I have killed elk using a bipod, and was with a friend that had a great prone opportunity and missed at 300 yards using my gun with bipod. I prefer to use the bipod and rest the butt of the gun on my backpack when the opportunity exists. I originally hunted without a bipod for weight reduction, but found that I shoot much better with one and decided the weight was worth it for the accuracy I gain. I also hunt antelope, and have taken one antelope with a bipod prone, and killed one this week using a Primos Shockey tripod with 2 point rifle rest. I really like this setup and am going to investigate a better tripod like the RRS. I very much dislike the weight penalty and added complexity of more gear, but I can't argue with my accuracy improvement using a bipod/tripod. I've also learned that you never know what the terrain of CO is going to throw at you and having these tools in your toolbox helps swing the odds in the hunter's favor.