Looking for a rifle tripod for hunting and shooting. Seems to be a huge swing in prices, not sure who makes a good one and who does not. I’ve seen photos of some with legs sheered completely off, snapped off, etc. I don’t want junk, but I’m not shooting a .50 BMG off it either. Who do we like? Aluminum or Carbon Fiber? Saw some plastic ones that rolled up from England that looked way cool and probably uber pricey given the weapons it would hold.

The two that I know with good reputations for shooting are the RRS and Leofoto AFAIK. RRS I can say from personal experience is truly top notch but brutally expensive. Maybe Fritz will be along to tell you what is used in PRS etc. Some of the photo centric ones would probably be ok too but I have no idea on which ones are not junk.

RRS and Leophoto are common at the couple matches I went to. Field Optics was another that I saw.

I liked the RRS 3 section leg model with the addition of an ARCA head. These are holding 20ish lb rifles.

However, as it’s an item I’m looking to buy, I’m also interested in others experience.

I’ve been experimenting for some time using tripods for support when shooting from different elevated positions (sitting, kneeling, standing). Pictured above are some of the supports I’ve acquired and used at various times.

Before getting into a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of the various tripods and heads, the first questions would be what types of rifles do you plan to use and what situations would you be using them in?

The picture shows the very large Two Vets “Recon” tripod* with Leofoto “leveling” head that clamps to an Arca-Swiss rail as well as a small Slik tripod with cradle head that merely supports the rifle and a couple in between. I’ve also experimented with other tripods and heads that aren’t pictured. The Recon tripod is, unsurprisingly, the most stable of the methods I’ve tried, but even the small Slik setup can be remarkably effective and is of course far more convenient for carrying in the field.

* I strongly recommend that anyone who is considering a Really Right Stuff tripod look at the Two Vets line. There are a few YouTube reviews of their products, and at least one reviewer who had both preferred the Recon over the RRS. I am extremely pleased with their Recon tripod and they offer other types. They even offer a bit of a discount to military veterans.

A thread I started with more discussion and photos:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...140043584#8140043584

Added:
Some general comments.

As I mentioned, the larger and heavier the tripod, the more stable it will be, but primarily if the head clamps to the rifle. If it’s just a cradle like the two pictured, then having a really heavy and sturdy tripod isn’t so important as long as the tripod will support the rifle weight.

There are two basic types of clamping methods.

The Arca-Swiss method clamps to a rather large rail or plate that’s attached to the rifle forend. There are adapters that permit an Arca head to clamp to a Picatinny rail section as well. The other clamping method is the various “vise” heads that are similar to a cradle, but can be tightened onto the rifle forend. The advantage of the vise type clamping head is that they can be used with any type of rifle forend and don’t require a rail to clamp to. They can also be used as a free cradle without clamping to the rifle at all.

The vise type clamps must be tightened very firmly to hold as steady as the Arca system. I owned a “Hog saddle” vise type for a time, but didn’t really like it and let it go.

In my experience the clamp method is more stable than simply resting the rifle on a cradle head, but they’re slower to employ because the clamp must be tightened. They can also be fiddly to use because the tripod head must be adjusted to the proper tightness as well: too tight and it’s hard to aim the rifle as necessary, and too loose and the gun isn’t supported properly. With the Arca system it’s usually possible to adjust the head tightness and leave it alone, but it can still be an issue. I’ve also found some dimensional differences in the Arca type rails and heads among different brands, and that’s a minor nuisance.

The open cradle of the type pictured above isn’t as steady as a clamp mount, but it’s much easier to use, and especially to get the rifle aimed properly. Such cradles are also significantly less expensive than the Arca and vise type heads I’m familiar with. Another head that doesn’t clamp to the rifle is a filled bag that rests on top of a platform attached to the tripod. Such bags “hug” the rifle forend more than a rigid cradle and provide a bit more stability, but they are bulkier and sometimes heavier than a cradle.

There are some YouTube videos that address some of these issues, but most I’ve found are oriented toward competition use of the larger tripods.

And the importance of using some sort of support for the rear of the rifle along with the front tripod cannot be overemphasized. A tripod by itself is better than nothing, but coupling it with rear support makes a huge difference.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sigfreund,

I'm going to suggest the trigger sticks tripod. I've used one extensively for hunting and field work. They are lightweight, easy to set up and adjust and I use mine for a walking stick when it's collapsed. About $100. I've used them in 3 different countries to harvest a variety of animals and will occasionally use it to sight in a rifle if it kicks too hard for extensive bench shooting. Like a 458 WM. It's that stable.

