Spider Legs: Review of the Leapers UTG Recon Flex M-Lok Bipod - The Social Regressive
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- Опубликовано: 18 окт 2024
- This Leapers UTG Recon Flex Bipod is the most stable bipod I've ever attached to a rifle. Its attachment method and rigidity make it perfect for long-range target work, but it may not work for every application.
Amazon Links:
1. Recon Flex M-Lok Bipod: shrsl.com/1w7m1
2. Recon Flex Keymod Bipod: shrsl.com/1w7mc
As I prepared to test the new CMMG Mk3 DTR2 in 6.5 Creedmoor, I couldn't decide how to support that heavy muzzle end. The aluminum handguard sports M-Lok attachment points all the way around, but there is no sling swivel stud or picatinny rail on the underside. I could use one of my regular bipods and attach it with an adaptor, but that adds weight and bulk, and it pushes the center of gravity even further above the bipod's pivot point.
Luckily I found this new bipod from UTG. Available in M-Lok or Keymod, the two legs attach directly to the side of an AR-15 or AR-10 handguard. The Leapers Recon Flex would also work well on any of the new chassis rifles on the market. Much like the Atlas bipod, the Recon Flex allows the maskman to select a leg angle to deal with sloped surfaces, and each leg can adjust its height for uneven terrain. Once situated, the UTG bipod just plain does not want to move. There are no joints to wobble or pivot; the image through the scope remains stable and level. If you've considered the new Magpul bipod, this rigidity marks the biggest difference between the two products.
This rigidity does include its own tradeoffs. Moving targets and quick transitions are more difficult to address with this bipod since it resists movement.
I have already tested this rifle in several challenges, including 1-mile use in a big field. The Leapers bipod was the perfect choice for those long-range shots. In the Moving Target Challenge, however, close work on moving targets was a bit more difficult. I recommend that you evaluate your own scenarios before you buy this excellent bipod.
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Kyle Broderick, The Social Regressive
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Regarding the comment about the "nuts" not being captured. The T nuts are the heart of M-lok. When you install them you run them all the way down to the accessory finger tight and in line with the rail slots. Do this to both T nuts. Then insert the accessory into the M-lok slot and hold it flush to the rail. Slowly screw the first screw backwards as if removing it until you feel the tension release. At this point do the same to the other screw. No both of your T nuts are oriented so the tightening surface is even with the inner surface of the slots. Slowly tighten them one at a time. They will rotate and then bit and tighten. when you go to remove the accessory you slowly loosen one screw till you feel the T nut come loose and then repeat. You accessory will slip off and the T nuts will be properly spaced to reinstall by just snugging them again. that is the beauty of M-lok. This is my off the cuff interpretation of magpull instructions read a few years ago.
I have both this and the Recon 360 version and I LOVE them. IMO they're really underrated Bipods because people still think UTG is crap. I have a ton of UTG products from low rings on my LPVO equipped AK to one of their "Pro" rails on my "po-boy" build I did for a friend who wanted a cheap-but-good first AR. I run this same bipod on my 6.5 Grendel AR and it's been run out to 1000m and taken several white-tail so far. GREAT bipod. FWIW I think you're not understanding how M-Lok works/not using the fasteners properly. It's very QD if you have an allen wrench and once you get it adjusted for the rail thickness you just turn the allen head 45* and it should pop off and go back on the same way.
I absolutely love this bipod. I hope to get my savage 110 into a mdt chassis so I can use one on it aswell. Right now i have this setup on a 6mm-223 AR15.
Awesome points mentioned here! Well done! 👍👍
I fully agree with your review. I bought a pair of these to put on my Savage Mod 12 LRP in 6.5CM / MDT ESS chassis and found that it works brilliantly, absolutely steady as a rock.
I have had this for a while...good on level ground but once you go on uneven terrain it fights against you...add the fact that you cannot pan or tilt and becomes fairly limited in use. Works great on a nice level surface but fails otherwise. I took it off and put a pic rail and just swap my QD Atlas when I need to. Will say it is rock solid on a level surface.
