Best Bipods of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

The greatest bipod to make use of is dependent upon your particular wants and the configuration of your rifle. It wasn’t all the time so sophisticated. Years again when all rifles had swivel studs as attachment factors and there have been solely a pair bipod makers value listening to, the reply was easy. Go with a Harris. Depending in your scenario, that’s nonetheless not a foul selection.

But we’ve witnessed an explosion within the number of bipods in recent times pushed by area of interest purposes that make the query of what the very best rifle bipod is a bit harder to reply. This is an efficient drawback, nonetheless. Whether you’re searching for a rifle bipod for mountain searching, precision rifle competitors, excessive long-range capturing, or one thing that may match a modest funds—there are myriad choices to select from. What we’ve listed below are the very best bipods of the lot.

Putting The Best Bipods To The Test

The bipods listed below are ones that I and my fellow Outdoor Life editors have used and vetted. They are those we take into the mountains, use throughout gun checks for evaluating rifle accuracy off a bench, and are a part of our package for long-range matches.

The conclusions listed below are based mostly on years of capturing and searching expertise with the varied fashions and capturing them head-to-head towards one another and others of their area of interest.

The Best Bipods: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Entry-Level: Harris S

Pros

• Classic, bomb-proof design
• Easy to function
• Affordable
• Lots of add-ons in Harris ecosystem accessible

Cons

• Not a variety of adjustability in system

So many cliches can describe Harris bipods. Rock stable. Time examined. Tried and true. They all apply. As an all-around high quality bipod that’s fairly priced, the Harris S-series stays a best choice.

The legs on this mannequin prolong from 9 to 13 inches when the tab holding the spring-loaded legs is depressed. A wheel on the rear of the bipod controls the strain on the lean characteristic. With heavy rifles it may be tough to maintain it tight sufficient to forestall the rifle from eager to flop over. If you encounter that, take into account getting a alternative wheel with a deal with on it that may be cranked down tighter.

The legs solely have two positions—stowed or 90 levels down, and the width of the ft is fastened as properly. That stated, there are a ton of aftermarket equipment to configure Harris bipods to your liking.

When I’m utilizing a rifle with a single swivel stud up entrance, the Harris S-series is what I most frequently flip to.

Best Budget: Magpul MOE

Pros

• Simple
• Affordable
• Lightweight

Cons

• Not a variety of adjustability in system
• Bulky profile appears to be like misplaced on slender rifles

The polymer Magpul MOE is a stripped-down, fundamental, inexpensive, and efficient bipod. What you see is what you get with the MOE. The two legs deploy simply by hand and lock into place. Push buttons on both leg allows you to prolong them from about 7 to 10 inches in ½-inch steps.

The bipod has rubber ft that grip properly however may be changed with widespread aftermarket ft if you’d like one thing totally different.

The bipod locks onto a swivel stud by way of a big thumb wheel that’s simple to govern and tighten. In the stowed place the bipod doesn’t prolong very far beneath the fore-end, which is sweet. The bipod solely weighs 8 ounces, although the silhouette of the Magpul MOE is fairly chunky. While it appears to be like proper at dwelling on ARs and fashionable chassis rifles, it may be an odd match with a extra historically configured deer gun.

Best Budget Runner Up: Caldwell XLA Pivot

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Proven design

Cons

• Limited versatility
• Not as sturdy as premium bipods

At round 50 bucks, the Caldwell XLA Pivot—which borrows closely from the unique Harris bipod design—is hard to beat. It comes with 4 totally different leg configurations: 6 to 9 inches; 9 to 13 inches; 13 to 23 inches; and 13.5 to 27 inches.

It makes use of a single thumb wheel to clamp onto a swivel stud and has legs that use stout exterior springs to carry them rigidly in place, whether or not deployed or stowed.

The legs have index grooves on them to set their top and are tipped with rubber ft. Likewise, the cradle that contacts the fore-end has a rubber lining to forestall marring the inventory. The cradle cants a complete of 18-degrees to assist the shooter stage the rifle on uneven terrain.

I’ve used these bipods many occasions up to now and they’re stable performers. There’s nothing fancy about them, however there’s nothing fallacious both.

