Thread: bipod/no bipod

so is this result because of a budget quality bipod or incompatability with the stock forend .....Sako 123gr Ruger American ......the good group was using sandbags
I guess what I'm asking is , if I got a better bipod would I still have the same problem or might I be better off with a tripod or monopod setup for when it would be beneficial to have a rifle rest

Technique is key here. I will take stab and guess you left rifle free to jump around and had off hand on heel of stock when using bipod but held normally without??? If so try again but firmly hold forend while using bipod and see what happens.

on sandbags and bipod I was holding the forend firm......had similar result with 150gr too , rifle is suppressed too

Try twisting stock n see if contacting barrel ..eg can you push tip of forend towards barrel n make it touch??? Bipod I have is cheap chineseum Harris knock off and I have had zero issues using it,but all my rifles well free floated.

Kinda a long the lines of what I was thinking it's a Ruger American so no the greatest quality stock .

If you could find a second hand boyd stock to fit the action in , you probably would see an improvement in the system rigidity and consistency and be able to shoot the same small groups with either supporting methods.

Actually:
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...ing/5335662421

It is a bit fugly I must admit

totally agree a laminate stock would be more rigid and an improvement and yes that thing ain't purdy

Hard to tell if there's actually any difference, assuming the apparent difference in POI is a result of selecting a different POA

Umm, are you shooting off a hard surface using the soft rubber feet?

Need really to know a bit more info in all fairness - like how did you set the bipod up, surface it was used on etc etc.

What can happen if it's a Harris or Parker Hale style (legs fold up to the front) is that if the bipod is on hard ground and recoil pushes it rearwards the bipod can 'bounce' the muzzle up in the fraction of a second that the recoil can affect the flight of the bullet.

Technique is a big part of using a bipod, and as noted a stiff foreend that won't flex all over the show allows you to lean forwards into and 'load' the bipod which helps control the flip. A floppy standard plastic foreend will flex down and can do weird things at the action bedding area as well. Not that helpful.

Using sandbags is a much less reactive rest, more dead regardless of the technique you are using. If you are keeping the standard stock and want to use a bipod, the best chance of not shifting your point of impact all over the show is doing a stiffening job on it by bedding in a couple of carbon arrow shaft offcuts with some of the epiglass microballoon filler in it. Doesn't add much weight but really improves the stiffness factor of the foreend. Otherwise a floating or separate tripod with a u shaped rest that doesn't attach to the foreend is an option - it's a bit hard to drag sandbags around with you.

Originally Posted by Friwi

Actually:
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...ing/5335662421

It is a bit fugly I must admit

Just needs dragging around the tops and through the scrub for 12 months, that'd knock the fugly out of it!

Don't know if it's relevant here, but I had some trouble with groups using bipod spikes stuck in to the dirt on a 7mm08. Went back to regular feet and groups tightened up. Apparently, it's a thing and I wasn't alone in this experience.