I wanted this, but you're saying that the adapter is better vs direct?
I happened across this very bipod and snatched it up. Mine is on my 6.5 Grendel upper. I'm looking at getting 2 more bipods in the same line but not the same model for different steups.
Ive been using this same setup for a while. Ive actually ordered more than 1. They work well for range shooting on the bench. Especially for the money. If you need a swivel setup then there are def bette options. This is similar to the uses of the Harris bipod.
I'm glad you're happy with your CMMG. Mine stove-piped out of the box. After an argument they finally sent me a new bolt to try - which I will do soon and report back. A rifle should work when new, in my opinion.
Had you considered the user error of the ammo you were using as a possibility.
I was eyeballing those. Good and solid for accurate, single shot placement at distance. Not so good for quick acquisition of moving targets. Thanks for the review pal. Enjoyed it. Thumbs up, as always.
For more"dynamic" shooting this bipod can work as a vertical grip, like most bipods, by deploying just one leg. Although the leg is too small in diameter to get a full grip it is at about the correct angle for comfortable ergonomics and strong enough to get good support. Obviously not the bipod's intended use, you will need to grip it close to the handguard and be aware of the length beyond your hand when moving around obstacles.
Great Review... I just bought on for my AR w/ keymod, Like the fact that it can stow forward or back...
Good information in a very concise well laid out format. All around a great very enjoyable video. Thank you for helping me decide between two UTG bipods.
I’ve been using this bipod on my Aero Ar this past year and it Is my Favorite! And at a really good price
went to the range today with utg i paid 50 bucks i have got to tell you this bipod was bleeping rock solid I have a atacc for 500 bucks and its nowhere this sturdy. I was going to buy another brand 500 buck bipod, but I tried this utg on my tikka t3x tac a1 and it was fantastic...do not spend big on a bipod until u try this first.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
I have a pair of these on a savage. They're not the most "tactical" but they're solid. They're great for going to the range and shooting off a table or stationary positions. And for the price vs the big name guys, I'll take these all day long for the purpose of my shooting. I have other bipods for more tactical situations and moving targets.
I would recommend them for someone who is just plinking around or just starting out in the long range game.
I've been using same bipods shorter version on a maxim defense pdx 5.5 inch barrel and absolutely love it
I've seen they have the second version of this. It's longer, thinner, and the legs seems to sit very close to the rifle. I'm surprised no one made a video of it yet.
I'm surprised, too. The Recon Flex 2 looks even better than this one.
I put these on my 6.5 Grendel build. I really like them.
no matter what you do you will always have pros and cons but this bipod is great for the price
Can I just say that your voice is freakin soothing
Wow I would love to have one of them with that 24 inch barrel in a 7mm-08
Seriously. We need more 7mm-08 AR-10s.
Thank you for a very well made video that is informative and helpful!
Thanks for watching!
Great review. I was wondering about this bipod. Looks like a great idea for specific uses. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I have something like this on my rpr .22 mag from Amazon. They are the cheap version and have one leg that is messed up already. Still my shot group with that gun at 50 yards are holes in holes. I have not been able to get groups that close with the Harris bipod with either my ar, or my 308. I wonder if this is the issue. The flex that you have with any Harris bipod just seems counter productive. They are easy to turn horizontally and the balance of the gun. I think it's just enough to cause groups not to connect. It would be crazy to think something that small would cause groups to spread out but actually make sense at the same time.
These are nice, even though I bought the 5-8" legged set. If I had seen the longer set I probably would've bought those.
Mine are great for bench shooting flat and level or at a downward angle but a 30 rd mag will only let you raise the muzzle about 5-10 (estimated) degrees on a bench. You could position yourself at the edge of a bench so the legs are resting on it but the mag is able to clear it to get more freedom of movement but you may as well be shooting offhand at that point. I generally only use mine for zeroing sights.
Wish I'd seen this review before I bought mine.
