Shooting tripods

[Tbuckus]

I saw that Vortex now offers a shooting tripod (Radian) and it got me wondering if this is another tool that I should put in the toolkit.
I keep going through scenarios where I could use it, but not a bunch. Could have used it on my Wyoming antelope trip and one spring bear hunt, but lugging a heavy/stout shooting tripod around doesn’t sound that fun. I definitely would have helped my buddy with a bear 400 yds across a canyon last year.

how much experience have people had with these? I’m not asking specifically about the Vortex brand, but if someone has used that one, I’d appreciate their input.

 

[Flyjunky]

Anybody know who is making these for Vortex?

 

[dirtytough]

I read somewhere its the same as Fesiol, Leofoto, Two Vets, etc. All made in the same place just rebranded. It would be curious to put them side by side to see if there are any differences. Maybe @hereinaz can shed some light? He seems pretty well versed on tripod usage.

@Justin Crossley and @Travis Bertrand are reviewing the Vortex. I think Travis is testing out the leveling base version and Justin is testing out the ball head version.

I plan on getting an RT90c and an Anvil 30. From the research I have done it will be the steadiest setup for the price. I won't pack the tripod on any rougher hunts. Mostly will be used for coyote hunting, antelope, maybe some day deer/elk hunting.

 

[hereinaz]

I read somewhere its the same as Fesiol, Leofoto, Two Vets, etc. All made in the same place just rebranded. It would be curious to put them side by side to see if there are any differences. Maybe @hereinaz can shed some light? He seems pretty well versed on tripod usage.

@Justin Crossley and @Travis Bertrand are reviewing the Vortex. I think Travis is testing out the leveling base version and Justin is testing out the ball head version.

I plan on getting an RT90c and an Anvil 30. From the research I have done it will be the steadiest setup for the price. I won't pack the tripod on any rougher hunts. Mostly will be used for coyote hunting, antelope, maybe some day deer/elk hunting.

I don't know for sure, but a lot of the tripods and ballheads sure look like the come from the same design and manufacturing. In the end, price usually does indicate overall quality. Some, like Leofoto are copies of Really Right Stuff's designs. But, the difference between an Innorel and RRS tripods isn't $1000 dollars of stability. Like everything else, the increase of money brings diminishing returns. Besides stability, there are other features that come with a RRS tripod and quality of build is one of them, among ease of use, and durability. You can't abuse an Innorel like you can a RRS.

I started shooting tripod off an Innorel 80 and $25 Amazon ball head. I could shoot it fine and took my Sitka at 575 off of it. I think that the Vortex tripods fit into the mix, but I feel like if you pay MSRP you aren't going to be getting all the bang for the buck.

Now, I will say the Anvil 30 is a massive improvement for the money and there is a reason it is the premier ballhead. But, it still is just as stable as other ballheads rated for the weight. And, some guys prefer their RRS ballheads.

If you started with the Innorel, and ran it for a while, its a great option. I have always been able to sell them later and what I lose, I consider a reasonable "rental" fee on the upgrade. I have tried stuff that I didn't upgrade and am glad I just tried it out.

When it comes to tripod shooting, you might not even need a big carbon fiber tripod. Sometimes I carry a little Benro tripod with a tiny built in ballhead and shoot off of it. I can't shoot standing or a high kneeling position, but I can shoot seated to prone and out just about as far as I need to kill something. I bet I could take 95% of the tripods out there that guys already have and make shots out to 600 and probably 700 yards on a 12" circle no problem, even using a shooting bag over the head or a rifle saddle if I can't clip in to ARCA. My ARCA rail, Anvil and Feisol makes it a lot easier and more versatile, but it isn't necessary.

 

[hereinaz]

I saw that Vortex now offers a shooting tripod (Radian) and it got me wondering if this is another tool that I should put in the toolkit.
I keep going through scenarios where I could use it, but not a bunch. Could have used it on my Wyoming antelope trip and one spring bear hunt, but lugging a heavy/stout shooting tripod around doesn’t sound that fun. I definitely would have helped my buddy with a bear 400 yds across a canyon last year.

how much experience have people had with these? I’m not asking specifically about the Vortex brand, but if someone has used that one, I’d appreciate their input.

