Shooting tripods

[Tim.243]

I can save you money… simply don’t use sticks or a tripod or any kind.

I have a tripod for my spotter but I’ve never used one for my rifle. If the animal is within 100 yards I’ll shoot standing freehand, if a tree is around I’ll use it as a rest. Maybe I’ll shoot seated. Anything further and I’ll get prone and deploy a bipod.

I realize this advice goes against the norm when it comes to stalking out your way as sticks are far more common than over here.

With larger deer and the prone method it can leave you in the potential position of shooting on an up angle so I never put my self in that position, foxing is very popular here in this tiny island with the dark winter nights on sheep farms. I gave up using bi-pods laying down in a gate way with sheep pee/droppings and switched to sticks and welly's very quickly...
Moderators night vision/lamp gale of wind is not free friendly lol

I take sticks, thermal, rifle, rounds, knife, light rope. (no spotter or tripod)

 

[BlackWing]

A big Manfrotto tripod picked up at a boot sale with a small video head for a tenner, with one of those N8Vision 3D printed Clamps. I don't fancy lugging it all about for miles but for static stuff shooting from hide seats it's great

 

[Herb64]

5th leg on a Viperflex beats a tripod hands down. in my opinion.

 

[Pard 007]

Just do a search for manfrotto camera tripods £169 then get your pig saddle. Got tripod on ebay with the ball head just check the weight the ball joint will take. Rock steady ideal set up rifle clamped in ready

 

[Greenmist]

Buy a camera gimbal and a surveyors tripod, that'll save you about £200 and do the same job, I'll try and post a picture later

 

[Len the dog]

I’m a surveyor and I certainly wouldn’t want to be lugging a tripod across fields if I wasn’t being paid for it. In fact I don’t do it even when I am being paid, that’s what trainees are for.

 

[Greenmist]

I’m a surveyor and I certainly wouldn’t want to be lugging a tripod across fields if I wasn’t being paid for it. In fact I don’t do it even when I am being paid, that’s what trainees are for.

Mines aluminium and very lightweight, certainly wouldn't class carrying it, lugging

 

[Len the dog]

Mines aluminium and very lightweight, certainly wouldn't class carrying it, lugging

Aluminium survey tripods are for nothing heavier than an automatic level, they are inherently flimsy and bloody noisy.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Surely such setups are semi-perminant installations or do folk really creep through the woods with a tripod & rifle??

As an aside I can see a ball head with suitable front rest and quick-release clamp working well in a high seat.

K

 

[Tim.243]

Surely such setups are semi-perminant installations or do folk really creep through the woods with a tripod & rifle??

As an aside I can see a ball head with suitable front rest and quick-release clamp working well in a high seat.

K

To a point as 90% of rails are too low so using it would bring it up to a decent height, were it will fail is the opposite hand shot when you have to climb down and stand on the next rung down with the other leg acting as a balance weight...
As with most gadgets ( rf bino's lol) people fiddle around with info they don't need...

 

[zerovarm]

Surely such setups are semi-perminant installations or do folk really creep through the woods with a tripod & rifle??

As an aside I can see a ball head with suitable front rest and quick-release clamp working well in a high seat.

K

Use mine only for static shooting at a bait point etc. Must admit to being frustrated on occasion walking to said point and spotting something with the thermal. Tripod a real faff to deploy quickly/quietly but comes into it's own when in position for hours at a time

 

[PhilSN12]

I used Trigger sticks for years until a mate of mine bought a Rekon tripod.
I struggled with the thought of paying £400 for a set but did in the end. Now the Trigger sticks only come out if I am walking to a high seat.
The Rekon seems to give me so much more time, so I can scan or have a brew and still know everything is ready should Charlie turn up.
As with any new kit you need to practice with the kit you are going to use so it feels comfortable and you know how it works. They are light and I can put them together or adjust with my eyes shut now.
They might not be for everyone, but they have certainly helped me

 

[Czhowa]

I made mine from an old nikon theodolite tripod and a £37 arca clamp pivot ball from amazon. It is sturdy, lightweight and cheap as chips. Yeah it rattles a bit when you're walking around with it but once it's stuck into the ground with a rifle on top the only noise are the squeak of my flask lid and the thud of the flask falling over!

 

[Klenchblaize]

Top stuff

K

 

[Len the dog]

How have you attached the rifle to the Arca clamp?

 

[NullMac]

I have used a Manfrotto and pig saddle. Very good. Saddles are now available a lot cheaper. You don't really need a ball head either you can screw the saddle onto the tripod directly; although that is a bit limiting it is a hell of a lot cheaper and lighter.

 

[JTO]

99% of my foxing is now done static with me waiting up in a likley area scanning with the thermal from the boot of the car, then when charlie comes its onto the quad sticks. But if im honest its a bit of a faff trying to deploy the sticks, get the rifle, kick the pard and ir into life and keep a eye on the fox as I do it all and was thinking about one of these tripods where you leave the rifle clamped up ready to go but, they seem to be eye warteringly expensive for the ball head types which is what want so I started to look at other options and a normal camera tripod is a fraction of the price even in carbon fibre seems to be able to take the weight of a rifle, has a ball head adjustment and seems to have the same fittings that will take a pig saddle. Now am I missing somthing here will it work and is the just the shooting equipment tax in action

I have a few cheapie chairs at various positions. Sitting with the rifle across my lap and a Primos tripod ready in front is less tiring than standing.

 

[Czhowa]

How have you attached the rifle to the Arca clamp?

The mdt chassis has an optional arca dovetail. On my other rifles and air rifles I've just screwed or bolted a universal camera arca rail on to the underside of the stock somewhere near the centre of gravity

 

[Nick703]

I use the disco bonnet tripod ,2in lift and big mud tyres = just the correct height,if for some bizarre reason I have to walk I’ve got a rekon tripod,excellent bit of kit

 

[jall55]

I have a few cheapie chairs at various positions. Sitting with the rifle across my lap and a Primos tripod ready in front is less tiring than standing.

Haha - This is a bit like us - but we have Sofas ! Hard not to nod off in the last of the sunshine at the moment