I'm on round two for the tripod game.

I got a Bog tripod but I'm not liking the clamp style, at least that one.
To much wobble, even with a strap to the front of the front of the rifle.
The whole head has some give to it the way it's designed.
When seated with a bag under the rear it's stable enough, but not for standing.

I'm going with a ball head and Arca clamp this time around.
Hog Saddle is what I've been looking at and probably what I should have done the first time.
https://stores.hogsaddle.com/tripods-ball-heads/

This is what I'm looking at.
https://stores.hogsaddle.com/p...ing-tripod-od-green/
https://stores.hogsaddle.com/gnn-xb-44dl-ball-head/

MARC M-LOk plates for the rifles.
https://stores.hogsaddle.com/marc-m-lok-plate/

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

Two Vets Sporting Goods THE RECON tripod with Leofoto “leveling” head that clamps to an Arca-Swiss rail.

Slik tripod with cradle merely supports the rifle.

Sigfreund...great info! Is the Two Vets Recon a tripod they make in-house or is it something rebranded? Can you please tell me the model number on the Leofoto Leveling Head? I sent on their site and I can't seem to find the one you have. Also, on the smaller Slik tripod, which model do you have as they have a very wide range.

Also, I'm curious if you have ever used at least what I know as a tribrach. I used to help my cousin decades ago survey and that is what we used as an interface between the tripod and the total station to level up the whole setup once we roughed it in by adjusting the legs.

Lastly, what did you use to wrap your tripod legs with?

quote:

Originally posted by powermad:
I'm on round two for the tripod game.

I got a Bog tripod but I'm not liking the clamp style, at least that one.

Be careful, that's the one where I saw several reviews where the legs snapped.

I have seen at least one claim that the Two Vets tripods are made in China. Otherwise their specific features such as the design of the collets don’t resemble those used by Vortex or Really Right Stuff which are the two other brands that offer similar tripods, so they’re not an obvious rebranding of those two. If the China claim is true, I know that’s a major factor for some people, but I’ll leave it at that. Perhaps there is some way to confirm or refute the claim.

The Leofoto leveling head is definitely made in China. I ordered mine along with the tripod, but they are advertised by many different vendors, and in different lengths.
https://twovetssportinggoods.c...eveling-head-w-hook/
https://leofoto.com/products_detail.php?id=294

The smaller Slik tripod is the Sprint Mini II. It’s evidently been replaced by the III model which is similar, but the newer one has legs that can be angled out farther to get the head lower. Some Slik tripods can be had without heads, and that’s how I ordered the larger Slik model pictured. For the smaller model I removed the ball head to attach the cradle and I use the ball head with my LabRadar chronograph on a homemade base.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...rint_Mini_II_GM.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...5zqm9S0aAgSXEALw_wcB

Various Velcro and fabric with padding tripod leg covers are available. Besides being more expensive, I don’t like them as much as much as the tape type wrapping material because they have a tendency to slip and they usually leave part of the leg uncovered because they’re not the exact length. I mostly use Camo Form wrap for covering the legs as well as my riflescopes. As I discussed elsewhere it can get a little tacky in warm weather and it doesn’t provide as much padding as some of the tripod leg covers, but I still prefer it over the other covers. FWIW, the Mossy Oak “Brush” version is what I usually use and for some reason it is less tacky when warm than the MultiCam version. I’ve also used the snow camo version in the winter, and that’s obviously not something warm weather affects. Camo Form is available from various vendors and in different versions.

https://www.amazon.com/Gear-Ca...uflage/dp/B07YLFM83F

The Two Vets and the Manfrotto tripod with the adjustable head that are pictured have carbon fiber legs. CF makes them lighter in weight, but also more expensive than aluminum. CF is reportedly pretty durable, but it can be damaged and that's part of the reason for the leg covers.

In addition, I have experimented with painting tripod legs for camouflage purposes. That was not very satisfactory, and I just put up with leaving the lower leg sections unmodified.

I am not familiar with the tribrach devices, but I do not believe they would be as satisfactory to use for supporting a rifle for shooting as something like the Leofoto head, especially for engaging more than one target. The movement tension of the Leofoto and the RRS Anvil-30 heads can be tightened to hold the rifle in position pretty firmly, but while still allowing some aiming adjustment by increasing the panning and/or tilting pressure.

The movement tension of the Leofoto head is, by the way, much easier to adjust than that of the Anvil-30 head. The advantage of the latter is that it’s usable on tripods with conventional screw mounts for attaching different heads. Both the Leofoto and Anvil-30 can be tightened to the point that they will support a 10-14 pound rifle with no more movement than the flex of the tripod legs.

