A bipod is something you would either love or hate with passion and only dedicated people are using them. The reasons are obvious: you cannot use them for certain gametypes and most of them are too heavy to carry around. Plus most of the time they are associated with either sniper or machine gunner roles. I have a china made bipod made out of steel somewhere at the bottom of my footlocker and I think I only used it once but now I'd rather go without it even if I am the designated marksman that day.

VFC released this bipod after their SCAR line became a hit and it meant to be an accessory for the SCAR H with long barrel but it can be fitted on any gun with a standard 20mm rail on the bottom of the fore end.

The unit comes in a plain cardboard box with a manual included. At first, I thought there is nothing inside the box because this thing is so light. With the exception of the screws and springs the whole bipod is made out of aluminum so it weighs only 320 grams which is about one third the weight of a bipod made out of steel.

All the parts machined nicely and I couldn't find any sharp edges or other flaws. The anodizing is well done and VFC got the color right too. Signs of lubrication can be seen on the moving parts but I would recommend using some extra oil after purchase especially on the extending legs. The legs will extend an extra 10 cm after you undo the screws (one per leg) to reach the maximum of 25 cm length. A hard rubber pad on the bottom is supposed to keep the legs in place while you are plinking and a spring loaded piece will lock the legs in either folded or opened position.

Our pod can be mounted on a 20mm rail both ways but like other people I prefer when legs fold to the front and not to the back. Position on the rail can be locked using one large thumb screw but first you have to slide the bipod base over the rail. Non-clamping mounting solutions will fit better on the rail but they won't fit any rail out there so I thought I will try a couple to see what VFC cooked for me. Airsoft and real steel rails can be both found in my foot locker so I picked up five of those: CA rail for SPR, King Arms rail for CASV, JG SR25 rail, TDI/CAA plastic rail for M4 hand guard, and the GG&G steel rail for M4 hand guard. First I tried the GG&G rail and the combo gave me a perfect fit, not loose at all but loose enough to slide the bipod over the rail without scratching it anywhere so I figure that I'll be cool as long as my rails are close to the dimensions of a real steel rail. I only had a slight problem with my JG SR25 but JG rails sometimes are slightly wider than the standard. I like the mounting solition because it won't damage the rails but on the other hand I was expecting steel parts to be here at least. It is way too easy to overtighten steel screws in aluminum threads and I hope it will last long enough.

The bipod will be tested on my SPR which I like to keep as light as possible because the 600mm outer barrel is already making it front heavy. As much I have used the bipod I noticed that most of the time I don't even use the extending legs and just keep them collapsed. This way my firing position is more natural and comfortable. Most bipods will enable some tilt of the rifle but the Extreme Tactical Bipod won't give you that comfort and this can be a disadvantage on uneven surfaces or slopes because you will need to spend a lot of time leveling your rifle. Most likely, this bipod is for the extreme campers and well camouflaged snipers who won't rush things. But it could be useful when zeroing multiple guns or for target practice.

Pros: lightweight, well machined, good mounting solution, simple design
Cons: no tilt function, not foolproof (screws can be easily overtightened)