Thread: Shooting over Bipod or Backpack ?

It has occured to me that over the last 5 or 6 years I’ve been carrying my rifle with a Bipod attached .
It has just kind of snuck in and become normal without a second glance .
But to be honest I just shoot over my backpack alot of the time and the Bipod is just along for the ride .
The Bipod adds weight , can be noisy , is often a pain to adjust for height and angle etc .
Why have I been suckered in to carrying everywhere I go .
Next trip Im leaving it at home and going Bipodless .
Im interested to know who carries a Bipod in the field or do you just use it for range / sighting in ?

Ken

Farm walking with the 22 etc bipod.
In the field Backpack. Much easier and if i have time to lay down and get setup usually i have plenty of time to setup and get comfortable on the backpack.

Depends where im hunting. Tussock areas it can be super handy to have the extra height of the bipod. If im walking in then no bipod for me

Yip, definitely in the back pack until the time comes to fix it. Usually only use mine for long range (300yd plus) shots, and at that distance usually there is enough time to get everything sorted properly., If you've got a bipod attached permanently, its often difficult to place an accurate standing shot if you have to.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

Depends where im hunting. Tussock areas it can be super handy to have the extra height of the bipod. If im walking in then no bipod for me

What he said

Second what Bos said. Bipods stuff the balance up for off hand shooting and quite often you are buggering around adjusting legs to get level, whereas on a pack its sorted straight away.

With my long range rig I’ll leave it in pack until needed as the animals are unaware of my presence and plenty of to setup for the shot or ambush on clearings. Also quite happy shooting off backpacks and piled up rocks with a jacket on top if need be. Shooting sitting using walking stick is a lot harder for me as I don’t practice that way much.

Bipods are fantastic when the terrain suits, but often in hilly/rocky/grassy terrain they can have limited usefulness.

I then to take one with me in case the opportunity for one arises, but since learning to shoot with a sling, in many cases the sling is all you need, especially when accompanied with another form of support (tree, rock, fench, backpack etc.

I don't tend to like shooting solely off a backpack as I find it needs to be full right up to be rigid enough, which is seldom the case for me.

Backpack I'm not shooting bench rest competition the backpack is just so versatile for almost any situation.
I'm sure everyone has there preferences, I'm already carrying a pack so why waste hundreds on a decent bipod ?

I used to hate having a bipod up front, especially with a suppressor fitted as well. I bought a Javelin Bipod and find its the best of both worlds. First, its light. Really light. Secondly, it sits in my Niggleoh sling so its there immediately if I need it, or stowed away if I don't.

I have a bipod attachment on each rifle so I take the bipod on every trip... big game or bunnies... and pop it on as and when I need it. Easy.

Several years ago I had an epiphany moment. I was carting around my LR .270, bipod attached, suppressor screwed on. And I was looking at the long grass and possible shot scenarios on offer.

I no longer use the bipod and my rig has gone to a non supressed 260 Rem And it is successfull.

I also shoot a Creedmoor 6.5 at targets up to 600 yds. While it has a suppressor I still use a back pack ( the one i take hunting) as its primary support. I have bipods, but I just dont like them. And I dont use them, Things may change and they could well become flavour of the month again, but I have found I prefer a branch or a back pack every time.

dont own one...dont need one,learnt to shoot off knees when sitting or whatever was handy for prone.a frame pack has been used on more than one occasion in long grass/tussocks a soft daybag is very versitile.

Originally Posted by johnd

I also shoot a Creedmoor 6.5 at targets up to 600 yds. While it has a suppressor I still use a back pack ( the one i take hunting) as its primary support.

I think I'm going to adopt this idea and only practice and sight in etc with my Pack , practice with what you are going to use in the real world makes total sense .
This has been an interesting discussion and it seems that most are happy without Bipods , or even if they do carry them they are only attached when needed .
Keep the opinions and observations coming guys .

Ken

There is no doubt you can shoot tighter groups from a bipod than a backpack.
A bipod is almost as good as a front rest and rear bag for sight in, accuracy testing, scope tracking and trajectory and a bit quicker to deploy than full benchrest style equipment.
Of course, if you use it for sighting in you need to check the zero is the same as for your best shooting position (backpack or sitting) but my experience is that the bipod and bench rest groups fall within what I can achieve from practical positions so I often use the bipod to check zero on paper.

I don't know that I've ever taken a hunting shot where a bipod could have been used (lack of experience I guess) but I can imagine it might happen in farmland hunting.
For hunting and field target shooting, the backpack and various hand rest positions are far more flexible and allow a clear view and good body positioning and the compromise on ultimate accuracy is acceptable.
I do practice with a bipod because it can be a useful skill and I make myself use it in appropriate competitions sometimes, like at Hangawera, Tarata and Te Puke.
My new rifle doesn't even have a bipod attachment, but then its only designed for hunting up to 300m. So I guess that says what I think of them ...

Couldn’t be without my bipods. I use a 9-13” mostly. It tilts and adjusts easily. It covers pretty much all shot scenarios - steeply up, steeply down, 100m, 600m, everything in between. Steeply down is the one time I’ll sometimes rest it on the edge of a slope with the legs folded up, resting it on my hat or rarely the little backpack.

I don’t shoot anything more grunty than a .308 and I firmly hold the forend. Works for me. Can’t ever see me giving them up.