I forgot to answer your question about adding a tripod. I can't say for sure what YOU should do. But, I can tell you this:

I already carry a tripod for glassing on my hunts.
I can shoot off my tripod out to 800 yards and kill deer sized game confidently from practically any position on the mountain.
I can shoot as good off my tripod OR BETTER than off my bipod in field positions which rarely lead to good prone shots in my neck of the woods.
I don't carry a bipod any more.
I carry a little tripod if I don't plan on glassing.
My total tripod set up isn't any more than guys with a tripod for glassing and bipod for shooting, maybe even less.

Until you experience the versatility of shooting off a tripod, you just can't understand how you would incorporate it. I know I though it was a gimmick until I shot with a guy who asked me how I would shoot from real situations, and then showed me how a tripod could make it as easy as prone. Days after he showed me how to use the tripod, I shot a blacktail at 575 yards from the side of a mountain in Alaska where there was absolutely no way to get prone. I knew I would hammer that buck cause I had done it repeatedly in practice shots further than that. Here is a video of the shot and an explanation of the tripod position. I have a few other tripod shooting videos on my channel just to show it. There isn't many places I can't set up in a seated position with front and rear support off a tripod and shoot as good as I could if there were a flat spot.

If you can imagine being able to go from questionable shots to confident shots, then you should probably get a tripod for shooting. If you can't then I wouldn't spend too much money on it.

 

[wind gypsy]

Been kicking around ordering a RRS setup for a couple years and finally pulled the trigger on a 24L anvil 30 setup. I'm still not sure I can justify packing it on most hunts, its not light. That said, its a hell of a lot lighter than that vortex set up and vortex seems to be in no mans land with their pricing. Haven't looked a ton at them but first impression is they are a version of the econ china tripods with a premium price for a vortex label / warranty.

@herinaz I typically use a super light Sirui T0025x (i think thats the model?) that weighs like 21 ounces. The other one i use for a little more height/steadyness is a promaster carbon 525. Is there a light arca compatible ball head you'd suggest for these really lightweight tripods that i pack for glassing?

 

[hereinaz]

Been kicking around ordering a RRS setup for a couple years and finally pulled the trigger on a 24L anvil 30 setup. I'm still not sure I can justify packing it on most hunts, its not light. That said, its a hell of a lot lighter than that vortex set up and vortex seems to be in no mans land with their pricing. Haven't looked a ton at them but first impression is they are a version of the econ china tripods with a premium price for a vortex label / warranty.

@herinaz I typically use a super light Sirui T0025x (i think thats the model?) that weighs like 21 ounces. The other one i use for a little more height/steadyness is a promaster carbon 525. Is there a light arca compatible ball head you'd suggest for these really lightweight tripods that i pack for glassing?

I haven't really explored lightweight ball heads very much. I would buy one that balanced the absolute weight with the weight rating. I ran the cheap Amazon ball head for more than a year, and it works. You just can't rely on it in the same way you can an Anvil 30. You just deal with its limitations. I would go with RRS for best quality, but something halfway between the cheapest Amazon ballhead and RRS would be an easy compromise.

Honestly, the cheap little one on my Benro has one knob that loosens the pan and the ball head, but it still works. I mean, it can't get cheaper or "weaker". But, it is still stable enough if I work to build a good position. I can cheat more with the Anvil to manage recoil and stay on target, but you gotta be perfect with the little ball head. I can shoot almost as well off of each.

Bottom line, with any ball head, as long as it doesn't fall over, I can shoot off of it if my form is good. It just takes a little more work to get the tripod set up and my body in a good position with a weaker system. But, the system isn't so weak that I can't use it, if that makes sense.

I see the Vortex tripod in the same way you do. I am sure it works, but as I look at the MSRP price and specs and it falls like a blip outside of the cost/quality curve of what is out there.

