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How many of you are using or considering a tripod for hunting?

In regards to POI with different devices......

Here's a thread I did last summer using my plain Jane Ruger MPR that's about a MOA shooter on a good day.


Since getting into AR's, one of my favorite things to do is bang a little steel while practicing different positions.

My one spot lets me shoot south to north in a little valley, and I can tuck under a big tree for shade.

I scrounged up some t-posts, then bought 4 AR-500 brackets that slide on the top of the posts, and the steel hangs on the hook in one of the 5/8ths holes.

I can't quite get to 400, but ended up setting the posts at 100, 200, 300, and 375.

The 100 yard 8" round steel is right off the muzzle, the 200 8" round target is half way to the cow, the 300 12" square is right over the cow's back,
and the 375 12" square is further left on the little rise at the edge of the woods.

1671933655708.png


Luckily I was done shooting when the cattle decided to flood the area. I also share the spot with 6 horses and 3 or 4 donkeys.

I was shooting my bone stock Ruger MPR, with a Sightron 3-16x42 on top. I killed 15 or so coyotes with it this past year,
but now it getting regulated to 4th place in the line up.

53 V-Max at 3200 shoots pretty dam good for a stock gun.

I started out shooting off a bipod on the top of the box on my Honda Foreman. Load the mag with five rounds, & one shot each at 1, 2, & 3, then 2 at 375.

Then went prone off the bipod with 5 shots.

Then five more standing, shooting off the tripod.

The 5 sitting on a stool, shooting off the tripod.

And last round of 5, sitting on the ground in my stadium chair, shooting off the tripod again.

So, the tally was five rounds on each target at 1, 2, & 3, and 10 on the 375 target.

Aftermath left to right:

1671933711747.png
 
Mark,
Is the grip and control handle reversible for a left handed shooter? Or is it usable left handed as is without causing problems?

Thanks
Dave

Hi Dave, I’ve never thought about it, but the offset grip does appear to be reversible by removing four screws and flipping it to the other side.

Mark
 
I used a Harris bi pods for 20 plus years, they did the job ok when calling but they lacked mobility when things were happening fast. Then me and the Mrs went to South Africa, our guide used three sticks that were adjustable, strapped together with a rubber strap that allowed us to shoot standing up. We had excellent results using that set up. When we returnEd home we bought a couple bog pods with death grip saddles and have used them successfully standing and sitting. I’ve had some very young shooters practice with the set up standing and sitting and do very well. It’s not very practical for back country hunting, it’s big but usually me and the Mrs are hunting as a team with one rifle, optics and bog pod split between our packs. It’s been a good system. That being said I’m looking at something like Alf is using, I’m probably gonna install arca rails on my main hunting rifles used for distance. It’s amazing how steady the bog pod can be with the death grip saddle but I think I would like the smaller arca rail set up better. Need try one and see.
Sean, The vast majority of my opinions are based towards hunting coyotes, but naturally, there is carry over for big game.

I, like so many others, started off with a Harris. What I found eventually, was that the tallest still wasn't tall enough if you were set up on a hillside facing down. Plus, they sucked for moving quick when the snow got a little deep.

So I moved to a BogPod tripod that actually work a whole lot better. Especially after I added a strip of ethafoam wrapped with black tape on the inside of the "U" to match the forend of my guns. It had just enough tension to hold the gun, but I could grab & go if the need arose.

TJY0KiP.jpg


uvgZTai.jpg


But one day I had a coyote taunting me at 400 or so, and I just couldn't hold steady enough to make the shot. That was the start of my extended tripod odyssey.......
 
Sean, The vast majority of my opinions are based towards hunting coyotes, but naturally, there is carry over for big game.

I, like so many others, started off with a Harris. What I found eventually, was that the tallest still wasn't tall enough if you were set up on a hillside facing down. Plus, they sucked for moving quick when the snow got a little deep.

So I moved to a BogPod tripod that actually work a whole lot better. Especially after I added a strip of ethafoam wrapped with black tape on the inside of the "U" to match the forend of my guns. It had just enough tension to hold the gun, but I could grab & go if the need arose.

