Tripod plates attached to rifles?

[Cynoscion]

I've always shot prone off of a bipod and am generally good to 600 yards or so. I've been reading a lot, on here, lately about shooting off of a tripod and I've been thinking about how to set up my hunting rifles to get the most stability out of them on the tripod. It makes sense that the direct connect option is going to be more stable than the saddle/vice option. I've been running an aluminum Sirui tripod for a several years now and really like it. It's a good compromise of weight/stability/cost. I have a ball head rated to 25lbs. for it as well as the VA5 head. It seems as though the ball head will be the preferred head for shooting so I think I've got that part figured out. Now onto the question:

Since Sirui uses its own plates, I have a bunch of them. I've got several of the smaller TY-50E plates and a couple of the TY-70A plates which have a larger footprint. Both of these style plates have 1/4-20 threaded studs for attaching to cameras, bino adapters, rangefinders, spotters, etc. My question is, has anyone ever thought about installing a 1/4-20 t-nut into their rifle stock just in front of the action screws so that you could quickly install one of these plates for shooting off of the tripod?

I could install ARCA plates on all of my rifles but it seems like an easier and less cumbersome option to just install t-nuts on all of my stocks so that I can just add a quick release plate to the rifle that I'm using on that particular hunt and not have to have a plate permanently installed on any of my rifles all of the time. Let me know what you think about this option. Pros and cons

Photos of the smaller TY-50E plate attached. The 70's are about 1/2 longer and wider. Both plates have rubber "grips" on the flat side which helps to keep the plate from spinning/moving side to side.

 

[Superdoo]

I'm sure he'd have seen it eventually....
@LivetohuntID what are your thoughts on this.

Personally, I'd be concerned with stressing a single point on the stock. I'm not sure that it would hold over time.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Thanks for the heads up @Superdoo!

2 years ago I did the exact same thing. Did a helicoil into my stock and used a single bolt. It was always way too loose. Any tighter with a single bolt and I would have pulled the helicoil out. The flat bottom also really limited contact with my hunting stock.

Now I make arca rails for this specific purpose. Our arca mini rail is also sold in the rokslide store as well as our website. They use a radius bottom section and a flat section to have a good amount of contact surface with any style stock.

We also have an arca+pic rail that bolts on to most nicer hunting style stocks that have dual 10-32 tee nuts already installed.

AG composites also now has a “tripod” option with tee nuts installed close to the action like you mentioned.

Salmon River Solutions – Specializing in manufacturing Ti brakes and firearm accessories. Brakes sold through Rokslide and unknown munitions.

 

[Cynoscion]

Really appreciate the info and opinions. I thought about the helicoil and/or brass threaded inserts but abandoned those ideas for the reasons you mentioned. I was afraid they would be wobbly and/or pull out. I even thought about all of the stress on that one anchor point. My reasoning for going the t-nut route was that I could bed them into the stock to increase rigidity. I guess I'm just not wanting to permanently install ARCA rails on all of my rifles. It's more of an aesthetics thing for me I guess but if its the only way to do it right then I guess that's the route I will have to go.

I'll check out your ARCA mini rails.

 

[hereinaz]

ARCA with tnuts is the only way to go.

 

[Trooper]

Thanks for the heads up @Superdoo!

2 years ago I did the exact same thing. Did a helicoil into my stock and used a single bolt. It was always way too loose. Any tighter with a single bolt and I would have pulled the helicoil out. The flat bottom also really limited contact with my hunting stock.

Now I make arca rails for this specific purpose. Our arca mini rail is also sold in the rokslide store as well as our website. They use a radius bottom section and a flat section to have a good amount of contact surface with any style stock.

We also have an arca+pic rail that bolts on to most nicer hunting style stocks that have dual 10-32 tee nuts already installed.

AG composites also now has a “tripod” option with tee nuts installed close to the action like you mentioned.

Salmon River Solutions – Specializing in manufacturing Ti brakes and firearm accessories. Brakes sold through Rokslide and unknown munitions.

How do you attach the min-rail?

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

How do you attach the min-rail?

you install tee nuts into your stock. It’s pretty easy.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Along the same idea you could bed tee nuts and leave them and use only one Salmon River Rail between them. I just may require having an Allen to swap them.

