Looking for recommendations for a "Best Bang for the Buck" bipod solution to use with my KRG Bravo chassis. Is this a realistic goal?
Low buck bipod recommendations.
- Thread starter Merlin O
- Start date
Post states bipod. Title states tripod. I assume you're looking for a tripod...
The issue is you largely get what you pay for in tripods. I mean you can get the 90c ($300), RRS Anvil for $350 and adapter plate for $150(?) is a pretty good setup, though support isn't the best.
Hard to say that's your best bang for the buck without knowing your budget or intended usage.
The issue is you largely get what you pay for in tripods. I mean you can get the 90c ($300), RRS Anvil for $350 and adapter plate for $150(?) is a pretty good setup, though support isn't the best.
Hard to say that's your best bang for the buck without knowing your budget or intended usage.
IMHO, this is the best bang for your buck low cost tripod.
stores.hogsaddle.com
PIG0311-G Field Shooting Tripod, Gen 2
HOG Saddle Shadow Tech, LLC PIG0311-G Field Shooting Tripod, OD Green , for Tripod Shooting
stores.hogsaddle.com
Woops. Thanks goosed. As to your comments/question I expect the bipod to support the front of my rifle in a controlled and steady manner and be a substitute for a bench type front rest. I may try some of the competitive rimfire games although none are shot at my two local ranges. I am just about totally ignorant of bipods and the price ranges of bipods. I will say that seeing pricing above $300.00 plus $150.00 makes me blink. Seeing the $29.00 bipods on ebay makes me think they would be a total waste. I am not trying to impress anyone with my ability to spend money I am just wanting a functional piece with value. The last bipod I bought was a Harris I believe and that was 20 years ago.... I thought IT was to expensive.... 
Thanks Dillhole. I have edited my original post heading... That answers a question I didn't mean to ask but would have after I figure out what bipod to use.
oh we talking bipods. Well I have nothing to recommend on low cost bipods. I won’t recommend anything below an Atlas. If Harris is too much there is always Caldwell, but you get what you pay for.
A Harris HBRMS 6-9" with leg notches, upgraded with RRS HC-Pro clamp and a KMW Pod-Loc, is a durable, solid solution that totals out somewhere around $80 cheaper than an Atlas BT65NC outfitted with RRS BTC-Pro clamp. More savings if you can find a used Harris (NOT A KNOCKOFF).
I have both. Each has specific use cases. I'm fortunate to have both, but if $80 in savings matters, then the upgraded Harris gets the nod. It's important to note that a Harris without the clamp and Pod-Loc will, probably, hold your rifle up if it has a swivel stud but. relative to the Atlas, will feel like it's attached with Jell-O and might literally flop around loose.
I have both. Each has specific use cases. I'm fortunate to have both, but if $80 in savings matters, then the upgraded Harris gets the nod. It's important to note that a Harris without the clamp and Pod-Loc will, probably, hold your rifle up if it has a swivel stud but. relative to the Atlas, will feel like it's attached with Jell-O and might literally flop around loose.
I had no clue... LOL. I am trying to open up my mind to what is needed rather than what I thought I needed. Thanks for the help!
I am looking up the products listed and re-evaluating my position/mindset....
I am looking up the products listed and re-evaluating my position/mindset....
I used a pair of used out-of-the-box Harrises - a 9-13" standard-leg and a 6-9" notched-leg - for well over a year when I started. I thought I had a good solid setup. Then I met @Rob01 at a match and ended up shooting a couple of matches with him - and he set me straight on how my relatively floppy setup was hurting me. I was amazed at the post-upgrade difference.
Edit: I have also become a big fan of ARCA rails as they allow the bipod to be slid back&forth for various props. The RRS clamps support both ARCA and pic. Great feature. A quality bipod is usually a one-time purchase, so why not invest... of course, some people bash the living hades out of their gear, so experiences vary.
Last edited:
Yup the Pod Lok is a must but any other attachment is up to the shooter. I still attach right to a sling stud and it holds just fine. Not cool looking but works. LOL
Yep. It's worth noting that Rob likes traditional-style stocks like Manners/McMillan - with wide foreends on which a stud-mounted Harris gets a solid purchase - whereas I like chassis stocks, the first two of which were narrow, AR-style units which allowed the Harris to flop around without shims.
My vote is Harris with a Pod Lok. I've been using Harris for about the last 25 years and, honestly, never got to liking the Atlas as well as the Harris. But I am an old geezer.
BTW, one of my Vudoo V-22s is in a Bravo and Harris bipods fit it just fine.