 

[chutinlead]

I just picked up one of these little ball heads to put on my old vanguard tripod and see if I can shoot off it. I think I like pan heads more that ball heads for spotting but this one has pan in both the base and the head.

SunwayFoto XB-28II

XB-28II Aluminum Mini Dual-Panoramic Ballhead with Low Gravity Center and High Locking Strength

www.adorama.com

 

[hereinaz]

That's one aspect you typically want, a low center of gravity.

Pan in the head is nice, because you can use that without leveling the tripod. I have never tried that. I am curious how that works out. Would make it nice under my Outdoorsman bino adapter.

 

[JDBAK]

Anybody tried of have an opinion on the Leupold Guide tripod?

 

[hereinaz]

I just picked up one of these little ball heads to put on my old vanguard tripod and see if I can shoot off it. I think I like pan heads more that ball heads for spotting but this one has pan in both the base and the head.

SunwayFoto XB-28II

XB-28II Aluminum Mini Dual-Panoramic Ballhead with Low Gravity Center and High Locking Strength

www.adorama.com

This made me want to give a panning base a try under my binos for glassing. I already have to use an ARCA mount, so this will replace it for just a little weight penalty and give me panning ability. That's really about the only thing I miss about a pan head, the ability to use my nose to nudge the glass just a tiny bit as I scan horizontally across the mountain gridding it.

Amazon.com

 

[chutinlead]

This made me want to give a panning base a try under my binos for glassing. I already have to use an ARCA mount, so this will replace it for just a little weight penalty and give me panning ability. That's really about the only thing I miss about a pan head, the ability to use my nose to nudge the glass just a tiny bit as I scan horizontally across the mountain gridding it.

Amazon.com

yeah and to me the pan on the bottom is about useless. I've contemplated flipping one over and having the ball rigid and the clamp side attached to my optic.

 

[hereinaz]

yeah and to me the pan on the bottom is about useless. I've contemplated flipping one over and having the ball rigid and the clamp side attached to my optic.

I actually just bought a cheap low profile ball head off Amazon to try that exact thing. You got me started to think on it some more to replicate the upside down mechanics of the Anvil 30 but with a lighter back country tripod, and get the panning feature above the ballhead.

I like my Feisol/Anvil 30 the most, but am willing to cut weight and get by with a smaller lighter tripod. I also end up loaning out a tripod occasionally on hunts or shooting, so improving that even incrementally would be worth it.

 

[Tbuckus]

I forgot to answer your question about adding a tripod. I can't say for sure what YOU should do. But, I can tell you this:

I already carry a tripod for glassing on my hunts.
I can shoot off my tripod out to 800 yards and kill deer sized game confidently from practically any position on the mountain.
I can shoot as good off my tripod OR BETTER than off my bipod in field positions which rarely lead to good prone shots in my neck of the woods.
I don't carry a bipod any more.
I carry a little tripod if I don't plan on glassing.
My total tripod set up isn't any more than guys with a tripod for glassing and bipod for shooting, maybe even less.

Until you experience the versatility of shooting off a tripod, you just can't understand how you would incorporate it. I know I though it was a gimmick until I shot with a guy who asked me how I would shoot from real situations, and then showed me how a tripod could make it as easy as prone. Days after he showed me how to use the tripod, I shot a blacktail at 575 yards from the side of a mountain in Alaska where there was absolutely no way to get prone. I knew I would hammer that buck cause I had done it repeatedly in practice shots further than that. Here is a video of the shot and an explanation of the tripod position. I have a few other tripod shooting videos on my channel just to show it. There isn't many places I can't set up in a seated position with front and rear support off a tripod and shoot as good as I could if there were a flat spot.

If you can imagine being able to go from questionable shots to confident shots, then you should probably get a tripod for shooting. If you can't then I wouldn't spend too much money on it.

Good info and even some things I didnt even think of.

I have a middle of the road ball head already and a LW tripod and didnt think it was a good option as is. I assumed that to do it properly, I needed a heavier duty (and weight) set up to shoot off it if using an Arca attachment.

