I was hesitant to do a MDT CKYE PODS review right after a Atlas CAL review. The reason being is that they’re both phenomenal products and will both serve you well . Additionally, I did not want to seem biased on he topic. The observations I have made are merely that. It goes without saying, you will be successful with any high end bipods.
The MDT CKYE PODS have a few different models. We decided to use the PRS model for this review. Illustrating the differences between the biggest competition for the Atlas CAL bipods. Undoubtedly these are more adjustable than the Atlas CAL bipods. Anyone with basic deductive reasoning skills can see that. The question is, do these have an advantage over the CAL. For instance, does more adjustability mean it’s actually better? These can go lower in the upmost position. These can go higher. But does that mean they are better? NO. Lets dig into why. MDTTAC.COMFirst lets begin by illustrating that these are amazing bipods. They meet and exceed anything you could need them for and we highly recommend them. But, the reason they are our number two choice is based upon an idea. Just because something is flexible and able to do a bunch of cool things, does not mean it will out-perform its competition. Let me give you an example of this with aircraft. The Boeing V-22 Osprey is a vertical takeoff, multi-mission military aircraft used by the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy. It is both an airplane, and a helicopter in one. So it’s not an airplane, and its not a helicopter. Consequentially it crashes all the time and sucks for a platform and somehow a CH-47 Helicopter AKA the “flying school bus,” outperforms it even though its been around since 1962. These Bipods clearly don’t suck, but they are definitely not as subtle and simple as the Atlas CAL.
MDT PRS CKYE PODS
These bipods do have some interesting features. Such as the panning feature. I am assuming, lets be clear of this, that the reason for the panning is not only that some people like the panning capability, but also because they were beat to the market with the multi-position legs. So therefore they have to make the whole bipod swing 360* to hit the required capabilities that the end user would want them for with leg position.
GREAT IDEA, POOR EXECUTION
These bipods can go super wide, or super high. They have the means to accomplish more positions than a set of CALs. Again, not necessarily an advantage. In the tightest position they are useless. In the widest position they sometimes cannot fit on the object or platform you are trying to shoot from. This results in a setup that although modular and flexible, struggles to find its home. Certainly you can understand that there is a point of diminishing return on a level of support that a bipod can give you. Now to give credit where it is due, the legs are fast. I actually like the leg locking mechanisms. Also the grip-tape is a cool feature to help bite onto thing you are trying to build a shooting platform from. This will be the “keystone” to why I do not love these. The mount solution. The baseplate to the bipod itself has a lot of play and so do the legs. Whereas the CAL bipods do not. I hate sloppy bipods and I cannot stand having something that feels like it has give to it as I am trying to build a shooting platform. Additionally, If it does not feel robust enough for tactical applications, I will not use them. Final note to wrap up the MDT CKYE PODS REVIEW, these are absurdly expensive and can be anywhere from 2x, to 3x the cost of Atlas CAL bipods. Take that for what its worth. I recommend these to any PRS shooter but again, only after a refinance on you mortgage. Applied Ballistics
