RRS BH-40 or anvil?

[7718Sallee]

I’m looking at getting a new setup and my understanding from my research is it seems shooters seem to prefer the anvil and also glass with it. Guys glassing /photographers prefer the BH40 and say it’s better for glassing and ok for shooting. Is my understanding correct? I’m trying to go to a simple back country hunting setup with a tripod and head for glassing and shooting from, I’m sure allot more glassing than shooting. But also use the tripod instead of a bipod for target shooting. I’m pretty sure I’m going with one of these heads and looking for input from guys with experience with these. Any thing I’m missing positives or negatives of either? Thanks Roksliders.
Bill

 

[hereinaz]

The BH40 or 50 are fine for shooting. I prefer the Anvil, a SF sniper (former instructor) buddy who taught me tripod ahooting prefers the 50 over the Anvil. We just have different preferences for the lock. Both of us have smaller, lighter, cheaper tripods with much smaller heads for ultralight trips. Heck, I ran a $25 Amazon ball head for a year as I learned it, and it worked well enough.

The Anvil has a little lower center than the traditional ballhead, but it is mininal. Its all about the locking mechanism IMO, both are strong enough.

 

[7718Sallee]

Thanks for the reply hereinaz. anyone else have any experience with these?

 

[Lawnboi]

Only the anvil, can’t talk much on the others. Personally I can deal with glassing with it, though it’s strong point is definitely with a rifle attached. I prefer using my binos on a ball head as opposed to a pan head.

Big fan of the anvil, currently it’s sitting on a lesser tripod, but hoping this year I can make the jump to the rrs legs.

 

[7718Sallee]

I’m currently using a va-5 head and it’s sweet for glassing. Rrs said if it’s mostly shooting anvil if it’s mostly glassing bh40 but I’m still wanting other opinions because it’s allot of $ to get it wrong

 

[Lawnboi]

I’m currently using a va-5 head and it’s sweet for glassing. Rrs said if it’s mostly shooting anvil if it’s mostly glassing bh40 but I’m still wanting other opinions because it’s allot of $ to get it wrong

If you must have a pan head for glassing you could throw that va-5 on a plate and run it over the anvil. Just another option.

 

[hereinaz]

I’m currently using a va-5 head and it’s sweet for glassing. Rrs said if it’s mostly shooting anvil if it’s mostly glassing bh40 but I’m still wanting other opinions because it’s allot of $ to get it wrong

You can sell an Anvil for pretty much what you pay... start there? If you wanna make a mistake, that's the least expensive one that you can make.

Until you experience shooting off an Anvil, you won't be able to decide onnthe compromises between platforms.

Glassing purist? go pan head, you can shoot off it. Guys who I hunt with love their pan heads. They prioritize shooting second. They won't switch (yet).

Shooting priority? Go ballhead, you can glass off of it.

In my estimation, the Anvil is the best compromise, overall best if you want highest performance at doing both shooting and glassing. I like the lever well enough for tension on glassing. The pan feature is worse for shooting than the ballhead is for glassing.

 

[7718Sallee]

Thanks for the replies. I just meant I’m currently using the va5 pan head and love it. I’m switching to either the bh40 or anvil. Just been trying to decide. Seems the 40 has more angle and fine adjustment but without actually using them hard for me to know. I guess I’ll just jump in and see how it goes.

 

[eaglemountainman]

Not trying to be an ass here, believe me. Just trying to understand. You're currently using a VA-5 and you say that you love it. That would imply that it does everything you want it to, to your satisfaction. So, why are you looking to switch to one of two very pricey alternatives? What would you hope to gain from either, that your VA-5 doesn't offer?

 

[Karson88]

I have a anvil 30, I just stuck a outdoorsmans pan head on top of it for glassing. Best of both worlds with this setup.

 

[7718Sallee]

Not trying to be an ass here, believe me. Just trying to understand. You're currently using a VA-5 and you say that you love it. That would imply that it does everything you want it to, to your satisfaction. So, why are you looking to switch to one of two very pricey alternatives? What would you hope to gain from either, that your VA-5 doesn't offer?

