Tripod or bipod for stabilizing rifle when hunting?

[ezmiraldo]

Hey guys!

I came to realization that I will greatly benefit from having some device to stabilize my rifle when hunting and shooting from standing or kneeling position (I will likely be taking relatively long shots -- 200-300 yards -- in areas where there are no trees or bushes to help stabilize rifle). I've narrowed down my options to a 24-61-inch bipod or tripod from Primos.

I understand that bipod would weigh less - which is a plus. It might also be faster - another plus.

But, how much am I gaining in terms of stability when using a tripod? Stability is what I'm after. Any other advantages/disadvantages of bipods v. tripods that aren't very obvious to new hunters, like myself? I'd really appreciate some advice! Thanks in advance.

[Deerhunter]

I have the Primos tripod and it is awesome. I have it for my daughters to use. I have shot off it a couple times. It is much more stable then the bipod. If you set the legs right it really help with the front back and side to side vs the bipod.

One thing I like about the tripod is even on ground that is uneven you can adjust the legs to different lengths with the trigger pretty easily.

[kraigwy]

Have you tied a sling (such as the M1907 style)?

There are many times such bipods or tripods are no practical, such as steep terrain.

You can always use a sling, And they are accurate and stable once you learn to use them.

[Brian Pfleuger]

A tripod that attaches solidly to the gun and has a friction adjustment/lock will be far more stable than any bipod. A bipod that attaches solidly to the gun and has a friction adjustment/lock will be much more stable than a bipod without one.

I find the Primos type sticks to be one step up from useless. They don't actually attach firmly to the firearm and allow far to many planes of movement. They're better than shooting off-hand (without a sling) but only barely.

[taylorce1]

I bought my daughter a BOG Pod tri-pod to use when hunting from a blind. I usually carry Stoney Point shooting sticks when hunting. Once you learn to use them properly they are plenty stable for long shots from kneeling or sitting position, as they are far too short for use standing.

I'll disagree with Brian on this one about needing them to attach to a rifle to be useful. I've made several long range shots off of them on steel practicing for hunting. I've killed as well many a coyote off of the sticks beyond 400 yards, and one mule deer over 500.

[Unlicensed Dremel]

Tripod.

Specifically, the ProMaster xc525, in the bare bones configuration, with a "V" style rubber top from a tripod sold as a 'hunting tripod' - screwed on.

[FrankenMauser]

I use a bipod for Antelope hunting. It's nice to have.

For everything else, I find an improvised rest or shoot unsupported.

Trees.
Rocks.
Party members...


The bipod is plenty stable. A tripod is just ridiculous overkill, in my opinion.
Unless you're only going to walk a short distance and set up your artillery in one spot for the day, that tripod will be too heavy and annoying to be beneficial.

[Crankylove]

If you are setting up in one spot for the day I would say tripod.

If you'll be moving around (I'll hike anywhere from 2-10 miles a day while on the elk hunt), I would say the bipod is the better, option being lighter weight and a smaller package than most tripods.

I don't use either. For short(ish) hikes after deer, antelope, and elk, I'll take along some homemade shooting sticks (couple 7/8" dowels bolted together............I'm cheap) as they actually provide a good bit of stability. I find them easier to pack around than a bipod attached to the rifle, and are a little quicker to use, for me.

Long hikes, I leave the sticks at camp and whatever rest is handy (trees, sagebrush, rocks, fallen logs, backpack) or shoot prone if it's an option.

[mardanlin]

The sling trick works really well for me when I have to stabilize a shot for long distances on the fly.

[jmr40]

Shooting sticks with 3 legs, tripod, works best, but is the most cumbersome. A bipod that attaches to the rifle works great, if you can see through grass etc. Not all locations lend themselves to prone shooting, and they do add a lot of weight to the gun as well as changing balance dramatically. The best compromise I've found is a 2 legged shooting stick. While not as steady as 3 legs there are several very compact designs that are easy to carry. With practice they really do help.

