Tripods

[Crews]

I have been doing a great deal of research on tripods lately. There are all kinds of opinions on how much of a tripod you have to have for a stable shooting platform. Most any rifle I shoot is 10 pounds or smaller. Hunting and target shooting, would be nice to shoot from standing, kneeling, and sitting positions. Expected range of 600 yards for now, hopefully farther when I get better.

I am curious to know what kind of tripod setups you are using, for those that like what they have.

 

[stwcattle]

I been doing a lot of research myself. For about 2 years actually. Up until the RRS set up, I havent found anything that i thought would hold up.

I got a call in to Mike as I type this. I'm going to pull the trigger on some RRS gear because i can make it work with gas guns, hunting rifles and tactical rifles. They have a new Atlas bi pod mount to work with the system as well.

 

[Wedgy]

I take a UTG quick release and thread it 1/4"-20 it to fit on a tripod fluid head base upside down then any pic rail/bipod rail will clamp into it. The possibilities and endless...and cheap ! The monfrotto 128 head ($40 Ebay) is rated to 9lb but I've had over 15lbs on it, just tighten the adjustment knobs. You could put the mounting rail on anything including you gun or a hog saddle. The tripod is a Monfrotto 055 with the extendable center column, it can get lower to the ground than some and has 3 leg segments that go to 60+ inches

. Again, cheap on Ebay. If you want CF just google "carbon fiber tripod" on Ebay and you can get a really great deal. Don't get me wrong I really like RRS but it's out of my price range. Also if you are mounting a RF on your setup like mine it's much easier when you have s straight spotter as you can move your head back and forth from spotter to RF. My Meopta S2 is angled and takes a lot more positioning when going back and forth.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_so...dcat=30093&rt=nc&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo&_udhi=100
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bogen-Manfr...474162?hash=item4409940eb2:g:RFEAAOSwEBxZbmPt
https://www.leapers.com/index.php?act=listproduct&midx=980&allids=918_980&svroot=
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2XTactical-...354855?hash=item3d437e4967:g:YuQAAOSwax5YoqYE
The QR camera plates all have the standard 3/8" thread that fits the tripod and the shoe has the 1/4" that fit cameras, tripods, RF(except the Sig2400 has no hole), etc.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-New-Cam...592820?hash=item3ad6b9a134:g:gMIAAOSwA3dYbbnN

 

[Varmint Shooter]

Take a look at EW Calls tripod or McFadden's Ultimate tripod. I have been using
EW Calls for several years and am quite happy.

 

[longrangehunterII]

The best Tripod for the money IMO is sold through Hog Saddle and Made in Norway by Mission Critical Designs. IT's called a PRST Carbon Fiber Tripod and can handle up to 40 lbs. At $385.00 it's not cheap, but it's also not $1,000.00-$1,500.00 like the RRS products.

http://stores.hogsaddle.com/prst-carbon-fiber-tripod/

I have one and use it, and no it is not the one in my profile pic.

 

[Zen Archery]

I've been using a solid aluminum Manfrotto Tripod/Head unit I got off Craigslist for 20.00. Then I purchased a Hog Saddle. Love the combo. Very solid. Texas hogs and varmints don't like it though.

 

[stwcattle]

Hog Saddle has partnered with SLIK and they have come up with a new tripod that has a 26 pound rating. $138.00

 

[Crews]

the new tripod that the Hog Saddle guys have sounds like a pretty good option. I honestly don't mind saving up and getting a RRS tripod, I just wish I could get some hands-on experience between that and some of the cheaper options so I could understand if I actually need that much more stability. If that's the only way you can make 2 moa hits @ 600 yards from a standing position, then so be it.

It definitely seems like a leveling base plus a direct rifle mount takes some play out of the equation.