I have two Atlas and have had Harris. A person doesn't need to spend $300 on an Atlas to get support for the front of your rifle. I'm in no way knocking Atlas but here are a few drawbacks with them I learned after using mine for a few years. 1. They are slow and not easy to deploy. Sure, you push a button and rotate. Well, a lot of times the button will stick because of side pressure on the notch, or you wont get it push far enough before trying to turn it. All this adds up to frustration. 2. If you are in a shooting position and you need to extend the legs, it's a pain because you have to lift the rifle while pulling down on the release knob and pull down on the leg. Yes, I know you can tilt it over on the other leg but it's still not easy and another pain. That is the two big issues with Atlas that affects me. I like my Atlas, glad I have them, but I would never spend that much money for what it does again. Remember, I have two and both act and react the same.
IMO this is the best bipod for the money and really one of the best bipods regardless of price. It comes with a load of features for an insane low price. I have 14 of these and see no reason to buy anything else. If you can't see or read the features it has just ask me. With a discount code you can get this delivered for $21.31.
IMO this is the best bipod for the money and really one of the best bipods regardless of price. It comes with a load of features for an insane low price. I have 14 of these and see no reason to buy anything else. If you can't see or read the features it has just ask me. With a discount code you can get this delivered for $21.31.
I enjoy my Harris with pod loc the best. Caldwell is cheap and good for start- espacially for a kid because the springs are not as tight as the Harris. Utg makes a couple nice models that are more than Caldwell and less than Harris. And I remember liking their attachment after I figured it out - gotta get it tight.
For me it comes down to a balance between application and budget. Just like everything else in this sport. If I could afford an AMG on my nrl22 rig I would do it because why not. My dback tac is definitely enough for my skill and need and fits inside my budget. Apply as appropriate.
For me it comes down to a balance between application and budget. Just like everything else in this sport. If I could afford an AMG on my nrl22 rig I would do it because why not. My dback tac is definitely enough for my skill and need and fits inside my budget. Apply as appropriate.
Gosh I am a cheap bastard.... Per Kod's post I am going to get the West-Lake Tactical knockoff and risk 25 bucks. Harris website has several package deals for ~180 that look like the WLT version.. If it breaks I will then acknowledge what I already know.... Per my opening sentence to this reply...
A Pod Loc? is that something to lock littlepod up with?
Also, for the price of one Harris I can have 4 WLT bipods and have enough left over for a steak dinner.
Great choice my friend, great choice.Gosh I am a cheap bastard.... Per Kod's post I am going to get the West-Lake Tactical knockoff and risk 25 bucks. Harris website has several package deals for ~180 that look like the WLT version.. If it breaks I will then acknowledge what I already know.... Per my opening sentence to this reply...
You should try the cheapskate route. Nothing wrong with going cheap.
A Pod Loc? is that something to lock littlepod up with?
Also, for the price of one Harris I can have 4 WLT bipods and have enough left over for a steak dinner.
Nope it's a little handle invented by @Terry Cross of KMW to easily adjust the swivel tension of the Harris bipod. Been using them for over 15 years and they work well.
KMW Pod-Loc
Pod-Loc. Original Harris swivel lock kit. Only locking kit made 100% in US and issued N.S.N.
www.kmwlrs.com
Yes you can and I also have a couple cheap bipods like that on rifles that don't get used much and looking at them side by side you can see where the money is saved. Yes they will work but might not be the life of a Harris. If being that inexpensive will get you shooting then get the cheaper one but if the Harris is in the price range it would be better money spent.
Cabelas sells Harris bipods. Next time I go there I will try to remember to bring my WLT bipods and compare them. I'll get some photos on the significant differences.
Do that and let us know what you see. I don't have a WLT but another of the cheaper versions. Springs, hinges and the stud attachment area is where you can see the differences mostly.
My West Lake Tactical bipod just arrived. First impression is positive. Will see how it works and holds up but price vs product looks good
I've never had a problem with any of the 14 I have. I would be very surprised if something broke or bent. BTW, I noticed the Item Description from WLT said the legs were spring returned but all mine are spring eject. Personally I like the spring eject best because it's quicker and easier to deploy when shooting.
Got mine today. Looks fine to me. I guess it's like the line in the old C&W song.... "Until you've tasted caviar, peanut butter does just fine." It fit very snugly and appears solid and functional on my KRG Bravo...
Received my west lake bipod today. It’s actually pretty dang nice. They sent the wrong one though...I got the notched. I think I like it better though?. Good purchase! Thanks kod
So here’s a slightly different idea. If it’s bench shooting and replacing that heavy sandbag or front rest that you want, I stumbled into this.
