Dall sheep hunters: Rifle Bi-pod.......or not?

[northtoalaska13]

Who uses a bi-pod on their sheep rifle? which do you prefer and why? Or, why do you choose to use your tripod, backpack, or other when setting up for a shot.

 

[Wapiti1]

On my one dall hunt, I didn't want the extra weight of a bipod. For practice sessions, I took my trekking poles and shot off of them out to 300 yards.

Since I would have trekking poles, packs and no shortage of rocks to shoot over a bipod was never seriously considered. In the end, I shot both my bear and sheep using tall clumps of moss for rests. A bipod wouldn't really have helped and neither shot was long.

That is my one experience for dall sheep. On other mountain hunts, I used my pack for prone position shots. Has always worked fine, although I can't say I've never missed. I think you need to practice the way you anticipate shooting in the field and that makes the biggest improvement.

I know guys that put a bipod on their rifles and never take them off for any reason. To each his own.

Jeremy

 

[bates]

Only 1 Hunt but yes I carried a harris

It was worth it

I probably wouldn’t of taken my shot without a bipod

If going again I would take a hard look at the spartan javelin I believe bipod

I personally wouldn’t do any big hunt without one I practice with and without and shoot so much better with one

But I also want to be prepared to shoot out past 600-800 when the conditions are good

 

[idig4au]

Nope, I’ve yet to shoot any sheep or goat or any animal for that matter with a bipod. Not worth the weight. I much prefer to shoot over my pack

 

[mtnwrunner]

Who uses a bi-pod on their sheep rifle? which do you prefer and why? Or, why do you choose to use your tripod, backpack, or other when setting up for a shot.

I usually shoot off my pack or my tripod as I always carry it. Google sargeants sniper rest. It is a small aluminum cradle that straps onto a tripod leg or trekking pole. Very adjustable and stable. I carry it in my bino pouch and can strap it on real quick......it weighs almost nothing.
You obviously want to be as stable as you can when the shot breaks and bipods work great but I don't get putting one on a lightweight rifle.

Randy

 

[kscowboy01]

Absolutely. Used my Harris Bi-Pods on my Dall and they go on every Western hunt. As someone said 300 yards with trekking poles--I disagree, as that's a chip shot on a lot of sheep hunts. Sometimes you may have to push the envelope at 500+ yards, which is very doable with today's scope systems, range finders, and practice on your end. I've been to the range shooting 800 yard gongs with bi-pods. Extend your distance and try both. You will see that the pack isn't nearly as solid as a bi-pod.

Success in hunting is often dictated by eliminating variables. Eliminate one right here with a solid rest that allows you to shoot from multiple positions.

 

[BRWNBR]

I’ve had a lot of clients with bi-pods and while they do offer probably the most solid rest, they are often to short for whatever brush or grass is on the ground. Many have ended using their trekking poles or their pack to get the elevation needed.
Now for a 500 yard shot you can usually search around for a spot to use your bipod as you aren’t typically inside the sheeps bubble of terror and they usually won’t run off at that distance if your half careful.
Bipods are cool. But not worth it in the long run in my opinion, unless someone just sucks at shooting the bipod is a deal breaker for them.

 

[ljalberta]

No bipod for me. Only one lengthy sheep hunt under my feet (bighorn) though - 315 yard shot. No regrets not bringing a bipod and don't see myself bringing one in the future. Maybe one day if I have the time and money to invest into long range shooting it would be a consideration. I only feel comfortable shooting out to 400 yards with my current abilities though.

 

[MtGomer]

I don’t use one but if I was to buy one and didn’t mind spending the money I think I’d check out the Spartan. I believe Leupold also sells them. Same bipod but with their branding.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I would never even consider a bipod on a mountain rifle, but then I rarely take a shot beyond 200 yards when hunting mountain critters. Aside from trying to be in the best physical shape I can be in, my primary focus with mountain hunting is going in as light as possible. Adding a bipod to my gear list would be contrary to my primary goal.

 

[idig4au]

I would never even consider a bipod on a mountain rifle, but then I rarely take a shot beyond 200 yards when hunting mountain critters. Aside from trying to be in the best physical shape I can be in, my primary focus with mountain hunting is going in as light as possible. Adding a bipod to my gear list would be contrary to my primary goal.

My setimemts exactl6. You hit the nail on the head

 

[adventure907]

Negative on the bipod.

 

[Tastybearmeat]

No bipod. I usually end up busting some brush on my hunts. A bipod is one more piece of gear to get hung up.
Why spend money to gain weight?