 

[stwcattle]

the new tripod that the Hog Saddle guys have sounds like a pretty good option. I honestly don't mind saving up and getting a RRS tripod, I just wish I could get some hands-on experience between that and some of the cheaper options so I could understand if I actually need that much more stability. If that's the only way you can make 2 moa hits @ 600 yards from a standing position, then so be it.

It definitely seems like a leveling base plus a direct rifle mount takes some play out of the equation.

If going with a hog saddle system, I think I would buy their carbon tri pod.

I really like RRS dovetail mounting system.

I'm also hearing from shooters the VYCE is more solid than the hog saddle. Michael told me a good way to hunt with it is to attach VYCE tight to rifle and if need tri pod, deploy tri pod and then mount the VYCE and rifle together.

RRS also has mounting system for Atlas bi pod and if you have a lot of Harris bi pods like I do, Michael told me a mounting system to a picitany rail is in the works. RRS also has mounting plates for the popular spotting scopes and my Nikon D7200 camera.

I havent bought the RRS yet but I'm just about there.

 

[SouthTXBowhunter]

I use the Hog saddle on a PRST tripod. One of the most useful things I've learned is to use a sling to increase stability when I shooting standing or sitting. Check out Josh Stabler's technique at about 10:15 in this video:

The ball head you use is as important as the tripod, unless you're going to direct connect your hog saddle to the tripod, without using a ball head. I really high quality ball head, rated for a very heavy load, will allow smooth panning and tilting without the jerky feeling that a lot of people have experienced when using a ball head mounted rifle. IF you don't need to tilt your rifle a whole lot, you might really consider using a RRS leveling plate on a tripod that it will fit, like a Feisol. I don't think the leveling plate is compatible with the PRST, unfortunately. After this hunting season, I'm going to have an Area-Swiss plate mounted to my new custom 6.5 Creedmoor, right in front of the mag well on my McMillan stock. Then I'm going to get a Feisol tripod and the RRS leveling plate and direct mount to it for relatively flat shooting; and I'll direct attach to the Sunwayfoto XB-52DL ball head on my PRST tripod for shooting where I need to tilt my rifle to more extreme angles.

 

[longrangehunterII]

I have a simular setup. I use a PRST Tripod w/a Sunwayfoto XB-44DL head (slightly smaller to the XB-52DL) which I mount my Hog Saddle to with their QD plate.

The one objection I have to the Sunwayfoto is with the QD plate, the quick throw lever doesn't open wide enough to remove whatever it's attached to without also loosening the screw too. But I never remove my Hog Saddle anyways so for me it's a mute point, but if you were using a direct mount off the gun stock then that's an issue if you're on the clock.

The Sunwayfoto heads hold a lot of weight, 88 lbs. for the XB-44DL, and 132 lbs with the XB-52DL.

 

[Sneekeehunter]

I use a Carbon Fiber bipod from Sirui.

I picked it from Amazon a few years ago. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FG7XBIY/?tag=lrhmag19-20

Here's a video I made in how I attach the tripod to two different platform of guns:


Here's a video on how I use it for hunting:



I've used this exact tripod for three seasons and a half dozen long range matches with three different guns. The heaviest is my LR comp gun a Howa 1500 in an MDT Chassis that weighs about 16lbs. I highly recommend it!!!

Pm me if you have any questions!!
Dan

 

[steeles1]

try the caldwell deadshot fieldpod.i use it from 800yds to .22 range.every gun i own but the shotgun goes on it.light portable,CHEAP,accurate.i sanded smooth the ballhead for smoother panning.added 2 metal gun rests i made of steel,padded and coated in leather then the best thing is a turnbuckle(double ended bolt/nut) between the gun rest cradle and the front leg held on with a quick release hose clamp.this really stabilized the gun and increased its range.i adjust the legs to get roughly the position i want the turn the turnbuckle to get micro precision height. awesome.slings over one shoulder,gun over the other. cheers

 

[geo4061]

steeles1, please post us a picture of the turnbuckle, quick release hose clamp set up. Thanks.