Old Tricks For Crawling Dogs
 

I'm sorry, but I hate using a bipod on a rifle.

It stems partly from being taught to use a ('deliberate') sling technique, and also having some bad experiences with bipods on airsoft rifles. But what I'm curious to know is this -

• What do you consider a better investment: a really good rifle sling or a really good bipod?
• Have you ever used a sling to support your rifle in an airsoft game?
• Is there something else that you some times use instead (like using your rucksack), and if so, which do you prefer and why?

I'm asking because I was really surprised at the number of people around me who were completely unaware of such simple shooting techniques. Especially in this bizarre country, where everyone's uncle goes out to hunt moose! I simply cannot imagine anyone being a particular proficient airsoft 'sniper' if they completely ignore real-world real-rifle knowledge, or maybe I'm just hanging out with the wrong airsoft crowd.

:tup:

Folks are unaware of any basic shooting techniques simply because they buy a gun and have watched too many movies.
Many airsofters have never even touched, or fired, a real gun in their entire lives.

Techniques to use.
If your gun is well built (no flex, no weak points) in the body, using a sling properly is the most versatile option.
Bipods are generally in the way, the cheap ones rattle, and you still get the body-flex problems.
A 'rest' on a log, backpack, rock, etc does work.

Most of the time, because the ranges an airsoft gun can shoot at are short, using those techniques is moderately pointless.
Use point shooting instead, and methods that use your upper-body position/stance.

I think it mostly depends on which kind of weapon you use.

A sling is a good tool to shoot high caliber or small caliber, in different ways. Locking the sling around your support arm while shooting is pretty good for stability (with the real stuff) and might help your accuracy some with airsoft, but not really that much.

For small arms caliber weapons such as a MP5, a sling is very good if you adapt the europeen shooting style, also called 'instinctive shooting' where you push your weapon away from you, locking it with the sling (3points are good in this situation) making the gun very steady for quick bursts.

Aside from that, slings are rather good for walking back to the respawn... ;)

As for Bipod... i think they are heavy and useless.. If you are heavy into defensive positions throughout milsim day games, a Bipod is good as it keeps your rifle steady and ready to fire when unmanned for a period of time, but that's about it. It won't help you shoot anymore then a locked in arm sling technique.

my 2 cents.

the problem i find with slings on a long gun is the plastic body.

i'm no sniper but I find i don't use either sling or bipod and use what ever is handy to support the gun (rock, tree, berm)

Lol, yep, that's the only time I use mine really. Helps alot for us old dogs...

Personally I'd choose a nice 3 point sling for my gun over the bipod it has on it. I have a full metal G3-SG1 that weighs 12lbs (more with night vision optics on it) and a good sling just plain helps for carrying it in the bush for hours. The G3 comes with a bipod (piece of crap mind you) on it and I once tried to use it in a game and it was useless. I've used it for zeroing scopes and lasers etc but for practical use I wrap my sling around my front hand and use it to stabilize my shots or use a handy rock/log/knee/fellow player or whatever is handy.

The engagement distances in airsoft even with a modified "high-powered" sniper rifle don't normally call for a bipod. However, if you were say an M249 or M60 user and had a nice bipod with a swivel action on it, might be useful for being prone and sweeping side to side for cover fire.

Just my 2c.

One of the issues I have with bipods is that they're very annoying to use if you're playing on rugged uneven terrain...of cource I suppose it depends on what kind of bipod you have, but still it's very annoying to adjust.

On my M24, I have both sling and bipod.

I'd never go without one of them.

I use an Arris ultra light bipod. Medium size. It's good to rest the rifle when you are shooting or just observing for long time. Even in the folded position, it's better to rest the rifle on it than on the body itself. I better scratch the bipod on he rocks than the rifle barell or body.

As for the sling, it really help with that heavy rifle. Both for carrying, and supporting. Shooting with the sling locked also distribute a little weight and stabilise the rifle. You can also crawl and drag the rifle from the front sling mount.

BINGO

Being a sniper myself, I use my sling to go back to the respawn most of the time. As for shooting I love using the sitting position or the prone position with my versa-pod. It swivels, height adjustement, brings stability for shooting and spoting. The bipod is very usefull when you do reconning for the unit. For sniping the standing positon with the sling technique is useless with a 15 pound rifle.

i say whatever floats your boat