I’m looking to start shooting from my tripod and the va5 is a great glassing head but a piss poor shooting head. So im getting a whole new setup and trying to decide which head will be my best option for shooting and glassing in the backcountry.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Sallee, what did you end up going with and how do you like it? I am in the exact same situation that you described.

 

[7718Sallee]

Sallee, what did you end up going with and how do you like it? I am in the exact same situation that you described.

Well i bought both BH 40 and anvil played with them glassing on my ul tripod around the house. Glassing wise i feel lost without a pan feature i want to start at the top of the mountain and pan left or right then move down mountain and pan the opposite direction to grid the hill. the bh40 ball head seems smoother than the anvil IMO. I can set the ball and actually move the ball and pan just with my eyes while glassing (although the ball takes more pressure to move up and down with my eyes than my va5) I just received my ascend tripod and mounted the bh 40 on it and was out bear hunting Saturday and i really like it for glassing. I put my rifle on it and dry fired at different stumps and it locks up tight. I’m not sure why in our situation for glassing and shooting the anvil could be a better choice? Anyone want to convince me different? The bh40 weighs 1.5 oz more. The anvil has a little higher weight rating which isn’t going to effect my 7.5# gun. But has pan and a smoother ball IMO. I’m going to post the anvil for sale pretty soon when i get around to it. I have not actually shot off of either of them yet though.

 

[Middleofnowhere]

I have found that glassing with the higher end glass, I can use the whole field of view (edge to edge clarity). The anvil head took some time to get used to, but now I don’t miss a pan head at all. I do have an Outdoorsman panner that I tried for a while on the Anvil, but decided I don’t need it. I move my glass to a point, search the entire area in the FOV then move the optic in a grid pattern.

 

[7718Sallee]

I have found that glassing with the higher end glass, I can use the whole field of view (edge to edge clarity). The anvil head took some time to get used to, but now I don’t miss a pan head at all. I do have an Outdoorsman panner that I tried for a while on the Anvil, but decided I don’t need it. I move my glass to a point, search the entire area in the FOV then move the optic in a grid pattern.

So you can glass with it. In your opinion is it better than abh40 and how?

 

[Vaultman]

I have the 24L and the BH-55. It is a bulky head, but the main reason was for photography for the Mrs. I thought about the anvil system for a minute, then I remembered this is a present for the wife...

I have shot off of it and it worked fine for me. But it is the only time I have ever shot a rifle that was actually clamped to a tripod, so I do not have anything to compare it to.

I have ran my spotter off of the BH-55 and it works really good. I think I still like my outdoorsman's micro panhead for bino glassing. It seems like there is always a compromise.

 

[BigskyRF]

Ive got a Ballhead setup and an Anvil setup. I prefer the anvil for shooting and the Ballhead for glassing. The ballhead is "smoother" when glassing IMO. You can set the tension a little easier.

 

[Middleofnowhere]

So you can glass with it. In your opinion is it better than abh40 and how?

Unless you are doing video, I see no reason you need a pan or tilt head. A ball head will point your optic at what you want to see. You can definitely glass with the RRS anvil head. I love it with my EL12x50s.

The only advantage I see with pan/tilt “fluid” heads is the ability to adjust or finess friction. A combination ball/pan head like the BH 40 offers some of those same advantages.

 

[7718Sallee]

Is there a disadvantage to using the bh 40 over the anvil.

 

[hereinaz]

I think it is mostly preference once you get to the quality ball head vs Anvil 30.

The differences are really minimal. But the one thing I like is the feel of the inverted ball head and the lever lock. I use the lever to drive the ball head when glassing and shooting.

With a ball head, the knob is not connected to the ball head, so you absolutely need two hands for glass and have to carefully drive the rifle so it doesn't roll over.

One of the best shooters I know, a professional, prefers the 55 over the Anvil.