they will give you against the new purchase for the old one. Outstanding, IMO, and I have found their CS to be very nice.
I would say Harris in the bottom end or mdt field has been getting good reviews. Atlas or tbac for mid grade and ckye pod for high end.
If you can afford it I would say to support a company who supports the shooting sports, not a company who just sells Chinese knockoff (Caldwell)
If you can afford it I would say to support a company who supports the shooting sports, not a company who just sells Chinese knockoff (Caldwell)
This whole Harris-bashing thing has been (and still is) a little weird. Even in 2024 somehow the Harris is still winning matches.
I admit the fact that they’re still in use at a high level IS a little baffling (not joking).
2024 results for PRS:
According to the above survey, in the top 25 only two dudes use an Atlas (if I’m counting the little rectangles right lol. Maybe it’s three?). Nobody in the top 10 used an Atlas. For some reason their use percentage in PRS has been declining as of late.
Personal reflections as a bench shooter:
I have an Atlas CAL. It’s slow to use, has nice inverted legs to deal with mud (which mine never sees lol), and I don’t love the cant adjustment on/off feel. But all in all, it’s ok.
I also have an old, unmodified, no-notch Harris that obv attaches to sling studs. My model has no cant, so keep that in mind. Pod-Loc adapted cant versions may have the same poor adjustment feel (IMHO) as the Atlas…I just don’t know. Thread pitch might be different?
Anyway, I use the Harris for wood-stocked rifles. I don’t like the “sprong-g-g!” noise that happens each time I fire, it’s super light, and it’s super fast to use. It’s ok as well. It reminds me of an AK.
If you are worried about using the sling stud with a 300wm or dislike the sling stud attachment method, you have at least three options (off the top of my head).
accu-shot.com
I admit the fact that they’re still in use at a high level IS a little baffling (not joking).
2024 results for PRS:
According to the above survey, in the top 25 only two dudes use an Atlas (if I’m counting the little rectangles right lol. Maybe it’s three?). Nobody in the top 10 used an Atlas. For some reason their use percentage in PRS has been declining as of late.
Personal reflections as a bench shooter:
I have an Atlas CAL. It’s slow to use, has nice inverted legs to deal with mud (which mine never sees lol), and I don’t love the cant adjustment on/off feel. But all in all, it’s ok.
I also have an old, unmodified, no-notch Harris that obv attaches to sling studs. My model has no cant, so keep that in mind. Pod-Loc adapted cant versions may have the same poor adjustment feel (IMHO) as the Atlas…I just don’t know. Thread pitch might be different?
Anyway, I use the Harris for wood-stocked rifles. I don’t like the “sprong-g-g!” noise that happens each time I fire, it’s super light, and it’s super fast to use. It’s ok as well. It reminds me of an AK.
If you are worried about using the sling stud with a 300wm or dislike the sling stud attachment method, you have at least three options (off the top of my head).
- Reinforce the sling stud from behind (machine screw sling stud + nut + washer, t-nut, epoxy, etc etc)
- Use something like the Atlas BT81 + the RRS Harris adapter + RRS SC-ARC (I actually prefer the RRS BT-PRO with the knob). Either RRS clamp allows use with pic rail or Arca. Btw the Atlas BT81 is a lot better than the similar Caldwell pic adapter that I also own.
- Do both #1 & #2
BT81: Lil' Brandi Sling Stud to Picatinny Rail Adapter | B&T Industries
Shop and configure a BT81: Lil' Brandi Sling Stud to Picatinny Rail Adapter from B&T Industries.
accu-shot.com
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@carbonbased how many stages can you actually even use a bipod? Even when you can use it usually can get away with a bag.
I feel people have one of 2 thoughts. Spring for the Ckyepod and give myself the most versatility to use bipod or just stick with my old Harris because I almost never use it.
I feel people have one of 2 thoughts. Spring for the Ckyepod and give myself the most versatility to use bipod or just stick with my old Harris because I almost never use it.
Sling stud holds up just fine. Do you have any other way to attach it? Arca or Pic?
Got me dude. I’m not a competitor. I only use bipods on a bench, and the OP wanted one just for range use.
I used a ckyepod for a little bit. I ended up selling it as I don't shoot competition and it didn't offer anything my atlas or tripod did. But have been tempted to try a triple pull for hunting.
Also OP, you might just stick with rubber feet. If they slip a lot, bring a skinny board and two clamps to the range. This is Frank’s suggestion.
