I'm Done with a Bipod on My Hunting Gun

[Huntfly]

View attachment 299359I'm always about "better to have and not need, than to need and not have", but I found a bipod on my hunting rig is useless FOR ME. Laying prone in the field is about like kissing your cousin. Yeah, the idea might might be tempting, but it still ain't right. I'll leave prone to the range/target shooting.

So, the shooting stick and field chair is where its at. Gonna start training for this style, along with standing shots, and reconfirm zeros.

I see you are using a single stick. I did for awhile until I bought a bog pod, worked far better for me an quick and easy to set up. Solid as a rock!

 

[xsn10s]

AGREE with, skipdavidson ( SEE Post # 61 ) about, shooting off a Pack as, IT can be,.. "Tricky" and produce, "Flyers" !
Found it best, to stuff Pack Firmly and USE, a "Toe" Rest !
Target aquisition, cross hair Position at time of shot, Breathing / hold, and Trigger Squeeze, ARE, very critical !

Hmmm most of my shooting off of a pack was from 800-1230 yards. I attributed flyers to mistakes made by me either positional or bad wind calls. I may have to go back to bipod and try again for awhile to see if there is a change on consistency. The OP posted as he's taking off his bipod from his hunting rifle. My general hunter a lighter weight standard sporter that I designated for game out to 400 yards. I shoot out to 800 yards with it so I assumed most where thinking the same as me lol. I don't like bipods on it because I could shoot close in to 400 yards. Offhand to prone depending on the situation.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

I. Cannot lay. Prone in. Brush and See. Anything!! I. Like the. Primos . Trigger. Stick. As. I. Hunt my. Way to the. Blind in the Morning And back to the house at night.Once. In the. Blind I. Have a. Very light Caldwell. Rest I have used. For years !!It stays in the blind for the entire three or four day hunt. Positioned at the window never any need to move it I enter the blind and place the rifle into the rest and I am free to use both hands to glass. This is a very comfortable set up for me. Looking forward to this season!!!

 

[Idaho Lefty]

@ xsn10s,..
Most of our Hunting "shots" on Big Game, are under, 400 yards so we practice the most with, Stix, ( W/ Pack on Chest ) to THAT, Distance.
Shooting, to 600 to 800 Yards, over, a Pack takes MORE Concentration and paying attention to "Details" and WIND,.. IS, a Big Factor,.. IMO.
We LIMIT our shots on Big Game to, 700 Yards Max and that's as far as, we practice over, a Pack and won't even shoot that Far,.. IF the Winds are,.. Howling !

 

[Marksman232]

I use, wood sticks by, Hunters Specialties for Sitting shots ( on Hillsides ) to, 400 Yards ( Elk & some Deer, ARE in mostly, ROUGH / STEEP, country ! ).
I put my Pack on my Chest to, support the Rifles "Toe" area and press upwards with Knee, to keep tight and STEADY against, the Toe !
I can hit our 11 inch Dia. Steel Plates, EVERY time using, this method at, 350 - 400 yds !
For Prone at, longer Distances, I shoot over my, EXO Pack ( stuffed Firmly with, Lunch, Napping Pad, Kill Kit, and Extra Clothes ) and I'm using, a home made, tightly wound, ( light weight ) Foam,.. Toe, Rest ! I carry, my Rifles ON the Pack with, a Kifaru, "Gun Bearer" ( this Combo, WORKS ! )
NO more, Bi-Pod for me, on Huntin' Trips,.. Now used, just for, shooting small Varmints, off my BENCH !
And with, the EXO 5500 ci Pack, I can carry, a Quarter of, the Elk,.. BACK, to Camp !

I went to a designated marksman school when I was in law enforcement and one of the first things the instructor did was tell us we will be shooting off packs all week and had us remove our bipods. He showed us how a properly packed backpack can be much more useful for support than a bipod. Unless you are on perfectly flat terrain shooting prone off a pack is way better than a bipod

 

[xsn10s]

@ xsn10s,..
Most of our Hunting "shots" on Big Game, are under, 400 yards so we practice the most with, Stix, ( W/ Pack on Chest ) to THAT, Distance.
Shooting, to 600 to 800 Yards, over, a Pack takes MORE Concentration and paying attention to "Details" and WIND,.. IS, a Big Factor,.. IMO.
We LIMIT our shots on Big Game to, 700 Yards Max and that's as far as, we practice over, a Pack and won't even shoot that Far,.. IF the Winds are,.. Howling !

I've practised longer range for decades, but honestly on big game I haven't taken a shot farther than 125 yards. Varmints are a different story. 700 yards is my limit on big game too. I just practice for longer range shots. Where I live a 600-700 yard shot might be all I get depending on which area.

 

[xsn10s]

When I was younger and could spend more time in the field stalking was just part of what we did. With how dry it is out here in the west, and how bad I am out of shape, I'd have better luck stalking a snickers bar than any big game lol.

 

[gpo1956]

The "cool look" is why most rifles sport bipods.

That's like saying the "cool sound" is why most people go by Moose Whacker, isn't it?

 

[Rosebud]

Not a fan of bipods myself except for bench or shooting steel. But I like your choice of scopes, have two of them.

 

[Chas1]

I agree, get rid of bipods at least in Florida where there's just too much grass & vegetation.

 

[xsn10s]

I agree, get rid of bipods at least in Florida where there's just too much grass & vegetation.

Yeah see in your situation prone isn't practical. When I was in Georgia it was the same. The OP lives in Illinois and when I lived there it was pretty flat farmlands with maybe the occasional rolling hills. Where I'm at in Oregon I could be in the desert, grasslands, or up in the mountains with deep canyons. If I had a dedicated LR rifle then a bipod or quick detach tripod could be very useful. But carrying a ton of weight is getting harder FOR ME every year. So I'm trying to lighten up the gear and have what I do carry serve several purposes. If at all possible.

 

[Joefrazell]

Here's my new setup. This is a gunwerks hunter tripod. Gunna shoot off of it tomorrow for the first time

 

[338 dude]

Here's my new setup. This is a gunwerks hunter tripod. Gunna shoot off of it tomorrow for the first time

I'm sure these are not as sturdy as what you have but the Jim Shockey edition Primos trigger sticks will go that low and then of course are plenty tall enough for a 6 foot man to use standing up.

 

[xsn10s]

I'm sure these are not as sturdy as what you have but the Jim Shockey edition Primos trigger sticks will go that low and then of course are plenty tall enough for a 6 foot man to use standing up.View attachment 299675

I don't think that is as low as the Gunwerks. Those look like they can get as low as a low/medium height bipod. But yours are probably a third of the price.