quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Really I use a bipod on all my rifles, and I shoot from a bench mainly. What I don’t like right now is the hop. And it’s because of the feet, I cant load my bipod. I think I will bring a small board and nail it down to the bench and see if it helps my ability to load the bipod and then if that will help with the recoil...as of now I cannot see my shots because the rifle is recoiling and hopping.....I want the atlas for these reasons:
The feet won’t roll
The feet will be able to bite into the bench( I plan on getting spikes)
I will be able to load the bipod

Harris and similar bipods hop because:
- Guns recoil upon firing. Regardless of how well we humans control recoil, the gun still moves backwards into our shoulders.
- Harris bipods have no flex/play/give in their legs. If the gun moves backwards, the whole bipod does, too.
- Unless the bipod legs move back smoothly against the surface on which the gun rests, the bipod legs hop. If the bipod legs were a smooth teflon, sliding on a smooth teflon surface, then there would be no hop.

Atlas bipods allow at least 1" of gun movement to the rear before hop occurs, assuming the Atlas was loaded properly prior to touching off the shot. Shooters with good technique and recoil management can limit gun movement to this 1".

Jamming a Harris-type bipod into a board or such will help to reduce the effects of recoil. IMO some of this is due to "pre-loading" your shoulder with forces which mimic recoil, thus reducing the rearwards travel of the rifle. This may be enough to allow you to see your impacts. Or maybe not. It won't be a cure all.

Understand that the Harris-type will still move rearward during recoil. With a smooth surface such as a bench, the fact that the Harris' feet rotate a bit may just reduce hop -- a the feet may roll backwards, rather than hop across the surface.

If you plan to use Atlas feet to bite into the bench, and thus reduce hop, I suspect your bench is wood. And you don't care if the feet mark up the wood. Personally, I prefer the rubber Atlas feet on smooth & hard surfaces such as concrete, steel, and smooth wood. With proper recoil management and a lightly loaded bipod, the Atlas won't jump under such circumstances.

Thanks, fritz, for all that.
A very informative post about something that I have seen mentioned many times, but never really explained. I like to understand the “why” of things, and there we have it.

So I hacked my Harris bipod today.
First I cut a channel on the inner legs and re assembled them. Then I put a set screw in the outer legs to ride in the channel I cut on the inner legs.
I put it all back together and the legs no longer rotate.

I’m gonna go to the range tomorrow and see if I can now load the bipod without a board for them to but up against.

If this fails, I will order the Atlas.

ETA: went to the range and the feet don’t slide on the wood bench because they can’t rotate....

Plus discovered that if I just let the rifle free recoil (223), I can put them in the same hole at 100 yds( benched) if I try shooldering from the bench I cause all kinda push/pull on the rifle and one inch groups are the best I can do.

If I’m prone and shoot, I’m a much better shot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MikeinNC,

I shot benchrest for years off a Harris and a back bag. Worked as good as a two bag system.
When I built my long range gun I started with a Harris, but my back yard range slopes down hill and had to really jack up the back to be able to get on my target. With the 45* option on the Atlas that problem was solved.

Pros for Atlas
Hell bent for stout
GREAT customer service
45* leg option
Ability to fold the legs forward or back wards
Foot options

Cons
Heavy
Expensive
Some of the foot options dont work right at 45*. The cleats (I really like) dont flatten all the way out at 45*
While the legs can be adjusted individually for differences in terrain they dont adjust as fine as a Harris.

BTW the BT in BT Industries stands for "Bitter & Twisted" They have been taking out the trash since Y2K