One Tripod To Rule Them All

[13ARC]

Hello gentlemen my name is Damien, I am new to the Hide but have been reading and learning from this forum for several years before deciding to join.

I am new to the tripod game, any solid advise would be greatly appreciated as I have narrowed down my tripod search to few models by 2 manufacturers. I'm 6' 3" and my primary platform is a AI AXSR with ZC527. I live on a small ranch, our property spans 110 acres and its where I primarily shoot, I don't hunt big game anymore but am interested in PRS matches in the future for context.

I have settled on the Anvil 30 ARC head no matter which tripod I end up choosing, though I am hoping for some real world experience with the below mentioned tripod models themselves.

Two Vets QDT Tripod. I like larger tube diameter 42mm for the main tubes and the larger circumference base at the top for stability. I also read they use more weaves in the carbon fiber then the other manufacturers. I am concerned about adaptability and how that translates for the end user compared to the others I mention here with it just being 2 sections. This also has the highest weight rating of 100lbs. Folded length is 39" deployed height is 65.5". I am curious though how this tripod compares in build quality, and also resale value compared to the RRS models below. Cost with the Anvil 30 ARC is roughly $1,125.00 with tax.

RRS TVC-22i Mk2 SOAR Series Tripod. Top tube is 32.7mm and base tube is 36.7mm (series 3). I very much like the inverted design it makes a lot of sense for a rock solid platform, this model also has the larger diameter top to give the legs a bit more stability, however the diameter of the tubes are smaller then the Two Vets QDT and the weight rating is less by -15lbs. Folded length 38.2mm deployed height is 64.3". Cost with the Anvil 30 ARC is roughly $1,445.00 with tax.

Lastly the..

RRS TFCT MK2 34L Tripod. Main tube is 36.7mm (series 3). From what I gathered this tripod seems to be the gold standard for someone my height, folks sure seem to like this one. However. a couple of things give me some pause with this model. The price with tax is $1,738.00 and the top of the tripod platform is much smaller in diameter then the aforementioned models, which would mean a bit less stability I assume. Folded length is 26.6" deployed height is 71.1"

 

[Covertnoob5]

If you want 1 tripod to do everything and carry it around, given your height, the RRS 24L is your answer. The quality of RRS is top notch and the leg diameter will not hold you back at all. Also, as a general rule the larger diameter of the top of the platform being more stable is incorrect. The 34L is amazingly stable but also pretty heavy if you ever intend to pack it and hike some distance.
I use the 24L for hunting, PRS, NRLH, camera work. Literally everything. It’s a great tripod. And worth the money hands down.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

IF you don't have to pack them down, the 22i is the king. The 2 vets while beefy, has the twist locks on the bottom which is just plain stupid and much less ergonomic. Its also chicom import priced like American Made.

Order from @Thermal Optics Plus

 

[Hobo Hilton]

8 Gauge Kiln System - Industrial Cartridge SA

8 GUAGE KILN SYSTEM

industrialcartridgesa.com

 

[Hog Hunters]

I like my reaper grip with slik tripod. Not as light as some but not overly heavy. Also, it sets up perfect height for me by extending all legs- no messing around in the dark. I tried the new field optics research tripod that is comparable to a RRS and it was too short. I am 6’1”. So keep height in mind.

 

[b6graham]

unless you NEED to deploy on the clock or hunt the QDT V2 wins for me. beefy and cheaper

deploy on clock in 90-120sec stages: 22i

hunt: something else

for spotting at matches i'll take a ballhead every day and pop it off and put a bag on top to shoot from if a stage allows. if i HAD to shoot from a head then an anvil 30 hands down

 

[shoots100]

Buy something cheap to hold you over till this tripod comes out in the late summer/fall.
Apex

 

[Birddog6424]

I have had several others, the Two Vets QDT is what I use now.

The RRS stuff is unnecessary cost added for no measurable gain.

