How badly does a clamp-on bipod affect accuracy?

[great]

So after searching around for short amount of time it became clear that buying a clamp-on bipod maybe wasnt the best idea. I have a simple Remington air rifle I purchased from Dickssportinggoods shooting 1,000 FPS.

The accuracy without the bipod is very acceptable, and upon attaching the bipod i have noticed myself without doing any research that the accuracy was affected.

In what ways is the accuracy affected? Is it because I am adding weight to the end of the gun and pulling the end the barrel down with it?

Would adding say some soft felt cloth or something around the barrel where I clamp the bipod on reduce vibrations in any way and get some accuracy back?

One last question, does adding the bipod completely skewer my groupings entirely? Or is it just a matter of having to re-zero my scope and my accuracy would be back to where it originally was?

 

[Justin]

Putting pressure on the barrel of a gun either via stress from sling use, mounting a bipod, mounting a bayonet, or leaning on the gun when shooting from a rest of some sort will have an adverse effect on accuracy.

This is why rifles built for accuracy almost always have a floated barrel.

 

[great]

well... I knew that much already.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

It really depends on where the bipod is in relation to the period of the oscillations of the barrel. if it changes the barrel oscillation such that the projectile leaves the barrel at a point where the barrel is moving fast, then you will have wide groups, because the variation in velocity shot to shot will have a large effect on where the muzzle of the gun is when the projectile leaves the barrel.

 

[great]

is there any like rule of thumb to know where to place the bipod? like towards the end of the barrel or closer to the stock up the barrel?

 

[unit91]

Might I suggest a cheap experiment? Maybe place the bipod at various locations along the barrel, shoot a 5 round group or two at each location, and record / report the results. I'm sure we'd all be very interested -- that is, if you've already got the bipod, and are willing to expend time and ammo.

Short of any empirical data, I'll say from an engineer's perspective that it is strongly dependant on the length of the barrel, barrel thickness, what the barrel is made of, how it is attached to the rifle, and the type of round expended. Since each system has its own, unique natural frequencies, a rule of thumb is pretty much impossible. Even a small difference in bipod location could change the effects dramatically.

 

[Rail Driver]

I've been trying to decide whether I want a barrel mounted or sling stud mounted bipod for awhile now. I think I'll shell out a few extra bucks for the sling stud mounted bipod, if the barrel mount effects accuracy in a noticeable fashion.

 

[T.A.Sharps]

You shouldn't put anything at all on the barrel.

However I don't think the bipod is the accuracy issue here. You said you are shooting a Remington air rifle, I wouldn't really think about "accuracy" with that platform.

You could have some mechanical issue with it. I had one once for fun and the pump mechanism came off the first time out, and I have to reattach it with each shot.

I'm pretty sure the air rifle isn't even made by Remington, its just licensed for their name to be on it.

You should really just use it for training yourself to shoot offhand, special shooting equipment for an air rifle is kind of a waste of money. You would benefit a lot more practicing this way shooting small targets. Then get a nice .22 and spend your money on that.

There are accurate and serious air rifles out there that shoot faster, but they cost as much or more than most .22's you can find.

 

[great]

I might try that experiment i planned on doing some accuracy tests in the yard either later today or tomorrow. Ill hopefully have some results up soon if they differ at all :S

 

[rcmodel]

is there any like rule of thumb to know where to place the bipod?

NO.
The only rule is, if you clamp it on the barrel, the weight of the rifle resting on it will spring the barrel upward, and cause it to shoot at least high, if not worse.

Then any outside influence you put on it from shot to shot, like holding it down, etc, will spring the barrel a different amount.

As already noted several times, anything touching the barrel with inconsistent force will spoil accuracy.

Probably worse even on an air rifle because most of them have very thin barrels to start with, and a hinge in the middle where you cock it.

rc

 

[czarjl]

I would try shooting groups with the bipod and with out (resting the forearm on sandbags or the like). I agree with the others that the bipod will probably have a negative affect on shot accuracy... but you won't know how much until you do so testing (it may be acceptable to you and your shooting application). At worst you will be getting to know the limits and capability of your rifle better.

I would be interested in the size of the groups (and at what distance with what pellets) your getting as I have had thoughts of getting a similar air rifle for “garden defense”.

BTW the Remington air rifles are made my Crosman.