My elderly father had a basically new Harris bipod laying around. He didn’t like it. I had never used a bipod and was curious (and had the same above motive you have).
The key here for maximum stability is a cant-LESS version with smooth legs. This is what my dad gave me.
Sucks in the field, I’m sure. Never tried it there. But for the bench, you adjust the legs equally when they are folded up (easiest to judge). If the bench is not level, it’s easy to make tiny adjustments. And the thing is solid because there’s no cant.
If you use the same range and similar guns all the time, you may not have to adjust the leg length again. I should note my range has carpet upon the benches.
For my bench shooting, I use a upside down frisbee under the bipod to eliminate tension in the legs when moving from target to target. Can’t load the bipod this way, however, unless you grab the frisbee edge (I don’t load).
Some of my guns shoot great this way without a problem, but some require me to hold the forend down too (absolutely precludes loading unless you grow a third arm or clamp a board on the bench to push against).
Basically that’s where I am in my experimentation. Just got a Atlas Scal yesterday with the GIANT ski feet. If the weather holds, I’ll shoot it today.
My elderly father had a basically new Harris bipod laying around. He didn’t like it. I had never used a bipod and was curious (and had the same above motive you have).
The key here for maximum stability is a cant-LESS version with smooth legs. This is what my dad gave me.
Sucks in the field, I’m sure. Never tried it there. But for the bench, you adjust the legs equally when they are folded up (easiest to judge). If the bench is not level, it’s easy to make tiny adjustments. And the thing is solid because there’s no cant.
If you use the same range and similar guns all the time, you may not have to adjust the leg length again. I should note my range has carpet upon the benches.
For my bench shooting, I use a upside down frisbee under the bipod to eliminate tension in the legs when moving from target to target. Can’t load the bipod this way, however, unless you grab the frisbee edge (I don’t load).
Some of my guns shoot great this way without a problem, but some require me to hold the forend down too (absolutely precludes loading unless you grow a third arm or clamp a board on the bench to push against).
Basically that’s where I am in my experimentation. Just got a Atlas Scal yesterday with the GIANT ski feet. If the weather holds, I’ll shoot it today.
Last edited:
You must have used the wrong code. Try thankyou15off. Here is a snip tool screenshot of what it would cost me if I bought another pair right now....$21.31.
@carbonbased you are the first person I have ever heard of that prefers the friction lock, non swivel bipod. Maybe if shooting from the same bench all the time it might work but so would the other. That model just makes it harder when you move off the carpeted bench.
Okay guys, so I have a few of the WLT bipods that I bought for my kids rifles and a few Harris bipods. When I compared the two the only significant difference I could find is WLT wraps the springs. Everything else basically looks identical. That’s not to say they are of course. The fasteners, springs, pins and bolts maybe A lower quality and not last as long. All I can say is if I pull the wrapping off the springs and ignore the Harris stamp I don’t know if I could tell the difference. The ones I have so far have proven to be pretty tough.
A $25 Harris knock-off won't survive the field. The Caldwell's only last a couple years before they fall apart.
My BIL tried them. He bought a Harris finally, no more issues. My Dad has Harris bipods from the 80's still going strong.
The notched leg cant version is the only one to get for field work. Crank the cant adjustment up fairly tight and there is no slop. The older ones with the friction lock are slow as hell to work with.
My BIL tried them. He bought a Harris finally, no more issues. My Dad has Harris bipods from the 80's still going strong.
The notched leg cant version is the only one to get for field work. Crank the cant adjustment up fairly tight and there is no slop. The older ones with the friction lock are slow as hell to work with.
Ahh hell that ain't nothing, my bulb goes completely out at least once a day.
Can you tell which parts quit working or broke so I can keep a check on mine in those areas that are failing?
The Caldwell bipods are junk. Now when I compare those to my Harris or the WLT bipods there is a huge difference. I think there are a few companies out there making good budget bipods but not all knock offs apear to be created equal.
Perhaps I wasn’t clear. For a cheap dude who is only shooting from a static range bench with sling swiveled guns and who is looking for a bipod to replace a front rest, a Harris no-cant friction lock bipod is a viable option. Cheap dude won’t buy a kmw pod loc to really lock up the cant on a “fancier” Harris, and one doesn’t need cant with friction legs.
As mentioned, I was given the bipod for free. “Prefer” is waaaaaaaay too strong a word. I usually wind up with the most expensive option…I’m not cheap. At all. To my detriment. As mentioned, I just got an Atlas Scal with ski feet ($490).
But I am quite impressed with that scrawny no-cant friction lock bipod. For the bench, only.