 

[max1840]

8 Gauge Kiln System - Industrial Cartridge SA

8 GUAGE KILN SYSTEM

industrialcartridgesa.com

Ah, the old ring and ball shooter

 

[kiena]

Hmm i would look at the Vortex line of carbon tripods... just my .2 cents

 

[XikoPlavi]

I know what I’m watching tonight. Your mother’s a jackal. Welcome Damian.

 

[Secant]

I have had several others, the Two Vets QDT is what I use now.

The RRS stuff is unnecessary cost added for no measurable gain.

Is this unnecessary

 

[Covertnoob5]

I have had several others, the Two Vets QDT is what I use now.

The RRS stuff is unnecessary cost added for no measurable gain.

It’s definitely not. If you only shoot east coast fair weather then sure. If you shoot Wyoming in a snow storm then you’ll see the difference.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

It’s definitely not. If you only shoot east coast fair weather then sure. If you shoot Wyoming in a snow storm then you’ll see the difference.

I have shot the QDT in Wyoming snow and it does fine, although my paint marker lines came off the legs.

Don't get a two section if you want to strap it to a pack.

 

[waveslayer]

Haven't used Two Vets so I can't comment on them.

But my RRS tripod is my do it all Tripod. I hunt with it, shoot with it, make a tent with it, sleep with it when lonely. I love it.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

It’s definitely not. If you only shoot east coast fair weather then sure. If you shoot Wyoming in a snow storm then you’ll see the difference.

In all fairness he is a PNW shooter and just MDed a 2 day PRS match in Idaho. If you saw the wind (and fire) at that match , square east coast it was not. I don't think that's the right application here even through I do think the RRS has some advantages over the 2 Vets from a pure gamer and ergonomic perspective.

Everyone uses gear different so what may be an advantage for one guy, another doesn't care about.

 

[Covertnoob5]

In all fairness he is a PNW shooter and just MDed a 2 day PRS match in Idaho. If you saw the wind (and fire) at that match , square east coast it was not. I don't think that's the right application here even through I do think the RRS has some advantages over the 2 Vets from a pure gamer and ergonomic perspective.

Everyone uses gear different so what may be an advantage for one guy, another doesn't care about.

I’m coming from the standpoint of seeing Leofoto and other knockoff brands fail mid stage multiple times meanwhile the RRS stuff just keeps chugging along. Not saying RRS won’t ever fail, but I’ve shot a good amount of matches and definitely seen more off brand stuff go down vs RRS.

 

[Birddog6424]

Is this unnecessary

To some people, yes. Thats great if you want to pay more for Made in America. I buy American when I can, and when I think its justifiably more bang for the buck.

But my money is hard earned like everyone else's. I won't throw it away on a product not worth it. I think RRS products are ridiculously overpriced for what you get.

It’s definitely not. If you only shoot east coast fair weather then sure. If you shoot Wyoming in a snow storm then you’ll see the difference.

I'm in Idaho. I've yet to see weather have an impact on tripod performance. Unless you're running a skinny little gig that doesn't hold your optics steady in the wind.

Lord knows Wyoming has no shortage of wind

I’m coming from the standpoint of seeing Leofoto and other knockoff brands fail mid stage multiple times meanwhile the RRS stuff just keeps chugging along. Not saying RRS won’t ever fail, but I’ve shot a good amount of matches and definitely seen more off brand stuff go down vs RRS.

I agree with you. I broke my Leofoto twice before buying a QDT. And I've seen a lot of budget brands go down. But I've also seen three broken RRS tripods. One of those was the same guy twice. He's from Utah so you probably know him. The same part broke on all three of them, hopefully they've fixed it since.

Anything and everything can break in this game. Based on what I've seen the RRS is no guarantee of better quality.

 

[Birddog6424]

I have shot the QDT in Wyoming snow and it does fine, although my paint marker lines came off the legs.

Don't get a two section if you want to strap it to a pack.

