Lightweight and rock-steady, these are game-changers for backcountry hunting.
Photo above: The Javelin Pro bipod is lightweight, easily adjustable, and quick to deploy.
For years I was not a big fan of having a bipod on my hunting rifle. Most of the ones I tried were heavy, clunky, and noisy to deploy. And of course, you can only use them when shooting prone, which isn’t always possible depending on the terrain and the game you’re hunting. Instead, I generally rely on using my pack for a rest when shooting prone, and carry some sort of tripod or shooting sticks on which to rest my rifle if I end up shooting from a sitting or kneeling position. But good shooting sticks can also be heavy and unwieldy. So when I first heard about Spartan Precision’s range of lightweight bipods and tripods using a quick-detach system, I was intrigued.
Designed specifically for backcountry hunters, the system uses rare-earth magnets to quickly and securely mount rifles and optics to a versatile range of ultralight carbon-fiber bipods and tripods. Built for simplicity and low maintenance, the system is easy and quick to use and ideal for any hunt where you are doing a lot of hiking don’t want to carry too much weight, but might need to shoot from a variety of field positions.
The first step is to attach one of Spartan’s adapters to your rifle. Spartan offers a range of adapters compatible with a wide selection of rifles. They call their system MagnaSwitch, and once you have an adapter on your rifle or optic, you can attach any of the compatible accessories since they all use the same attachment system.
The Classic Rifle Adapter is a no-brainer to install; I put it on a Remington 700 .25-06 in a couple of minutes. Just unscrew the front sling swivel stud from your rifle’s fore-end and replace it with the adapter, which consists of the rare-earth magnet and a sling attachment behind it (so you can still attach your sling). The adapter kit comes with several different screws; pick the one that most closely matches the sling-swivel stud on your rifle, tighten it up, and you’re done.
Note that the Classic Adapter works on a lot of different types of rifles, but not all. It worked perfectly on the Remington 700, but it didn’t work on my Ruger American. However, Spartan offers a wide variety of different adapters for different rifle platforms, including Picatinny, M-Lok, and Arca adapters, as well as one called the Classic Gunsmith Adapter that will work on my Ruger, but must be installed by a gunsmith. Spartan Precision’s website has a list of rifles that work with the DIY-friendly Classic Adapter.
I couldn’t believe how light the Javelin Pro Hunt Tac Bipod was when I first picked it up. Made of aluminum and carbon fiber, it weighs just 7.6 ounces, and the legs extend from 7 to 9 inches. You can adjust the height easily with one hand. Tungsten tips with tethered rubber boots lets it sit on pretty much any surface without slipping.
Once I’d installed the adapter on my .25-06, the bipod was super easy to attach and detach. You just place it in the adapter and the rare earth magnet pulls it tight. It does take a little practice to slip it in without making a loud click, and that’s definitely something you’ll want to practice before you hunt with it so you can do it as quietly as possible without alerting the game (it will still go click, but more softly). Removing the bipod is just a matter of grasping it and pulling firmly downward. I love being able to have a bipod with me without having it hanging off the fore-end of my rifle all the time. (Spartan also sells a handy holster for it so you can keep it on your belt.)
The bipod has two modes, which you control depending on which way you attach it to your rifle. In hunting mode, the bipod rotates so you can track moving game. In target mode, it’s locked in and won’t move. Even in hunting mode, it’s incredibly steady. I shot better groups with the .25-06 with the Javelin Pro off my prone mat at the range than I did off the bench.
The Ascent Tripod is even more impressive, and to me, more useful for most of the hunting I do. But the best part is I can have both the bipod and the tripod along with me on any given hunt, since they use the same adapter. When I click the .25-06 on the tripod and drop into a sitting position behind it, I feel rock-solid. The tripod has a wide range of elevation and cant adjustments, and four different leg-pitch positions.
Like the bipod, the legs have tungsten carbide tips with tethered synthetic boots, and I couldn’t make them slip anywhere I set it up, no matter the terrain. The Mountain version of the tripod that I have extends to as tall as 50 inches and can go down as low as 11 inches. You can use the tripod for your spotting scope or binocular as well; you just need to install Spartan Precision’s Heavy Duty Optics Adapter.
No tripod is ultralight, but this one is as close as it gets at just over three pounds. Another neat feature is that you can detach the legs and use them as trekking poles. Spartan sells pole handles with wrist loops that attach easily to the tripod legs. Simply unscrew a tripod leg, screw in the handle, and you’ve got a nicer set of trekking poles than almost any on the market—without having added another piece of gear to your kit.
When you’re shooting at a game animal, you owe it to yourself and your quarry to make a clean kill. The Spartan Precision system is the niftiest and most practical setup I’ve ever seen for backcountry hunting. It has everything you need to get into a rock-steady field position and make that first shot count—without hauling a bunch of extra weight in the process. Learn more at javelinbipod.com.—Diana Rupp
