Home made bipod?

jimisbell

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Jul 24, 2020
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Location
ingleside, TX
I have been looking at a lot of bipods. They all look the same and none look like what I want. So I am thinking of making my own. Has anyone done that and where could I research some of the designs?
 
I have not but you have me interested now. If you come up with something post a picture. It would be neat to see what you come up with.
 
My adjustment points are:
1) Most look flimsy. I am wanting one for a Lapua 338 Mag.
2) I know Bipod must be best since everybody makes them, but why not tri, quad?
3) I want the rifle to free recoil, like on ball bearings on the pod head or skis.
4) I am shooting targets, not moving animals so want finely adjustable height.
5) I have a nice set of metal working tools.......

1 and 3 are the driving points
 
All the different applications serve some aspects at least pretty well, including the basic bipods like the Harris for example.
One of the advantages they have of coarse is size and portability.
None however will be perfect unless you design your own specifically for your purpose.
Size and weight will also become an issue especially for use with heavy caliber guns and weight of them.
The return to battery type are more important for hunting use than for target use, also for the guns with heavy recoil. But small bearing sets wont hold up well, so consider an alternative, like Teflon or other type plastic.
Also getting down on ones belly becomes an issue with age and terrain type.
So that means a design change to something more suitable for sitting/standing.
So now were no longer talking about a Bipod, but a Tripod.
And for the big boomers especially, not just any tripod.
A very small bench with 3 adjustable legs just high enough to sit or kneel behind and used in conjunction with a standard bipod, is a far simpler solution.
But it dosent solve everything either.
I have and use what your referring to, and so do others i know, but it isnt small and not all that portable.
 
Small and portable are not prime concerns here, within reason. I am a target shooter so the car is nearby. I dont do prone for the reason you stated. Hell, I dont even do bath tubs anymore because the last time I did my wife had to get in the tub and help me out!!! But I have to admit that at the time I was having a Bi Lateral Pulmonary Embolism, which I survived.
But I want something substantial and with free recoil and maybe even with slides or wheels on the ends of the legs. I think wheels would not work because they would be too slippery. But I dont want the Pod to restrict movement of the rifle as it recoils against my shoulder.
 
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Small and portable are not prime concerns here, within reason. I am a target shooter so the car is nearby. I dont do prone for the reason you stated. Hell, I dont even do bath tubs anymore because the last time I did my wife had to get in the tub and help me out!!! But I have to admit that at the time I was having a Bi Lateral Pulmonary Embolism, which I survived.
But I want something substantial and with free recoil and maybe even with slides or wheels on the ends of the legs. I think wheels would not work because they would be too slippery. But I dont want the Pod to restrict movement of the rifle as it recoils against my shoulder.
Well your describing a return to battery set up when you talk about free recoil.
Quite a few Pa long range hunters have been using various type setups like that for decades.
But they can vary in nature due to what they sit on.
For hunting, standing while shooting has definite advantages due to the ease of movement and keeping ones self aligned with the target as it moves.
But again, every system will have trade offs, and needs to be tailored to individual preferences.
Pm me an email address if your interested, and i will email back some pics of a few tripod setups.
Frankly, although i do use a return to battery and find it to be very helpfull for my use, it isnt really a necessity.
However, once you become used to shooting while standing with a very good quality tripod designed for shooting, there is no going back.
 
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