(an LRA Lite Tactical F-Class bipod)
Phil Velayo has the best bipod use video out there. He even shows how to use it without the clamp+board hack, if for nothing but for correcting one’s form:
If you read the What the Pros Use link, looks like most use rubber feet. I spent a fair bit of money on spike feet only to go back to rubber for less bounce on hard surfaces. I suggesting trying a thin-ish piece of carpet under the feet to simulate grass.
(an LRA Lite Tactical F-Class bipod)
Phil Velayo has the best bipod use video out there. He even shows how to use it without the clamp+board hack, if for nothing but for correcting one’s form:
If you read the What the Pros Use link, looks like most use rubber feet. I spent a fair bit of money on spike feet only to go back to rubber for less bounce on hard surfaces. I suggesting trying a thin-ish piece of carpet under the feet to simulate grass.
I have one on a 300 RUM.
It’s been on it for about 10 years now.
I’m pushing a 200gr Accubond just a hair under 3000fps.
They prob screwed into metal though? My AIAT is like that, although I’m unsure of the exact construction of the AI Rem chassis.
But he probably would be fine with the factory sling stud…unless he shoots a lot with that wood-stocked rifle. If it were me, just to be safe I’d drill the hole out and install a machine screw sling stud into an epoxied t-nut.
Mod 1's had McMillans and did ok. If its synthetic the A bolt should already have a tnut? Regardless of what he uses, if the stud cant stand up to the recoil, then there is a more serious issue than worrying about breaking the stud. The harris uses the sling swivel as an attachment spot, there is a large area the is pressed against the forearm of the stock that spreads out the recoil. Same thing with a pict rail, 2 screws anchor it but there is a lot of surface area pressed to the stock to help steady/take load off the screw. If the swivel area can't stand up too the recoil, then using a pict/ better bipod is a moot point, they will strip out too.
ETA trying to type on my cell phone, Im trying to not sound like a smartass/ know it all.
You hit the nail in the head with the Atlas.This whole Harris-bashing thing has been (and still is) a little weird. Even in 2024 somehow the Harris is still winning matches.
I admit the fact that they’re still in use at a high level IS a little baffling (not joking).
2024 results for PRS:
View attachment 8546782
View attachment 8546788
According to the above survey, in the top 25 only two dudes use an Atlas (if I’m counting the little rectangles right lol. Maybe it’s three?). Nobody in the top 10 used an Atlas. For some reason their use percentage in PRS has been declining as of late.
Personal reflections as a bench shooter:
I have an Atlas CAL. It’s slow to use, has nice inverted legs to deal with mud (which mine never sees lol), and I don’t love the cant adjustment on/off feel. But all in all, it’s ok.
I also have an old, unmodified, no-notch Harris that obv attaches to sling studs. My model has no cant, so keep that in mind. Pod-Loc adapted cant versions may have the same poor adjustment feel (IMHO) as the Atlas…I just don’t know. Thread pitch might be different?
Anyway, I use the Harris for wood-stocked rifles. I don’t like the “sprong-g-g!” noise that happens each time I fire, it’s super light, and it’s super fast to use. It’s ok as well. It reminds me of an AK.
If you are worried about using the sling stud with a 300wm or dislike the sling stud attachment method, you have at least three options (off the top of my head).
- Reinforce the sling stud from behind (machine screw sling stud + nut + washer, t-nut, epoxy, etc etc)
- Use something like the Atlas BT81 + the RRS Harris adapter + RRS SC-ARC (I actually prefer the RRS BT-PRO with the knob). Either RRS clamp allows use with pic rail or Arca. Btw the Atlas BT81 is a lot better than the similar Caldwell pic adapter that I also own.
- Do both #1 & #2
BT81: Lil' Brandi Sling Stud to Picatinny Rail Adapter | B&T Industries
Shop and configure a BT81: Lil' Brandi Sling Stud to Picatinny Rail Adapter from B&T Industries.
It doesn’t lock out completely.
This is why mine now sits on my 338 Lapua.
It gets shot maybe 6-7 times a year.
My Accu-tacs and my Harris get shot every week.
I would say its getting shot more than most 300 winmag owners really do and yes its a 45 year old wooden stock . Its going through a process of hunter to bench shooter and i think it may just stay with sand bags rather than a bi-pod . i thank everyone for their tips
What is slower about it than Harris....I mean, just because the Harris legs are spring loaded to flip down and out? I'm also not a competitor but I have had a Harris...thought it was one step above being stamped out of tin cans and was basically not a quality product. But, they are usable and they are affordable.
Someone mentioning the the military used Harris (I believe it was mentioned as being used on a Mk 13). Well, tbh my first thought, from having been in the military and then doing acquisition support for mil programs, is that what the government buys....particularly for military...is sort of a low bar. Often a very low bar.