 

[Cynoscion]

Good call. I may do just that if Salmon River thinks it’ll work.

 

[Cynoscion]

Another question while we’re at it:

I‘ve got 2 rifles with Anschutz rails in the bottom of the stocks. I’m having trouble finding an Anschutz rail to ARCA plate adapter for these rifles. Does anyone have any leads for me or know anyone who would be willing to make one for me?

 

[ericwh]

Another question while we’re at it:

I‘ve got 2 rifles with Anschutz rails in the bottom of the stocks. I’m having trouble finding an Anschutz rail to ARCA plate adapter for these rifles. Does anyone have any leads for me or know anyone who would be willing to make one for me?

Henderson supplies hardware for mounting their rails to Anschutz rail in the "Chassis Kit" for their universal rails.

Shop – Page 2 – Henderson Precision

Or you could use anyone's rail and just buy the appropriate hardware...

 

[ID_Matt]

Check out the Area 419 4.25” rail. It only weighs ~1.5oz, costs something like $40 and is low profile. For a shorter rail, I wouldn’t go much shorter than ~4”. You might also consider a full length rail from Area 419 or Henderson. I’d permanently attach the rail with T-Nuts.

Whatever you get, mount it at the balance point of the rifle, which is typically near the magazine.

I am not sure about the Henderson but the area 419 is a pain to get to work on tripod heads with a plunger type retainer. The Salmon River ones have a gap and work better for the lighter weight heads like the sirui VA-5.

 

[chutinlead]

Another question while we’re at it:

I‘ve got 2 rifles with Anschutz rails in the bottom of the stocks. I’m having trouble finding an Anschutz rail to ARCA plate adapter for these rifles. Does anyone have any leads for me or know anyone who would be willing to make one for me?

RRS(really right stuff) made an arca to anschutz adapter but looks like it's been discontinued.

Really Right Stuff BANS-80: Dovetail Adapter Plate for Anschutz Rail

Distributor/Dealer of Precision Shooting Gear: Accuracy International, Spuhr, Thunder Beast, Nightforce, TAB Gear, RRS, and more.

www.milehighshooting.com

 

[Cynoscion]

I saw that. Would’ve been perfect but I’ll be ordering the one posted above from Henderson. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Zane Shepherd]

Running a 3" arca plate mounted with 2 T nuts and 1/4-20 Allen head bolts. Nuts are jb welded into stock. All of this on a rrs tripod with anvil 30 head. Money well spent.

I would love to find a way to make this plate quick release from the stock, quicker than allen wrenches that is....

Anyone got a quicker way? Was thinking about some kind of 1/4 turn fastner....

 

[Cynoscion]

The VA-5 is not rated for enough weight to shoot off of. I’ll be shooting off of a Sirui ball head that’s rated for 25lbs so it’ll be just fine. I do really like the VA-5 for glassing though.

 

[Trooper]

This whole thread has got me thinking about just going with the Spartan Precision system on rifles and binos. Any downsides to that plan?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wind gypsy]

This whole thread has got me thinking about just going with the Spartan Precision system on rifles and binos. Any downsides to that plan?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Seems like an interesting option if you're recessing gunsmith adapters into the stock. dont think i'd like an external adapter on the stock balance point. Would be lighter and quicker than most arca based systems. Cant say how stable it is.

 

[Cynoscion]

Since my original post, I have installed the Henderson arca rail on my 6mmBR which has the Anschutz rail as well as the Salmon River Solutions mini arca plate on my 6XC which had a plain B&C synthetic stock. I have shot both rifles out to 400 yards off of my tripod while sitting. I can tell you that shooting off of the tripod is super nice. I don't know why it took me so long to make the conversion but I can say that I may never shoot prone off of a bipod again. I feel super stable and have no problem getting into position or making first round hits. Follow up shots are easy as well b/c I'm basically free recoiling with minimal input into the rifle. I will be installing Salmon River Solutions mini arca plates on all of my hunting rifles. Awesome product, very minimal weight and/or obstruction added to the rifle and very easy installation. Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions.

 

[Trooper]

What was the process to install those Salmon River arcs minis? I’m a little confused by their website.