I've got a Lefroto (sp?) on it now and it seems a bit wobbly so I am looking at getting another head. My rifle weights over 20#'s and I am looking for a head that will give me very good stability to shoot out to 300 yards. The rifle rests in a Hog Saddle. Any suggestions are appreciated.
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Need some guidance on Tripod Heads
- Thread starter Laser1
- Start date
Can you post a picture of what your leofoto mount looks like?
in a ball head, bigger is usually better. Leofoto makes good ones, which is why I’m curious what your setup looks like. I generally use a 55mm ball. It should be damn near rock-solid for 300y shots….i would ditch the hog saddle. Arca is easier to use and more stable in my opinion.
in a ball head, bigger is usually better. Leofoto makes good ones, which is why I’m curious what your setup looks like. I generally use a 55mm ball. It should be damn near rock-solid for 300y shots….i would ditch the hog saddle. Arca is easier to use and more stable in my opinion.
No Arca rail on the chassis or built in. Its an AI Chassis in 338LM if that helps. Thanks for all the help...it is getting me in the right direction.
I'm pretty sure Sawtooth makes an ARCA rail for AI's. At least they did when I put one on my AI-AT.
That head does look like it would suck.
I prefer ball heads over leveling heads or Anvil30 style. But, I doubt those would fit on your tripod without some custom machining projects. I’d put a Leofoto LH-55 or LH-40 on there.
I prefer ball heads over leveling heads or Anvil30 style. But, I doubt those would fit on your tripod without some custom machining projects. I’d put a Leofoto LH-55 or LH-40 on there.
Fantastic information all. I'll start looking for an Arca rail and at these various ballheads. Thanks again.
It looks like a knock-off of the Italian mfg. Manfrotto 054 which was light & strong magnesium, as I recall. A tier-1 mount in the day. The problem with combining that style head with the Hog was the threaded mounting points on the underside of the Hog are offset from the midline to make room for the saddle width adjusting screw.
I tapped & threaded central mounting points and eventually used a rail to remove the vertical stem from the ball head and center the weight over the head.
In the OP's photo its evident how the weighted saddle is off-center from the tripod head, which is not good with a 20 lb. rifle.
Get the RRS with Anvil-30 head and their Duo arca-picatinny adapter .
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These pictures are super helpful as it give me a good visual of what to expect. I need to check my chassis and see what I have to work with. Thanks again.....
It very likely is contributing to the wobble. Probably not as much as the plastic ball head though.
If you don’t want to upgrade the whole thing right now, I would buy a ball head that would pair well with a new tripod in the future. The LH-55 mounts to a standard platform with a 3/8 screw, IIRC.
What type of shooting are you using it for?
I have both a leveling base RRS SOAR Universal Leveling Base and a ball head from Leofoto with the MH-60. Both are good and easy to use. The RRS locks up with no perceptible shift to your point of aim but there is a very small amount with the Leofoto which is simply down to that type of design. I'm not sure there is a perfect option as both styles have their pros & cons and also keep in mind the MH-60 is a heavy thing at over twice the weight of the RRS Leveling Base so I wouldn't want to hump it around the back country. Over all I would say the win goes to the RRS but you pay for what you get!
I have both a leveling base RRS SOAR Universal Leveling Base and a ball head from Leofoto with the MH-60. Both are good and easy to use. The RRS locks up with no perceptible shift to your point of aim but there is a very small amount with the Leofoto which is simply down to that type of design. I'm not sure there is a perfect option as both styles have their pros & cons and also keep in mind the MH-60 is a heavy thing at over twice the weight of the RRS Leveling Base so I wouldn't want to hump it around the back country. Over all I would say the win goes to the RRS but you pay for what you get!
Stationary hog hunting for the most part. I need to get it out of the safe and see if there are any rails on it that I can use. I won't be toting a 20# rifle + thermal very far away from the truck.
You may be better off just getting a Abel Table or some other tactical table to attach to the tripod, and use a bag. It's usually better for multiple, fleeting targets (like pig hunting), when you need to shift to a new POA quickly.
I agree with MarinePMI, as a few years back I took his advice.
Because I am cheap, I will recommend the basic 3d printed tac table and a bag vs the Able.
I dont need a high dollar tac table.
My buddies bust on me.
I dont miss because of the table.
I direct clamp to an Anvil and use the hog saddle too, just All depends on the application.
Because I am cheap, I will recommend the basic 3d printed tac table and a bag vs the Able.
I dont need a high dollar tac table.
My buddies bust on me.
I dont miss because of the table.
I direct clamp to an Anvil and use the hog saddle too, just All depends on the application.
Does anyone that has used both an bunch actually prefer the hog saddle to just shooting off a bag on the tripod, or a bag on a Tac table?
Curious, as I haven’t used a hog saddle and have been mostly shooting off a bag rather than anvil/arca for the last year.
If using a bag on the tripod or a Tac table, why even use a tripod head?
Curious, as I haven’t used a hog saddle and have been mostly shooting off a bag rather than anvil/arca for the last year.
If using a bag on the tripod or a Tac table, why even use a tripod head?
All depends on use…..
If Im hiking a few miles hunting, a light tripod with an arca clamp wins.
Salmon River Solutions rail weighs .55 oz.
I can use it for glassing too.
Match? Depends
Coyotes or pigs? Table and bag
I have the Hog saddle for rifles that dont have an Arca rail and dont care to invest in putting one on
If Im hiking a few miles hunting, a light tripod with an arca clamp wins.
Salmon River Solutions rail weighs .55 oz.
I can use it for glassing too.
Match? Depends
Coyotes or pigs? Table and bag
I have the Hog saddle for rifles that dont have an Arca rail and dont care to invest in putting one on
A proper bag is much preferred to the Hog in my opinion; as mentioned Hog offset centering of mass and not to mention the the relatively
"slippery" side polymer grips of the Hog vise (their Mod 7) which allow for an unattended heavy rifle to fall out of the mount. Using some Blue-Force Gear hardware, I added the over-the-top clamping paracord 550 to prevent the rifle from pitching out of the mount to the ground (my "Mod 8" !). A rifle never falls out of shooting bag. To date for me, the RRS tripod is the bomb, if the shooting situation allows for a tripod use.
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Gizmo or Gitzo?
Gitzo tripods are great quality and very popular among the photography crowd. I have a few of their CF tripods and they are rock solid
RRS will be the answer
RRS SOAR
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TVC-22i Mk2 SOAR Series Tripod
Experience the TVC-22i Tripod by RRS, engineered for remarkable stability and endurance, ensuring optimal performance in all outdoor settings.
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Anvil-30 ARC Ball Head
Discover the Anvil-30 Ball Head by RRS. With enhanced control and adaptability, it revolutionizes your outdoor experiences and equipment mounting.
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I’ve used a Gitzo for backpack hunting 20 years. Mines a little small for shooting off of but I have a few times. I bet if you change the head out it will help tremendously.
JMTCW, so take it for what it's worth...
The HOG saddle is really outdated. It's better than nothing, but I have to say, I have one, and it's been under my bench for at least the last 8-10 years. It's just too clunky compared to everything else these days. Remember, it came out before most people were even trying to use a "cheater" of some sort. Early versions being a bunny eared bag attached to a short piece of wood/metal, with a 1/4-20 hole for the cheap Walmart tripod mounts. LR tactical matches really pushed the community to innovate, and so the HOG saddle came into being. It was (at the time) a great idea, but as tripods got better, more innovation happened, and you ended up with the RRS tripods, the RRS ARCA specification/standard, and a host of other options (like the anvil-30 inverted ballhead, and tac tables of various flavors), the HOG saddle just became outdated.
If you're shooting off a bag, you really don't need a ball head (just place the bag over the apex of the tripod and shoot). That being said, most like the flexibility of having both options. One for direct attach scenarios/engagements, and the other for non-attached engagements (again, usually when dealing with multiple, fleeting targets).
As to why to use a table? It's just a bit more stable for leaving a rifle independently rested on the tripod (when not on glass), as well as most support attaching things to them (like a Kestrel, stopwatch, Xero, etc.).
As to the Anvil-30? It's main benefit is direct attach engagements, where there is a small field of view of the target (think overwatch) for a long period of time, and the desire for a lower, more stable position on the tripod itself. Also, if there is a need to pan to, and then focus on, a secondary TRP (think overwatch on an egress point, with a secondary egress point that may need to be switched to on the fly), the anvil-30 pans very smoothly. The Anvil also allows attachment of either ARCA or Picatinny rails. Since it's inverted, it's closer to the apex of the tripod legs, so is inherently more stable than an older style ballhead (where the ball is in the base, not the head).
Ultimately, your engagement and shooting style should drive your selection of tripod, whether it's attached or not attached, and the degree of stability (practically) needed. There is no absolute right (or wrong) answer. It depends on the shooter, their familiarity (training) with their gear, and the engagement scenario.
Again, JMTCW...
Which is a Chinese-made knock off of the RRS attachment design. I'm not gonna open that can of worms, but people should know, and make that decision for themselves.
That may be however it also has twice the load capacity and matches the capacity of my Leofoto SO-322C tripod at about 1/3 the cost, tripod and head, of what RRS pieces cost.
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