 

[hereinaz]

Good info and even some things I didnt even think of.

I have a middle of the road ball head already and a LW tripod and didnt think it was a good option as is. I assumed that to do it properly, I needed a heavier duty (and weight) set up to shoot off it if using an Arca attachment.

Nope, get simple modifications to what you have and give it a go. Adapt from there.

A buddy put a Manfroto plate on his rifle cause that is what tripod and head he already carries. Its not as functional, but most long range shots requiring precision give time and opportunity to work a "less than optimal" system. I helped him do it. He had shot off mine, and we discussed the benefits of swapping, but the juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

The discussion of "what is best" often consumes the discussion of "what will work just fine". Cartridge and caliber discussion happens all the time, but people are out killing stuff with rifles that the internet says is junk, lol.

 

[wind gypsy]

I haven't really explored lightweight ball heads very much. I would buy one that balanced the absolute weight with the weight rating. I ran the cheap Amazon ball head for more than a year, and it works. You just can't rely on it in the same way you can an Anvil 30. You just deal with its limitations. I would go with RRS for best quality, but something halfway between the cheapest Amazon ballhead and RRS would be an easy compromise.

Honestly, the cheap little one on my Benro has one knob that loosens the pan and the ball head, but it still works. I mean, it can't get cheaper or "weaker". But, it is still stable enough if I work to build a good position. I can cheat more with the Anvil to manage recoil and stay on target, but you gotta be perfect with the little ball head. I can shoot almost as well off of each.

Bottom line, with any ball head, as long as it doesn't fall over, I can shoot off of it if my form is good. It just takes a little more work to get the tripod set up and my body in a good position with a weaker system. But, the system isn't so weak that I can't use it, if that makes sense.

I see the Vortex tripod in the same way you do. I am sure it works, but as I look at the MSRP price and specs and it falls like a blip outside of the cost/quality curve of what is out there.

I'm going to give this one a whirl on my lighter tripods. Price is good, its from a hunting brand, and I liked their bino adapter better than the outdoorsman one.

FBH-35D BALL HEAD - 675283925137

www.fieldopticsresearch.com

 

[hereinaz]

I'm going to give this one a whirl on my lighter tripods. Price is good, its from a hunting brand, and I liked their bino adapter better than the outdoorsman one.

FBH-35D BALL HEAD - 675283925137

www.fieldopticsresearch.com

That looks like a solid option. Lemme know how it runs.

Also, lemme know if the clamp comes off so you could flip it upside down in the Anvil configuration.

 

[chutinlead]

I'm going to give this one a whirl on my lighter tripods. Price is good, its from a hunting brand, and I liked their bino adapter better than the outdoorsman one.

FBH-35D BALL HEAD - 675283925137

www.fieldopticsresearch.com

That's a pretty ingenious clamp they have on that. Also curious how it turns out. Price is definitely a plus.

That looks like a solid option. Lemme know how it runs.

Also, lemme know if the clamp comes off so you could flip it upside down in the Anvil configuration.

Also curious. If fact I'm going to go and check out my little 28mm ball head and see if it can flip.

 

[hereinaz]

That's a pretty ingenious clamp they have on that. Also curious how it turns out. Price is definitely a plus.

Also curious. If fact I'm going to go and check out my little 28mm ball head and see if it can flip.

I got my test head from Amazon. I think it can work. I have to figure out the bolts to mount to the tripod head. Going to ACE this morning. That's gonna be the trick, mounting the ball stem to the tripod.

 

[dieselchessy]

I run a Sirui carbon tripod with their ball head.
I took their clamp base and mounted a small picatiny clamp to it.(drilled and tapped)
Then on the rifles I either install a short 2 or 3 inch pic rail section, or I install sling swivel pic rail adapter from Caldwell. Allows me to quickly set up friends and family to use the tripod.
My setup is maybe $200. It’s not as strong as the high dollar dedicated units and the ball head isn’t strong enough to hold the rifle level unless the pic rail is back towards the action.
But it’s light, maybe 2lb, small, and it works great.