@carbonbased - I too think that Phil's two videos on building a bridge with a bipod are the best available. I'd love to meet Phil one day but since he gave up teaching rifle clinics I suspect that will not happen.
I also do not compete but have seen plenty of vids of PRS shooting and, with my limited knowledge, I agree with @Taylorbok that stations that need for bipod use seems few and far between.
I also have an Elite Iron....I still favor the CAL and use it more often.
Off a Harris with sling stud on a 700Police. The sling stud does go into aluminum on that HS stock though.
Just slower as you have to press a button, one at a time, on each leg on the Atlas to deploy or stow a leg.
Doesn’t matter to me, too much. I do admit it’s kinda nice from a pure convenience standpoint, but for a bench shooter like me it shouldn’t probably be a decision point.
However, my current favorite bipod (the current and unpopular-around-here AI model) does allow quick deployment like the Harris. To stow you have to press a button, however.
Too bad it’s gonna be a hassle if I want to use it on a non-AI rifle. It uses AI keyslot. Which is awesome, but I have to have a keyslot-to-whatever adapter machined for it to work on my KRG or AR15.
I have a Sinclair F Class ski pod matched up with a Protektor rear rabbit ear bag. Absolutely rock solid sight picture.
Agree. I've written a few responses to this question and I've owned/tested 5 of the more popular. They were:
CAL
Super CAL
Accu Tac 50
Elite Iron
Phoenix
All of those have pros and cons. If I could only have one, it would be the Super CAL. If size was an issue, the CAL would come out on top. If size and portability didn't matter, the Phoenix would win by a long shot. Not enamored with the Accu Tac and I really don't like the Elite Iron, which also happens to be the most expensive.
My only complaint about the Atlas bipods is that there is too much distance between detents on the legs. I really wish they would make alternate legs that had better adjustability. Still, this one minor "con" is nothing compared to the cons of the others.
I really do like the Super CAL for most shooting that's not ELR.
Yeah, you’re probably right. I wasn’t really considering the big footprint that the Harris has on the stock.
IKR!?!? I hate typing on this phone. Make so many errors.
For me, it’s definitely easier to shoot with sandbags. I use a 14lbs x-shaped “sand” bag, now made by Armageddon Gear after the original owner of the design retired. Mine is a medium and is filled from the factory with ground up plastic from 5 gallon buckets. I suggest you order it filled (if you value your time).
https://armageddongear.com/product/armageddon-gear-bench-rest-bag/
Archived site, for info. Old medium is slightly bigger than the new medium.
There’s another brand called Bulls Bag that’s popular. It is the original x bag, I believe.
If you order it filled it comes full of kitty litter. Not a fan. Of course, you can order it empty and fill it with whatever you want.
Bags vs. bipods
I do think a front big bag has an advantage for quick panning to the next target, at least if you’re on a bench or have a gun upon a truck hood. Easy to get “re-squared” up behind after panning, whereas it’s waaay slower for me to do that with a non-panning bipod.
Bags require a lighter touch than bipods, but I’m not a free recoil shooter with bags. I just find I don’t need as much shoulder pressure with a front xbag as I do with a bipod.
It’s also easier to shoot with bags as bipods require much more technique, but I might be able to be more accurate with a (non-panner) bipod. At minimum, at least for me, it’s a dead heat, with maybe the advantage going to the bipod (again, non-panner).
In both bipod and xbag shooting I use a rear squeeze bag from @Enough Said.
Panning bipods
Kind of a varmint special, I own a panner Elite Iron and I’m (very) slowly warming up to it after I bought rubber feet for it. I found I shoot it better off a bench with rubber feet.
Edit: also thinking of somehow adapting my current-model Accuracy International bipod to work with Arca & picatinny. They’re sorta a hybrid of a beefier Harris and a deep yoke LRA, plus purposely built with enough slack to be able to “pan” a bit.
There’s no panning mech per se, but as mentioned, the slack just…works.
When panning, you’re not repositioning the feet on a panner, so you’re often not going to be square behind it if you pan.
But…given that I shoot off a 360° (rather stiffly) rotating bench, the amount of panning I need isn’t great, so it’s sorta working out pretty good.
However, I’m still at the early stages of figuring it out (after owning it for years and not really using it). Haven’t used it much on a long pdog shoot yet, but if next spring’s experiments work out, maybe next summer?
Bipods, for me, are all about lightening the load.