[mete]

Stoney Point bipod. My rifle is a RRB with very heavy barrel .All the weight [ 9 lbs ] is in the barrel so for hunting some help is necessary.The ST bipod is very light, easy to adjust ,and with the longest I can shoot standing.

[Panfisher]

I have used a Harris Bipod (antelope and prairie dogs), home made shooting sticks consisting of two 3/8 inch hardwood dowels with a rubber band to hold them together, and a walking stick (grab it and rest the rifle on my wrist). All work, all are somewhat cumbersome. The least cumbersome was the harris bipod. However I don't generall use it around home as there are plenty of trees to rest against without the need of the extra weight.

[Slamfire]

Have you tied a sling (such as the M1907 style)?

There are many times such bipods or tripods are no practical, such as steep terrain.

You can always use a sling, And they are accurate and stable once you learn to use them

I am so proud of my sling shooting skills, and so sad that it is going to be a lost art.

Bipods, tripods, rests and sand bags are what new shooters want to use.

[ezmiraldo]

Two quick questions, guys:

1. What is the proper technique to use bipod/tripod that doesn't attach to the rifle?

2. What is the proper technique to use the sling?

Quick questions, right?!

[hooligan1]

I have used two different sets of the Primos Trigger Sticks tripod, and I find that brand to be two steps under "crap". Always without fail one or two of the legs fail to lock...wasting 130.00 isnt my kind of cool when it comes to hunting gear...I will try the Stony Points, or Bog Pods, next......Primos customer srrvice is kinda like their tripod two steps under "crap"....never again.

[natman]

Sling up. It doesn't weigh much and you'll have one on the rifle to carry it anyway. I can only see dragging a tripod around if you hunt from a truck or have gun bearers.

Properly used in the sitting position a sling offers a very stable platform.

[Brian Pfleuger]

You guys act like a tripod is 6ft tall and weighs 10lbs.

These things clip to your belt or packs, weigh 8oz and are 24" long. You wouldn't even know it was there.

[jmr40]

I am so proud of my sling shooting skills, and so sad that it is going to be a lost art.

Bipods, tripods, rests and sand bags are what new shooters want to use.

Shooting sticks were in common use long before shooting slings were used. I CAN shoot quite well with a sling, and if a quick shot has to be taken I will do so with a hasty sling position.

But as Brian pointed out a set of shooting sticks are actually pretty small and light, less than a heavy leather shooting sling. They go in a side pocket of my day pack and only come out once I'm where I'm going. Once used they offer near bench rest accuracy.

Lots of stuff becomes a lost art when it is no longer needed. There are better options.

[T. O'Heir]

Hunting what? You won't have time to play with either if you're not in a blind.
"...a set of shooting sticks..." You cut. For free. Custom made. One will do.
"...technique to use bipod/tripod..." Your bearers hand the tripod to you. Bipods are always attached via the front sling swivels and just fold down.
The sling you put your non-trigger arm(I shoot long guns left, so use the one you need to. Snicker.) through and wrap it around your forearm. Easier to do than describe. There are videos on-line too.

[Scorch]

I came to realization that I will greatly benefit from having some device to stabilize my rifle when hunting and shooting from standing or kneeling position

The device you are looking for is called a "sling", and is a very versatile hunting accessory. Not only will it stabilize your rifle for offhand, sitting, kneeling, or prone shots, it can also be used to make it easier to carry the rifle when your hands are full of game you have shot. Best of all, it will add negligible weight to your rifle, and should not interfere with any other accessories you may want to add.

[DPI7800]

You won't have time to play with either if you're not in a blind

Well that is not always true. A few years back when I was in NM on a Pronghorn hunt I had spotted a Pronghorn at 250 yards, and guess what I had time to stop take my pack off get into a stable, relaxed and comfortable shooting position. Now because I had practiced shooting a boatload at 300 yds in a seated position using my pack as a rest that is what I chose to use. However I had plenty of time to set up my tri-pod if I wanted to. I finally shot him at 50 yards while he was on a dead run strait towards me.