TJY0KiP.jpg


uvgZTai.jpg


But one day I had a coyote taunting me at 400 or so, and I just couldn't hold steady enough to make the shot. That was the start of my extended tripod odyssey.......
The majority of my bipod experience was varmint hunting, I was lucky enough to do a lot of it in my twenties and thirties. Back then my big game hunting was more stalking, jumping game. Work required too much time and I haven’t hunted varmints in ernest since my early forties, I’m lucky to get out calling 15-20 days a winter now but thats changing as retirement approaches and I look forward to getting back in it in a serious way. My wife does too which makes it easier.

My big game hunting style evolved from walking miles and miles using my eyes and bumping into game freehanding it, kneeling and using my knees, leaning on the nearest tree etc to 90% glassing now, I’ve been glassing heavily for the last 15 years or so. Glassing has led to longer shots which require a steady platform. I think my tri pod journey is just beginning, the bog pods have done a good job but the arca just makes sense to me, a natural progression I suppose. Lighter, more compact, slimmer are attractive attributes.

I always enjoy your insights and experience, we think a lot alike. Keep on sharing!
 
Gave him a couple warning shots to get him up to speed, & rolled him at close to 400 yards …..

LOL That reminds me of one of my most memorable coyotes. I slipped into a thick stand of red willows on a river bank overlooking a bottom land field chiseled corn. I had just got a new GPS and was fiddling with it for about 20 minutes and decided I better hit the rabbit squealer and hunt instead of learning how to use the GPS. A coyote jumped up about 25 feet to my right. He had been asleep there the whole time. I couldn’t swing through the willows to get the chip shot but he busted me quick and took off across the field. Missed him twice doing Mach 1 across the field and woofed as hit hit the tree line and dropped him Bang -flop with a .243 58 Vmax Using my GPS I know it was 407 yards.

Back to the thread. I use a Bog Death grip standing or kneeling at night and a lighter shorter model Bog pod for daytime sitting.
 
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Sean, The vast majority of my opinions are based towards hunting coyotes, but naturally, there is carry over for big game.

I, like so many others, started off with a Harris. What I found eventually, was that the tallest still wasn't tall enough if you were set up on a hillside facing down. Plus, they sucked for moving quick when the snow got a little deep.

So I moved to a BogPod tripod that actually work a whole lot better. Especially after I added a strip of ethafoam wrapped with black tape on the inside of the "U" to match the forend of my guns. It had just enough tension to hold the gun, but I could grab & go if the need arose.

TJY0KiP.jpg


uvgZTai.jpg


But one day I had a coyote taunting me at 400 or so, and I just couldn't hold steady enough to make the shot. That was the start of my extended tripod odyssey.......
So, is the bog tripod not steady enough, or was it the rest not holding? I was wanting to get a death grip infinite which is the newer carbon fiber with the arca ball top and death grip saddle. Am i going to regret that purchase? After all is said and done on your tripod journey whats your end all at this moment?
 
LOL That reminds me of one of my most memorable coyotes. I slipped into a thick stand of red willows on a river bank overlooking a bottom land field chiseled corn. I had just got a new GPS and was fiddling with it for about 20 minutes and decided I better hit the rabbit squealer and hunt instead of learning how to use the GPS. A coyote jumped up about 25 feet to my right. He had been asleep there the whole time. I couldn’t swing through the willows to get the chip shot but he busted me quick and took off across the field. Missed him twice doing Mach 1 across the field and woofed as hit hit the tree line and dropped him. Using my GPS I know it was 407 yards.

Back to the thread. I use a Bog Death grip standing or kneeling at night and a lighter shorter model Bog pod for daytime sitting.
Me and a buddy both emptied an AR mag at one in a pasture way too far to be sensible. Every shot we took i think he added 1mph until he was at mach1. When we were both empty we just looked at each other and put the guns back in the case and reloaded our mags never saying a word.
 
I don’t know if I should start a new thread for this question or if it is sufficiently related to Ernie’s original post. So if I am hijacking Ernie’s thread let me know and I will repost in a new thread. If the ARCA rail is the best way to go, what is the best way to mount the rail, best location and best length of rail to use?
 
I have ARCA plates on all my hunting riffles and always have a RRS with anvil 30 head, never leave home with out it. Usually I can get a prone shot but it sure comes in handy in the flat desert or really steep canyons.
 
