Need Some Advanced Bipod Shooting Advice

[Sniper338]

I don't need advice on how to shoot here, what's going on is I just installed a henry rempel ski pod on my rifles. I've never used this kind of bipod before... I got to the shooting bench, laid out the big carpet mat from the back of my jeep on the bench top, then set up the rifle on top of the carpet, and used (a cheap) rear bag that was available. Straightened out the rifle to the target, got it laying in a natural POA to the target, then got behind it...

I have a load of 45.2gr of varget and 175 SMK that has been shooting very well, bugholing if I do my part... As I geared up behind the rifle and got it on target I felt really stable, it all felt real good. I was testing out this load only just shooting groups with it to make sure it consistently performed... Well as I began shooting my groups DID NOT perform like they did last week... Shot three, three shot groups...(NOT HAPPY NOW)

BUT the rifle DID seemed to track straight back very well, no hop anymore, smooth like butter... but no cigar on target...

I stopped and thought for a minute or two, (What the F***, **********,*********) is going on....



Well three things:

1. I have this new bipod set up that I am not used to at all, do not know how to shoot off of it very well just yet or how it effects things...

2. The ammo... I was low on brass that was ready to be reloaded, and bullets, so I pulled bullets from some other loaded rounds that I had loaded that were not shooting near as good as this load... Resized the brass again, inspected the bullets, all seemed well at least... Then reloaded them back up with this 45.2gr charge.... So maybe these rounds I tested today are a little screwy...

3. For some reason this rifle with the old kick stand type cheapo bipod shot much better when I loaded up the bipod tight, and really had a hard tight grip on he gun...




SOOOO I thought here for a minute, I have never seen guys with a nice fancy bipod with skis for feet load up these bipods, it seems like everyone shoots them more freely and lets the rifle track rearward like a sled... Thats how I thought this bipod was suppose to work...

Well for shits and giggles I loaded up this Rempel bipod some against the wood 2X4 on the front of the bench, held it tight, BOOM, bug holed two 3 shot groups...

SO I can only come away now with the conclusion that this 308 likes a VERY firm VERY tight hold, and the bipod snugged up/loaded against something... Thats what the targets are telling me...



What I am getting at here though is I'm fairly damn certain that F-Class type bipods with ski's on them are not made to be loaded up against something in the front, they are made to recoil rearward and slide/track straight back. When shooting prone out across the fields long range I didn't want to be loading up a bipod against anything, I wanted a smooth rearward slide like its suppose to do..

What is yalls shooting advice here using these f-class bipods with ski's for feet??? Can anyone understand what I've tried to explain here and help me find some kind of solution or conclusion?


As far as I can tell it just all has to do with me and the bipod.... Couldnt be the ammo because once a firm hold was established it bugholed...


All at 200 yards here..

 

[digrazir]

I myself have never cared for those ski type F-class bipods. I have tried. I had two of them on different occasions and wound up selling them. My best results shooting a 308 have come with loading the bipod(Harris or Atlas) with a good firm hold into my shoulder. I use a a heavy gator bag in the rear which really stays put. Seems kinda like the your preferred shooting method. Anyway that's what works for me. I do however have a habit of trying to fix something that's not broke. Ray

 

[Joe R]

Forget what others are doing, and do what works for you. If loading the bipod works for you, by all means find a way to do it within the rules (if you're competing).

Joe

 

[Sniper338]

Guess thats true... last two groups when i loaded the bipod and held it all tight and firm were under the size of a dime at 200 yards. A dime covers the groups completely..

 

[Scott Harris]

I"ve owned a Rempel and it is a fine piece of hardware. Ultimately, it is too heavy for F-TR, but I now use a Duplin which is very similar but lighter so I can make weight. Here are a couple of thoughts for you:

1. a ski-type bipod is NOT the same as a Harris bipod. You don't need to pre-load it to shoot well. But, it is different and may take some getting used to before you see good results. With practice you will be able to shoot with your rempel as good as with any other bipod if not better.
2. I use a very short tight-napped carpet under the bipod. This allows me to easily slide it laterally to get on target without fighting against the bipod. If you use longer carpet, the bipod feet will dig a little groove in the carpet, making it difficult to laterally adjust your aim. Many people use a piece of wood for the same reason: easy to move the bipod around.
3. I do not use any pressure against the bipod. I simply pull the rifle up snug to my shoulder and then completely relax my body. I have light to moderate cheek pressure. I am definitely not pressing hard or putting any tension in my muscles.
4. Relax the body, pull the trigger, and let the rifle recoil into you and move wherever it wants under recoil. It will probably slide to the left....not important.
5. Reset after the shot by pushing the rifle away from the body, sliding it to the right to get back on target, pulling it into your shoulder, relax and now you are ready again.

With practice, you will find that you can shoot very rapidly and very consistently. That is why so many F-TR shooter use this style of bipod. In my opinion, if you have tension of any kind in your body, that is not repeatable and will not produce the most consistent accuracy. It may work for a short time, but I predict you will have frustrating inconsistency. Relaxation is repeatable and that's why its the best approach IMHO.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Sniper338]

I"ve owned a Rempel and it is a fine piece of hardware. Ultimately, it is too heavy for F-TR, but I now use a Duplin which is very similar but lighter so I can make weight. Here are a couple of thoughts for you:

1. a ski-type bipod is NOT the same as a Harris bipod. You don't need to pre-load it to shoot well. But, it is different and may take some getting used to before you see good results. With practice you will be able to shoot with your rempel as good as with any other bipod if not better.
2. I use a very short tight-napped carpet under the bipod. This allows me to easily slide it laterally to get on target without fighting against the bipod. If you use longer carpet, the bipod feet will dig a little groove in the carpet, making it difficult to laterally adjust your aim. Many people use a piece of wood for the same reason: easy to move the bipod around.
3. I do not use any pressure against the bipod. I simply pull the rifle up snug to my shoulder and then completely relax my body. I have light to moderate cheek pressure. I am definitely not pressing hard or putting any tension in my muscles.
4. Relax the body, pull the trigger, and let the rifle recoil into you and move wherever it wants under recoil. It will probably slide to the left....not important.
5. Reset after the shot by pushing the rifle away from the body, sliding it to the right to get back on target, pulling it into your shoulder, relax and now you are ready again.

With practice, you will find that you can shoot very rapidly and very consistently. That is why so many F-TR shooter use this style of bipod. In my opinion, if you have tension of any kind in your body, that is not repeatable and will not produce the most consistent accuracy. It may work for a short time, but I predict you will have frustrating inconsistency. Relaxation is repeatable and that's why its the best approach IMHO.

Regards,
Scott

Im just going to have to shoot more with it and figure it out it sounds like. The carpet i was using was really short, no issues there... guess ill try just on the wood top and see what it does, then proned out on my mat and see what happens... no way im faulting the bipod, just looking into how guys are using these type bipods, and what works for them... good info, thanks!