I think the QDT is a very solid performer in PRS. Only one joint section, less weak links to fail.

But you're right, it's not small and doesn't pack up well. And I fly to a few matches a year, and its a bitch trying to fit it into my checked bag

 

[Secant]

To some people, yes. Thats great if you want to pay more for Made in America. I buy American when I can, and when I think its justifiably more bang for the buck.

But my money is hard earned like everyone else's. I won't throw it away on a product not worth it. I think RRS products are ridiculously overpriced for what you get.

I was partly kidding. I’ve got RRS and Two Vets. They aren’t comparable models, but the Two Vets is alright for what it is.

 

[NiteQwill]

RRS

The twist locks go the right direction (it does make a difference) and the high mounted twist collar allows you to twist and pull (vs twist, remove hand, pull leg, remove hand, lock).

Watch any review video closely and you can see the drastic difference.

Those two things by far make RRS a winner for me.

Notice where the twist collars are on the 22i:

 

[Birddog6424]

Honestly, what I really think bears discussion is that lots of stuff will work. This isn't a complicated device, we just tend to overcomplicate it.

Even though I broke my $400 Leofoto 364C a couple times, it was a cheap plastic internal part that I could swap out in two minutes. I bought like 20 of them for $14. It was the retainer that kept the leg extensions from pulling all the way out. I never had an issue with using the tripod, it never functioned in any manner other than as intended. The RRS failures were the same, a cheap part in the joint that didn't effect performance, they just needed to be replaced.

If you want a tripod that will function just like every other tripod you don't really have to spend a lot of money. If you want it to have a cool dude name brand written on the side, you'll pay a little extra for that.

 

[Compadre]

Had Diamondback 4-12 on my 7mm for around 10 years with zero issues. No debris, no failure, and would shoot as well as I could shoot it every year. Gun was used a lot from sep deer through winter pig hunts. Only issue was early morning late evening clearity. Cost me a buck so I moved to the viper HS. Glass is better, but not overly fantastic. Long range clearity is better though. Been filling tags during archery season last few years so less rifle use, but I have not had this scope fail on me either.

 

[Sniperwannabee]

Made in the USA

Tripods for Shooting

www.fieldopticsresearch.com

Now you know

Pro 32 115 lbs capacity $947 complete system
Pro 39 145 lbs capacity. $1149 complete system

Mounts with arca and pic rails

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Made in the USA

Tripods for Shooting

www.fieldopticsresearch.com

Now you know

Pro 32 115 lbs capacity $947 complete system
Pro 39 145 lbs capacity. $1149 complete system

Mounts with arca and pic rails

They had one of them at Sportsmans a few weeks ago. It was heavy and really clumsy. Life a few pounds heavier. Compared to a RRS it was very unrefined and stuff like the 2 vets and even the Leyfoto knock off are way nicer.

 

[Sniperwannabee]

They had one of them at Sportsmans a few weeks ago. It was heavy and really clumsy. Life a few pounds heavier. Compared to a RRS it was very unrefined and stuff like the 2 vets and even the Leyfoto knock off are way nicer.

Which one? They are listed at 5.5 and 7.4 lbs not sure what comparable complete rrs systems weigh , seems like for the price it would be better than the Chinese brands,and DLO is very respected in the shooting community and if he says it’s a good product then it’s is good @koshkin

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

He is an optics expert not a tripod guru. I am going to listen to guys who hike/hump/compete and shoot off tripods everyday when it comes to tripods. Or first hand expereince since every PRS match you go to will have a few of everything out there.

I am not sure what model it was but it was heavy as shit and the controls were clunky. It was like $900 and next to the imported vortex, the vortex was much more refined.

 

[NiteQwill]

Which one? They are listed at 5.5 and 7.4 lbs not sure what comparable complete rrs systems weigh , seems like for the price it would be better than the Chinese brands,and DLO is very respected in the shooting community and if he says it’s a good product then it’s is good @koshkin

The 22i is 4.2 lbs. And that's considered heavy among RRS variants.

