Thread: Buying a bipod for rabbit shooting

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

This is a "Horses for courses" situation depending on terrain, time of the day and technique.

I use the Harris 13" model with notches. Yes the notches make a slight click but.... Bipods have advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: Light weight, which you get used to. Steady for long range shooting in prone position or off the bonnet of the ute. Disadvantages: In hay season the grass is too long for prone shooting, in winter the ground is wet and cold, when spotlighting they are next to useless because (if you are prone) you get too much light reflecting into the scope from the grass which makes them bloody hopeless. Almost all my spotlighting I do off-hand or off-fencepost/tree/ute etc.

Technique: If you are constantly walking, and competent at off-hand shooting, then you don't need a bi-pod. Constantly walking a stick comes into its own. I've taken it one step further and have two bamboo sticks about 2m long, joined with a heavy rubber band 100mm down from the top. So its a GIANT bipod and works well. I find it more steady than a single stick. But stick is good.

Technique #2: If you are planning to lay on the top of a hill, with 360 degree views, and bing rabbits just on dusk, then a bipod is essential. You can add the sock of sand, which MCCPRO mentioned, or day bag, under the heel of the stock to steady for those long shots.

I'll give you a couple of recent examples of where a bipod has helped me.

It's hay season right now, and the rabbits can be hard to spot when you are walking. The other night I parked the ute in the middle of a hay paddock, dropped the tailgate and stood on that, resting the Hornet/Guide thermal/Harris bipod on the canopy roof. Then spotted rabbit eyes with the NITECORE or thermal monocular, the whacked them at ranges out to 150m. Funny thing is, rabbits will sometimes stand on their hind legs when they hear a sound, to get their head above the tall grass, that's all you need! I got about 20 like that.

I did exactly the same thing where the bailage had be pile two high, like a pyramid. Sat the bipod on the top bail and stood on the lower bail. 360 degree view. I spotted them with a handheld thermal, then lined up the Hornet with daylight scope and Nitecore spot. Lights on - WHACK - light off.

I wouldn't be without my Harris 13'' bipod, even if I just carry it in my day bag. But then again, sometime I hunt without a bipod, "Horse for courses!"

That sounds bloody ideal standing on the tailgate and using the canopy. I hadn’t thought of that myself. I don’t do any night shooting as of yet, only a casual shooter. Like you said it sounds like it’s good sometimes and others not always. I’ll have a think about it over the next while and in the mean time try a stick that I have access to borrow.