Best General Precision Rifle Bipod: Atlas BT10 V8

Pros

• Easy to deploy
• Versatile
• Durable

Cons

I’ve been operating Atlas bipods for a very long time. I’ve obtained at the very least a half-dozen in my stock in varied configurations. For normal precision rifle work—whether or not on a bolt gun or semi-auto AR-type fuel rig—they’re the very best rifle bipod in mild of the stability they strike with offering stable help, their ease of use, versatility, sturdiness, and worth.

They are properly machined out of aluminum and aren’t excessively cumbersome. The legs may be positioned in 5 totally different positions from 0 to 180 levels. The legs on this mannequin go from 6.5 to 10 inches in size. That diploma of adjustability makes them very adaptable to various kinds of terrain. The ft can be swapped from the usual rubber pads to spiked variations.

The spring-loaded collars on the legs, that are used to set the leg size, are comparatively simple to govern whilst you’re arrange behind the gun, that means you can also make changes shortly. This could be a lifesaver whether or not you’re in the course of a stage throughout a match or about to shoot a deer of a lifetime.

Atlas bipods are stiff for his or her measurement and may take being loaded exhausting. The heads they’re constructed on traverse 30-degrees for panning they usually have a little bit of cant on faucet as properly to simply stage your rifle. This model weighs about 13 ounces.

Atlas bipods have three attachment choices: Quick detach Picatinny (my favourite, although it provides about $60 to the worth), completely secured with two screws to a Picatinny rail, or a modular clamping choice to be used with different programs (ARMS 17S, Badger Ordnance Tramp, LaRue Tactical LT271, and so on.).

Best Precision Rifle Bipod: MDT Ckye-Pod Gen2

Pros

• Excellent versatility and pace
• Great stability

Cons

Plenty of the highest rivals in sensible precision rifle disciplines like PRS, NRL, RTC and others run—or aspire to run—MDT Ckye Pods. The versatility, pace, and help provided by these bipods is second-to-none. They are arguably the very best rifle bipod being made at the moment.

MDT bought the design from my buddy Ckye Thomas a number of years again and moved manufacturing to their services in Canada. After some rising pains, they labored the kinks out of mass producing this advanced design and have rolled out various fashions.

The Gen2 fashions are available in a number of configurations. The single-pull leg design remains to be the commonest. The legs regulate from 9.5 to 14.5 inches in size. The leg width is adjustable too—from pinched shut collectively to get the gun up excessive, to unfold ridiculously far aside to maintain the rifle near the bottom. The legs can be independently set at 0, 45, and 90 levels.

Oh, and the pinnacle spins round 180 levels too. All that adjustability wouldn’t depend for a lot for those who couldn’t do it shortly on the clock—however the Ckye Pod makes that simple too.

The double pull system goes from 9.5 to 18 inches. It bumps the load from 1 pound 6 ounces to 1 pound 10 ounces and bumps the worth up $200 as properly.

Once you get your fingers on one, it isn’t obscure why they value as a lot as they do. It’s additionally value noting that as a result of they’re sophisticated, it’s good to keep them. That means preserving them clear, lubed up, and ensuring the fasteners are correctly tightened.

If you maintain it, the MDT Ckye-Pod will maintain you and make you a extra succesful long-range shooter.

Best Lightweight: Spartan Javelin Lite Rifle Bipod

Pros

Cons

This intelligent bipod is the brainchild of my pal Rob Gearing. He’s a semi-crazy Brit who spends as a lot of his time within the backcountry as doable and who’s obsessive about fly fishing, searching, precision capturing, and light-weight gear.

This bipod is good for mountain searching since it’s sturdy, mild, and fast to deploy. Unlike most bipods that stay affixed to the rifle, the Javelin slips into socket in an adapter you set in your rifle and is held in place by a powerful magnet. The concept is that you simply carry the bipod, with the legs folded collectively, in a pants pocket or in your jacket and pull it out once you get arrange for the shot. Getting the bipod on the rifle takes just a few seconds.

The bipod weighs in at 5 ounces or much less, so this can be very transportable. It may be had in three fixed-leg lengths: 5.1 in., 7.2 in., and eight.7 in. Their respective weights are 4.6 oz., 4.8 oz, and 5 oz.

The bipod cants to regulate to uneven floor and the system pans simply for traversing onto goal. While the Javelin is greater than enough for stabilizing a searching rifle, it doesn’t present the identical stability as designs geared for competitors.