I bolted a Picatinny rail section to the bottom of a Pig Saddle. It allows me to use the Anvil 30 on rifles without Arca or Picatinny rails. So, it’s Arca on my XLR chassis bolt gun (best), Picatinny connection for ARs (good) and pig saddle on “regular” hunting rifles (ok) - a real versatile system.

Last 3 deer I shot have been with some combo thereof, both standing & sitting. It really shines hog hunting- stalking and moving targets.
 
Direct mount with an ARCA clamp/plate is far superior for stability than any of the Hog Saddle/BOG POD clamps. Lighter also.
In equal comparisons, the ARCA is more stable, but I wouldn't classify it as far superior, so many other things to consider in the big picture.

Weight of the tripod/head for one.

Foot print of the tripod.

Probably the biggie is the ground you're set up on. I've made sets in picked corn fields, and it's almost impossible to get good stability no matter what's on top of your tripod.

An ARCA on a 2 pound tripod will not be as stable as a 10 pound with a Hog Saddle. A no brainer, but you get my point.

You won't miss any coyotes because you have a Hog Saddle and not an ARCA plate.

I prefer the ARCA, but I'm not putting plates on every gun, so my Hog Saddle is not going anywhere.
 
I don’t know if I should start a new thread for this question or if it is sufficiently related to Ernie’s original post. So if I am hijacking Ernie’s thread let me know and I will repost in a new thread. If the ARCA rail is the best way to go, what is the best way to mount the rail, best location and best length of rail to use?
The first couple I bought were 3" for the AR, and bought them off Ebay, & they work just fine.

The middle one is a Bravo chassis w/ a full length rail.


W91MFL8.jpg


For the bolt guns, I went with Area 419 ARCA plates. They are a little more money, a little longer at 4.25", and a lower profile. They come with 2 T-Nuts for mounting in regular stocks, same as used for sling studs in McMillan & Manners stocks.

I prefer to mount them close to the balance point, as in the left stock. I shortened a long 700 screw to length, opened the hole to accept, and beveled the plate's recess to match the head's angle.

Then mark the stock, and drill the pilot hole from the bottom, then flip it over and drill the recess for the T-nut with a 3/4" spade bit to depth. Mix up some JB weld to lock in , and you're good to go.

The right stock, I decided to use the rear sling stud T-nuts for the front bolt, so I only had to drill for the 2nd.

I set my gun's tension in the leveling head tight enough that it won't move, but loose enough I can move the gun w/o touching the tension knob. The down side to being forward is you may need too much tension to hold it in place, & not being able to move when needed w/o adjusting.


SequaWb.jpg
 
So, is the bog tripod not steady enough, or was it the rest not holding? I was wanting to get a death grip infinite which is the newer carbon fiber with the arca ball top and death grip saddle. Am i going to regret that purchase? After all is said and done on your tripod journey whats your end all at this moment?
You have to remember that this tripod was probably their 1st model, even prior to the switcheroo models. It only weighs 2 lbs, & I doubt that it's even carbon fiber. Not even in the sale league as the current offerings.

Fully extended only goes to about 42". Almost feels like a toy compared to a good tripod. It actually was just fine for 200 and in on coyotes, of which many could testify.

The lack of accuracy at distance was mainly due to the light weight and the rifle rest itself.

This is where I am at the current time with these two:

KfZwANk.jpg
 
In equal comparisons, the ARCA is more stable, but I wouldn't classify it as far superior, so many other things to consider in the big picture.
I was strictly speaking of stability and was only comparing the method of connecting your rifle to the ball head. An ARCA clamp and plate weighs several ounces at most and a hog saddle type system is probably closer to a pound.

It doesn't matter what tripod/ball head combo you have, if you remove an ARCA system and replace it with a Hog saddle, you will gain weight and be less stable.

If an ARCA system won't work for you, then it's obviously not superior, but that's not what I was saying.
 
I use tripods in ground blinds for deer, turkey and coyotes. Keeps your weapon of choice (rifle, crossbow or shotgun) in a ready to kill position. I've used a Caldwell field pod and it worked good. My current setup is a tripod with a bog death grip attached to a pistol grip ball head. Works great even if you doze off and your target deer appears out of thin air. Just lean forward, pick a spot, squeeze trigger.


IMG_20221226_122714.jpgIMG_20221122_154653.jpg
 
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