Choosing and Using a Rifle Bipod: Features, Mounts and Loading

In a primer for The Armory Life, Ian Kenney covers the features he wants on a modern sporting rifle bipod and how to mount and load one. He starts by warning against cheap bipods.

Key points

• Brands: Kenney names Atlas, Magpul and Harris Engineering as generally good options.
• Height and cant: he says a lower bipod with legs adjusting from roughly 4 to 10 inches works for 95% of situations, and it should cant side to side to keep the reticle vertical on uneven ground. Magpul and Atlas models also pan, which he finds useful for moving or multiple targets.
• Notched legs: he wants notches for one-handed adjustment from behind the rifle and dislikes tension-knob legs, which he says need two hands and tend to slip.
• Feet and accessories: Atlas and Magpul feet come off for spikes or extensions, and adapters from Khantrol and Primary Adaptive Solution Systems let a Harris take Atlas accessories.
• Mounting: a single adapter like Magpul's suits prone or bench work; a quick-detach mount suits shooters who move or remove the bipod. Harris-style legs should fold forward, while Atlas legs fold either way.

Quick take

On loading, Kenney says to put forward pressure on the deployed legs to manage recoil and hold the reticle on target, but that it takes only mild pressure, not your full body weight. Used correctly, he writes, a bipod is a highly versatile aid to accurate shooting.

Read the full story at The Armory Life.