Sinclair Bipod vsBald eagle slingshot rest advice needed

[Shawnba67]

Ok fella's i tried a search which seems to be inop today.
I am a new f class shooter i shoot f open @1000k Im not anywhere near competitive yet but im improving as i go agg's go up by 10-15 a match so far.
I have a rifle in a stockys long range stock that ive been shooting off of a $10 caldwell bipod, well that has got to go.
Im trying to decide between a gen 3 Sinclair f class bipod (sled feet)
or a Bald eagle slingshot cast iron rest.
the price between the two is nearly the same so thats a wash, they both seem fairly useless for any field shooting/hunting so thats not an advantage to either, Ive got plenty off weight left on my rifle for the pod to stay under 22lb
Please help me decide!!

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Well, F-Open shooters prefer a rest and that is not included in the weight allowance. But I have heard of some F-openers who do compete with bipods. If the bipod is attached, it counts in the weight of the rifle, as you showed.

I've never considered F-class competition rifles (F-TR or F-Open) to be anything with which you would want to hunt or run around.

If you're in F-Open, you probably want to use a rest, not a bipod.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I have not used the Bald Eagle but I can tell you I was not happy with the Sinclair bipod. It's been replaced by a Phoenix's bipod and I'd never go back.

 

[C. Collins]

My advice is to buy the bald eagle, then make plans to purchase an fopen stock after that. Get one that has a 3" wide flat forearm. If you dont get the right equipment you will hit a wall and wonder why your scores dont continue to improve. I have seen it.

 

[Highpower-FClass]

I have used both a Sinclair bipod and a bald eagle rest and I second the opinions above, go with the rest for F-Open. The Bald Eagles are a lot of rest for the money.

With the profile of your stock you would also benefit from a tracking plate to attach to the fore-end. You can use your stock in the rest without it but your rifle would not track as well as it would if it was flat and 3" wide.

I have only used tracking plates that attach to rails but it looks like this one attaches to sling studs, if that is what's on your stock:

https://www.sinclairintl.com/shooti...pters/forend-benchrest-adaptor-prod35661.aspx

I would think these kind of adapters are F-class legal, others might know for sure.

 

[kzin]

I'm fairly newbish myself but I do own both products.

The sinclair is an excellent bipod for f/tr.

I'm not nearly as happy with the eagle as a good rest.
A lot of people seem to like it and I might be doing something wrong but with the elevation unlocked for adjustment it's free to 'pivot' with only the rifle restraining the rest which seems backward! When I adjust elevation the windage sometimes wobbles and vice versa.

Even with those problems I can see that the rest should be superior for f-open and I'm still working with it. It is nice to adjust elevation with a dial and not by moving the stock back and forth on the bag.

 

[kzin]

I have used both a Sinclair bipod and a bald eagle rest and I second the opinions above, go with the rest for F-Open. The Bald Eagles are a lot of rest for the money.

With the profile of your stock you would also benefit from a tracking plate to attach to the fore-end. You can use your stock in the rest without it but your rifle would not track as well as it would if it was flat and 3" wide.

I have only used tracking plates that attach to rails but it looks like this one attaches to sling studs, if that is what's on your stock:

https://www.sinclairintl.com/shooti...pters/forend-benchrest-adaptor-prod35661.aspx

I would think these kind of adapters are F-class legal, others might know for sure.

They are fine as long as they're <= 3" which is the design point anyway.
My squad partner at my last match was running one.
Long term, of course, one should get a f-class/bench designed stock.

 

[boltman13]

I began and still use the Sinclair Bipod to shoot F-TR. There are some home made improvements you can make to it to improve performance. The height adjustment wheel is difficult to use without breaking position, and adding additional diameter or spokes makes it easier. The skids are too wide and are locked in place. Narrow ones made from sheet aluminum pined to the legs so they can pivot during recoil also help improve tracking. Try to get your rifle as low as possable on the legs also and there is less hop. While these changes will never make it the equal of a Phoenix Bipod or a Joy Pod they do help. When I shoot F-Open I use a Bald Eagle rest but now have a Shade Tree Enginering top that has a tiller that adjusts for windage and elevation. It is a significant improvement over the one that comes with the rest. Good luck.