From my perspective:
Glassing off a ball head.....sucks!
Shooting off a panning head.....sucks!
My solution has been to glass with a panning head (Outdoorsmans for light optics. Manfrotto for heavy optics) and to also carry a shortened center column with a RRS Anvil 30 on my pack’s waist belt.
When a shooting situation presents itself, generally, you’ll have time and opportunity to pull the ‘glassing’ center column/panning head out of the legs and insert the ‘shooting’ center column/Anvil 30.
If you don’t have time to do this...you’re prolly looking at a closer range shot and could use another, hastier, option for supporting the rifle.
The short center column with RRS Anvil 30 weighs close to that of a bipod. If I had to choose between the two.....I’d definitely leave the bipod at home. shooting off a tripod is much more versatile. Including the ability to shoot prone from it by opening the legs all the way up, so that they lay flat.
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