Bipods on a Contender ?

[Lager]

Im haveing a problem with hand shake and supporting my Contender well enough for target shooting.
Ive tried sand bags and they work well to stabilize the pistol for up and down,but Im still getting a side to side shake or quiver.
Im considering a bolt on bi-pod like the Harris mounted to the forend,but Im concerned that recoil and the vertical jump might be too much for the single screw that attaches the for end to the barrel to handle with out breaking or bending.
Your thoughts on the bi-pod or another solution?

[Ladobe]

FWIW I quit using bags, mechanical rests, etc to support my Contender pistols and carbines many years ago and only shoot them off Harris bipods for bench shooting and Verne Howey shooting sticks for predator hunting.    Use my off-hand to support the grip/butt instead of bags when bench shooting too - found that to be an extremely accurate technique for me with either pistol or rifle.   None of my handcannons ever had a problem with the single stud forend mounting of the Harris', and that includes thousands of rounds fired with 309 & 375JDJ's and several hundred from the 416 Rigby Encore when I had it.   I use Harris swivel bipods HBRS & HBLS, and modified each of them with both an after market swivel lock (now marketed as the PodLock) and an after market quick disconnect knob.   

[Lager]

Ladobe,, Thank you very much for that information. Makes me a feel a whole lot better now.
 
So do you mount the bipod  directly to the stock or do you use the forend grip screw as a mounting point?

[Ladobe]

Lager,

My bipods all mount to a double duty sling QD stud, and these studs are readily available in many different styles and combinations.   So there are lots of ways to mount the studs.   I've probably tired them all and found what I think works best on the Contenders for me. 

How I install the QD studs (and with which type of stud) depends on the length of the forend and where I want the bipod on the forend.   So the stud is either installed directly to the forend itself where I want it, or a stud is simply used to mount the forend to the barrel bar if that location works best for that configuration of barrel and stock set.   Usually that means carbine and target length forends get the stud mounted directly to them and the shorter forends are mounted on the barrel with a stud.   All of my forends (factory, custom and Pachy) are mounted with Bullberry hanger bars BTW, so they are all single hole mounted.   

For those studs mounted right to the forend itself I don't use the wood screw type studs but rather the machine screw - hex nut type, drill and countersink the nut in the barrel channel to install.   I use a 10-32 thread stud cut to length when being used in place of forend mounting screws.   With the later you might need to use a shim to have the stud lined up correctly when tight.   They are easy to make out of many kinds of materials and so they stay on the stud when it's removed.   The bipod stud does not have to be overly tight and the bipod will align it if off a little when you tighten it to the stud.

HTH

YMMV

[WayneS]

What lenght legs work best for target shooting ie, load development from a bench ??

[kynardsj]

I just bought a carbine barrel for one of my Contender frames and will own a bipod that telescopes down to about 9 inches. That length should handle any bench shooting needs.

[Ladobe]

What lenght legs work best for target shooting ie, load development from a bench ??

Wayne,

Depends on your shooting techniques and what you use for your rear support.   I can cover all of my needs for everything off the bench or on anything handy out in the killing fields with the Harris models I mentioned above.    In a pinch I could get by just fine with only the HBRS for any handgun or rifle I shoot though.   It is my favorite of the two models for the techniques I use.

For the handguns I'd stay with the HBR or HBRS just so a shorter and more stable rear support could be used.   As I said, I use my off hand for my rear support, so the taller bipods wouldn't work as well for my shooting technique. 

I've only used the Harris bipods for decades, and always modified them to make them more user friendly in the field.   The copycat cheaper models would probably work just fine for you, but once I get something I like I stay with it no matter what it costs.   

IMO - YMMV

 

[Lager]

Wayne.I noticed when Im useing the front rest that I have now. I have to adjust it a lot higher when useing a rifle then I do with the Contender.
So I was thinking about the 6-9 inch model bipod.
Ladobe,, once again, Thanks for the info. Really appreciate it.

[Ladobe]

You're welcome, glad to help.  Guess I could have mentioned:
The Harris BR's adjust from 6"-9", and their BL's from 9"-13".