Field Optics Research Tripod Use for Hunting

[nksmfamjp]

Anybody run this for hunting?

BT Precision Bowl Top Tripod - 675283924697

Heavy duty bowl top tripod for long lens photography and spotting scope users and weapon support. Ideal for PRS (precision rifle shooting) and LR (Long Range) shooting. Uses 75mm bowl interface.

www.fieldopticsresearch.com

Looks like tripod, bowl and clamp could be had for about $500.

What else is similar?

 

[chutinlead]

I haven't tried their tripod, but I got one of their clamps and slapped in on top of one of the Leofoto Ranger level base tripods (the ls-325cex) and it worked fairly well.

Pros:
-The clamp is nice that it works with both picatinny and ARCA.
-having pan located above the leveling base is nice for tracking targets.
-very stable for a spotting scope.

Cons:
-The lever to clamp the jaw down to your rail spins and if not clamped on something swings and can make noise. Not a big deal at the range or shooting prairie dogs, but less than ideal for hunting.
- the Leofoto leveling base couldn't be locked down tight enough to support a cantilevered rifles weight (not what it was designed for, but less than ideal)
-too many clamps, knobs, levers to make use of in a rushed situation like hunting.

I sold it to my dad that was using a pawn shop aluminum tripod from the 80s and he likes it a lot. It's stable and handles the wind much better for spotting. He doesn't use it for hunting except varmints.

The full field optics tripod setup looks much bulkier than I would want to pack on a long hunt.