Local ranges benches are terrible they have been ground and smoothed. I can't get my harris to load at all. I am not sure if a towel would help. The only thought I can come up with is to use a piece of wood and a c clamp. Any other suggestions?
Proper Bipod loading on concrete
- Thread starter TurdFerguson
- Start date
A lot of shooting mats have a little “bar” or pocket running across them to press your bipod into...just a thought.
Also, perhaps you should be laying down prone? Benches are all designed wrong anyway - if the goal is to square up directly behind the rifle. Fundamentals.
Also, perhaps you should be laying down prone? Benches are all designed wrong anyway - if the goal is to square up directly behind the rifle. Fundamentals.
Typically rubber feet will still grab concrete enough to take out the slack (that’s all loading is). Usually when you can’t, you’re attempting to load too much.
Loop a piece of 550 cord from your bipod legs to the back of the bench or something else solid.
This is the only correct reply posted so far.
The feet on Harris bipods are more like very hard rubber, aren't they? I doubt they would hold at all on polished concrete
In the OP's situation, I'd either shoot prone from the space between benches or go elsewhere.
There is not much slop at all in most Harris bipods. We, that have been here for much time at all, know that too many people misunderstand what it means to “load the bipod”. I’m one of the stupid poors that has shot using Harris bipods for more years than I care to remember. Even on smooth surfaces such as concrete and wood that has been polished smooth with wear. Or in dry Florida sand.
As you’ve said already, it’s more important that you are square behind the rifle and use proper fundamentals than anything else.
As you’ve said already, it’s more important that you are square behind the rifle and use proper fundamentals than anything else.
Just to add, my only options for ELR with my .338 have been from the bed of a truck or a plywood platform with no edge. Due to my extra care and attention to body position when shooting the solids, I’ve had nothing but luck with almost zero “bipod load”. Even claws do little to purchase on a painted steel tailgate, except perhaps scratch the shit out of the paint.
So I’ve got a Harris with Hawk Hill talon spikes on my AI AX and noticed the same thing, feet sometimes skipping across the concrete, I filed down the frame where the legs hit then painted it black. It gave the legs just a little cant and it’s enough to bite in a bit more... I’ve been running it that way for a couple years and haven’t had any problems so far. Just an idea...
Frank has a video, Bipods don't hop.
There is a TON of noise out there about bipods and loading out there. It is hard to cut through the crap and figure it out. I've come to learn, and still working on it myself. What I have realized, is that when I loading more into my bipods, I was relying on that preload to overcome my deficits in recoil management techniques. If your bipod has two feet on the ground and the slop is taken out of the legs, then that is enough loading. Harris bipods don't really need to be loaded because there is no slop or wiggle front and back.
Like the video of Phillip and other stuff by Frank on the topic, the masters of the trade make it look easy... loading the bipod isn't the key skill, IMO. Its getting control of the rifle so that you eat up the recoil in a way that it is minimized and the recoil is in a straight line.
There is another thread in this that has some videos about recoil and recoil management. I can't find the link right now, but there is lots of good stuff, cause it seems like a hard thing to figure out for everyone. It was for me.
There is a TON of noise out there about bipods and loading out there. It is hard to cut through the crap and figure it out. I've come to learn, and still working on it myself. What I have realized, is that when I loading more into my bipods, I was relying on that preload to overcome my deficits in recoil management techniques. If your bipod has two feet on the ground and the slop is taken out of the legs, then that is enough loading. Harris bipods don't really need to be loaded because there is no slop or wiggle front and back.
Like the video of Phillip and other stuff by Frank on the topic, the masters of the trade make it look easy... loading the bipod isn't the key skill, IMO. Its getting control of the rifle so that you eat up the recoil in a way that it is minimized and the recoil is in a straight line.
There is another thread in this that has some videos about recoil and recoil management. I can't find the link right now, but there is lots of good stuff, cause it seems like a hard thing to figure out for everyone. It was for me.
I used to shoot a lot at a range that had slick concrete tables and I found the best remedy was cutting pieces of skateboard grip tape and sticking them to the bottom of the bipod. It won't let me put my full weight behind the bipod but it helps A LOT and it's cheap enough I can replace them as much as I want.
D
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Go back and watch the videos again (the Phil Velayo video above), and notice how little cheek pressure he uses. He uses just a light touch. It isn't even enough to cause a wrinkle on his cheek.
This is the other aspect that must be applied with this technique. The gun can't recoil straight back if the cheek pushes it down under recoil.
I did this wrong for so many years, it was a light bulb moment when I realized it.
This is the other aspect that must be applied with this technique. The gun can't recoil straight back if the cheek pushes it down under recoil.
I did this wrong for so many years, it was a light bulb moment when I realized it.
It's a dress up for less than correct technique
Everything depends on your technique. You did everything wrong these times. Anyway, what's about repairing those benches? It seems like no one cares about them for a long time. And in general, places with bad benches should be repaired because I personally cannot shoot properly there even with my brilliant technique. We recently visited our neighbor's shooting camp and I've never seen anything like that. He said that the shooting camp was repaired with the help of Fort Worth Concrete Contractors for a reasonable price. He said they already had experience in repairing such places, so he did the right choice hiring them. He's probably right but sometimes it's good to make up things on your own.
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