Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting Rear bags & bipods

What is the preferred equipment list for you F T/R guys with regard to favorite bags and bipods?

A popular bag is the one sold by sinclair, the Protektor. I have one in leather with the bunny ears (BAG41). I stuffed it with what is known as heavy sand, also available at Sinclair.

I have used several bipods of the years and have finally settled (for now) in the new model from sinclair. I think it's really doing a good job for me. The one before that was a Versa Pod which was much better than the Harris, in my opinion.

www.sinclairintl.com

I also use the Protektor (Bag-41) for a rear bag. It's filled with heavy sand, I have the ears of my bag filled a little harder that someone who's a bag squeezer would use (I use the same bag for Benchrest matches). I know Denys doesn't like the Harris, I haven't had any issues shooting with one. The trick with the Harris is that you have to load the bipod (push foward pressure into it) to get any consistency out of it. The legs of the Harris will dig into soft soil, you can cure that by putting something like a door mat down to shoot off of. I also have made myself a Sinclair bipod clone to play with. Shooting with that style of bipod is close to shooting off a benchrest. You can slide the rifle foward and back for minor elevation changes, it doesn't have preloaded like a Harris. It depends on what style you like, I've shot some good scores off the Harris...

I have a shooters ridge bag with rabbit ears and have ordered another bag with rabbit ears, Proteker (Bag-40). Filled with what ever sand I can get my hands on my preference would be for heavy sand. I use the Rabbit as opposed to the bunny for the simple reason I can control my rifles recoil better with the rabbit ears. With the taller ears the rifle has more support with the taller side walls and can reduce the amount of side movement during recoil if my NPA is off line.
I use the Harris bipod with pod claws and like AJ300 states you need to load the bipod to reduce the amount of hope. The claws give me to added benefits. I can put a lot more forward pressure on the Harris and the large foot print prevents me from sinking into the ground as much no need for a rug, mat or I have heard a freezbee being used. I may try the rubber feet from the same company to see if there is any improvement in recoil management.

What I hated about the Harris was the rocking motion that was induced by the recoil. The fore end of the rifle is on to op both legs and the are pointing at an point in space about 3-4 inches above the barrel. On hard ground, which we get in Houston in summer months, the thing would just bounce and twist.

The Versa Pod is a cantilivered design for the attachment to the rifle so it is immune from the offcenter hopping, but it is still a design the is all under the fore end.

The Sinclair is more of a cradle design but I still wish it would be lower at the juncture of the rifle and the bipod.

I have been using a high-tech rubber doormat to put the bipod on, it's more to preserve the finish and present a consistent surface on which to rest the bipod.

I used to load the VersaPod, I do not load the Sinclair, it let it do the work.

(I need to get the next chapter out.)

I am not a fan of the hop myself, however I feel like I have more control over the Harris then the others. There is a push pull with the Harris where I can use my body weight to load the bipod and then pull in slightly to adjust the pressure and NPA giving me (my perception) a firmer lock up.
I have tried the Sinclair and the Henry Remple ski pod and Henry's pod is the best of the bunch but at close to 4 lbs I can�t even come close to making weight with his design. Taking weight out of a barrel or switching from my Nightforce is giving up too much for a bipod.

I find with the Sinclair and the Remple that there is more of a pull into the shoulder and let the front end slide back similar to a BR front rest. Even with the much wider foot print of the ski type pods I don't feel I have as much control and it seems like more of a free recoil method. I will defer to those who have much more experience with the other versions as I have only had test periods with them.

However until I can completely isolate my shooting errors to my bipod selection I will stay with the Harris.

As an FYI Russell Simmons from the UK has a diet version of the Remple ski pod that might be of interest.

Any contact information on the Russell Simmons version?

I too am looking to get a Rempel and could like the weight loss.

you may want to check out F class Uk their sute has photos and an interview with Russell. I don't know who the builder is of the bi-pod.

OK I found a pic of the larkin bipod the britts call theres a larkin style bipod. it seems the legs are narrow and the feet on the UK ones are not as wide. I am still looking for spec on both


Here is he link the pic is pretty small
http://www.northfloridashooting.com/images/Larkin_Bipod/larkin_target_bipod.htm

Geeze that thing looks like a saw hourse!

Monte was running around at the Nat's showing off a prototype of a neat little bipod. Each leg was two carbon shafts, had a crank in the middle (under the bipod) for elevation adjustments.

I found that a pod lock for my Harris keeps the rifle from tilting to the side.

Pod Lock's should come pre-installed on Harris bipods.