Sticks or no sticks?

[mdwest]

On another popular hunting forum you can read where these guys will cut their toothbrushes in half to save weight.

lol... stole that idea from Dick Marcinko's vietnam era SEAL stories I would guess.... (he talks about doing that in his book Rogue Warrior)...

We'll be working out of a tent camp for the time Im there.. so I'll just be carrying a day pack while Im elk hunting... I'll be keeping my full sized toothbrush and full sized tube of tooth paste in a duffle back in camp

 

[C.W. Richter]

lol... stole that idea from Dick Marcinko's vietnam era SEAL stories I would guess.... (he talks about doing that in his book Rogue Warrior)...

We'll be working out of a tent camp for the time Im there.. so I'll just be carrying a day pack while Im elk hunting... I'll be keeping my full sized toothbrush and full sized tube of tooth paste in a duffle back in camp

Airlines & Hotels stole the idea long ago! LOL for "weight" savings, of course. I almost swallowed one. Blast from the Past (a guy at work used to recycle Dickie Marcinko's books to me after he'd read them!) The post-war stoppings of terrorist plane hijackings of he/his team really hit home! That seemed to happen a lot in the 70s!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Many hunters buy the (too short) benchrest model bipods (6"-12"), but I far prefer the longer (30ish") versions that can shoot from about 12" to 2.5' which work perfectly in high grass as well as sitting atop rocks or in other open areas. Many phenomenal shots made w/ 'em. It's akin to a lower-profile, quieter shooting stick with the shooter as the third-leg anchor of the "sticks." I like the Harris Ultralight for long walk mountain hunts, spot/stalk and even varmint hunting. Very easily adjusted for height and sloping ground and in some models you may even rotate the rifle to level. They weigh 2 lbs and even add to rifle accuracy vis-a-vis the extra mass. This is how we'd practice w/ our mid-bore rifles in Summertime... View attachment 627716View attachment 627717

The problem with bipod, especially the longer extension models, is they are bulky. They can seriously throw the balance of rifle out of whack. Try carrying a forward heavy rifle all day in the ready position. Very hard on neck, shoulder, and upper back. Been there! Attached bipods are also prone to snagging brush in heavy cover. I tried carrying my shorter bipod in daypack to attach as needed. Well, that is NOT a quick setup. Cost me a nice mule deer buck right around the corner. By the time I could get my sling detached, bipod out of the pack, and the bloody fiddly SOB finally attached to my rifle's sling swivel stud, the herd of deer was chased off by a coyote. I fixed that bastard's wagon the next morning. Shot on the run at fifty yards.

I think the answer is a tacticool true quick detach bipod that hooks up to pic rail. Then buy a small pic-rail adapter that attaches to sling stud. These have a stud on top for attaching sling. The tac bipod can simply be clamped onto the rail adapter with quick levers as needed. Kinda unsightly but I'm sure it would work.

The beveling bipods do NOT work. No matter how tight I crank on the knob, it will not stay locked in place. I've even used vicegrip pliers! This one also marked my stock. The vinyl pads that came on it were a joke to start with. One fell off and I replaced with thick leather. But this contraption will likely never go back on my rifle. Pretty much useless. Caldwell brand.