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Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

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Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby 7mmfan » 12 30, 2019 •  [Post 1]

I was one of the lucky few to receive one of these bipods to test this year. I put it through the ringer test shooting, hunting, and eventually using it to make the longest shot I've personally made on an animal. Below is my review of the product, and I'll try to post some pictures later as well.

Gear Review Swagger QD 42 Bipod
a. This is a quick detach bipod (QD) that extends from 14” – 42” (42).
b. https://swaggerbipods.com/collections/h ... stalker-qd
c. Initial impression when opening the package was that the product was stout. And by stout I mean heavy. I don’t have a whole bunch of experience with bipods, but have carried numerous types of shooting sticks over the years. This was definitely heavier than any of my sets of extendable shooting sticks, and seemed heavier than what I expected it should weigh.

The mounting bracket was easy and intuitive to install. A couple minutes with an allen wrench and I had it securely mounted to my front sling stud. The mount includes a point to secure your sling to, without inhibiting your ability to attach the bipod.

d. There were 3 main functions of this bipod that were appealing:
- Quick attach/detach function
- The ability to extend from 14” – 42” would allow prone shooting as well as sitting or kneeling position shooting.
- The springs at the attachment point would allow for near full range of motion up/down/side/side without moving the legs of the bipod.

Quick Attach/Detach
- The attachment/detach mechanism was a large button that allowed you to quietly slide the bipod onto the mounting bracket, which was essentially a mini rail system. You could do this moving the bipod forward or backward. While there is technically a front side and back side, either would work in either direction. This was definitely a plus from the standpoint of trying to quickly attach your bipod for an unexpected shot opportunity. You could also just slide it on without pushing the button but a very audible click was the result.

- This system worked exactly how it was designed and was easy to use. However, I found myself trying to do it unexpectedly and with little practice when elk appeared suddenly. I quickly realized that while it was simple, practice would have been a good idea.

Extendable functionality
- The ability to extend lyed in two twist lock locations on each leg. Unlike many, a half turn of the twist lock fully freed the legs to extend, followed by a return half turn to lock in place. Being used to other locking mechanisms, this actually took a little getting used to for me. In the end I view this as a positive feature. I was able to quickly go from prone at 14” to sitting and fully extended in a matter of 6-8 seconds. Quick enough for a shift in shooting position in the field and real-world scenario.

Spring Functionality
- The springs at the attachment point allow for near full range of motion and target acquisition without moving the legs of the bipod. Generally speaking, this works exactly as designed.

a. Pros
- Ease of movement and target acquisition.
- Subtle leg adjustments can be made to adjust height without having to adjust twist lock mechanisms. I found this particularly helpful when shooting prone. A simple lift of the rifle would slide the legs in slightly to increase the height without having to mechanically change anything. Likewise, you could reach out and move one leg or the other out to the side slightly to lower the height of your rifle without mechanically adjusting anything.
- The springs weren’t strong enough to prevent you from canting and leveling your rifle for long range shots.

b. Cons
- The springs were the weak point of the product. By design, they couldn’t be so strong as to inhibit intentional movement, but because of this, unintentional movement could occur. I did not find it to be much of an issue while prone, but when shooting from a kneeling or sitting position, I found it difficult to fully stabilize the rifle. I could counter this by reaching forward and holding the springs at the attachment point, similar to how I would hold my rifle if shooting off shooting sticks.
- If the shooter has to move locations quickly, especially with the bipod fully extended, the legs really whipped around, being effectively spring loaded. Great care had to be taken to make sure they didn’t clang together. Even when shortened to 14”, this was a hazard.
- The legs did have an attached clip-in leg holder, that was very secure. Secure to the point that two hands were required to separate the leg from the holder, and that action was surprisingly loud. If the rifle was already attached, this was difficult to accomplish. The ability to not easily separate the legs nearly cost me a shot opportunity.

Other
- The only other piece of the bipod that needs mentioning is the feet. The bipod comes with rubber feet that screw on over pointed steel feet. I found the rubber feet to be useful in nearly all situations except the compacted gravel where the pointed steel feet gained the advantage through better traction. To expose the steel points, you simply unscrewed the rubber ones. Unfortunately, multiple times I found the rubber feet loose, despite fully tightening them, and I eventually lost one of them all together as it came unscrewed and fell off.


Conclusion:
- In conclusion, the Swagger QD 42 Bipod is a well built bipod, designed with longevity and ease of use in mind. I found it to be a good to great rifle rest, in it’s shortest length. I killed an animal with it while shooting prone at the longest range I have ever shot at an animal. I felt 100% solid and secure while taking that shot, and the benefits of being able to quickly adjust height and side to side movement allowed me to follow that animal in the scope until he presented a shot without having to mechanically adjust anything.
However, at it’s longest setting, I found it to be quite cumbersome, and not very stable due to the springs allowing for unintentional movement. With a modified hold, that could be changed to a decent rifle rest, similar to shooting off shooting sticks.
My overall impression is that the QD42 is best used by a hunter that moves little, and does a lot of sitting, or stationary stands. The length of the bipod makes it something you have to carry in your hands, or in your pack. In your hands it becomes a hindrance, and in your pack its not readily available, again lending itself to situations where you will be sitting in one place for some time.
I don’t know that the spring system or attachment system can be improved upon, they seem to function exactly how they are intended to. As with anything, practice with your gear and you learn to use it efficiently. I do feel the feet could be attached differently, maybe with a press on rubber foot over the steel points vs a screw on, or a screw on foot with a securing node of some kind.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Tigger » 12 30, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Nice review. I have a couple of Harris and maybe a Champion? Both seem to hold my gun steady for antelope. I like the one that swivels for sidehills best. One thing I do not like about them is the tab where the sling attaches bites into your back when on the sling.

