Lightweight tripod set-up for shooting

[chutinlead]

My field optics clamp came in today and I made an adapter out of aluminum. Worked out pretty slick

 

[justin davis]

Define "can be used".

You can use it, but if the weight rating is less than the gun, its gonna wobble a lot.

If you are buying one for usable shooting, get as high a weight rating as you can. I could use one that was like 40 pound limit.

So I’m a Bowhunter and carry a lightweight tripod for glassing. I tag along and help my wife
Rifle hunt and other family Member. I usually bring a bog pod tripod for them to shoot off if needed. But I was thinking be nice to just use my tripod for that instead of carrying the bog pod.

 

[hereinaz]

How far do they shoot?

 

[tdbaugha]

I'm having trouble picking either the Anvil-30 or the BH-40 SC. Both clamp ARCA & Pic rails and are about the same size and weight.

It will be used to glass from, photography, and shoot from. I'm leaning towards the BH-40 SC for its versatility, but would I be giving anything up to the Anvil? Are they equally stable with an 8-10 lb hunting rifle?

 

[hereinaz]

I'm having trouble picking either the Anvil-30 or the BH-40 SC. Both clamp ARCA & Pic rails and are about the same size and weight.

It will be used to glass from, photography, and shoot from. I'm leaning towards the BH-40 SC for its versatility, but would I be giving anything up to the Anvil? Are they equally stable with an 8-10 lb hunting rifle?

You are not losing stability. You will just have different features.

 

[bradb]

Always give Michael at RRS soar a call and he will be great at answering your questions and giving his thoughts

 

[hereinaz]

Always give Michael at RRS soar a call and he will be great at answering your questions and giving his thoughts

Mike at Mile High is another to call. That's where I got my anvil

 

[chutinlead]

So I couldn't resist the Anvil-30 hype. Found a smoking deal on a 36mm leg leofoto tripod and ordered up an Anvil. Made an adapter that should hopefully help with anti-rotation. The taper was a little fun to figure out but it turned out nice. I made it out of some UHMW plastic, but I might have to go to aluminum if this doesn't work.

 

[hereinaz]

Nice!

 

[chutinlead]

Nice!

I had a couple buddies and my dad all call dibs on my other one if I ever wanted to get rid of it. Made it pretty easy to make the leap up.

I can see why they charge what they do for the Anvil. It is completely different than anything out there and it is smooth.

 

[hereinaz]

I had a couple buddies and my dad all call dibs on my other one if I ever wanted to get rid of it. Made it pretty easy to make the leap up.

I can see why they charge what they do for the Anvil. It is completely different than anything out there and it is smooth.

Yep there's nothing out there like it, and you have to see it and shoot it to really know.

 

[justin davis]

No bags are needed. Of course rear support be it a bag, knee, trecking pole ect always helps adding stability. I like the plate close to balance point, but have shot a buddies gun with a pic rail in the front, it was fine.
This was yesterday all shot sitting, most with no rear support, 4 different guns, 2 different loads in one gun. One gun is a sub 8lb 280ai, the others just over 10lbs.
Had set vital target in front of the big steel for seeing misses. Couldn't get to my 1000 yard spot so only 445. Did miss with 2 shots in the spot high with 22br.
Remember I am only a so so shot. But this is easy to do off these set ups

What tripod you using?

 

[7718Sallee]

Nice work on the adapter i appreciate the skills some guys have in making their own parts
Got my new system this week finally and can’t wait to get out to shoot it. Work has been really busy with the nice weather and bear season is going so I’ll practice setting it up and dry firing with it while glassing for bears this weekend. It’s 4.2 lbs but incredibly stable playing with it here at home. My UL glassing tripod was 2.6 lbs with the va5 head so a weight penalty I’m going to carry anytime I’m hunting. Thanks Govt stimulus. Got a ascend tripod and bh40 and anvil head but after playing with them here I’m going to sell the anvil i feel i really need a pan function for glassing.

 

[chutinlead]

Nice work on the adapter i appreciate the skills some guys have in making their own parts
Got my new system this week finally and can’t wait to get out to shoot it. Work has been really busy with the nice weather and bear season is going so I’ll practice setting it up and dry firing with it while glassing for bears this weekend. It’s 4.2 lbs but incredibly stable playing with it here at home. My UL glassing tripod was 2.6 lbs with the va5 head so a weight penalty I’m going to carry anytime I’m hunting. Thanks Govt stimulus. Got a ascend tripod and bh40 and anvil head but after playing with them here I’m going to sell the anvil i feel i really need a pan function for glassing.

Hey thanks. I did try and order the series 2/3 adapter to check if leofoto really copied them straight down to the legs, but they angle locks and width of the fork at the top of each leg was different. Plus RRS doesn't make any kind of flat adapter, which I thought was a little weird.

Honestly the anvil works great with my full size spotting scope and I figured if I really need it, I would just attach a tiny ballhead to the bottom of my bino adapter and put an ARCA plate on the bottom of the ballhead. Its a small weight penalty, but might be worth the stability you gain from a full size tripod and the speed you get from the Anvil.

I'll give this a go shooting some prairie dogs and see how fast I can get setup sitting.

 

[chutinlead]

I've gotten to try this several times now and it's amazing. Shooting prairie dogs at 300yds with my AR or my 22lr and it's stable as I could ever ask for even in this Wyoming wind. I took it to a match a couple weekends ago and put my 20-60x85 spotter on it, and in a sitting position with 20-30mph, no wiggle.

 

[Lawnboi]

I do not have it listed yet. Still tweaking design.

At first, I put one just in front of my mag, heavy in the rear by a smidge. You want the rifle balanced, or tiny rear heavy. If you go prone with the tripod, up front works.

I eventually went full ARCA and left the bipod behind. View attachment 271131View attachment 271131

Is that an eh1 and what length arca rail is it on there?

 

[valleyforge.1777]

For shooting from a tripod, and where weight and cost are not a concern, is a fluid head better than a ball head? By better, I mean is it easier to get the rifle sighted in on the target with a fluid head or a ball head? I am thinking I would mount the Outsoorsmans shooting rest (two V's) on whichever head I wind up with.

 

[Wiscgunner]

For shooting from a tripod, and where weight and cost are not a concern, is a fluid head better than a ball head? By better, I mean is it easier to get the rifle sighted in on the target with a fluid head or a ball head? I am thinking I would mount the Outsoorsmans shooting rest (two V's) on whichever head I wind up with.

Personally I feel there is zero difference between heads when using a generic v-rest regardless of manufacture. I would use a bag instead.

Clamping directly into the tripod via arca plate on the rifle is much more steady and you will notice the difference between heads

 

[tak]

I've been through the thread a few times, and I want to say thanks the input! Lots of good pearls in here.

I'm pretty well decided on an Anvil; I was going to thread it on another tripod, but I'm going to bite the bullet and go for the whole RRS set up. I think the 24 is going to fit me well, it'll be used for shooting probably more than glassing, so I think I want a little more stability over the ascend, especially if I'm going to spend the RRS price tag. I also like the idea early on in the thread about removing the lower 2 legs to shave weight if really needed, I'll have to see how that works though.

My question is this: why the 24L instead of the 24? It seems most guys that posted in this thread with the anvil/2 series had the 24L. The 53" height of the regular 24 should be fine for standing shooting. I'm 5'11". I tested that height tonight on another tripod and it was fine. Am I missing something about the 24L?

 

[tak]

I’ve tried everything and theres no comparison in my opinion to the anvil mounted on the RRS TFCT-24L

any reason to go with the long version instead of the regular 24? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but 68" tall seems way too much, and I like that the regular fold down a little smaller too.