Basic Tripod Setup - Hog Saddle?

[gunsandgear]

I am looking for a basic but reliable tripod setup. I am a recreational shooter, 95% target shooting/ 5% hunting. I have access to areas where I can shoot at any distance I would like. This will be used with AR15s, AR10s in 308 and 6.5 CM, and at some point a larger caliber bolt gun. I was looking to purchase the following three items as my first tripod setup. Total will be around $500 direct from Hog Saddle:

1) PIG Saddle
2) PIG0311-G Field Tripod
3) GNN FB-52 Ball Head

Any reason not to go with this setup? Alternatives I should consider for any of the items listed above? Please let me know, thanks.

 

[MarinePMI]

Were it I, and with your intended purpose, I'd opt for a Abel table or Tac table of some sort mounted to a tripod with a cheap leveling base and bag on top of the table.

This setup will still work for range/PRS type matches, but is (IMHO) much more versatile and flexible in the field when hunting.

Case in point: Last year while hunting up in MT, I had mine with me. I didn't use it for my shot, since I was shooting off a large round hay bale. Instead, it doubled as a seat (had a tac pillow bungee'ed to the abel table). When my shot was taken (I was shooting suppressed, @275yds) my buddy's girlfriend spotted a nice doe in the far left field (we were overlooking four different fields, in about a 230 degree arc), and so we worked are way around the hay bales, to position where a single row of hay bales came to and end, with the targeted doe, left of the hay bale, about 60 degrees and 255yds out. My buddy's girlfriend is a south paw and short, so trying to shoot over the bale was not viable, but shooting around the right corner of the hay bale for a lefty was a challenge. So, we switched positions, and I slowly eased the tripod/table/bag combo around the corner of the hay bale. After that, we switched positions again, and she slowly eased out from the hay bale, placing her rifle across the bag/tripod and built a really stable kneeling position and took the shot. Boom, dead deer.

My point is, with a pig/hog saddle or even a direct mount, you would be futzing with getting it locked into position. That's movement and time, that in a hunting situation, is not practical or desired. A bag and table on a tripod allows a shooter to ease into position quickly (and quietly), build their position, and shift the rifle efficiently without a lot of movement or time involved.

JMTCW...

 

[bourbonbent]

I have a HOG saddle on my tripod and use it all the time. I find I use it as much for non shooting related uses as I do shooting off it. Holding bino’s while glassing, holding a phone to take a video of something, etc.

I also purchased it years ago. There are other options available now, I’d suggest listening to MarinePMI, or at least taking his advice under consideration and looking into everything that’s available, maybe try and find some folks that have the stuff you’re thinking about getting, and trying it out. The HOG does take a second to get setup, but I use a higher end photography ball head (FLM CB-43) and tend to leave the HOG saddle on the gun and snap it into the ball head.

Still takes time. I’m more likely to improvise a position than set up the tripod, especially while out hunting. Having said that, I do actually like the HOG saddle and will not get rid of it for any reason. It’s proven itself to be very useful, at least for me.

 

[MarinePMI]

bourbonbent reminded me that I did not quantify some of my reasoning behind my post.

I have a PIG saddle as well as a PIG tripod, neither of which I use for hunting (the PIG saddle collects dust on the shelf these days). The PIG tripod will work, but bear in mind, it's a heavy tripod for hunting. I'm not familiar with their ball head at all, so have no comment on that.

If your intent is to hunt with a tripod, I'd highly encourage you to look for a CF tripod for weight savings alone (Leofoto and others are really making some inroads into this market, wrt pricing for CF tripod options that don't cost north of $500). If you can handle the bulk, a 3 section leg version will work. If you can't (like flying to your hunting destination) than a 4 section leg would be my preference (just because it packs up easier for travel).

 

[bunsen27]

I have a PIG0311-G with a simple leveling base and mounted to that I have a PIG saddle. It works great and is quite stable. It is fairly quick to setup but certainly not the fastest for hunting applications. I often just throw my gamechanger bag on top of the pig saddle for hunting.

Unless you are doing a LOT of angled shooting I would skip the ball head and perhaps spend that $170 upgrading to the new carbon fiber PIG tripod which is 3.6lbs versus 5.6lbs.

Alternatively, skip the leveling base and pig saddle just and go with an Able table and a gamechanger bag.

 

[gunsandgear]

Thank you for all of the responses. Now I am having an even harder time deciding which way to go.

I am not too concerned with the weight of the standard PIG tripod for the shooting I typically do. Hunting makes up a very small percentage of my shooting but if I start hunting more I would be open to upgrading to a lighter tripod. The Abel table and bag setup is very interesting and I can see how it would have a lot of advantages for certain types of shooting. I still want something similar to the Pig saddle because I would like to be able to secure the gun and go completely hands off without being worried about it moving or falling. I also do a decent amount of shooting from high/low angles so I think having some type of ball head would be useful for me but after reading all of your responses I am reminded how little I know about precision shooting and tripods in general. I am definitely open to a table/bag setup at some point as well, my interest is peaked now.

 

[sevenplagues]

I have this same setup. The tripod is decent, so is the ball head... However, Im using an ARCA rail attachment on my bolt gun for a more stable connection.