Great review 👍 Thanks.
I have found out that if you got a big heavy rifle you should use a bipod that does not cant or pan. After a few shots with the heavy rifle the rifle will have a tendency to want to tilt one way or the other even if you tighten it. Just my opinion and what I have experienced with my atlas bipod.
That's a great point. I've shot some with vicious recoil, and they like to twist and get weird.
ngl if i had any suggestions for the next versions of this bipod
is adding adjustment hinges for swivel and elevation, would also make the bipod stance wider in the process.
Great review but I need cant and pan on my bipods. The bipods with the apex of the legs connecting with an imaginary line above the barrel seem to be the most stable like this one or some of the newer model accutac and atlas. His bipod being nice an light seems appropriate for a dmr or great at the range
Exactly right. This one has stability in spades, but it can't track a moving target all that well.
@socialregresive Funny, I came here today after I purchased the new version of this one today. I hope the new model is just as good.
The new model looks even better.
@@SocialRegressive i just ordered it today, it will be installed on a Trybe chassis with a Howa 1500 223 , to compare it vs my current magpul moe bipod. I hope is worth it for the new one, sure looks cool😂😎
Magpul new bipod is mlok without an adaptor. I used this bipod for a few days and just didn’t like how wide it made the foot print of my rifle. It would work on a dedicated long range gun which is not what I was trying to use it on
I just received my brand new magpul m-lok bipod with a set of atlas spiked feet for the bipod.. So far the only problem is the feet dont lock in like they should as magpul says all atlas feet are attachable.
Interesting. Please keep us posted if they resolve the issue!
Thanks for the info I’ll be ordering one for my bench rifle
You should check out my latest review on the UTG Over Bore bipod, too. That one has some inspiring tricks. Depends on how your rifle is set up.
@@SocialRegressive well do
@@SocialRegressive I have several Harris and Caldwell bipods in both swivel/cant and non swivel/cant but the UTG M-lok looks like it will work just fine on my archangel stocked Howa 1500 HB hogue 26” 6.5 Creed. The stock (hogue) was way to flimsy and contacted the barrel when using a bipod. The archangel has M-lok at 3-6-9 o’clock and should work great with the UTG and is not flimsy and I just use her from the bench . Thanks again for the great video
A little threadlock would go a long way to keep those M-lok nuts attached. Or, I haven't tried this yet, but I can't see why it wouldn't work.. Take a chisel & pound an "X" into the threaded end of the bolt, essentially making the M-lok nuts captured. Most of my M-lok nuts only need about a half turn to loosen and align themselves for removal. That would leave enough excess thread to work with in every case that I've seen.
Thanks for the vid. Think I will get one of these!!! Your rifle intrigues me. I shoot and hunt with a DPMS G2 hunter in 308 but I really like the idea of the 6.5 in an auto gun. Have you had good reliability and feeding with your setup? Also, have you had any problems with excessive fouling?
Thanks!
I didn't know what to expect before I started testing this rifle, and it has been a MONSTER. It is 100% reliable, feeds and extracts without a hitch, and prints .4 MOA groups at 100 yards (my handloads). It doesn't seem to run very dirty, either. The brass isn't too gross coming out.
@@SocialRegressive thanks. Might have to get into the game.
Good review.
What is your measurement of the hand guard vs handguard + bipod? How much extra width does it add?
About 1 1/4" per side so 2 1/2" overall.
Think I’ll give one a try
Interesting bi-pod. It “loads” well?
Regards,
Marky
This one doesn't load very well on concrete or other smooth surfaces. The legs are too rigid. Ig grass it kinda works. The good thing, though, is that in our testing this bipod didn't really need to load. It didn't seem to hop.
The Social Regressive thanks for the feedback.
