Several months ago, I was busy shooting and writing my review of the Tikka T3X Lite bolt-action hunting rifle. On the way out, I impulse bought a basic Magpul bipod in order to make life easier when shooting that Tikka rifle. At the time of purchase, I had no idea that I had taken home a brand-new-to-me variant of Magpul’s dependable polymer bipod.
With a retail price of $71.99 and the fact that it worked on swivel studs, I impulse bought it trusting the Magpul name. It turns out I made the right call, because for $71.99 plus tax retail, the new Magpul MOE Bipod actually impressed me.
Externally, the Magpul MOE Bipod looks like any other Magpul-produced polymer bipod, with its distinctive lines and thick polymer legs capped with rounded rubber feet. Correspondingly, as with other Magpul bipod models, the MOE Bipod’s feet are held in place with roll pins that can be drifted out to remove said feet and replace them with Atlas bipod aftermarket options.
Setting Up the Magpul MOE Bipod
Internally, the Magpul MOE Bipod uses injection-molded polymer arms instead of the inner metal arms seen on previous models. Bipod legs can extend from a collapsed length of seven inches to a total extended length of ten inches via the internal arms’ ½ inch increments. The MOE Bipod uses an oversized thumb screw to clamp down on standard rifle sling swivel studs.
The upper portion of the clamping mechanism features a flattened rubber-padded surface that supports the rifle’s forend without marring or scratching stock surfaces and finishes. The only thing the MOE Bipod cannot do is tilt or pan, like Magpul’s other bipod. However, I don’t think that’s a huge drawback for a basic bipod designed to securely clamp over sling swivel studs.
Compared to the circular plungers that must be depressed to collapse the legs forward on the older Magpul models, the MOE is equipped with a larger square-ish plunger that’s larger and easier to depress. The Magpul design team thoughtfully included a spare swivel stud behind the bipod’s base to allow hunters to add their swiveled rifle slings.
Shooting With The Magpul MOE Bipod
According to the copy on Magpul’s site, the switch to an all-polymer construction is said to reduce the bipod’s overall weight by 40% compared to some of the other Magpul-produced bipods. Frankly, I was too busy shooting with the Tikka to perceive any disparities in weight.
With that said, I couldn’t help but notice that the MOE Bipod’s rigidity was very impressive. The junction of the legs to the clamping mechanism still provides some play that allows the shooter to load the bipod when they’re behind a rifle.
Besides relying on this bipod for the duration of the Tikka T3X Lite review, it currently sits on my Tikka T1X. There’s not much that needs to be said about the Magpul MOE Bipod. It’s a useful piece of kit that’s ruggedly built and works as advertised without breaking the bank.
I can’t speak for its competitors that retail at the same price-point. Admittedly, my decision to purchase this accessory was driven by Magpul’s sterling reputation and my smooth end-user experience with their products.
The Takeaway
The range of different rifle bipods available in today’s market is as diverse as the range of said bipods’ prices. Their prices can vary from the mid to high double-digits to figures that are on par with the cost of actual rifles. Modular Driven Technologies even has an advanced Cyke-Pod model that retails for $999! The price all depends on the make, model, and application of the bipod in question.
And as a rule of thumb, decent bipods aren’t cheap. As with other types of firearm-related accessories, bipods are definitely part of the buy once, cry once category. Their job of securely stabilizing the front-end of a rifle is too important to lean on a model with a shoddy design and subpar materials. Rifle ammo isn’t cheap either.
Magpul Industries’ products generally have a reputation for punching above their weight relative to their retail cost. Additionally, the American firearms accessory behemoth has been busy offering basic, sturdy, and decently functional rifle bipods for a few years now. Like with most Magpul products, I think their cost-to-performance ratio is commendable. This certainly checks out vis-à-vis the Magpul MOE Bipod.
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