Mechanics of using a tripod as a bipod

[Nik H]

Hi all,

I have seen many photos on this site where shooters are using a tripod like a bipod when in the prone position. I tried this today and it was stable but I do have a few noob questions to ask. Hoping someone with greater experience with this method can chime in, but all comments are welcome.

1. How low should you set the tripod? I splayed the legs out to their maximum. This worked, but the rifle and my position were too low. It was uncomfortable. I intend to try it in a slightly higher position.
2. Tripod head clamp - Do you fully lock the tripod head? I use an Anvil. If yes, how do you fine-tune the rifle position to get on target? If no, how tightly do you close the clamp?
3. Rear bag use - Provided the height of the rifle is similar to the height when using a bipod, you could still use a rear bag. However, with the Anvil locked, there was no real need to. The butt was pretty stable.
4. Loading - I didn't think this was necessary, but my shoulder was up against the butt of the rifle to keep the recoil under control.
5. What else am I missing?

I was using this to shoot groups at 100 yards. I could see that this would be more practical when shooting steel from prone. They are larger targets, and some of the fine-tuning may not be necessary.

Thanks in advance