I've used slik 733, 834, and a Sirui that is a 4 piece leg that is similar in weight to the 733 but supposed to hold more weight than both the slik models mentioned. If you're interested in the Sirui model I'll have to look when I get home... I can't remember specifically which one it was.
I've also used innorel off Amazon. I have 2 of those, one is a 6# beast (LT364C-Small Size RT90C) and the other is closer to 4# (innorel ST324CF). Both of those are super stable, but heavy for hiking with.
The Sirui va5 head is really really nice for glassing, but I've not tried to shoot off it.
I tried a cheap ball head off Amazon to shoot with and it did fine, but decided to get a RRS anvil for shooting and have been very pleased with it. The Anvil is pricey and not completely necessary though.
I've shot with all the tripods I listed, and the heavier they are, the more stable they are. So you have to figure out how much weight you want to carry. If I had a choice, I probably wouldn't choose a lighter weight tripod than the 733 size to shoot off of with a 8+# rifle. Its totally doable to shoot off a lighter tripod, but the stability can be an issue - and that also depends on how far you want to shoot.
I took all of them to 525 with a couple 308s and didn't have any issues hitting a reduced C-zone plate consistently... And that was the first time I'd ever shot over 325yds.
For glassing, I really appreciate having a center post to dial in height without having to adjust the legs every time. For shooting, some people say that center post is detrimental to stability, and I think I agree to a point. Again, it comes down to a trade off of weight vs stability.
All of the tripods I listed, except the heavy innorel, I got for well under 200$. The sliks and siruis go on sale fairly often, and sometimes you can get a va5 fluid head thrown in a combo deal for cheap. Just shop around and be patient.