By Joe Ferronato
Picking this career path has allowed me to use some of the best pieces of gear available to hunters. But that means many things get put aside for the newest, greatest thing, and my loadout is always changing with only a few things staying consistent. I’ve tested dozens if not hundreds of different rifle platforms, and the first thing I do to all of them is add a Spartan Precision adapter.
No matter how accurate a rifle is, a solid shooting position is a necessity to make a good shot. For many, that means a backpack, shooting bag, a bipod, or a tripod—or a combination of the lot. I always hated mounting bipods to my rifle, though they are usually the best way to stabilize a shot in a variety of field positions, so I did it. Stationary bipods make the rifle unwieldy with the added weight and adds more up front to snag on shit when going through brush or under trees.
When I first saw the MagnaSwitch Technology from Spartan Precision, I was intrigued. It was years ago when Lord Gearing first showed me his products, but I wasn’t initially sold. I tend to lose things, and I thought that carrying my bipod apart from my rifle was a recipe for disaster, but I went for it anyway.
The bipod rode in my pocket or bino harness, and, surprisingly, I didn’t lose the damn thing. The best part, I had a stable shooting position ready to deploy at a moment’s notice without it adding unnecessary weight to the end of my rifle or delaying my hunt by getting caught up in tree branches and brush.
Javelin Pro Hunt Tac Bipod Features
That was one of the first iterations of the Javelin bipods. Since then, the company has refined their offerings, and the standard height Javelin Pro Hunt Tac Bipod is my go-to platform for any hunt.
I’ve used it for many years on multiple hunts without any failures. It deploys in seconds, offering a superbly stable rest. The bipod features a head that allows you to rotate on moving targets and has 30 degrees of cant to help accommodate for angles. You can deploy and set the bipod easily with one hand; the operation is intuitive and quick. A simple push of a button sets the spring-assisted legs to the correct height for your shooting position.
I killed my largest mule deer buck to date with the help of the bipod. With only moments to shoot, I was prone and ready for the shot. I’ve taken the Javelin Pro Hunt Tac to Alaska multiple times for blacktail deer and for grizzly bears, and it performed as intended. It rides perfectly in the side pouch of my bino harness and is always ready for action.
A bonus of using the MagnaSwitch adapter is the fact that it’s versatile. The adapters live on all my rifles, so I have one bipod that goes with me in any shooting situation. What’s more, other products from Spartan, like the Ascent Tripod, work in tandem with the same adapter. So, if the bipod is too short for a shooting position, I place my rifle on the tripod and have a stable rest.
Buy Once, Cry Once
There’s one thing that could be off putting about the bipod in my mind and that is the price. It’s not cheap, but you’re buying a quality product that will work for years. But for those who aren’t as fiscally irresponsible as myself, the Javelin Lite Bipod is the perfect gateway drug at just over a hundred bucks. The company is now also selling their products at Scheels if you want to get your greasy hands on it before making a purchase.
There are not many items that I would classify as a NEED over a WANT when it comes to my hunting kit, but this is definitely a NEED. Once you try it, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Cost: $340
Pros: Lightweight coming in at only 7.6 ounces; rugged and durable; enough cant and adjustability to accommodate a variety of shooting positions; easy on and off with the MagnaSwitch Technology; one bipod can be used on any rifle with multiple adapters.
Cons: You could lose it if you don’t make sure its secure in a pocket or harness while in the field.