 

[oenanthe]

I've been hunting Dall sheep for a couple of decades and have never even considered a bipod. But then I don't own a rangefinder, either.

My pack makes a good shooting rest, there's usually rocks around, or whatever. One time, on a grassy meadow, I'd dropped my pack and had only my rifle, binos, and spotter along. Four hours later when the time came to shoot, I used the spotter laid crosswise as a rifle rest.

I worry that if I went into the mountains with a bipod and fancy scope and rangefinder and cell phone with ballistics app, I would end up being reliant on these tools, and it would detract from the experience.

But that's just me - everybody's got to make their own call on these issues, and we all draw the line in a different spot. Nothing wrong with that.

(And by the way,never drop your pack on a sheep hunt. It always seems like a good idea at the time, and it's usually regretted later.)

 

[Jimss]

The name of the game when dall sheep hunting is covering miles of rugged country. There is no way I would want the additional weight of a bipod hanging off my shoulder....and I stay in excellent, year round shape! On all my sheep and mtn goat hunts I'm always trying to shed ounces off my load. My guess is that bipods weigh 1 pound+? You will also be faced with weight limits on your bush flight. It almost always is possible to find a rock to shoot prone off a backpack. I used to haul around a harris bipod...but not any more! I guess I'm getting a little older and wiser!

 

[FlyGuy]

Never hunted dalls myself, and only limited experience with Aoudad, but I too would tell you to check out the spartan bipod.

I wanted one for my hunt last month but opted to shoot off my pack. I'd gone (way) over budget on my rifle/scope so I had to let things settle down a bit before dropping that much coin on a bipod. I'll have one before Spring Bear season though!

I would not consider any other bipod on the market for hunting purposes for the exact reasons listed in the responses above. But, the spartan Javelin bipod eliminates about all of those negatives. It is genious. If you haven't seen it you need to check it out (www.Javelin bipod.com). Its only SIX oz! Keep it in your pocket while hunting and it snaps on with one hand (magnets) when you are ready to set up. The only real downside is the price tag. 300 bones, and shooting off of packs/rocks is free.

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[BRWNBR]

Never hunted dalls myself, and only limited experience with Aoudad, but I too would tell you to check out the spartan bipod.

I wanted one for my hunt last month but opted to shoot off my pack. I'd gone (way) over budget on my rifle/scope so I had to let things settle down a bit before dropping that much coin on a bipod. I'll have one before Spring Bear season though!

I would not consider any other bipod on the market for hunting purposes for the exact reasons listed in the responses above. But, the spartan Javelin bipod eliminates about all of those negatives. It is genious. If you haven't seen it you need to check it out (www.Javelin bipod.com). Its only SIX oz! Keep it in your pocket while hunting and it snaps on with one hand (magnets) when you are ready to set up. The only real downside is the price tag. 300 bones, and shooting off of packs/rocks is free.

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If you follow these forums I see very little concern for the cost of gear....blows my mind what guys will pay for a jacket.

 

[jhm2023]

No on the bipod. Mountain hunting is a lightweight endeavor for most and adding a bipod goes against that. Not to mention it can get in the way more often than it is helpful. A pack can be very steady but you need to practice from it. I've taken clean one shot kills to 600 from a pack, it's very doable provided you practice and become proficient shooting that way. Trekking poles work well at the shorter distances to get you up above grass and small bushes. All in all I paid a hefty price for a light weight rifle setup. Unless someone comes out with a quick detach bipod that is made of carbon or titanium and weighs under 4oz. my rifle will go without. Don't discount your sling as a shooting aid to get more stable, that is the primary purpose of it after all.

 

[FlyGuy]

Unless someone comes out with a quick detach bipod that is made of carbon or titanium and weighs under 4oz. my rifle will go without. [/QUOTE]

You just described the javelin bipod exactly. Well, its 5.2 oz.

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[204guy]

For me I didn't take 1 on my sheep hunt. Ended up shooting my ram at 330 yds using my binos as a rest. Most bipods weigh about 16 oz and that was too much for me. I tried the KDC and it just didn't work well as a bipod for me. Bought a Javelin today and we'll see how that works out.
As stated a pack can work well but it definitely has some limitations. Getting a big ol' pack out in front of you to shoot off is not always easy. It's definitely something that needs to be practiced. Slipping a bipoded rifle out from behind cover or over a rise is much easier and less obtrusive. I also find shooting off a bipod to be much quicker and easier.

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