The larger Slik tripod with RRS Anvil-30 head* that I mentioned:



* A final comment: As I recall, the Anvil-30 head has a 3/16" screw socket, and the Slik tripod pictured has a 1/4" mounting screw. It was therefore necessary to use a step-down adapter to attach that head to the tripod.

Timely thread for me. I am in the market, theoretically, or at least will be soon. I am firmly in the “I don’t know” camp. lol
I don’t know what I want. Or I do know what I want, but I also know I don’t want to pay for it. And I’m almost certain what I want is not what will work best for how I will actually use it. theoretical best and reality best option being distant from each other.

While I like the idea of the stability a 40 mm legged tripod brings, I don’t relish the idea of humping an 8~9 lb tripod and 15+ pound rifle to where I’m going to use.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
I don’t relish the idea of humping an 8~9 lb tripod and 15+ pound rifle to where I’m going to use.

If interested, I do give some tripod weights in the other thread.
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...140043584#8140043584

I should have added… “and small chair“ lol (To keep my ass out of the snow).


The internal debate, what I want versus what I need thing happened quite a bit last week, clunking along with only a 10 pound rifle, a small photography tripod, and a short legged folding beach chair, up and down hills repeatedly in the snow.

Tried most all the tripods, RRS tripod with a leveling head is it for me. Had it for about 5yrs. Strong and rigid enough that I can lean into the rifle some to control recoil. Not a fan of free recoil, believe it's a bad habit. Much prefer twist leg locks over clamps. I've had the clamps loosened up at matches. I take the legs/locking mechanism apart a couple times a year and thoroughly clean them, should do that with any tripod especially if in dusty/dirty conditions. Using a ARCA clamp directly on a rifle is so much more stable then a clamp such as the Hog Saddle.

My match backpack and all around backpack. One of the guys at Kifaru showed me the Nalgene bottle holder for a tripod thing. Works well, keeps the tripod fairly tight on the pack. I commonly bring the tripod and binos with a ARCA mount when hiking. Humped it 6 miles with 3 quarts of water, ammo, binos, snacks.... and a 18lb rifle at a match. Tripod/leveling head is 4.5lbs.

I just went down this rabbit hole.


Discovered that most of the offerings on the market are made in China.

Leofoto is so brazen that they ripped off 100% of the design, down to the color of the fasteners and even brand designation.



So I ordered a Really Right Stuff SOAR tripod and their integrated Anvil ballhead. Should be here in January.

I was excited,ever so briefly yesterday, to see a company I deal with has ulfhednar tripods. I can get one at wholesale-ish!?!?

Ummm...yeah, no. Still $700-800 Nope,nope,nope.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
I was excited,ever so briefly yesterday, to see a company I deal with has ulfhednar tripods. I can get one at wholesale-ish!?!?

Ummm...yeah, no. Still $700-800 Nope,nope,nope.

I was in the same boat but then I considered it like this....

We will spend fairly large amounts of money for premium barrels, premium ammo, and premium optics in the quest for accuracy.

Yet one of the biggest shooting aids that we can buy is an exceptionally stable rest. Probably more crucial than the rest of the equipment if you really think about where accuracy is gained and lost.


That's how I justified it to myself at any rate.

RRS was nice enough to let me try out a prototype tripod for an Intro to Long Range Shooting class hosted by LRSU (Long Range Shooters of Utah) a few weeks ago. (RRS is just down the road from me.)

I really can't say enough about how rock-solid these things are. Being able to hit a milk jug at a 1000 yards off a tripod should be a good testament.
I liked it so much that I bought two of them...one for shooting and one for the spotting scope!

Obligatory pics:

Getting "fitted":


The Man


Views


My hit (note the cool bullet wake)

Nice shot!

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:

That's how I justified it to myself at any rate.

You may be right... for you.

My reality is it will be used for short/medium range hunting, so if I bought nothing and stuck with what I have, I be just fine.

But that's no fun!

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
That's how I justified it to myself at any rate.

Makes perfect sense to me.

But in all seriousness how often have we seen someone purchase a high quality component of the process and then cheap out on something else?

And although I must admit that it’s a recent discovery for me, other tripods suitable for photography or small telescopes—and I have a bunch—just aren’t the same as those designed for precision shooting purposes. Based on my experience thus far with a tripod in the same class, I would say that if we’re going to use one, they’re more important than a top tier scope (depending, of course, on how we use both).