 

[carbonbased]

If you want to get low or shoot from a steep hillside, get the RRS 34L. If not, the 22i. I have the regular height 34 and it is awesome.

 

[theLBC]

i opted for the TVC-34 Mk2 SOAR® Series 3 Tripod to have maximum versatility (for me or the person that inherits it), while willing to sacrifice some speed of deployment. you need the apex adapter for the anvil, but it can also use a leveling head if that ends up better for something or somebody.
/i justify some spending my pretending it is for somebody else (eventually).
//if i bought a $500 chinese tripod, it could get sold for 50 bucks at a yard sale after i am gone.
///yes, i am good at this.
////buy once, cry once.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

If you're trying to save money, buy the RT90C off of amazon for sub $400 and get @midwestoffroad 's Anvil 30 adapter and an Anvil 30. I can't see spending $1200+ on another Chinese made tripod over an RRS which can be had for a few hundred more. I have zero experience with the Two Vets but a lot of experience with the RT90C and RRS. Both work great. I have the TFCT33. One less leg to manipulate and it's perfect height at full extension for binos for me. You're a bit taller than me though.

ThermalOpticsPlus is the place to buy an RRS.

 

[Conqueror]

I’ve run Leofoto LN364c legs with an RRS Anvil head for several years now without issue. Stability is good and nothing has broken. It doesn’t snow where I live so maybe extreme cold would expose its flaws or something but I’ve been happy and it was half the cost of RRS at the time (now more like 1/3).

 

[13ARC]

Thank you everyone for the much appreciated insight. Judging by comments the RRS stuff is very well accepted here.

That Field research tripod looks interesting thank you @Sniperwannabee for posting those videos. I found another video below of what appears to be the pro 39, slick setup. Tough decision.

 

[mrtoyz]

You clearly don’t mind spending money on gear. Get the current gold standard. RRS +Anvil. Recommend the 37L because of your height.

 

[acudaowner]

is the answer a 21 year old female yoga instructor that is willing to bend just for you in any position to help you get that shot off if not it should be .

take the shot man I am too distracted . RRS don't make tri pods that look that good .

 

[Krob95]

I would not recommend the 24L unless you’re back country hiking with it all the time. That's what I started with, 4 months later I sold it and got the 34l and that's that's what I've had for the last year and a half. The 34L is very stable and worth the coin imho.

 

[jbuck88]

I haven't tried most of them. First one I bought was the Nightforce branded Chinese tripod. I tried using a hog saddle and it wasn't very steady. My kid used it quite a bit as well. I eventually picked up a RRS ascend 14 with the integrated bullhead. It was a lot more expensive then the Nightforce tripod, but not that much better. So I sold it and bought a RRS 34L. The 34L is night and day better. Completely worth the extra weight. I might have been ok with the 24L, but I didn't want to be disappointed again like I was with the RRS 14 Ascend.

 

[NateVA]

I personally chose the RRS 34L with the Anvil head.

 

[YotaEer]

I’ve had an Amazon special, pig tripod, leofoto 364c and now RRS 34 with anvil 30. No comparison. Leofoto wasn’t bad but still nothing compared to RRS.

It really is worth the $ and buy once cry once. Some of this stuff isn’t but the tripod is.

 

[Just Macca]

Just bought a RRS TFCT-33, I’ll let you know. But RRS appears to be your answer

 

[jda2631]

I'm 6'1", I wanted a buy once cry once tripod to use for literally everything. I played with a RRS 24L, 34, and 34L. I went with 34L, the collapsed size isn't much different than the other 2, but fully extended it is much larger and more versatile. Especially if you will ever use it glassing from a standing position, the other to you might have to slouch a little, 34L you will for sure be able to stand up straight and look through glass.

