Bi-Pods and non floated barrels?

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

         Now although I have had a Harris non swivel bi-Pod for some years I have never really gotten on with it. It is the length that can be used sitting and with the legs collapsed is just too high for comfortable use  so I never used it much. Well a few weeks ago I acquired a 9-13" Harris non swivel Bi-Pod and have tried it several times without much success  however today at the range I believe I may have found the root cause of my frustration with Bi-Pods  all but a couple of my rifles have bedded, pressure point bedded, barrels and are not free floated. Now yesterday I removed the military sights from a sporterised Swedish Mauser that does have a floated barrel, turned down the muzzle to 0.500" and cut a 1/2" UNF thread about 5/8" long on it to accept the sound moderator I have.

      This Swedish Mauser groups well off both the Bi-Pod and a sand bag as well as prone using either sling or wrist rest. Now a rifle I got just before Christmas, used of course, well let's say off the bag it shoots quite well but off the Bi-Pod forget it. I tried again today and it spread 3 shots at 75 metres (82 Yards) over 6" wide. The rifle is a my Parker-Hale 1200C and it has the normal P-H pressure point bedding but on this one it seems that the barrel channel is exceptionaly tight as there is no gap to be seen anywhere by the barrel and forestock.

I am wondering if the inletting is too tight  as I don't want to ruin the bedding and inletting I think I will consult someone who has far more experience and knowledge concering this than I have  now I realise that a free floated barrel is the "In Thing" but I have always been dubious about them and hate the huge gap look they have. I can stand it on a target rifle as that's the way they are but a fine stalking rifle to my mind does not need or look right with this huge gap in the fore-end besides the barrel. It looks like shoddy wormanship.

Now does anyone have any experieince in using a Bi-Pod on the rifle with pressure tip bedding or a bedded barrel?

Thoughts?

[Catfish]

I have a CZ 527 that has pleanty of presure on the barrel but shoots so good that I`m scared to to bed or float it. It works and I ain`t gone to touch it. Drives tack off sand bags, by-pod or however you want to shoot it. To tell the truth I have never found any rifle that shot different from sand bags and a by-pod. I even shoot a Contender pistol from a by-pod that drives tacks.

[Brithunter]

Hmmm Interesting catfish, Thank you  as I said I have never really got on with them so perhaps it's the way I am using it? I will try it again next time at the range with my 7x57 BSA CF2 and perhaps even the P-H 1100 Lwt. Not all the rifles have Q/D studs and quite a few still have their original sling loops. The P-H 1100 Lwt came factory fitted with Studs unlike the older 1100 De Luxe which has loops.

[huntswithdogs]

Brit,
I have and do use Harris BiPods on a couple of my rifles. If your barrel has a contact point with the stock end, you have to be careful about the pressure you're putting on your stock when shooting. If you apply too much pressure by leaning on the rifle, youre gonna bow the stock and barrel. With every shot you'll get different pressures, thus the shots go all over the place.

Try the BiPod,using minimal contact with the rifle and see what happens.

HWD

[Coyote Hunter]

All my rifles get free-floated.  Bipods work fine with them.

Of course, I only shoot out to 600 yards, clay pigeons and steel gongs...

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

      Well I tried shooting the 25-06 with the Bi-Pod off the bench at the range with dire results  first shot went !" high 3" left second shot went 1/2" high and 1" left and the third shot went about right for height but went about 5" right  totally useless. Took off the Bi-Pod rested the rifle on the sand bag and it shot three shots in a sort of rounded group of about 7/8". So last Sunday saw me going to the Shooting Show at Newark with the rifle in a slip to have a word with Steve Kershaw a riflesmith. Before going I cleaned the barrel by firstly scrubbing it with a bronze brush dipped in Parker-Hale 009 which was left to soak for a while before beign wiped out. This was repeated twice followed by two applications of Forrest Foaming Bore cleaner to remove any copper fouling.

Now I did clean it when I acquired the rifle and the bore looked quite good however after shooting it for a while and now giving it another good clean I can see some marks in the throat  although I cannot determine what they are by eye. I just shone a bright light from the breech end and examined the muzzle with a lupe and discovered that there is some pitting about 3" down in the bore. I am assuming that the previous owner must have left the sound moderator on it after shooting and put it away with it fitted as this is know to cause rusting in the muzzle of the barrel however I don't think it's enough to cause inaccuracy as whilst I was at it I also checked the P-H 1100 Lwt that I acquired the other year that shoots very well and that too has some pitting a few inches down the barrel from the muzzle  that I had not noticed but this one is not threaded for a moderator so I just don't know.

In a week or so I will be making a visit to Steve's workshop where he will carefull examine the rifle and bore scope the barrel and carefully check the bedding.

[Brithunter]

Well things have not worked out and have not managed to get to Steves as yet so for now the 25-06 sits in the cabinet but as I have other rifles to shoot we will get by  . Meanwhile I have tried another rifle that does not have a foated barrel using the Bi-Pod. This one is my BSA CF2 in 7x57 and it shoots the same on or off the Bi-Pod. More food for thought.

Meanwhile in two days I am off after a Roe Buck will report back how it goes. Will take either the BSA CF2 or my BSA Majestic Featherweight in .270.