Converting heavy duty camera tripod into rifle mount

ALLHONE hunting knives designed and made in NZ
Elmer fudd 1

Elmer fudd 1

Well-Known Member
As the title suggests had anyone had any success turning a heavy duty camera tripod into a stable shooting platform?

The bog deathgrip is a good looking tripod and (relatively) stable but lacks the multipurpose functionality of a conventional tripod which could also be used for cameras, spotting scopes etc.

I considered buying a benro tripod from Amazon as their largest models have ample load capacity and are well built but haven’t actually pulled the trigger. There are plenty of monkey clamps out there which would convert a camera pod into a shooting platform
 
If you’re looking at Cam Tripods go on CVP for a look, do you want twist and release legs or lock latch types on the legs? Manfrotto, Satchler etc all make tripods for full blown broadcast cameras which can go north of 15kg when fully loaded .
 
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The setup works very well for self supporting a rifle but in strong cross winds I found it unusable. The pivot point needs to be at or very close to the centre of gravity which places it quite close to the shooter, when the wind was blowing across me I found that even a small amount of body sway made it virtually impossible to get an accurate shot.
I have since ‘invested’ in a set of B&Q’s finest quad sticks and cannot believe how stable they are to shoot off. I incorporated a short length of canvas web belt across the two front sticks so that I can pan left and right.
 
Len the dog said:
View attachment 301626

The setup works very well for self supporting a rifle but in strong cross winds I found it unusable. The pivot point needs to be at or very close to the centre of gravity which places it quite close to the shooter, when the wind was blowing across me I found that even a small amount of body sway made it virtually impossible to get an accurate shot.
I have since ‘invested’ in a set of B&Q’s finest quad sticks and cannot believe how stable they are to shoot off. I incorporated a short length of canvas web belt across the two front sticks so that I can pan left and right.
Click to expand...
Hello, could you attach some photos of your B&Qs? I'm interested in saving a couple of hundred quid.
 
Dave31 said:
Hello, could you attach some photos of your B&Qs? I'm interested in saving a couple of hundred quid.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I’ve just left home for work for a few weeks, will try to sweet talk the better half into taking a few photos for me though.
I had a bunch of 6” diameter O rings that I used to join the ends of the legs and then stretched a short length of bike inner tube over to keep them in place. However rubber martingale stops should also work well.
 
Dave31 said:
Hello, could you attach some photos of your B&Qs? I'm interested in saving a couple of hundred quid.
Click to expand...
www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

Monkey Sticks !!

Right, Ive been meaning to post this for a while! What follows is a step-by-step guide of how to make the most stable shooting sticks you will ever use for about £10 !! Firstly, get down to a DIY type garden centre and purchase 4 of their 1.8m plastic coated garden canes (which are actually...
www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk
 
If you want a solid tripod, buy a Gitzo.

They support cameras with telephoto lenses worth several times the average stalking rig, and weighing more than most rifles, all without any wobble whatsoever.
 
scotch_egg said:
Don’t be fooled into thinking any of these tripods give you bipod stable shooting platforms when standing.

Anything with a centre column especially emphasis wobble.

The Innorel RTC90 is one that offers about the best stability to cost, but then then there will be wobble and you will need to practice.
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Don't really agree with the wobble bit , ive modded mine , ill show pics tomorrow , ive often taken foxes with a perfect chest shot at 250 yds +
 
I have shot a lot of deer over tripods good and bad, centre columns and all and carry to this day for the dual purpose of camera/rifle shooting.
Are we trying to shoot a deer or take a benchrest shot at that shiny silver dollar in Jack Johnsons quoit @ 200 yards?
 
So not quite the same thing, but I’ve recently acquired an RRS Tripod with the Anvil ball head. Expensive even second hand but unlike anything I’ve used before, whether quads or Tripods at work, the RRS is hands down much better and infinitely more stable. Especially with an Arca rail mount as the Anvil can take picatinny and Arca.
I believe RRS started making camera tripods hence the crossover. Might be worth a look for you too.
 
