@Terry Cross ,
You and I go back a long way... ?
Back when the Brits and usmc taught us to cut bamboo or use broom handles, mop handles, and arrow shafts with 550 cord and duct tape.......
Then we used cheap tripods and PVC pipe with foam or channel iron with carpet....
And the emphasis was physical control over the rifle and the ability to use it with two hands, two arms, and one body. And move to, react to, or direct to the target as needed, either on or off the tripod.
And in hide building or position building, any chair, couch, cushion, tuck, tripod, bipod, monopod, bag, sand bag, or body was an aid, not an integral part of the sniper and his rifle.
And then there was the hog/pig saddle concept of things, and where we are now.
The only self leveling heads I like are those with the drop handle off the bottom, like the Manfrotto 500ball, 100mm half ball, Gitzo GSLVLS, Gitzo 1321, Feisol LB7567, and the Desmond 75mm half bowl.
Reason, one hand loosens them in a natural position from under the rifle.
**I dislike them for the same reason you do, lack of ability to handle high angle, like from the scoreboard down on the field.**
Sure, with lots of training, you can loosen the bottom handle, and loosen the pig, and push the angle envelope, but this is a "loose" solution, and I "old school" the tight hold training of the sniper controlling the weapon.
The vertical head pic I posted earlier is something I've used, but its weak, easy to slip, easy to lose control of the weapon. I dont recommend it either.
Thing I'm using right now is a manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2 ball head, that I switch from the nikon 200-400 and 500mm lenses and the rifles. Those lenses cost way more than two rifles with glass... that ball head gives me angle, and the pig/hog single point adjuster let's me remove or readjust "some" angle of the rifle pretty quick.
Hope this was what u wanted.
Best to you, Brother!
CLEAN PIC:
