Precision Rifle Gear Feisol tripods

[HMRamateur]

I am going to be purchasing a tripod setup right away and I have narrowed it down to Feisol. Yes I would love to get RRS everything, but paying USD from CAD is just too steep with the exchange rate.
The tripod will get mixed use between hunting and at the range and because it will be used for hunting, weight is a concern, but I don't want to give up too much stability just to save a couple pounds. How much less stable is the 3342 compared to the 3372? My rifles are all braked also.

Has anyone had any experience with the Feisol ball heads? Are there any other high quality ball head manufacturers other than RRS I should look into, or is a RRS ball head an obligation for shooting with?

 

[jeffl838]

It depends on how heavy your rifle is and if you want to stand... My 3342 is fine for a 15lb bolt gun seated, but wobbly kneeling and standing. It's solid for my 8 lb AR in all positions but wobbles a little standing.

I have an RRS head

 

[HMRamateur]

Good to know. Standing will definitely be necessary, even for practicing

 

[canezach]

I owned the 3342 and 3372. The 3372 was the more stable of the two, but weighed a bit more. I used to take the 3342 to field matches where I had to carry my tripod all day. I was very stable seated, less so kneeling, even less so standing. Not that it was a terrible amount of wobble, but the further from the ground I was, the more wobble I saw. The 3372 was equally stable when seated, and more stable kneeling and standing.

I never used a ballhead on my Feisols. I used the RRS universal leveling base and I loved it. If I had to give you an example of the wobble zone difference between the two, I'd say my 3342 with leveling base was 0.75" and the 3372 was 0.50" (not actual measurements, just an example of the difference)

 

[Blueoval56]

If you're in Canada, check out the Innorel RT-90 or the RT-80 on amazon. probably the best bang for the Canadian buck.

Here's a 27 page thread all about them if you have any questions.

Imported carbon fiber tripod (RT90C)

If you are sifting through 27 pages of info and are confused, here is the most popular shopping list, ** Innorel RT90C. Amazon sells it. Keep searching, there are multiple sellers. Look for Innorel Store seller with Prime shipping and a couple of days delivery so you are not waiting on a slow...

www.snipershide.com

If you don't want to read all that, the consesus is that they're pretty awesome.

 

[HMRamateur]

If you're in Canada, check out the Innorel RT-90 or the RT-80 on amazon. probably the best bang for the Canadian buck.

Here's a 27 page thread all about them if you have any questions.

Imported carbon fiber tripod (RT90C)

If you are sifting through 27 pages of info and are confused, here is the most popular shopping list, ** Innorel RT90C. Amazon sells it. Keep searching, there are multiple sellers. Look for Innorel Store seller with Prime shipping and a couple of days delivery so you are not waiting on a slow...

www.snipershide.com

If you don't want to read all that, the consesus is that they're pretty awesome.

I kinda perused that thread a while ago, and wanted to stay away from Chinese shit, but it really is an incredible value. They make it difficult to not want to try

 

[Blueoval56]

I kinda perused that thread a while ago, and wanted to stay away from Chinese shit, but it really is an incredible value. They make it difficult to not want to try

I hear ya. I don't like to cheap out on things but I also hate overpaying for no reason. I don't own one yet, but I'll be buying the RT90 soon. Just thought I would bring it up in case you hadn't heard of them yet.

 

[Praeger]

Feisol tripods are a great value - none better for the money. In comparing the 3342 and the 3372 though, any four section tripod will be less rigid than a 3 section tripod mostly due to a third more joints. The weight difference is about a pound - for that you get larger tubes and 11 lbs more capacity. Most PRS style shooters prefer 3 section legs for their faster deployment time when the COF requires equipment to be deployed on the clock.

The last four years I've competed with the 3372 and in my view it works just as well as any other similar sized carbon fiber tripod. I've handled the Feisol ball head, it works fine. That said, I felt the RRS BH-55 was worth the extra money - the controls are superb and its weight capacity is greater than the Feisol. I certainly wouldn't be competitively disadvantaged with the Feisol - 95% of the time, the ball head is used for binos/spotting scope.

Edit - The 3342 is a 3 section tripod. I was thinking of the 3442. The advantages of the 3372 (thicker legs, greater load capacity) still apply.

 

[Forward543]

I have a 3372. Only issue is long term heavy usage on the leg locks. I prefer a leveling base to shoot off of. Fiesols leveling base is very stable. I use the leveling base or a schmedium game changer on top. The bag has better range, but is one more thing to pack.

 

[sheepdog697]

I owned the 3342 and 3372. The 3372 was the more stable of the two, but weighed a bit more. I used to take the 3342 to field matches where I had to carry my tripod all day. I was very stable seated, less so kneeling, even less so standing. Not that it was a terrible amount of wobble, but the further from the ground I was, the more wobble I saw. The 3372 was equally stable when seated, and more stable kneeling and standing.

I never used a ballhead on my Feisols. I used the RRS universal leveling base and I loved it. If I had to give you an example of the wobble zone difference between the two, I'd say my 3342 with leveling base was 0.75" and the 3372 was 0.50" (not actual measurements, just an example of the difference)

Same I use the 3372 with RRS leveling base. Solid platform

 

[Diver160651]

OP - I've had both, several RRS offerings and use them scouting, hunting, and for matches.

The Feisol leveling base is junk; the legs are nice. I used to only pack the 3342 for hunts but found the 3372 and RRS 33 so much better in all regards that they became my pack choice.

Now before anyone says "it's good enough for hunting," let me remind you that in PRS matches, if we shoot about 80%, we are in the top if not winning; hell, our UKD Team match that simulates real field hunting type scenarios was won with a hit rate of under 70%. Let's take the standard 2MOA plate we're missing and put it at 700 yards that is 14.66," and bigger than a DRT shot on most animals.. Now imagine missing that on your first shot 20-30% of the time in a random situation where the scorecard doesn't lie. If you're using a tripod for hunting, you probably are doing so to extend your range, we owe it to ourselves and the animal to practice from these tripods and use the best tools we can.

Yes, there is a huge difference in stability or lack of using the 3342; but a very small weight difference. You can most of the time find that 1lbs weight and save at least that in a better pack, even more, if you start looking at your tent, sleeping bag. Sure, if you're already cutting your toothbrushes and tossing out all food packaging, using a ultra light bivy to save weight, that pound isn't free, but it is still worth it to me.

You can see a tripod thread I did a few years ago in my signature, and both the tripods are shown. RRS head options and Leg comparison between Feirsol and RRS.

Here is our UKD Match thread with a ton of info on using tripods in the field. Tripod Tips & Field Match Tips for our UKD Team Match

 

[Diver160651]

Feisol tripods are a great value - none better for the money. In comparing the 3342 and the 3372 though, any four section tripod will be less rigid than a 3 section tripod mostly due to a third more joints. The weight difference is about a pound - for that you get larger tubes and 11 lbs more capacity. Most PRS style shooters prefer 3 section legs for their faster deployment time when the COF requires equipment to be deployed on the clock.

The last four years I've competed with the 3372 and in my view it works just as well as any other similar sized carbon fiber tripod. I've handled the Feisol ball head, it works fine. That said, I felt the RRS BH-55 was worth the extra money - the controls are superb and its weight capacity is greater than the Feisol. I certainly wouldn't be competitively disadvantaged with the Feisol - 95% of the time, the ball head is used for binos/spotting scope.

the 3342 is a 3 section tripod.

 

[Praeger]

the 3342 is a 3 section tripod.

I was thinking of the 3442. The 3342 is a three section tripod.