Regards,
Marky
I own the UTG Recon Flex "KeyMod variation" small version of this bi-pod. I mounted it on Remington 308. I shot it on a shooting bench and couldn't get any better than a 6+ inch group at 100 yards. It bounced/vibrated something awful. Couldn't hit anything with it. I thought at first I had a major issue with my scope. Took off the bi-pod and shot the exact same setup scope, ammunition, and bench on sand bags. Immediately started shooting quarter to half inch groups at 100 yards with no problems. This bi-pod just didn't work for me at all.
Jared Bruner oh damn. Thanks for the feedback. It’s too lively and not designed to be, “dead”.
Marky
@@John1911 I don't know if it had to do with the weight distribution or the particular design of chassis I have on my gun. But to be fair though in soft dirt on the ground instead of a wood bench it might have worked better. However, for me I need something that will work on hard flat surfaces like wood/cement and soft ground.
Think the traverse would be any different if the bi pod was mounted close to the receiver instead of out near the barrel end?
Great point. It sure would.
These seem good for bench shooting at the range, but I think other options are better for real world
Yup. In the field a bottom mount with a full swivel would probably be better.
Hey Kyle, what would you think about using this with a RPR .338 Lapua?
It appears to be sturdy and my shooting is mostly fixed long range...
Michael W Mitchell I’m thinking about the same thing. I’m going for it, I don’t think the ATLAS was worth the $300 price tag.
@@andrewgarcia161 true about Atlas, I have a $100 Harris on my RPR 6.5 Creedmoor and it works just as good. 1/2 MOA at 100 yards...
Do they make one that can mount to a single bottom mlock rail. I have an Oryx chasis with Howa Creedmore.
Unfortunately, no. There are only a couple on the market that can attach directly to one M-Lok slot. Check out the Magpul bipod.
Thanks for your review, quite thorough I thought. I've been on the fence with this bi-pod and your review was helpful. I didn't realize there were two different sizes, I would have purchased the shorter model if I had not seen your video; you are right about the 8" - 11" length being needed for larger mags. It did occur to me that when stowing the legs, why not fold them back towards the mag. This would also change the weight and balance reducing the "weight feel" and possibly help case fitment issues?
Stowing backward certainly would help with balance, and I've done it on occasion. It kinda renders the forearm useless for offhand work, though.
Got one for my ak!
On the plus side it's only $75 Australian for this item the negative is its $125 postage
Great googly moogly!
Somebody needs to get this item out to Australia the Chinese already have the knock off on our eBay and you can tell from just looking it is nowhere near as tough as the original item the locking pin system has been changed and cheapened for manufacturing purposes as they do and is not even close to being as strong as the original
What do you think of CAA and Vltor variants?
They both look solid. I like that the CAA includes some adapters.
Liked
Yes
How do you “load” it?
This one needs a hard speed bump to push the rifle into. Otherwise the feet just drag around between shots.
What kinda scope rings are you running?
This is a Warne 20-MOA mount for a 34mm tube: amzn.to/2lGJ2YE
So he doesn't know how Mlok works?
Wait a second . . . is that a dude out there walking along holding up a target?
Absolutely yes! It's a rush for both parties.
listen those cheap scopes won't hold impact, to know this you needs a scope checker, and a gun that shoots well, with a gun that shoots good with a lower class scope the scope tends to climb right because of the vibrations of the gun moving the internals, thus your groups will open and when your shooting long range your just chasing your tail, because you don't know if the gun or the scope is throwing shots, I'm sorry but I had to say it, it has been tested and it is proven impact matters, you don't have to spend a fortune a good weaver with carbide insides like a T24 T 16 T36 will hold impact, sightron 36br will hold impact and you can see your target much better, and it will not cast over 350.00... you can delete this comment if it strikes a nerve
Pretty sure he's running a Bushnell Elite Tactical, those run around $1200 they're pretty legit and well regarded in precision shooting
WOW,
First! I have a pair but it has been to cold to shoot
Where do you live?
bsievers33 so cold that they tucked themselves away?
$50 well worth a shot...
Well made bipod, but it was not for me.
I get it. It's pretty specialized.
Not good for shooting on anything but a level surface for long range shooting.