Read Next: Spartan Ascent Tripod Review

Best for NRL Hunter: MDT Ckye-Pod Lightweight Single Pull

Pros

• Sturdy
• Versatile
• Quick to deploy

Cons

The NRL Hunter sequence has taken off within the final couple years. It’s a enjoyable capturing format that’s designed round utilizing rifles which can be transportable, correct, and chambered in cartridges enough for large recreation. In truth, the fellows who got here up with the idea actually wished hunters to have the ability to roll up with their favourite deer or elk rifle and have the ability to take part.

Most shooters compete in divisions that restrict rifle weight to 12 kilos—which incorporates the scope, bipod, and some other gizmos you may wish to connect to your gun.

Since some pictures may be as far out as 800 yards, most rivals attempt to run massive precision rifle scopes that eat up a variety of the 12-pound weight allotment.

To make weight whereas nonetheless operating a succesful bipod, many shooters—myself included—have taken to the MDT Ckye-Pods Lightweight Single Pull. It offers almost the identical stability and flexibility because the common Gen2 fashions, whereas reducing 5 to six ounces from the system.

In truth, I’m such a fan of this bipod that I’m usually taking it with me searching, even on grueling mountain hunts the place each ounce must justify itself. It has a clamp that attaches shortly (and securely) to both RRS ARCA rails or Picatinny rails. It’s so sturdy and fast to deploy that when the time involves make the shot, you’re going to be glad you introduced it alongside.  

How to Choose the Best Bipod

Most bipods come in numerous variations. The fundamental variations are within the lengths of the legs, the varied attachments they’ll accommodate, the best way they hook up with the rifle, and further options, reminiscent of panning and tilting.

The bipods I’ve chosen principally characterize a fundamental model of the model and mannequin. But if you’d like a bipod with a selected attribute—say further lengthy legs for making kneeling pictures in tall grass—most of the makers listed beneath provide variants for these wants.

Leg size might be probably the most vital consideration. The longer the legs, the simpler it’s to clear obstacles along with your rifle. But longer legs add weight and are much less steady as a result of they are going to flex extra readily.

For fundamental inclined capturing off a bench or capturing mat, legs which can be 6 to eight inches lengthy that reach one other 3 or 4 inches are a very good wager. They will work properly in some subject conditions however can actually come up brief if you end up in a capturing place with a variety of vegetation.

Models with legs which can be 9 to 16 inches let you shoot extra simply from kneeling and sitting positions. And there are some bipods with extra-long leg attachments that may get you as excessive as 30 inches off the bottom.

Whichever bipod you go together with, be certain it’s suitable with the attachment system in your rifle—normally a swivel stud, Picatinny rail, or ARCA rail. You additionally wish to be certain the bipod works properly with different equipment in your rifle, reminiscent of slings, weapon lights, night time imaginative and prescient models, and so forth.  

How To Shoot Off A Bipod

There are various totally different methods that may be employed when capturing with a bipod, notably when the capturing place entails rocks, bushes, barricades and different terrain options.

But generally, you wish to get sq. behind the rifle and put a reasonable quantity of ahead strain into the inventory along with your shoulder. This will take the slack out of the bipod legs and is often known as loading the bipod.

This will stabilize your crosshairs—all the time a very good factor—and enable you to management the recoil of your rifle. This will enhance the precision of your pictures and can help you with getting again on the right track shortly.

You don’t have to put the whole lot of your physique weight into the bipod, however it is best to have sufficient strain so that you simply don’t want a rear help bag to maintain the rifle from slipping off your shoulder.

FAQ

Final Thoughts on the Best Bipods

Zeroing in on the very best rifle bipod for you entails weighing three fundamental elements. Budget is a giant one. A very good bipod may be had for $50, however some are north of $500. This results in the subsequent issue, which is whether or not you need one thing for normal use or have a distinct segment utility in thoughts. There are a number of good all-around bipods to choose amongst, however for those who’re outfitting a rifle for mountain searching or want one thing that may enable you to win a match that modifications the equation. 

Once you’ve taken funds and utility into consideration, then it’s good to choose the precise mannequin. As you’ve seen, most bipods are available in a number of totally different flavors, with totally different leg lengths, methodology