If I can get a panning bipod setup to work as well as my xbag currently does, well, that’s when I might seriously consider switching over for pdog shooting.
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If you're dead set on going with a bipod rather than a bag, which I also am a bipod man, then I would say whatever is in your price range.
PERSONALLY, I shoot out to just over 1000 right now due to a limited range available, and I do it off of Caldwell bipods from Walmart. I know saying that will get me slandered by the people who have the extra cash to throw at an Atlas or something, but it doesn't bother me. Lol. As long as the bipod will reliably support the weapon system, and let me give adequate forward pressure without breaking, and do both reliably, it serves its purpose. The new ones offered at Walmart actually have an adjustable tension to adjust how easy it is to cant the rifle to the left or right, so that thing does everything I need it to.
If you can take the bare bone essentials and be proficient with it, the better you'll be when you have high end equipment. That being said, my advice is the that older A Bolt, throw a Caldwell on it and send some round down range.
PERSONALLY, I shoot out to just over 1000 right now due to a limited range available, and I do it off of Caldwell bipods from Walmart. I know saying that will get me slandered by the people who have the extra cash to throw at an Atlas or something, but it doesn't bother me. Lol. As long as the bipod will reliably support the weapon system, and let me give adequate forward pressure without breaking, and do both reliably, it serves its purpose. The new ones offered at Walmart actually have an adjustable tension to adjust how easy it is to cant the rifle to the left or right, so that thing does everything I need it to.
If you can take the bare bone essentials and be proficient with it, the better you'll be when you have high end equipment. That being said, my advice is the that older A Bolt, throw a Caldwell on it and send some round down range.
If all OP is going to do is shoot a wood-stocked .300WM off a bench under no time constraints, I just don't see any point in buying anything more than a Harris - with one caveat, noted below.
When I started precision rifle, I had a Harris S-BRM I bought used. I cut pieces of a bicycle tire inner-tube to remove slop from the Harris plate/rifle stock interface. After a season or two and on advice from a much more experienced shooter, I added a Pod-Loc. HUGE!!!! improvement.
Caveat: If one is going for max accuracy off a bench, tilt-locking legs are often very helpful to get the rifle lower on the bench. Of course, Harris doesn't offer this; legs are straight out or completely folded.
When I started precision rifle, I had a Harris S-BRM I bought used. I cut pieces of a bicycle tire inner-tube to remove slop from the Harris plate/rifle stock interface. After a season or two and on advice from a much more experienced shooter, I added a Pod-Loc. HUGE!!!! improvement.
Caveat: If one is going for max accuracy off a bench, tilt-locking legs are often very helpful to get the rifle lower on the bench. Of course, Harris doesn't offer this; legs are straight out or completely folded.
I respect that! One thing I like about bags is if you're out in the cut and have a failure, a bag can usually be tied off and refilled with sand, dirt, mud, whatever. If a bipod fail, it's kind of a pain to bushcraft screws and bolts and springs!
Happy shooting bub!
Lol you got that right lol get becomes git everytime I text lol.
My dad has Harris bipods he still uses from the 80s. Lightweight but durable. He has a Sinclair, accutac, and a micro adjust bench rest. He still uses a Harris 90% of the time.
I have 5 Harris, and a Ckyepod. One is very useful for random props and odd needs. The other 5 are on my rifles 90% of the time.
I carry the standard ckyepod and a 9-13 notched Harris at matches. Both with RRS mounts.
I've tried a bunch of Atlas. They don't do anything that impressed me for the money.
I have 5 Harris, and a Ckyepod. One is very useful for random props and odd needs. The other 5 are on my rifles 90% of the time.
I carry the standard ckyepod and a 9-13 notched Harris at matches. Both with RRS mounts.
I've tried a bunch of Atlas. They don't do anything that impressed me for the money.
Then I do recommend the Bulls Bag...this is the OG X-bag. I have one and the quality is very good.
10" Field Shooting Rest in Tree Camo with Tuff Tec Top | Bulls Bag
If you are looking for a great field shooting rest, be sure to check out the 10' field shooting rest designed by Bulls Bag. This little shooting rest is powerful and handy. We have it in Tree Camo with a Tuff Tec top. Check it out at our website.
www.bullsbag.com
I ordered empty and suggest you do too. Then you can chose to fill with sand, kitty litter (Bulls Bag owners recommendation...works, just don't get it wet), Spex Lite ( https://spexlite.com/shooting-bag-fill-1)
Very easy to fill with whatever you like. And made in the USA.
i got caldwell's some place in the garage , a footstool and a home made rest too....i think ......i did find the extra bag of sand for the bags lol
