TFB Review: MDT Lightweight CkyePod Bipod

Note that there are several versions of the CkyePod, there may be others that fit your needs better. If you want the lightweight version reviewed here, there are only single and double legs to choose from. For my personal use in PRS and DRM competitions, I need double legs. 

Below: A LWRCI REPR Mk II Elite in OD Green on MDT’s CkyePod. Optics: Kahles K328i (3,5-28x50i). ePaper DOPE Card, which I’m looking forward to exploring.

Nowadays the packaging of the product has become a competitive advantage, and MDT does really well in this field. I’ll take the opportunity to comment that they fold down into a compact size for easy transportation and storage, and as you may note in the image below there are even longer legs available. Just beware that the spikes are pretty sharp, so don’t mix them with other sensitive objects in your bag. Or get the MDT Ckye-Pod Case.

Challenge: How do I make a review about a match-winning, yet fairly boring product like the MDT bipods interesting? Well, hang on and see how I’ll do. If you ask me, some of the best images I took in 2024 are here.

One of the few images with no bipod in this review. But the chassis is from MDT and called the ACC EliteChassis System, for Remington 700. The rifle is a Bergara .22LR and the bag is a Drengr Precision Barricade Bag (with a limited edition Spuhr logotype), one of the best bags in my opinion. At least in Europe.

The CkyePods are made with high-quality materials (aluminum), to reduce overall weight while maintaining durability. At no point did I feel that the bipods weren’t durable enough.

Apart from the ARCA / RRS Dovetail/Picatinny there is also an A.R.M.S #17 attachment.

This is a JP Rifles PCS-12 in 6.5 Creedmoor, with various attachments needed for a DMR competition role. The Arca rail is from Magpul and is used to attach the bipod and other accessories. According to the specs, the bipod offers 170 degrees of cant and 360 degrees of pan. There are separate tension adjustments for these functions, but in my opinion, it’s too difficult to adjust the tension for the cant. The normal CkyePods are better in this perspective.

When you’re shooting at targets like this, from 10 cm up to 40 cm (I think) at long distances you really need stable support. The CkyePods will help you with the forward end of things.

An example of what it can look like, through the Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 PM II Ultra Short Riflescope with the Tr3mor reticle. Zeroing at 100 meters below. Yes, it was a bit confusing with the GR2ID reticle and the round black patches, but not as bad as the image may look.

Then verifying at 500 meters, before a DMR competition. Think of it like a PRS competition, but with semi-autos and a maximum distance of about 600 meters.

At 500 meters, you have to begin to make an effort to make the hits count and keep the groups together. Note the bipods in front.

Below is a Tikka T3x UPR in 6.5CM in a Spuhr SICS with a Zero Compromise 840. The bipod is a CkyePod, heavy-duty.

These bipods are also to be considered for hunters or competition shooters who need to minimize gear weight without sacrificing performance, but the heavy-duty version is not that much heavier.

The MDT CkyePod Doublepull Legs is a real acrobat. Here are some examples of what it looks like and what it can do.  

Double legs means even more adjustments, ready for uneven terrain or unconventional shooting positions (as stage designers love to put us through).

I found that some of the release buttons had an uneven feel or function in terms of “letting go” and releasing the legs. Perhaps more deburring, more use, or another chamfer to begin with, would improve this? On the other hand, you don’t want them to do any of these actions by themselves either, so it might be that MDT have them fine-tuned already.

Depending on the stage or situation, it may not always be possible to push straight into the button to release it. I noticed that my friend’s bipod (heavy-duty version), which has a lot more use, had better functionality in terms of this issue.

It’s difficult to complain about the outer finish. The material is hard anodized aluminum.

Below: Sometimes you need to make an impact. The feet can be exchanged, and are B&T Industries compatible. This is quite an advantage since these are available and spread on the market already.

Below: Top: Lightweight version vs. Heavy Duty (Bottom).

The MDT bipods can make your rifle behave in a lot of different ways, but it’s always supportive as you keep everything in balance. Here are a few examples.

You may not have noticed, but this Bergara B14-R 22LR Trainer has a Jaki suppressor. It makes the setup look less silly and makes everything very silent.

Back to .223 Rem, and bringing the MDT Ckye-bipods (heavy duty) into the action, in one of the coolest stages I’ve ever shot in a DMR competition. I’m not in the pictures, but note that to succeed you had to switch from bipods forward, to bipods out. In a timed event. 

That tree line is a lot more interesting and challenging than you think. On this stage, there were targets at 495 meters (note the white “dots”). The wind was not too bad, so I got quite a few more hits than the poor Range Officers who shot the day before in full wind and rain.

Considering the marks the CkyePod spikes did on wood, I was a bit disappointed that the hood of the Ford Estate prop didn’t really care much for my torture. Note the skeletonization to reduce weight.

There were some other amazing rifles at the match, and this is probably one of the best-looking JP Rifles I’ve ever seen. More or less everything is in OD Green, even the ASE Utra Suppressor. Schmidt & Bender 5-46×56 PM II riflescope. Bipods? Take a guess.

MDT does make some lovely products that reach new heights in combination with other great products: MDT + Bergara + Schmidt & Bender + Spuhr + Jaki Suppressors + Hardox Steel = LOVE

As you may have realized, most of the cons with this bipod come down to, or are related to its premium price. If this is a problem, it may indicate that you’re the wrong niche target audience. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have liked them to cost less, and in some markets, there’s a high premium due to import taxes and dealer margins. This is one of the most expensive solutions on the market, yet almost every top shooter uses them in PRS and DMR competitions.

Apart from the price point, they take some time to master, and I’ll admit I’m not 100% there yet. Also, these bipods are not something you just throw down in the bag together with everything. I would have liked a carrying/ transporting case, to avoid scratches on everything else I own. But as my friend pointed out, he keeps them on his rifle all the time. Good point, and at the end of writing this review I just learned that there is a specific case available.

The amount of bipods and variants of bipods on MDT’s webpage is overwhelming. Adding all the attachment options and heads, and I’m out and would like an expert to talk to before I order. I’m not saying that MDT makes a lot of unnecessary bipods, it’s just that sometimes all the freedom of choice becomes a burden for the potential buyer.

Personally, I would go for the Heavy Duty version (called MDT CKYE-POD Gen2 Double Pull – Bipod). They’re almost the same weight as these lightweight but have a little more to offer in terms of tension adjustment and a barricade stop. If you need single or triple legs, that’s also available.