Last updated on October 1st, 2023
My bipods get a workout whether its hunting trips in the rugged New Zealand alps, long distance shooting in the harsh western Queensland outback or long days at the range for a competition shoot. Because of these challenging conditions I am always on the lookout for the latest gear that could make life a little easier.
Having extensively used Harris and Atlas bipods over the years I picked up the Warne Skyline Precision bipod for use on my Sako TRG. The rifle isn’t exactly lightweight at 7kg’s and sometimes feels like I’m wielding a battleship in competitions so the ease of use features of the Warne bipod appealed to me.
| Warne | Atlas V8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6.9 – 9.1″ | 5 – 9.4″ |
| Total Pan | 44 Degrees | 30 Degrees |
| Total Tilt | 22 Degrees | 30 Degrees |
| Weight | 16.5 oz / 467g | 11.4 oz / 323g |
Warne
If you haven’t come across their gear before, Warne make high quality kit, they are a well established brand in the shooting community known for their well thought out and machined gear. The set of Warne scope rings I have are some of the best I have ever owned so I had high expectations picking up their bipod.
Features
What makes the Warne Skyline different from all the other bipods on the market are two main things, its range of motion and the ease with which the height of the legs are adjusted. To extend the legs, you simply pull down on the legs foot which fully extends them. Pressing the lever at the bottom of each leg retracts the leg up a notch, continue pressing the lever to retract the leg to the desired height. The legs extend between 6.9 to 9.1 inches, making it suitable for a lot of shooting scenarios where you are in an awkward position on uneven terrain.
Similar to the Atlas you have a switch on the outside that when pressed down allows you to move the legs forward and backwards through the three positions. There is a rapid deploy feature where you can simply pull the legs into the 90 degree position, this can be swapped to be front or rear facing.
The bipod’s pan (side to side) range is a wide 44 degrees. The tilt (up and down) range is 22 degrees which is plenty for uneven terrain I find myself in. This wide range of movement is achieved through the unique ball head design. Tightening and untightening the central wheel allows the bipod to remain fixed or pan and tilt on the ball at the center of the bipod. The tension range on the wheel allows you to finely adjust to your preferred tension.
As for durability its very well made and gives me confidence it can take hard use in the field just as well as my Atlas or Harris bipods. Its made from high quality aluminum, ensuring its up to the task even on a heavier rifle setup.
The Warne Skyline Bipod is also equipped with a quick-detach lever, enabling very simple attachment and detachment to the rifle. This has let me easily switch the bipod between rifles without undoing any screws like I have to on my Atlas.
There are different options for the bipods feet. It comes with rubber ones that suit most purposes but there are a range of other feet available such as spiked and a claw style. These thread into the legs and are easy to change.
In The Field
When it comes to performance, the Warne Skyline Bipod has excelled in ease of use and adaptability. I have enjoyed the adjustable height feature the most when changing into different shooting positions and engaging targets at higher elevations at the back of the range. Comparing it to my Atlas bipod, the Warne bipod has a larger push button for leg movement which is a lot easier to use. The large pan and tilt range has also been a welcomed addition to my prone shooting, allowing for fine adjustments to keep the rifle level.
The Skyline Bipod does comes in both Picatinny and ARCA mounts. These options suit the majority of shooters setups especially long distance and competition rifles. While it may be slightly more expensive than the Atlas and Harris bipod, its quality construction, versatility and user friendly design have made it a worthwhile investment.
Conclusion
The Warne Skyline Bipod is unquestionably a professional piece of kit for those wanting the extra edge for their competition or long distance rifle. For me the Warne edges out my Atlas because of the adjustable height, canting mechanism and quick-detach functionality. These have been very convenient features that mean the Warne has become my new goto bipod. If you are in the market for a quality bipod thats guaranteed to perform, the Warne is a solid piece of kit that wont disappoint.
PRECISIONRIFLE