Tripod head
- Thread starter BPGuru
- Start date
That fatboy ball head looks pretty good too for a multi purpose set up, but for pure shooting, I think the anvil is where it's at.
If you don’t need a whole lot of elevation, I’ve been extremely happy with my RRS leveling base.
I'm looking at heads as well, while I do not mind spending money for good products I also do not need the BEST or feel like overpaying....
I am looking at....
-Leofoto STB-75
-Fat Boy Leveling head
A leveling head typically only moves up or down 15 degrees so if you are shooting straight most of the time these will keep your gun closer to the apex, but if you plan on shooting on extreme angles up or downhill using a unit like the Anvil or the Leofoto STB-75 is the way to go
I am looking at....
-Leofoto STB-75
-Fat Boy Leveling head
A leveling head typically only moves up or down 15 degrees so if you are shooting straight most of the time these will keep your gun closer to the apex, but if you plan on shooting on extreme angles up or downhill using a unit like the Anvil or the Leofoto STB-75 is the way to go
True but remember your legs have adjustment to get you into that 30 degree window if needed for a hunting situation where you may want to lock the rifle into the mount. A bag on top will always be faster if time is a concern and still maintain 100% flexibility on shot angle and quick pans.
So so so many great options.
The Anvil is great to shoot off of from what I’ve heard. At the same time, it’s nice to have a pan/tilt option if you’re dual-purposing with glassing, and the PT Scout is supposed to be great, but that combo is heavy. I see OP bought an Anvil; if anyone else does go with an Anvil it’s probably worth getting one of the RRS tripods with the Anvil built in.
For my upcoming hunt, I ended up getting an Acratech GXP SS, which has a few advantages - it can be an inverted ball to level on uneven terrain, it has integrated pan, it has trivially adjustable tension, and there’s nowhere for dust/grit/ice/etc. to get trapped. I lose out on a leveled tilt without cant, but the feature set was otherwise great for the weight.
I also looked at the Flexshooter Pro, which has a super nifty double ball system - the first ball levels the second ball, the second ball only allows pan/tilt - but I was concerned about dirt/dust/etc. ingress, and it weighs more.
Finally, I looked at the RRS Ascend with integrated head that has both an inverted ball and pan, and it looks like a great option but apparently isn’t great for big awkward loads. Technically capable, yes, but not great. It’s nice and light, though!
The Anvil is great to shoot off of from what I’ve heard. At the same time, it’s nice to have a pan/tilt option if you’re dual-purposing with glassing, and the PT Scout is supposed to be great, but that combo is heavy. I see OP bought an Anvil; if anyone else does go with an Anvil it’s probably worth getting one of the RRS tripods with the Anvil built in.
For my upcoming hunt, I ended up getting an Acratech GXP SS, which has a few advantages - it can be an inverted ball to level on uneven terrain, it has integrated pan, it has trivially adjustable tension, and there’s nowhere for dust/grit/ice/etc. to get trapped. I lose out on a leveled tilt without cant, but the feature set was otherwise great for the weight.
I also looked at the Flexshooter Pro, which has a super nifty double ball system - the first ball levels the second ball, the second ball only allows pan/tilt - but I was concerned about dirt/dust/etc. ingress, and it weighs more.
Finally, I looked at the RRS Ascend with integrated head that has both an inverted ball and pan, and it looks like a great option but apparently isn’t great for big awkward loads. Technically capable, yes, but not great. It’s nice and light, though!
