Does anyone shoot P Dogs from a stand up tripod?

[AndrewB]

I use a BR pivot bench but just started thinking about a stand up tripod. More elevation always helps and the BR pivot is not a feather.

Do the tripods only work with an AR platform rifle? I don't know what the mounting system is

How steady is it to shoot from a tripod?

Appreciate any feedback on this

 

[JB10]

Depending if you wanna attach with an arca rail or use a death grip. If you go the arca rail way will have to add that to the rifle. With the death grip clamp and rifle will fit as is.

 

[dk17hmr]

+1 arca rail direct to the tripod or a hog saddle. You can get a decent rifle clamp from Amazon for like $60.

My kids shoot mostly standing off a tripod with the rifle clamped in.

I have an arca rail on my desert hunting rifle.....shot my deer in 2022 just like this.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

One thing to consider when precision shooting dinky targets way out there, no matter the method of rifle support, is elbow support for the shooting/trigger arm. It matters little if that elbow is unsupported from any tripod, unipod, whatever, as that reticle will be doing the 'dance'.

Hit probability goes up expotentially with that elbow properly supported along with the rifle. The best 'stand-up' rest I've seen (don't know the brand) had the rifle cradle along with an adjustable elbow support.

 

[rmeyerwy]

Check out the MTM High-Low Shooting Table. Its on a 3 legged stand, you can adjust it so you can shoot standing up if want or sitting, very stable and not overly expensive at around $120. Highly recommend it, and you can get very steady on it.

 

[Stugots]

My friends and I all purchased used tripods off Craigslist and built a Hog saddle to install on top of it. You can Google homemade hog saddle for the materials and instructions. I picked up a nice (used) Bogen 3221 tripod with a ball head for about $100.00 and made the Hog saddle for less than $20.00. Been using it for the last 6 years or so now and it works great.

Here's a vid I watched to make the Hog Saddle:

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I purchased a death grip last winter, it's going with for prairie dogs this month. Going to shoot standing, seated(chair) and seated on a cushion for practice. Both bolt and AR.

 

[1raggedhole]

I prefer the sit down tripod, aka swivel bench. Very portable when transported on back of a UTV.

 

[DLT]

I would imagine 300 yard hit on a pd, standing with a tripod would be tricky. Coyotes on the go at night with a thermal is hard enough at 200 standing

 

[Brass Case]

 

[Brass Case]

Just got back from 3 days of pdoggin. The tripod question was looming in my mind as well.
I'm most comfortable off of a bench, with a rest or a bi-pod. My two buddies had tripod setups, as you can see in the pictures. I shot a fair bit with all three setups. Here is my take: Tripod is handles large sweeps in elevation and wind-age very well. The bench is smaller, thus limits the amount of horizontal swing you can manage, without moving the bench. However, in my limited experience, you can't load the tripod with your shoulder, and drive the rifle, like you can with a bench, or prone. 300+yard shots, that would be automatic off of the bench, become a bit squishy with the chair/tripod setup. Not saying that it can't be done, at the very least, it takes more practice to become proficient at the tripod setup.

 

[Brass Case]

 

[209jones]

View attachment 1448655

This is more my style, a camp chair and being comfy. I made a bag holding channel out of flatbar, to suit a bipod I had 30 yrs ago, haven't seen a need to update it. I do have an old front rest that has a boogered height adjuster I could yank the top off, to improve it a hair, maybe.

 

[JSH]

 

[JSH]

This is what I have been using off and on for a half dozen years. It is tall enough to gain the height to see over tall grass, when a bench with a seat is to low. I keep a flat folding stool handy to sit on when needed.
Buddy bought one of the clamp type rigs. His hit ratio went way up when he used the table top.
As mentioned above being able to brace the elbow is a huge plus.

 

[rmeyerwy]

This is what I have been using off and on for a half dozen years. It is tall enough to gain the height to see over tall grass, when a bench with a seat is to low. I keep a flat folding stool handy to sit on when needed.
Buddy bought one of the clamp type rigs. His hit ratio went way up when he used the table top.
As mentioned above being able to brace the elbow is a huge plus.

Exactly, one of my buds stands about 6'3" so he will sometimes shoot standing up, I like to sit on a stool, I can swivel the table quite a bit, easy to do adjustments up and down and you get that table set, its rock steady.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Here in CO the prairie grass gets so tall that you would have a hard time seeing them while seated, standing tripod is the best method that we have found. Most of us just use a heavy bag over the tripod head instead of clipping into the area rail.

 

[shoot4fun]

I've shot off the Caldwell Magnum Tripod with great success. Mine has a basket attachment for ammo and it makes it quick to "stay in the fight".
Kick my empty brass out on the ground and pick it up when I'm finished.
Must not be made now because I couldn't find any on Caldwell site.

 

[dantiff2]

View attachment 1448736

I don't hunt PD's but I made something similar to this with a flat top surveyors tripod with a 2x12 bolted on top. I wrapped the front in 3x3 aluminum angle to capture the bipod from falling off the front and sides. Simply lay a rear bag on it and go. Works great on g-hogs out to 300 yards then it gets a little challenging to hold on smaller targets but still way better than being on your belly in the grass or seated low when the fields are green.

 

[searcher]

My friends and I all use the Caldwell Magnum tripod, with the forearm "V" support removed and replaced to accept the forearm of a benchrest stock (flat bottom). Once set up, hang a sandbag on the lower portion of the tripod to add a bit more stability. In a heavy wind, they can tip over with your rig on it unless weighted down. Being used to "free recoil" in benchrest, the shooting technique I have found to be the most stable using these tripods is to lay your free hand over the barrel to add some weight (and add stability) to the rig. I also assume a solid cheek weld - as opposed to bench rest. We use them in this manner to shoot small ground squirrels out to around 400 yards. Since the squirrels are much smaller than a can of soda, one would hit large prairie dogs much further out. We also use rotating heavy benches, but when we pull up on a place that doesn't warrant the setup of the rotating bench - like only a few targets or most are within 400 yards, we don't bother getting out the rotating benches. You can be out of the truck, set up, make a dozen shots and be back in the truck in minutes. I think those Caldwell's are one of the best values for a varmint shooter shooting near the truck.