I've a few dozen too many bipods myself...................(grin)
We've already established that you can't shoot without training wheels.
Everyone else can shoot without a bipod, but choose to use one for ease. You, on the other hand, have no choice.
So, you make all your long shots freehand? Or????? No rest needed?
Not every shot is long. In fact, 95%+ aren't. I don't need a rest for short shots. Offhand is fine to 200 on deer. They are big targets. If I want to bump up the steadiness, sitting does the trick. Out to 600, prone without a rest is fine. It's only when you get beyond that you really need a rest. Until then, it's optional.
I personally don't like very long shots on animals - they tend to move. At 600 yards, a typical TOF is about 7/8 of a second. A deer walking is about 5mph. That's over 7 feet in a second. So, if a stationary deer takes a step at the same time you trip the trigger, it could easily turn into a gut shot. That's more than I'm usually comfortable with.