Heavy is concerning on the Swagger.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby 7mmfan » 12 30, 2019 •  [Post 3]

Tigger wrote:Nice review. I have a couple of Harris and maybe a Champion? Both seem to hold my gun steady for antelope. I like the one that swivels for sidehills best. One thing I do not like about them is the tab where the sling attaches bites into your back when on the sling.

Heavy is concerning on the Swagger.


The weight ended up not being a huge issue, considering that it was detachable. It is not designed in any way to live on your rifle, so the weight was kind of a mute point.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 12 30, 2019 •  [Post 4]

Excellent, comprehensive review Rory. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Indian Summer » 12 31, 2019 •  [Post 5]

I liked mine. I did a review as well. One problem though... one of the extendable legs went missing. While on my pack apparently it slipped the entire way out and will rest in peace somewhere in elk country. I know what you mean about the potential for a foot to shift position as you swing the gun due to the stiffness of the springs. But I do think that the stiffness is spot on for the intended purpose.

Since my leg vanished I ended up using their Swagger Lite Stix. Made my furthest shot ever on a bull at 405 yards. I need to contact them for a replacement leg for tbipod.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby 7mmfan » 12 31, 2019 •  [Post 6]

IS I agree, I think the springs/bipod in general functions exactly as it's intended to, and there is only so much fool proofing you can do to an item. It was just one of the things that stuck out to me as worth noting.

I was impressed with the shooting sticks. My Dad was more impressed with them and I ended up buying him a set for Christmas. He killed an animal while using them.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby NicholasCarver » 12 23, 2021 •  [Post 7]

I am thankful for such a comprehensive, excellent review. Thank you Rory for taking the time to do it. BTW, I found my great bipod for my AR15 here https://deerhuntingfield.com/best-ar-15-bipod/ It is extremely comfortable to hold and shoot with. The solid steel is very durable and will not bend or crack from heavy use. This is a must have accessory for all you avid shooters.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby 7mmfan » 12 23, 2021 •  [Post 8]

NicholasCarver wrote:I am thankful for such a comprehensive, excellent review. Thank you Rory for taking the time to do it.


Not a problem NicholasCarver, anytime a new product hits the market and we're lucky enough to test it, indeed obligated to do the best review I can.

Tell us a little about yourself. What kind of hunting do you do? Where at? Any good pictures? Yada yada give us the goods man!
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Swede » 12 27, 2021 •  [Post 9]

I like my Swagger bipod. It is easy and convenient. I have used mine in lieu of a shooter's bench which I do not have, and don't want to buy just for an occasional check of my rifle. Maybe you won't agree that it can replace a solid bench, but it will do the job if necessary.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby 7mmfan » 12 27, 2021 •  [Post 10]

Swede wrote:I like my Swagger bipod. It is easy and convenient. I have used mine in lieu of a shooter's bench which I do not have, and don't want to buy just for an occasional check of my rifle. Maybe you won't agree that it can replace a solid bench, but it will do the job if necessary.



Swede, I liked mine as well. I packed it around with me for an entire hunting season and it was an important tool in making a long difficult shot on the elk I killed. For what you state, using it as an alternative to a bench rest, it really is no substitute for a real bench rest. However, if all you're really trying to accomplish is checking zero and if you're on paper before hunting season then I think it's great. I used mine for it as well.

What I learned is that for my hunting style it did not fit into my gear selection. I needed something smaller, lighter, more mobile. Quicker to deploy was important too. I've since found a pretty good compromise. I can cover that later though.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Tigger » 12 28, 2021 •  [Post 11]

My Harris bipod has no problem whatsoever with the springs. It always stays attached to the gun and we used them on all of our big game animals out west this year. Wouldnt be without it.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Swede » 12 28, 2021 •  [Post 12]

7mmfan wrote:
Swede wrote:Ior what you state, using it as an alternative to a bench rest, it really is no substitute for a real bench rest. However, if all you're really trying to accomplish is checking zero and if you're on paper before hunting season then I think it's great. I used mine for it as well.


Exactly. I can also get close to sighted in with a bipod, as an addition to bore sighting before I go to a gun range which is an hour away. It is not perfect, but it is handy up to a point.
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Indian Summer » 01 17, 2022 •  [Post 13]

Swagger QD42 for sale. Brand new in box. I got one to test but I had already bought one…. dammit. Lol
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Re: Swagger QD 42 Bipod Review

Postby Swede » 01 17, 2022 •  [Post 14]

It is good to see you posting I.S. I do not know if you have been busy or convalescing, but I missed reading your nonsense. :D Just kidding. You know a lot and have shared it here. It is always appreciated. Thanks.
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