F-Class--Bipod vs. Pedestal Rest

[DingleBird]

can i shoot F-Class with just a bipod, or do i have to use a tripod and rear sandbag?

 

[Dubya]

Yes, you can shoot with a bipod. At some shoots there is a class for bipod shooters.
Good shooting.
Dubya.

 

[DingleBird]

sweet, thanks for the help. i wanted to know because i want to build a 1000 yard style rifle off a McMillan MBR stock, but i dont want to use a tripod and rear sand bag, just a bipod, its a little cheaper that way, plus i think its more original.

 

[Forum Boss]

sweet, thanks for the help. i wanted to know because i want to build a 1000 yard style rifle off a McMillan MBR stock, but i dont want to use a tripod and rear sand bag, just a bipod, its a little cheaper that way, plus i think its more original.

An MBR stock is a great 1000-yard platform, but not the ideal choice for bipod use, at least with a Harris, because the Harris bipod was designed to attach to an accessory rail or swivel studs. Harris 'Pods are also profiled for stocks that are slightly rounded on the bottom, though there are accessories for use with flat fore-ends. Alternatively, you can epoxy a stud parrallel to the barrel sticking out the end of the fore-end and use a Versa-Pod system,similar to the Parker-Hale). There is the $220 Sinclair F-class bipod, but it won't fit the wide MBR fore-end and they have no plans to bring out a 3" wide version anytime soon.

But you'll find, with any conventional bipod, the gun will hop and bounce off target. Also, with the exception of the Sinclair unit, a bipod demands that you make all elevation adjustments with your hand and/or rear bag. Fiddling with the rear bag can induce cant, and bag-to-stock alignment problems. That will adversely affect accuracy. For all these reasons, most F-Class competitors use a front pedestal, or a super-wide, dial-adjustable bipod similar to the Sinclair.

Comments from Sinclair's Bill Gravete on their Deluxe Bi-Pod,item 04-8000)

"There are several things that I would like to comment about the design of the new Sinclair Bi-Pod with respect to other bi-pods or even heavy rifle rests.

1) For F-Class shooting, I found the Sinclair Bi-Pod to be easy to move around to accommodate the different firing point conditions and the different body positions forced by the target terrain. If you have ever tried to move a rest on the ground with the rifle on it, it can be a real challenge.

2) The rifle is positioned in the Sinclair Bi-Pod so that the bore’s centerline is well below the pivot points of the bi-pod legs providing a much lower center of gravity. This feature makes a tremendous impact on the torque affect delivered to the rifle during recoil. When the rifle recoils, most of the energy is directed directly back instead of tending to roll the rifle as it will in a traditional bag situation or when mounted on a standard bi-pod. The hopping effect that you experience with other bi-pods is eliminated. This re-direction of the recoil provides the shooter with a better return to the aiming point and better shot to shot consistency.

3) The rigidity of this unit compared to shooting off of traditional folding type bi-pods is incredible. When your rifle is mounted to the Sinclair Bi-Pod it is all one solid unit. Harris bi-pods are excellent for portability when hunting but after having used the Sinclair Bi-Pod, I would choose it every time for varmint shooting or any type of supported ground shooting position.

4) Our club’s firing point is typical of many places I have shot at; it is uneven with clumpy grass. The problem I have had using rests on the ground is that one side of the rest seems to always be in a lower spot and then I have to constantly shift the rest around to get the rifle onto an even keel. The feet and adjustability of the Sinclair Bi-Pod’s legs overcome this obstacle quickly plus the sled type feet provide a very stable foundation on the clumpy ground. We found these feet actually worked better than field points."

We agree with the advantages Bill notes, but the unit currently won't fit 3" wide stocks.

 

[mikecr]

A Harris isn't ideal in it's current form. But it's the best. It does make re-aquisition more difficult,although it bounces much less off the ground -as it was designed for, than on a hard surface). But a swivel Harris works well with a PodLok and addition of PodPaws.

I disagree with Sinclair. I don't believe any real varmint hunters are walking around with that attached to their rifle.
That said, if they dropped 2lbs, if it fit any of my stocks, and folded up like a Harris, I'd have one.

 

[DingleBird]

thanks for the help guys, really appreciate it!

Ryan