Muntybuck5803 said:
So not quite the same thing, but I’ve recently acquired an RRS Tripod with the Anvil ball head. Expensive even second hand but unlike anything I’ve used before, whether quads or Tripods at work, the RRS is hands down much better and infinitely more stable. Especially with an Arca rail mount as the Anvil can take picatinny and Arca.
I believe RRS started making camera tripods hence the crossover. Might be worth a look for you too.
Click to expand...

Show off... :worried:
 
Muntybuck5803 said:
So not quite the same thing, but I’ve recently acquired an RRS Tripod with the Anvil ball head. Expensive even second hand but unlike anything I’ve used before, whether quads or Tripods at work, the RRS is hands down much better and infinitely more stable. Especially with an Arca rail mount as the Anvil can take picatinny and Arca.
I believe RRS started making camera tripods hence the crossover. Might be worth a look for you too.
Click to expand...

RRS (Really Right Stuff) started back in 1990 by manufacturing precision, Arca-compatible, quick release plates, subsequently releasing their first carbon fibre tripods in 2009.

About RRS

www.reallyrightstuff.com www.reallyrightstuff.com

The nice thing about RRS is that they have their own hunting division, called SOAR (Sport Optic And Rifle).

They have an enviable reputation for building quality kit, alongside other similar companies such as Kirk Enterprises, Hejnar, Wimberley and Arca-Swiss themselves.
 
Muntybuck5803 said:
So not quite the same thing, but I’ve recently acquired an RRS Tripod with the Anvil ball head. Expensive even second hand but unlike anything I’ve used before, whether quads or Tripods at work, the RRS is hands down much better and infinitely more stable. Especially with an Arca rail mount as the Anvil can take picatinny and Arca.
I believe RRS started making camera tripods hence the crossover. Might be worth a look for you too.
Click to expand...


So long as the gaskets don’t fail and you try to get spare parts - they have to be returned to RRS for that to be done ,,,

The anvil ball head is nice though 👍🏻
 
Len the dog said:
View attachment 301626

The setup works very well for self supporting a rifle but in strong cross winds I found it unusable. The pivot point needs to be at or very close to the centre of gravity which places it quite close to the shooter, when the wind was blowing across me I found that even a small amount of body sway made it virtually impossible to get an accurate shot.
I have since ‘invested’ in a set of B&Q’s finest quad sticks and cannot believe how stable they are to shoot off. I incorporated a short length of canvas web belt across the two front sticks so that I can pan left and right.
Click to expand...
Attaboy - I have been using B&Q and the web belt refinement since forever - brilliant job!
🦊🦊
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The Innorel model is decent quality for the money, as is the Artcise sold on Amazon (which I think is rebranded and sold by Ulfhednar though may be wrong)

I’ve quite a few tripods that I used for photography so tried using a heavier duty manfrotto model I had - the difference bettween this and the Artcise 40 mm dia leg model is night and day

There is no mechanical vibration in the artcise with a rifle balanced on a bag on top or locked in to the ball head I bought separately

I’m led to believe that Amazon also sell a rival ball head to the anvil at a third of the price

If it’s good enough for Frank and Chris then it’s worth a try for me
 
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I looked into all this innorel tripod,ballhead,and a quality saddle,not some printed crap from eBay and finished up getting a recon tripod and pig saddle in the Black Friday sale for very similar money,both my cf rifles weigh a ton and cost a lot of money with everything on, the proper tool for the job for me for a small amount of money more
 
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This looks a bit scabby but it's a Manfrotto tripod with some 'printed crap from ebay' saddle and it actually makes for a decent stable platform.
I don't use it for stalking, preferring quad sticks but for foxing it's proved itself to be excellent.
The printed saddle is well made and very good for the money, the pipe insulation prevents both noise from the legs knocking together when carried and is more comfortable to hold when very cold. It would have benefited from some primer before the black paint was applied but I was impatient to get it out.
 
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