I absolutely love this thing and use it for everything, glassing at PRS matches, shooting off of at matches, shooting off of at hogs night and day, throw it in the back of the side by side to drive around the deer camp to throw binos on or gun to shoot a hog. literally everything. The only reason I would ever want a different tripod is if i ever went on a back country backpack hunting trip, then I would probably want one of the ascends. But outside of that one specific use case the 34L is incredible at everything. Rock solid stable, easy and quick to deploy, it says max load is 85lbs but i think that is very low, anvil 30 head is fantastic to shoot off of.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

If you're trying to save money, buy the RT90C off of amazon for sub $400 and get @midwestoffroad 's Anvil 30 adapter and an Anvil 30. I can't see spending $1200+ on another Chinese made tripod over an RRS which can be had for a few hundred more. I have zero experience with the Two Vets but a lot of experience with the RT90C and RRS. Both work great. I have the TFCT33. One less leg to manipulate and it's perfect height at full extension for binos for me. You're a bit taller than me though.

ThermalOpticsPlus is the place to buy an RRS.

I moved from the RT90c with midwest plate/anvil 30 to a 22i/anvil 30 and the difference is night and day. My wobble zone is like 1/4 of what it was and its incredibly stable locked in. Its also much faster to deploy and works better as a rear support.

If someone has the money, skip the innorell and just buy the best up front. You will realize this and then have $400 with of tripod/plate that no one else wants. Its cheaper to buy the good shit up front.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

I moved from the RT90c with midwest plate/anvil 30 to a 22i/anvil 30 and the difference is night and day. My wobble zone is like 1/4 of what it was and its incredibly stable locked in. Its also much faster to deploy and works better as a rear support.

If someone has the money, skip the innorell and just buy the best up front. You will realize this and then have $400 with of tripod/plate that no one else wants. Its cheaper to buy the good shit up front.

I sold the innorel RT90C and midwest plate quickly and at a decent price. I got my monies worth out of it. No ragrets. And other than the larger apex on the RT90C, I saw very little difference. Including wobble. But I agree, save the time and effort and get the RRS from the get go.

 

[AR15-SBR]

I have the 22i/Anvil 30 combo and LOVE it.
I see why everyone raves about this combo now.

 

[dgheriani]

I have a TFCT-34 with Anvil-30 and it's the tits. I'm short though (5'8") so if I was you, I'd get the 34L as others have said. I've had quite a few different tripods over the years: a Manfrotto X190 PRO-B with Sirui K40 ballhead and Pig Saddle, a Slik D700 with the same ballhead/saddle combo, a PRST with Anvil-30, Leofoto 404C with Anvil-30 and finally a RRS TFCT-34 with Anvil-30. I woulda been far ahead if I had just got my RRS setup from the get go (granted the Anvil-30 didn't exist then). As far as I'm concerned it's the perfect compromise for everything from PRS to field matches to hunting in the mountains.

 

[Burdy]

IF you don't have to pack them down, the 22i is the king. The 2 vets while beefy, has the twist locks on the bottom which is just plain stupid and much less ergonomic. Its also chicom import priced like American Made.

Order from @Thermal Optics Plus

Careful, your crabs and football is showing.

 

[Burdy]

FWIW, I use RRS leveling base on Two Vet legs. I get the argument about RRS prices but I'll be honest, the leveling head in my opinion is UNDERPRICED for what it is. Nothing I've seen is that smooth, with that much lock up with such light pressure and completely noiseless in the woods. To me it's worth it. Whether or not the legs would be...I don't know.

 

[13ARC]

I pulled the trigger on a RRS 22i with Anvil 30ARC via Bison Tactical.

What nailed it down for me was two fold, which tripod offered the most stability at max height and secondly speed of deployment.

Thank you to all who chimed in with your experiences on various equipment, it was a huge help.

 

[deersniper]

Any more thoughts on 34 versus 22i ?

 

[Fig]

I know what I’m watching tonight. Your mother’s a jackal. Welcome Damian.

I always took that to mean literally a jackal…