Tier One ATAC Review

JCalleja91 · August 13, 2023

The ATAC Bi-Pod, One Bi-Pod to conquer it all. At least that's what Tier One lays claim too on their website with the release of the ATAC Bipod.

The ATAC is the newest Bi-Pod in Tier Ones line up for 2023.

Released this year at the British Shooting Show, it appears to be a blend of the venerable Tactical Bi-Pod and the competition focused ELR Bi-Pod.

The ATAC features a modular mounting system and is available in ARCA Swiss or the SmoothCam Quick Detach Picatinny Mount as seen here.

Both feature approximately +/-25 degrees of Pan and +/-25 degrees of Tilt. With the SmoothCam QD Picatinny Mount also having an option for Tilt only.

Additional mounts can be purchased through Tier Ones website. The SmoothCam QD Picatinny Tilt Only version is available for £58, the Pan and Tilt version for £67. The ARCA Pan and Tilt mount is available for £68.50 (Prices as of 03/2023).

I really like the design of the SmoothCam QD Picatinny system. It has 3 positions; one for completely removing the bipod, one for fixing the bipod to the rail but allowing adjustment of the tightness screw and the last is fully clamped to the rail. In terms of installation, I found getting the screw as tight as it will go in the adjustment stage, backing it off a half a turn and then locking it in place secures it in place without being too tight.

The Tilt tension can be adjusted at the rear of the Bi-Pod using the supplied nut or Tier-Ones Tilt Tension Key, Pod Lock or Tilt Lock accessories.

Now in my opinion, the Tilt Tension Key at the very least should have been included in the initial price, if not the Pod Lock or Tilt Lock.

My reason being is that you simply cannot get enough tension through the supplied nut to stop it from tilting. And worse still, if you Tilt the Bipod back and forth a few times, it loosens the nut, compounding the problem further.

That having been said, the pod lock I have here was relatively cheap and does allow you to get good leverage.

Most, if not all Bipods at this price point have only 2 axis of Leg Adjustment; Leg Angle and Leg Length. Whereas the ATAC adds Leg Splay into the mix as well.

The Legs can be positioned in the Stowed Forward, 45 Degree Forward or 90 Degree positions using the generously sized button. They can be splayed at 90 Degrees, 50 Degrees and 25 Degrees giving this bipod increased versatility and stability over its competition.

However, the button to adjust the splay angle is just too small. Added to that, It feels really soft and spongy. Which is quite disappointing given all the other buttons are so well made and give such positive feedback.

This is made all the more frustrating by the fact that this feature appears to have been copied across from Tier Ones ELR Bipod, which does feature a larger button.

The legs can be extended through 4 positions from 180mm, to 195mm, 210 mm, 225mm and finally 240mm. They can be rapidly deployed by just pulling on the legs, or they can be quietly deployed by pressing and holding the Leg Extension Button.

The legs on this version are made entirely from 7075-T6 Aircraft Grade Aluminium.

A Carbon Fibre Sleeved version is also available in both 180 and 230mm which according to Tier One reduces the weight between 20-40g.

The supplied Rubber Feet are removable using a Bullet Tip (or similarly pointy object) and can be replaced by the optional Gen 2 Spike Feet or 50mm Leg Extensions.

Depending on the configuration, the ATAC retails between £359.99 and £379.99 including VAT as of March 2023. The configuration I opted for here comes in at £370. If you're from outside the UK, these prices may differ.

In terms of warranty, Tier One offers a lifetime Warranty on defects.

I always feel it is important to understand the provenance of any review. To that end, I purchased this ATAC with my own money and I am in no way affiliated to Tier-One.

The only bit of help I had with getting my hands on this ATAC was that I missed out on a 10% discount code that was advertised on Tier Ones website by a few hours. I got hold of Tier One on Instagram and they kindly honoured the discounted price, which only speaks volumes for their customer service.

Overall, I have no major criticisms of the ATAC and it does seem to live up to being one bipod for every occasion, at least certainly for competition and hunting. Its wealth of adjustability sets it aside from its competitors at this price point, despite the fact that a few things could be refined somewhat.

It perhaps is not as well suited for Tactical application as some of its competitors. The Atlas PSR for example feels more rugged and has is more matte in appearance, whereas the ATAC has a bit of a shine too it, and some of the buttons could be prone to becoming snagged owing to their design.

All being considered, this will be replacing my Atlas PSR for this seasons PRS Matches.

That is of course, unless, Tier One wants to send me an ELR Bipod to review… 👀

Fancy seeing more from me? Give my Instagram a follow, @JCPrecisionRifle before heading over to my YouTube channel and subscribing, also @JCPrecisionRifle.

Until then, shoot straight!