Spend 3x the money as a Harris bipod???

[TXHunt]

I’m wanting a new bipod. In the past I’ve always used a Harris. I don’t have any experience with anything else. Is it really worth the money to spend 3x the amount to get a Atlas or he new Gunwerks? In comparison in looking at the S-LM Harris. I see the Gunwerks is 3 oz lighter and can get taller. But other than that what does it or the Atlas really do to make it 3x the money. And I’m not complaining about the price I truly want to know what they do better and if it’s really worth the extra money.

 

[doc holiday13]

Atlas is super rock solid. I prefer it greatly over a Harris

 

[JohnJohnson]

My Atlas CAL (with an SC-ARC clamp) is easily worth 3x a Harris to me. It's rock solid, mounts to my arca rail, and the legs don't rotate. I can't describe how much I hated that my Harris legs would rotate and walk the gun forward as I tried to load the bipod.

 

[Theringworm]

Parts of the Harris rust very easily. Never had my Atlas do that and both have been exposed to the same environmental conditions. I have no experience with the Gunwerks bipod but it looks solid.

 

[Samson7x]

The only other bipod I own is an Atlas and it is a significant improvement over Harris. I am interested in the Gunwerks one too.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

The atlas with the non rotating legs is really nice, I like it better than my Harris.

 

[Formidilosus]

I’m wanting a new bipod. In the past I’ve always used a Harris. I don’t have any experience with anything else. Is it really worth the money to spend 3x the amount to get a Atlas or he new Gunwerks? In comparison in looking at the S-LM Harris. I see the Gunwerks is 3 oz lighter and can get taller. But other than that what does it or the Atlas really do to make it 3x the money. And I’m not complaining about the price I truly want to know what they do better and if it’s really worth the extra money.

I will be the odd man out, as per usual. Of all the bipods out there, when I choose to use one on a field rifle it’s almost always a Harris 9-13” notched legs, swivel. I don’t necessarily “prefer” Harris bipods, but they are quicker to deploy, quicker to store, quicker to adjust, and simpler.

 

[sodaksooner]

I just picked up a Spartan Javelin. Seems decent but have only used it a couple of times at the range.

 

[Watrdawg]

The Atlas with the non rotating legs is rock solid. It deploys as quickly as the Harris. I have 2 of them and at least for range work wouldn't use another bipod.

 

[atmat]

Honestly, I don’t think those other bipods are worth the increased price. In general, though, I don’t shoot much off of a bipod.

I find greater value in practicing field shooting positions. And once you’re half decent at that, most any bipod starts to feel really solid.

Harris may not be quite as refined as the others, but I don’t think it justifies the price for hunting situations.

Edit: if I spent more time shooting LR steel or matches I might feel differently.

 

[UpSideDown]

The Atlas CAL is *the* bipod to get for precision shooting. It is the gold standard and the normal choice for precision rifle shooting. Yes, if that is what you're wanting to do with it, it is definitely worth the price over a Harris. If you truly want a bipod for field use, I personally would take my Atlas with me in my pack and only bring it out if I had time to set up for a shot. I wouldn't want the weight and snag nuissance of any bipod on the front of my rifle when walking around with it. The lightweight bipods give you a lower quality bipod than the Atlas, at a lower weight, with QD attachment options. If you really know you positively need a bipod in the field, then you might consider a lighter bipod, or getting an Atlas. I've had one opportunity at a shot in the field on an animal with a bipod and in that case I ended up just bagging the rifle and it was very steady at the 670yd shot.

In my experience a bipod's life is almost exclusively lived at the range, where a good bipod is crucial to getting precision out of your rifle. The Atlas is 3x better than the Harris, and frankly by the time you adapt a Harris to attach to a 1913 rail and put a PodLok on it, you're spending the same money as the Atlas.

 

[WesCAtoll]

Harris are around $150 where the atlas is still in the 250 range with pic rail ....+ different feet or say a a419 arca clamp top which aren't required but nice upgrades.
the MDT oryx and Magpul are both around $100 and also decent choices with the same functionality as a Harris.
my accutac and atlas are both on another level of build quality to the Harris and the different leg angles and better stability is noticeable.

 

[broeske7]

Spent the money on an Atlas bipod and I love it, there is a lot more versatility and I feel like it’s sturdier.


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[Jesse Jaymes]

I have a few Harris S 6-9, have an Atlas with QD pic attachment and a Spartan javelin.

There is NOTHING wrong with a Harris. Just assisted my best buddy in making the selection. I don't see 3X price increase in the Atlas. It's for sure nicer. But you'll make just as many shots with the Harris and a few extra ounces. The Javelin works. But I am not at all impressed with it or it's design. It's just the right tool for ounce counting pack in hunts.

 

[UpSideDown]

There actually are things wrong with the Harris, in light of modern bipod design. Harris bipods cannot be preloaded like other, better bipods, which is very beneficial to precision shooting. They also are frequently mismanufactured which produces uneven leg geometry. And you have to buy a Podlok to adjust cant of the bipod which is almost always required to get the gun level anywhere that isn’t a flat shooting bench, and by the time you’ve put a Podlok and ARMS mount on a Harris to get it to attach to a picatinny rail, you’ve now spent more money on it than an Atlas, which will always be a better bipod. A quick deploying Harris is not faster than another bipod design once you consider that you have to dink with a cant adjustment, unless you happen to find a perfectly level spot to place the bipod when you’re taking your racing to get the gun set up.

 

[Dobermann]

I will be the odd man out, as per usual. Of all the bipods out there, when I choose to use one on a field rifle it’s almost always a Harris 9-13” notched legs, swivel. I don’t necessarily “prefer” Harris bipods, but they are quicker to deploy, quicker to store, quicker to adjust, and simpler.

FWIW, for quick-deploy, both the TBAC bipod and the first gen Tier One Evolution bipods deploy without buttons / just by pulling the legs down, similar to the Harris. No external springs to get stuck on stuff, and better quality manufacturing.

 

[Happy Antelope]

I think it's really important to figure out what you want to bipod for. Not all bipods are designed for the same application. A benchrest bipod would be very different than a PRS bipod which would be even more different than a bipod used on a sheep hunt.

 

[Kdye01]

I use a mdt Ckye-pod and it is phenomenal!!! But be ready to spend some $$$ on it. It deploys quickly and easy to make quick adjustments to it. I use it for PRS and hunting.

 

[Tmac]

A Harris is fine for hunting for me. I prefer the size I can use prone if needed, but also sitting. It‘s not always the ideal height prone, but works fine. Quick to attach and works.

 

[Wildhorse]

I've shot a lot off Harris alot of atlas used the magpul quite a bit the MDT is great and my go to bipod is an elite iron bipod it is hands down day and night ahead of all of the rest the mdt the magpul the atlas I honestly dont see to much difference in them at all and honestly not enough to make them worth any more to me than a Harris for hunting purposes I personally find myself leaving bipods at home and shooting off a pack when needing a rest. I dont sit at a bench for my shooting all of my shooting has been in the mountains or locations where bipods havent been much of a help except for the elite iron bipod that was a game changer and if I was only ever going to own one bipod it would be the elite iron but the rest are good too.