Ironically, Swagger Bipods made its name with two products which carry the bipod label in their product name—yet, neither of which is truly a bipod.
The Swagger Hunter 29 and Hunter 42 bipods not only attach to your rifle to provide an extremely stable shooting platform. The patented bipods are built with “flex leg” springs so the shooter can twist and turn if needed and still have the rifle remain on target. And since these units sport two legs, one could argue they are at least “bipod-ish.”
Yet, unlike a traditional bipod, where the legs attach to a single yoke, the Swagger Hunter 29 and Hunter 42 are built onto a rectangular rest that affixes to a sling stud and rests under the barrel. No yoke.
Both models, by the way, work fine for hunting in the stand or the field. But Swagger’s newest product, the Stalker QD, actually is a bipod. It is as the name implies a quick detach (QD) model, easily snapped on and off a rifle or crossbow.
Recently, I used the Stalker QD during a South Texas deer and hog hunt. The bipod was handy in the hunting stand and the field. It is a solid piece of gear for the hunter who requires a stable platform that’s quick to deploy and fast to detach. The Stalker QD also incorporates Swagger’s flex legs technology, so the bipod and rifle can shift from side to side without being lifted off the ground–a real plus when that deer or hog decides to move a foot to one side just before you squeeze the trigger.
The legs on the Stalker QD start at 14-inches long; at full extension, the bipod’s legs are 46-inches long.
The two legs are connected to the quick detach yoke. The button in the center of the yoke opens and closes twin jaws atop the yoke. Press in the button and the jaws open, allowing you to slide the yoke onto the attachment hardware; open the jaws to the slip off the yoke and bipod from the rifle.
The Stalker QD comes complete with all the needed hardware to attach the bipod to a rifle sling stud, including a set screw and a small roll bar to limit how far the yoke will go (the later so the yoke doesn’t slide all the way off when attaching it to the sling adapter—see below).
The sling swivel adapter is essentially a small piece of rail that fits over the sling stud at the front, the bottom of a rifle stock. You may or may not need to place the black rubberized washer between the attachment point and the forend of the stock—if the adapter rattles or is generally loose without the washer? Use the washer.
Simply run the Allen screw through the adapter and sling stud and use the Allen wrench to tighten (a wrench is included).
Now, you are ready to put the QD Stalker on your rifle. Push the center button on the yoke to open the jaws and slide the Stalker QD onto the adapter and release pressure on the button. To take off the bipod, simply press the button and slide off the yoke.
But if your rifle has a section of Picatinny rail underneath the barrel, as with an AR platform? The Stalker QD yoke and jaws will attach right to that.
If your terrain is uneven and you need more stability than the rubber feet provide? Remove the rubber caps to expose metal spikes that dig into the ground nicely.
I used the Stalker QD in several elevated stands and on the ground during the day for deer hunting and at night using a thermal-scoped CZ 557 rifle in search of wild Texas hog.
The Stalker QD proved to be a nice piece of light-weight hunting gear that went on at a moment’s notice to provide the stability I needed for a good, ethical shot. And it came off just as quickly when it was time for me to move and the last thing I needed was a bipod attached to my rifle.
Easy to use and very functional, the Stalker QD will be part of my hunting rig from here on. The suggested retail for the Stalker QD is $129.99. Web prices range from $10 to $20 less.
