One issue with monopods is they can’t be attached to swivel mounts, so you must reset your position to engage a new target. While deployed, monopods can be adjusted to accommodate lengths up to around 4.5-5.5 inches. If you’re unsure of what a shooting stick is, it’s basically a single-legged shooting platform.ĪR-15 specific monopods mount straight to the rail system and can be folded up while they’re not in use. Monopods are a lot like a conventional shooting sticks. Grip pods are a standard issue for military personnel, such as infantrymen or heavy machine gunners who need to rapidly transition between standing and prone shooting positions.Īffixing a Grip pod is as simple as attaching a conventional foregrip to a weapon depending on the rail system or handguard your AR-15 has. Grip pods are bipods that are deployed from a foregrip mounted at the fore-end of an AR-15. Rubberized feet provide greater friction and grip, and the supporting legs adjust to varying heights to accommodate different shooting positions. The legs can be folded up for easy transportation and locked into place, and many models of bipods offer adjustable legs that allow more shooting positions. Here are the main bipod options to be aware of: Traditional BipodsĪ traditional bipod is a simple two-legged stand that holds the weapon upright, generally, they utilize both swivel studs or Picatinny rail attachments. There’s a variety of different types of bipods – different heights, heavy-duty or lightweight versions. This puts off some AR-15 owners who think the bare-minimum capacity for an AR mag should be 30 rounds–but a good 10 or 20 round mag will allow you to get lower on the gun, change mags while the gun is in position on a bipod, and even do accuracy testing and zeroing from many bench rests. The best option is to pick a perfect bipod–the best design and fit and function–and then pick a magazine with a smaller profile (i.e. In practice, this can make for an awkward shooting position, though, as you have to stretch up to get to the proper eye relief on an optic. This allows normal 30 round mags to clear the ground. The first is to find a bipod that has legs like a supermodel. There are two ways to address this for the AR platform. But an AR or a lever-action…, those can pose problems. Their magazines rarely extend too far beyond the bottom of the stock. Most bolt-action rifles are easy to use with bipods. Choosing bipod height for AR platform rifles If everything else is working (your trigger control, your ammunition pairing, your optic’s performance, your understanding of ballistics and drop and spin drift, etc.) a stable gun will connect all of the elements together. Increased stability, as implied above, can translate directly into a greater potential for accuracy. Geometrically speaking, a rifle bipod provides a shooter with stability both horizontally and vertically. So it adds up that a rifle bipod is a two-legged platform that’s mounted at the forend of a weapon. The term bipod comes from two Greek and Latin terms, “Bi” meaning two and “Pod” meaning foot. The rifle bipod helps keep everything still before you squeeze the trigger. The additional stability allows you to dial a scope without losing the target picture.Īnd then there’s the shot itself. This may not seem like it would add much versatility to a rifle platform, but the stability makes glassing your target easier. You can even feel your breathing differently when your chest is in contact with the ground.Īnd a bipod provides a solid, triangular base of support for a forend. Not only are you far more difficult to see and identify, but your body is in close contact, all the way to your toes. The prone position, as every sniper knows, is the single most stable shooting position.

But if you want an all-around gun that can connect at distance, the bipod is a must-have.Ĭonsider shooting prone.

If your AR-15 is built as a close-quarters defensive carbine, a bipod might be superfluous. This question should be answered honestly based on the intended purpose of your gun. Bolt-action hunters have long appreciated the potential stability that comes from shooting from the prone position, but the vast majority of AR-15 owners are still not sold on what is one of the single-best AR-15 upgrades you can make. Anyone serious about long-range accuracy needs a bipod.

How to connect keymod accessories