Anyways I am a huge fan of the tri-pod as an additional tool. I use a Manfrotto photo tri-pod with a pan head that weighs in at about 8lbs. I carry it when I archery hunt and rifle hunt. For the archery season it just serves as a base for my optics for glassing. Rifle hunts it pulls double duty for glassing and as a shooting rest if needed for longer shots or unusual positions or horribly uneven ground. Don’t get me wrong it is not my one and only shooting aid I use or practice with, I still keep a bi-pod on the rifle and will also use my backpack as a rest from a sitting or prone position.

I made my own cradle out of 1 ½” X 1/8” aluminum stock that I attached to one of the Manfrotto quick release bases so I can switch between shooting rest and optics. The cradle allows me a good solid rest with flexibility to move as needed.

[FrankenMauser]

You won't have time to play with either if you're not in a blind.

Nah.
In 2012, I spotted a doe antelope browsing across the flats, about 750-800 yards out.
I calmly walked out (about 200 yards, somewhat perpendicular to her path) to a position where I wanted to set up, sat down, extended and adjusted the bipod legs, rested the rifle on the ground, and spent the next 20-30 minutes launching ants and beetles with blades of grass.

When the doe got to about 300 yards, heading straight for me, I pulled the rifle up, waited for what I wanted to see, and made the shot as she turned broad-side to go around some sagebrush at about 225 yards (too much wind for a head shot).

Plenty of time, and she never knew I was there.

And, that wasn't an isolated incident - for antelope, anyway.
Whether they were my kills, or just shots fired to stop an animal wounded by another hunter, I can only think of 2 shots on antelope where I wouldn't have had time to set up my bipod - both were surprise shots on running antelope at close range.
For everything else, I either had the time, but not the tools; had the time and used the bipod; or I had the time and was using something else (like shooting sticks or the crotch of a large sagebrush).


I only hunt with a bipod when I'm after antelope, but it's not like I'm a roadhunter, either. I camp in the same spot every year, and hunt from camp ...on foot. My truck is pretty much only used for hauling dead animals back to camp, or for scouting outlying areas on days with minimal herd movement.


My father, on the other hand, likes dragging a tripod around when he hunts antelope. Between the way he hunts, the noise it makes, and the time it takes him to set up, he misses about 80-90% of shot opportunities or spooks the goats before he can even get close.

[natman]

You guys act like a tripod is 6ft tall and weighs 10lbs.

These things clip to your belt or packs, weigh 8oz and are 24" long. You wouldn't even know it was there.

Could you provide a link to this ultra light tripod? I looked on Midway and the lightest I could find was in the 2-2.5 lb area.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/179659

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/623795

At any rate even a half a pound / 2 feet long item in my pack has to be something I just can't do without. As long as I have a 4 oz sling already on my rifle that's always ready to use a tripod isn't going to make the cut.

I'm amazed that the use of a shooting sling is now considered something of a lost art. I learned about it in Boy Scouts and IIRC it was covered in the merit badge book. Perhaps it has something to do with the military's conversion to full auto weapons.

[Unlicensed Dremel]

You are right but lost art or not, it's still not as good as a solid rest like a tripod.

[Double Naught Spy]

You won't have time to play with either if you're not in a blind.

I use Primos tall tripod Trigger Sticks. They are awesome (as noted above). They deploy and adjust very quickly. I have used them for hogs now on four different occasions, for three of which I have video. I have used them as both a monopod and as a tripod and have been very pleased with the results. The downside is that they are bulky/cumbersome, but they work well.

http://youtu.be/N73hReqkpmU
http://youtu.be/5YQotnc4EcU
http://youtu.be/dTFHUm9h4H0

And the no-video hog from 135 yards.